# You find a human hair in your food at a Restaurant: What do you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 23, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088 "2005-09-23T17:33:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/1 "2005-09-23T17:33:36Z")
My wife and I were at a nice little restaurant here in Phoenix last night. Enjoying each others company and enjoying the lovely 80 degree night - we were on the patio. The people behind us were there when we arrived, and they of course ordered before we did. Halfway through out appetizer the woman called over to the waitress and told her the following: > [@](#): > > I just wanted to let you know I found a hair in my food. _picking the hair up to show the waitress - who was obviously waiting for the obligatory insult and demand for their money back_ - I just wanted to let you know. I don’t want my money back or anything. I’m a hairdresser and I work with hair all day so I’m not grossed out or anything. I just don’t want some other patron to get a hair and reem you out. Started the waitress took the hair away from her, and went back to whatever she was doing. I could tell she was relieved for not being lamb basted for something that usually gets a wait-person in trouble. I was thinking. I personally would have sent the meal back, I’ve been a waiter - a long while ago - and can understand why someone would want to send a meal back…it’s kind of gross. Then again I can see why this person didn’t want to send it back…she was accustomed to hair… What would you have done? ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/2 "2005-09-23T17:39:43Z")
Well if it was obviously not my hair, I would probably send it back without making a big fuss. To me it feels more gross if the hair is buried within the food (like lasagna) as opposed to just on the plate somewhere (if that makes sense). Now if I found a bandage in my food I would probably gag and freak out a little. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/3 "2005-09-23T17:43:18Z")
I have not and would not generally do anything. I don’t understand why a hair is inherently dirtier than the hands the cooks used to make the food or the waitresses hands that touched the plates and everything else. However, if I found a certain kind of hair in my ranch dressing then I would be pretty grossed out. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/4 "2005-09-23T17:58:39Z")
I wouldn’t care for one hair, it’s just a hair. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/5 "2005-09-23T18:03:11Z")
I was at a restaurant about 5 months ago and found a hair in my Cobb Salad. I just pulled it out and set it aside, no complaint even though it is mildly disturbing. However after finding a second and then a third I couldn’t take it anymore so I politely explained to the waitress that there was just too much hair in my salad. So there you have it, 3 hairs is my breaking point. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/6 "2005-09-23T18:12:13Z")
" so I politely explained to the waitress that there was just too much hair in my salad." Did anyone else giggle when they read this? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/7 "2005-09-23T18:14:18Z")
Depends on what kind of hair it is. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/8 "2005-09-23T18:18:26Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Depends on what kind of hair it is. Eeeew. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/9 "2005-09-23T18:21:21Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > " so I politely explained to the waitress that there was just too much hair in my salad." > > Did anyone else giggle when they read this? 😛 Yes! I’ve never found a hair in my food in a restaurant, but I did get a salad with a fly in it once. I do believe it landed on the salad and got stuck in the dressing. I just ate around it. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/10 "2005-09-23T18:25:00Z")
Just one hair is fine, more than that is not fine. ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/11 "2005-09-23T18:26:41Z")
A piece of hair, BFD. A clump of hair, we got problems. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/12 "2005-09-23T18:27:09Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Depends on what kind of hair it is. Me and a buddy were in line at the cashier at a local restaurant. The guy ahead of us was paying and the lady asks him if everything was OK. He replied that there was a hair in his beans. Before the lady could reply, my buddy asks in this goofy voice, “Was it straight or kinky?”. I busted up and left him to pay our bill, I don’t know how it was resolved. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/13 "2005-09-23T18:34:25Z")
I’m generally pretty forgiving at restaurants, so for a single hair, I’d probably just pluck it out and continue eating. I’d understand anyone who wanted to send it back, though. Just don’t be too hard on the server. The hair probably came from the cook. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/14 "2005-09-23T18:40:47Z")
Since I noticed on preview that I was typing something remarkably similar to his post, I’ll just ditto **Dio**. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/15 "2005-09-23T19:03:42Z")
One hair is ok eh? What if you put a bit of food in your mouth, and have to pull the hair out? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/16 "2005-09-23T19:08:01Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Depends on what kind of hair it is. I was thinking it depends on what kind of salad it is. Tossed for instance… ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/17 "2005-09-23T19:13:20Z")
I have pulled a single hair out of a meal and kept eating without making a fuss. I may have even had one get to my lips, I can’t remember for sure. I’m probably a horrible racist (not intentionally), but it bothers me less if the hair in question is thinner & lighter than if it is very thick & dark & long. I do agree that human hands are usually far germier & dirtier than a single hair. I once sent a meal back when I found a partially-dissolved antacid in the middle of it. Something about that just put me off my feed. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/18 "2005-09-23T19:18:19Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > One hair is ok eh? What if you put a bit of food in your mouth, and have to pull the hair out? Too late then! Kinda like biting into an apple and finding half a worm in there. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/19 "2005-09-23T19:40:51Z")
> [@Burrido](#): > > A piece of hair, BFD. A clump of hair, we got problems. Yes. The chef might want his toupee back, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088/20 "2005-09-23T20:06:45Z")
I would definitely send it back. I am paying them to do a good job preparing and serving my food. The hair indicates I am not getting my money’s worth. If they want me not to hold it against their restaurant in the future, I would expect some kind of compensation, like a discount or complimentary dessert. At the very least an acknowledgement that they had fallen short of their standards and regretted the disruption of my meal. I was not impressed when the manager of a buffet place, lets call it Flaxen Stable, that essentially said “so what” and didn’t even change out the pan of fried shrimp we’d gotten our serving from. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-find-a-human-hair-in-your-food-at-a-restaurant-what-do-you-do/323088.md?page=2)