Sometimes we need a night out or to take a break from our cooking, and it's nice to go to a restaurant.
But from bad food to even worse service, there are details about the dining experience that can ruin the whole night out.
Redditor raymorude asked:
"What ruins a restaurant?"
Yelling at Your Date
"When the background music is too loud."
- CrystalQueen3000
"WHAT?!"
- ColoradoScoop
"WHEN THE BACKGROUND MUSIC IS TOO LOUD."
- CrystalQueen3000
Not to Mention Terrible Acoustics
"We went to a small restaurant that had a live band rocking out on a Wednesday night while a bunch of families tried to eat their dinners."
"We couldn't hear one another at our own table, couldn't hear the waitress, etc. Unsurprisingly, they went out of business."
"Live music is great if you're not eating in a shoebox-sized restaurant, and the band isn't trying to void the warranty on their speakers."
- dragon_wryter
Full Disclosure
"When they don’t put a price on the menu. It makes me not want to order anything just in case it comes out to $30 per dish, but I also feel embarrassed to ask for the price of each item."
- Theoldage2147
Over-Stimulating
"I personally like a dark and quiet atmosphere where I can sit in a high-backed booth and enjoy my meal with my family. Restaurants that are too open, too bright, and have loud music playing in the background ruin it for me personally."
- X_brokeham_X
"People underestimate how much atmosphere can make somewhere a lot less appealing."
"Once I found a chill, quiet, British-style pub with nice wooden booths and furniture where you could relax with a beer and actually talk to people, I realized why I hated going out before. I just needed a better atmosphere."
- PolkaWillNeverDie00
That Luke-Warm Feeling
"Slow service coupled to food not served hot enough because it's been sitting in the kitchen too long waiting to be delivered."
- Back2Bach
Hilariously Bad Food
"There's a famous restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita that had legendarily bad food. I went there once as a kid, hated it, and never went back."
"But people love it and will try to convince you to go. If you point out that the food is terrible, they will even agree with you but say that it's worth it for the atmosphere. And I'm always like, it's a RESTAURANT! Who cares about the atmosphere if the food is terrible?!"
"I heard a few years ago that it's under new ownership. No idea if the food got any better."
- KatieCashew
Just... Bugs.
"A lot of good answers here but bugs top them all for me. The restaurant could have a 10/10 atmosphere, food, drinks, waitstaff, etc… but if I’m trying to swat flies away from my face and food every 10 seconds, my experience is ruined."
"I’ve left places due to this. One of my favorite places in a downtown area has an amazing outdoor patio, but there’s a bee problem there they refuse to deal with. It’s a deal breaker!"
- Strongbad23
Declining Food Quality
"Cutting quality to save money. Sometimes prices need to change, I get that as frustrating as it can be (and in all fairness that can ruin a restaurant for me just because of my budget, but I think that's an exception), but cutting quality to save money doesn't just make your food worse, it makes your image worse to your regulars."
- ParkityParkPark
Young Diners
"Children on loud devices, so d**n annoying."
- Salt_Section_651
Too Many Options
"A menu that's way too freaking big, saying this as a food service worker."
- N1hili
Not Enough Choices
"When you see a menu with like four items to choose from, you better believe all four options better be perfectly delicious."
- zuck_my_butt
So Fast-Paced
"I personally can’t stand when the bussers or servers are going at 100% speed. Makes me feel anxious and like I need to be eating quicker."
"I worked at a restaurant like this and they were borderline abusive and my coworkers would literally be sprinting around trying to get 10 things done at once. I prefer a relaxing environment and I’ll wait a bit longer to get my food."
- reignthepain
Not All Karaoke is Good Karaoke
"I went to a small restaurant that I've liked before. For some reason, the owners decided to put up a karaoke machine in the middle of the place. With the size of the place and how loud the machine was, you could hear everything at any table."
"We sat down, heard a kid trying to sing 'Let It Go' full-blast and all decided to leave."
- KingOfSheepX
Unhappy Staff
"When they don't treat/pay their staff well. You can tell, especially if you've worked in the industry, and it seeps into every aspect of the place. You can practically feel it oozing out of the walls."
- Hey_Its_Crosby
Nightmare Fuel
"Waitstaff walking towards me carrying a cake and singing Happy Birthday..."
- ccl_now
While dining out can be an awesome experience, there are obviously things that can ruin the whole vibe. But it's clear from these diners that there are certain details that will be a deal breaker, no matter what.
