# Should a restaurant tell you if an "extra" costs money before it shows up on your bill? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621 "2018-02-26T19:45:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/21 "2018-02-27T03:42:40Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > For minor things such as salsa, tortillas, or chips, I’d be annoyed if there was an extra charge. I didn’t mind there was a charge. I felt like I should have been warned/told. That was all. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/22 "2018-02-27T05:20:31Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I always assume there will be a charge. If there isn’t, it’s like a tiny little windfall. This is generally how I feel about it. I can’t remember ever being charged for extra fajitas. I do find it annoying that the ratio is always pretty far off for them. I agree I fill mine less than the average person but I don’t see how anyone manages with only the supplied amount. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/23 "2018-02-27T09:56:38Z")
Reminds me of the guy who ordered a bottle of wine which the waitress said cost “thirty-seven fifty”; [only later did he find out it was actually $3750.](http://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-man-charged-3750-for-wine-2014-11) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/24 "2018-02-27T10:02:36Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I tipped 20%. The $1 was no big deal. I’m not a cheapskate or nickel-and-dimer. > > I was just surprised how it was handled and I think my re-telling of it did not capture it very well. I may have come across harsher than I intended. But I would have just made a note to self about this. Self, this place charges a dollar for extra tortillas. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/25 "2018-02-27T12:03:10Z")
OP asked for something extra. Some restaurants push extras without telling you they cost more. I expect cheese to cost more, but when you ask it the same way you ask how I want the meat done or like if I want fresh ground pepper, it doesn’t come across that way. And then there are the places that don’t post prices. Often on cocktails. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/26 "2018-02-27T12:35:48Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Reminds me of the guy who ordered a bottle of wine which the waitress said cost “thirty-seven fifty”; [only later did he find out it was actually $3750.](http://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-man-charged-3750-for-wine-2014-11) Did he order it with a [Neiman Marcus cookie](https://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp) on the side? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/27 "2018-02-27T13:07:41Z")
I suspect that I would have been able to fit everything into 3 tortillas since I do not eat via any method mentioned so far. I stuff as much as possible into the tortilla to make it a taco/quasi burrito, but I eat it over the other tortillas. Stuff will inevitably fall off and mostly onto the remaining tortillas. Then I do the same with the remaining tortillas. There’s some stuff left afterward but not enough for another whole tortilla. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/28 "2018-02-27T14:13:41Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I didn’t mind there was a charge. I felt like I should have been warned/told. I agree that you should, but it’s a soft “should,” roughly on a par with “If you ask for extras, you _should_ be aware that they might charge you for them.” ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/29 "2018-02-27T14:48:18Z")
If I’m eating at a Mexican place that keeps shoving free chips and salsa at me and giving me free drink refills, then charges me a buck for two extra flour tortillas, I think I’d find me a new Mexican restaurant. I can understand paying for extra cheese or a side of guac or something, but extra tortillas should not cost anything. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/30 "2018-02-27T16:01:08Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I was at a Mexican restaurant near me, one we love. Just checking: Did it have the words “taco” and “bell” in its name? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/31 "2018-02-27T16:14:21Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Reminds me of the guy who ordered a bottle of wine which the waitress said cost “thirty-seven fifty”; [only later did he find out it was actually $3750.](http://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-man-charged-3750-for-wine-2014-11) That story is what came to mind when I saw the thread, except I couldn’t remember the details. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/32 "2018-02-27T16:24:25Z")
