# 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:** 3
**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, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/41 "2018-02-27T18:41:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Gringos try to make fajitas into burritos…The key is: don’t eat like a Gringo! 😉 [Theme music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCFFawq1D7I&t=1m5s) for your post. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/42 "2018-02-27T18:49:48Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > I meant tortillas. And if a whole basket of chips is free I’ll gladly finish my fajitas with those!😃 OK, right there. There’s your guide. Never ever eat Mexican where the chips and salsa aren’t free. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/43 "2018-02-27T18:52:57Z")
They should tell you, but you should ask. No one is blameless in this example. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/44 "2018-02-27T18:58:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > 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”. Nice. Even better, you could’ve pretended to call your estate planner. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/45 "2018-03-01T00:18:28Z")
> [@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 sorry but that is a gross exaggeration. Yes, some Mexicans use a tortilla to scoop their food but to say it is typical of the way most of us eat is mistaken. I generally roll my tortilla and occasionally use the whole one to make a taco out of the dish I am eating. In our extended family we don’t normally use a tortilla as a spoon or fork. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/46 "2018-03-01T02:55:01Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > Shells? Y’all mean tortillas? Where are they called “shells”? This is what I was going to say. Those are tortillas. Shells are hard things. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/47 "2018-03-01T03:27:52Z")
Agree with a very soft “should” … but more importantly this is a good example of a business being very stupid. In general loyal repeat business is the key to a restaurant’s staying power. You want regulars and regulars who love you enough to talk your place up. You do not want someone who is pissed at you as each one of them offset ten people who love you: pissed people complain more than happy people gush. They seriously annoyed a customer who otherwise loves the place over something that costs them pennies. It made them an extra buck that day but it put that loyalty and good word of mouth at risk. The response he expected of them apologizing for the misunderstanding, taking it off the bill, and clarifying the policy for the future, was the far better option for them to take. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/48 "2018-03-01T08:46:01Z")
Some find it insulting and presumptuous to caution a customer that there is an added fee for extra food when requested. It’s like you’re worried they can’t afford it or something. If I ask for an extra serving, another glass, or more food, I expect it to cost a reasinable, proportional amount. If you can’t afford it, don’t ask for it. If you maybe can’t afford it, then ask the price before requesting it. IMO, it’s tacky for the server to mention prices unless asked. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/49 "2018-03-01T14:22:30Z")
[This is what the OP reminded me of.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf1zvlk5Xio) ---
**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:** [March 1, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/50 "2018-03-01T14:45:49Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Some find it insulting and presumptuous to caution a customer that there is an added fee for extra food when requested. It’s like you’re worried they can’t afford it or something. If I ask for an extra serving, another glass, or more food, I expect it to cost a reasinable, proportional amount. If you can’t afford it, don’t ask for it. If you maybe can’t afford it, then ask the price before requesting it. IMO, it’s tacky for the server to mention prices unless asked. That’s kind of the problem for the waiter; some people want to know in advance that there will be an additional charge, while others would be insulted by the perceived suggestion that they can’t afford it. One solution is for the menu to make clear what is and isn’t extra. Some menus I’ve seen indicate which beverages come with free refills (usually fountain beverages) and which don’t (the fancier non-alcoholic drinks). ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/51 "2018-03-01T15:13:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > 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”. 😕 How much did they charge you for the fork? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/52 "2018-03-01T15:15:24Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I understand that. There’s a local Indian place that gives you hardly any rice with the dishes and expects you to buy a side of rice if you want more. This is apparently what they think is the authentic means of serving these dishes but it’s not what’s typically expected in American Indian restaurants. Luckily due to circumstances we have a plethora of Indian restaurants in town and go to the ones that provide plenty of rice. In the good old days white rice was free in Chinese restaurants, today it never is. Consider yourself lucky to get any rice at all. I don’t think Indian restaurants around me give away any. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2018, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/53 "2018-03-01T15:23:02Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > In the good old days white rice was free in Chinese restaurants, today it never is. Consider yourself lucky to get any rice at all. I don’t think Indian restaurants around me give away any. My gf _hates_ making rice for some reason. When she is going to make fried rice she buys a few big take-out cartons from the Chinese place we frequent. Initially they didn’t want to charge her, but she explained that she’d be happier paying and knowing that she could buy it whenever the need would arise. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/54 "2018-03-01T15:34:10Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > The response he expected of them apologizing for the misunderstanding, taking it off the bill, and clarifying the policy for the future, was the far better option for them to take. I did not expect or want an apology. I asked for this thread to be locked a few days ago(obviously it was not) because I felt like I was looking like a huge cheapskate or nickel-and-dimer. I can not in writing make clear the impression the waitress made when she spoke to me. When she asked “Anything else?” and I mentioned more shells(tortillas), it felt very much like she went along with the whole “sure, we’ll throw a couple more in there” vibe that I am trying to relate. It really was a minor moment. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/55 "2018-03-01T18:15:52Z")
I think it was the Gringo Tax for calling tortillas “fajita shells.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/56 "2018-03-01T19:03:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I didn’t mind there was a charge. I felt like I should have been warned/told. That was all. I agrre, she should have mentioned it. I would hav asked her why she didnt. Like beverage refills, I got charged one time for a refill. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/57 "2018-03-01T19:07:50Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > 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. > … > 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. I order iced tea with extra ice and lemons? Extra charge? Whe I order nachos (real nachos, with real cheese) I ask for fewer jalpenos and more cheese- extra? But yeah,I agree , you were scammed. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/58 "2018-03-01T19:15:48Z")
Here in my pueblito we say “Regálame a glass of water”, or “Regálame extra tortillas”. Which means “gift me”. And there is no confusion. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/59 "2018-03-01T19:50:28Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > In the good old days white rice was free in Chinese restaurants, today it never is. Consider yourself lucky to get any rice at all. I don’t think Indian restaurants around me give away any. Interestingly enough, in just about all the Chinese restaurants around me (lots of them authentic) provide rice for free. On the contrary, just about all the Indian restaurants (most of the authentic) do not. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-restaurant-tell-you-if-an-extra-costs-money-before-it-shows-up-on-your-bill/809621/60 "2018-03-01T20:25:16Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Chinese restaurant that didn’t include the rice with a meal. And one can usually get fried rice included if you ask for it. [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=2) [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=4)