It is called fast food. It is not called hasty food.
And yet, hasty is so often the experience.
We have all been there. First, we politely greet a metal rectangle that bears a mesh speaker face. It responds to the timid hello with fierce, garbed gibberish.
That puts us on our heels. So we escalate to a violent, aggressive scream about the kind of sandwich and drink we'd like. The robot tube remains loud and terrifying.
We're herded through the drive-thru lane alongside the brick wall until we arrive at the window: our only glimpse of the faceless void that we've given the reigns to for our lunch.
Finally, a hand flies out of the portal, we, panicked, absorb it into the vehicle and simply hope that the screaming rectangle did us good.
So often, as a recent Reddit thread illustrated, it did not do us good. It did us very very bad.
Fazi_Snaxxx asked, "What's the most wrong your fast food order has ever been?"
Third Time's the Charm
"My mom ordered a plain cheeseburger and it came with everything on it. I bring it up to the counter and let them know. A couple minutes later I get new one."
"Bring it to my mom, she opens it, it's a plain McChicken. I brought it back up and the manager went bug eyed and demanded 'What's wrong with it now?!'"
"I proceeded to show her and she went back and lost her sh** on the cooks. The third time was perfect, thankfully."
Right Order, Wrong Mouth
"What we ordered was burgers and fried pickles from the local pub. What the Uber guy brought us was nothing, because he took our food and went home." -- alltherobots
"Happened to me before too. Uber girl marked my food as delivered right outside the restaurant. I hope she enjoyed my lunch." -- payvavraishkuf
Watch Your Tongue at the Counter
"i was joking that i wanted a ton of sauce at mconalds, like a bowl of sauce. I got this container that was literally like 2 pints of sauce with my burger inside it. i was like 'well i got what i f***ing asked for didn't i'" -- demonardvark
"I see you enjoy the burger boat off the secret menu as well ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)" -- Pm-Me_Ur-Ti**ies_Plz
Ice Cream 101
"I went through Burger King cause they had a new Oreo sundae I wanted to try. Ordered a burger, fries and the Ice cream"
"They asked me to pull around to the front cause the food wasn't ready. Annoys the f*** out of me, but fine ok."
"After about 4-5 minutes A worker comes out with just the Oreo Sunday. Or what was supposed to be the Oreo Sunday but was a half melted bowl of soup."
"'Uhhh sir, this is really melted, what's going on?'"
"'Well when food isn't ready we take the food that is and put it under the heat lamp to keep it warm.'"
"Sigh......Yeah that took a couple minutes of convincing to get him to remake it without putting it under the heat lamp......"
-- Eagle206
VERY Well Done
"I was a kid and my dad decided on a McDonald's for tea. I went with him and ordered a chicken sandwich. I was looking forward to it the whole way home."
"Finally get him open the box and find a DIRTY OLD DISHCLOTH between the bun."
"Still remember my dad hitting the roof driving back and shouting at the manager, apparently one of the staff were due to go on break and it was made as a prank for them."
Cutting Costs?
"I ordered a mcchicken with cheese once, I got the bun and cheese but no chicken patty" -- WhyBee92
"I ordered a Big Mac and it came without the bun at the bottom, only realised when I tried taking it out. When I went back to the till a guy was holding the bun and was looking around, confused, not knowing what was up with it." -- thestrikr
Getting Technical
"I ordered a chicken burrito and all I got was chicken wrapped in a tortilla. No other filling." -- broken_bones2012
"It was probably someone's last day and they just didn't give a f*** anymore." -- mr_sto0pid
"It meets the requirements, I don't see the problem" -- MyBigRed
When it Goes the Other Way
"I ordered 2 burrito bowls (Meat + stuff) from Chipolte. I got:"
"3 meat/guac bowls"
"3 meat/guac burritos"
"2 chips + side of guac"
"Thanks to the magic of Uber Eats, I got my 2 bowls refunded and kept the mountain of food."
White Stuff
"Went to Popeyes and got a big family meal type order. When I got home and started setting everything out, I got to the big container of mashed potatoes. It was actually a big container of mayonnaise. We all had a good laugh, and plenty of mayo."
"We did not have mashed potatoes though, which was sad."
-- Bmc00
A Short-Lived Scheme
"I once ate at a Burger King. I go in, everything appears to be the same except the owner is there serving food and working the register. Thinking nothing of it I order the usual."