I think they should, yes. They don’t _have_ to, but they will never have my business again if they don’t. It is my default assumption at any sitdown restaurant (and fast food, for that matter) that any soda refill is free. Why? because it is practically industry standard nowadays. If it isn’t, you better tell me that first. Likewise, if I get a measly little cup of blue cheese with my wings, I’d expect another to be free. I wouldn’t be terribly _suprised_ if they didn’t. I would also expect to be told. When I go to Chipoltle, the tell me guac is extra, each and every time. And I am a semi regular. Bottom line is, if you don’t meet my expectations (in practically any way), I will not protest or say anything. I just won’t go there again. I don’t live in the middle of nowhere. I am not forgiving, and I don’t need to be. There are many alternatives out there. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/33 "2018-02-27T16:56:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Gringos try to make fajitas into burritos. Mexicans typically eat with tortillas by breaking off smaller parts and then using those to scoop up food. Usually 1/4 of a tortilla or less at at time. But yeah, tortillas should be the cheap part of the meal. Still, if you eat the way it was intended to be eaten, there should be enough tortillas for the meal with just 3. The key is: don’t eat like a Gringo! 😉 I’m not sure anyone who refers to tortillas as shells would grok this. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/34 "2018-02-27T16:58:40Z")
A couple additional tortillas to go with an entree is such a pissant “extra” that a customer would expect not to be charged. If there’s a fee, he/she should be told up front. As for chips/salsa, a number of Mexican/Tex-Mex places say upfront on the menu that you get one bowl of chips free and refills will cost you. Which is OK. In a situation where you asked for a chip refill, there was no notice like that on the menu, the server brought you more without comment and you got upcharged on the bill, that would not be OK. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/35 "2018-02-27T17:02:14Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Agree. But I also get annoyed when restaurants severely miss-match the amounts of foods served together. So if the serving of fajitas is easily enough to fill 5-6 shells and they only give you 3, then I would definitely say something if I was charged for the fajitas needed to finish the meal. LOL yep. I complained the last time I went to Hockeytown cafe. it was after a game and I didn’t want anything heavy, so I ordered the chips and salsa. They brought out a plate with a huge pile of chips and maybe 1/3 cup of salsa. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/36 "2018-02-27T17:16:28Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > Shells? Y’all mean tortillas? Where are they called “shells”? > > Tortillas are always extra, in my experience. If you’d asked for a refill on the chips and they’d charged you for a second basket without warning, I’d consider that a mistake on their part, and those are typically free. I meant tortillas. And if a whole basket of chips is free I’ll gladly finish my fajitas with those!😃 ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/37 "2018-02-27T17:26:37Z")
I’d expect to be informed if there are costs for **commonly ordered** extras somewhere; either on the menu, the little signs on the table, or from the wait staff. So things like drink refills, extra bacon, double sauces/dips, and so on. There are however enough potential combinations/substitutions and oddball requests than you could never expect to be pre-emptively informed about the change in cost of all of them. I’ve known some people who will order 4 or 5 things from a menu and have special requests for substitutions, omitting certain ingredients, requesting extra something else, and customizing each and every item… including the water. How on earth could the server know what the owner wants to charge or comp for those kinds of potential custom orders? A menu listing everything would read like a book. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/38 "2018-02-27T18:13:48Z")
> [@](#): > > She said, “You get three.” If extras were free, she’d have said “Normally three, but I can bring you more.” Instead, the way it was said, I’d have guessed there was a charge. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > That story is what came to mind when I saw the thread, except I couldn’t remember the details. Me too. 🙂 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ What annoyed me was ordering a coffee when I walked in, later ordering a breakfast _which comes with coffee_, but still being charged additionally for the coffee since “they’d already written it up.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/39 "2018-02-27T18:26:02Z")
I never read the check, I just look for the total to see what I owe and calculate the tip. I once ate at a diner type place and ordered blue cheese dressing for my salad. The waitress told me there was a 25 cent charge for my dressing. So, of course I said, “hang on a second” then pretended to do mental calculations, eventually saying, “OK, I’ll go for it”. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/40 "2018-02-27T18:29:58Z")
I think if you ask for additional something, you should expect a small charge, and be pleasantly surprised if there isn’t one. You shouldn’t expect to be quoted the upcharge unless you ask. If you ask for a substitution, and the change is reasonably similar (say, mashed potatoes on the side instead of rice), it should be free unless they confirm when you ask for the change. One thing that got me once: I ordered an entree and the waitress asked, in the tone that one uses when asking someone to pick between options that come with the meal: “would you like soup or salad?” I said salad, and ended up being charged for a side salad. I was pissed. This is very different from asking something like “would you like some soup or a salad to start?” It’s mostly in the tone, but I was clearly tricked into ordering extra food by the implication that it was included. Never went back. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621.md?page=3)