"I get my burger and it's Medium Rare, the bun is different, the fries are in a checkered paper basket and the receipt said SouthSide Burgers. He basically was just hustling food after being told by corporate to shut it down."
"He made a bunch of money that week running a fake Burger King and skipped town."
-- timisher
The Lucky Ones
"I got this huge bag of delivery Chinese... and I ordered nothing."
"I took it because I was confused and I feel terrible about it." -- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
"Didn't even order anything. Came home to whole Thai dinner in my doorstep. No receipt, some name I didn't recognize on the bag. Left it there from nine until midnight just in case anyone claimed it but no one came."
"Had spicy fried chicken wings and pad Thai for lunch the next day." -- Jerry_Curlan_Alt
The Perfect Crime!
"I once went to taco bell and just ordered some nachos. They gave me the bag, and I waited to eat until I got home. Opened up the bag, and turns out they forgot the chips. I got a tiny container of cheese, though."
"So they basically gave me an empty bag and charged."
The Distributive Property
"Not fast food, but a buddy and I went to a bar/grill to have a night of drinking beer. They had a 2-for-1 special that night. We told the waitress we wanted 12 beers, thinking she would keep 'em coming until we had hit 12."
"After a long wait, she came out with a massive tray with 24 beers all together! We felt like a**holes, so we powered through them even when they started getting warm."
-- Jinzot
Little Extra Somethin' In Your Drink
"One time my sister and I were eating at out of all the places Dairy Queen a few years back and she found over 12 hairs in her burger. Needless to say, you don't duck with my sister."
"Another one: my local McDonald's to this day still has soda that tastes like it has fruit in it. Which is weird because they don't HAVE fruit flavored soft drinks at McDonald's."
-- BigE1263
SOUR CREAM
It wasn't that it was super wrong, but the frequency of them getting it wrong. When I was in uni, I would go to taco bell a lot. I would get a five layer burrito, with no sour cream. Literally every single time, it had sour cream. I hate sour cream."
"I would take it back, they would make it again, and I would leave. This happened like a dozen times over the course of two months, and then it stopped. They started making it right. I let my guard down."
"After two or three times, I get a burrito, go out to my car, take a bite, and get a mouthful of a burrito that was like half sour cream. I was so sick of it that I got out of my car and spiked it into the ground in the parking lot."
"Then I went to the waffle house next door."
-- Einteiler
Restaurant employees are the true MVPs of the world. It seems like they're dealt with the worst crap when it comes to dealing with customers- not to mention the fact that they have to rely on tips from some not-so-reliable people. Here are some of their stories, to remind you to show extra love to your food service friends.
u/ChipFan111 asked: People who worked in Restaurants, what was the worst customer that you had to deal with?
What an a-hole.
I worked at Domino's, I had a guy throw a hand full of pennies at me while laughing. The 30 odd cents was my tip, he was mad when I turned around and walked away without picking any of them up. His exact words were, "Oh, my money not good enough for you? Fine, I'll never order Domino's again!"
I've never had a customer fire themselves like that before, it was great.
Ew, wtf?
GiphyBarista here. Had a guy that regularly came in and ordered a complicated drink. He always finished the order by asking for a "finger swirl" in the drink. If you gave him a confused look he would say "well how else am I gonna taste you?". He was the worst.
He should have waterfalled it.
I used to work in a bar that sold very old booze.
A drunk man tried to impress his friends by chugging from a bottle of amaro from the early 60s.
He had to pay for the whole thing since his lips touched it and it was useless. Cost him around $800.
The audacity.
Worked in a popular restaurant for awhile. We usually have quite a long wait (30-40min waits) during dinner service and people are told by the hosts about this. There was this lady that got fed up with the wait after 10 mins.
She stormed into the restaurant, stood next to a table of 4 people and literally asked them "are you guys done? we've been waiting for a long time now and would like to have the table if you guys are just chatting...". Was completely mindblown how people are able to not give a f*ck and pull something like this in public.
How about you treat your bartenders with respect?
Giphyhttps://imgur.com/gallery/dBBGKV5
This guy threw a beer in my face when I stuck up for myself and told him to stop banging his fist on the bar and screaming 'YO!!' To get my attention
What is the point of hurting peoples' feelings?
Way back in the 80s I worked in a restaurant that was a favorite of a celebrity chef of those days, Jeff Smith (the Frugal Gourmet). Never seen a bigger a**hat than that guy. Literally make our servers cry. Nothing was ever right, he was beyond rude and condescending, yet he kept. coming. back.
He had a reputation of being a jerk off-camera. Eventually he was disgraced by being outed as a predator and was quickly forgotten by all.
Our restaurant was a good place. Another celebrity chef of the time, Graham Kerr (the Galloping Gourmet) was always a pleasure to have visit.
Redditors Recount The Wedding Objections They Witnessed | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
What a couple of dbags.
After a wedding reception ended at our facility we were cleaning and I began the cleaning process on our espresso machine. The party was over almost a half hour already. The process takes 12 minutes. People were still there as the party slowly let out and the father of the bride asks me for an espresso. I told him I could get it to him (as we have a strict policy of always trying to satisfy a guests needs) but the machine was cleaning and it would be done in about 10 minutes.
He begins ranting about how much he paid for the wedding and stormed to our banquets manager and told them I refused to make it for him. Manager is a dbag and starts ripping me in front of the guy. I show both of them that the machine is just finishing the cleaning process and it was impossible to make it beforehand. I got suspended for 2 weeks.
At least he apologized.
GiphyOur bar was having a private party. A drunk dude walks in and orders a drink. I knew he wasn't with the party based on his attire and that he came in every so often. I told him I couldn't get him a drink. He lost his mind. Told me to f*ck off and then wanted to fight me. On his way out he yelled that we should put up signs, as he walked by the signs on the door saying we were closed for a private event.
He came in the next day sober and apologized.
Was it worth $20 and a new iPhone? Absolutely.
Bartending in a restaurant a few years ago. There was a private party and one of the guests asked me to plug in his iphone to listen to a song. No big deal..I did it and he tipped me $20. He left his phone behind the bar and got wasted. When he was leaving I said, "Sir, don't forget about your phone!" He threw a beer on me and told me to leave him the f*ck alone and told me get a real job. Guess who got to keep a nice new iPhone?
That's awkward.
A customer ordered one of our daily specials and didn't like it, so instead of complaining to me about the food and letting me offer something else, she complained to my manager about ME. This was May of last year. In August of last year, turns out she was one of my college professors for the semester, teaching A MANAGEMENT course. She recognized me the first day but I played it off like I didn't know her.
If you've never worked in the food service industry, it can be hard to understand exactly how much of a nightmare some days can be. Mother's Day is bad, but Valentine's Day... that's like Black Friday and the DMV and getting your teeth pulled and stepping on a lego all at the same time without any good drugs.
The up side to that, though, is that if you're a people-watcher then this is more like the Superbowl.
Reddit user kingandy2007 asked:
Food industry staff of reddit. What are some horrors you saw yesterday on Valentines Day?
So... we need to amend our previous simile. This isn't like the Superbowl. You know how when people watch the Superbowl in every paper towel commercial they're all sitting on the edges of their seats? Then someone cheers and somehow manages to flip a tray of guacamole, chili and fruit punch onto a blindingly white carpet? (Like any rational human being would have a Superbowl party on white carpet.) And the fruit punch always spills in slow-mo and the juice just sort of flails about dramatically in the air before splatting onto the floor in a disastrous puddle?
This is that fruit punch.
That Escalated Quickly
GiphyOne of our favorite regular customers brought in her boyfriend for the first time and in her excitement she bumped into a table and knocked someone's cup off, which isn't bad but in her haste to pick up the cup she hit her head on the corner of the metal table and cut her forehead open. Blood everywhere. It looked like a mini crime scene.
She was totally fine! Just embarrassed. We cleaned her up and gave them a stack of free food cards because she's awesome and we love her.
Food Court
Food court at the mall, just a lot of dudes standing or sitting at a table for hours with flowers, gifts, etc. Some of their dates showed up, some left alone.
A Loan?
Last year I worked at a high-end sweets shop. Everything is top-notch as advertised, it was what people were willing to DO for it that scared me.
Chocolate covered strawberries? $50 per box of 4. We couldn't keep them in stock, and more than a few sweaty husbands begged us to make more and throw them in any container we had. One guy walking in on Valentine's morning offered to pay us double, even without the fancy romantic packaging (we didn't take it).
We had also sold a big embroidered heart-shaped box for nearly $100. One guy asked us how much it cost, left, and came back later with his friend. He'd asked him for a loan. To buy V-Day chocolates.
Relationships are wild.
That Sudden Realization
Just a bystander here, but I walked into a grocery store yesterday evening, which was pretty packed with last minute frantic looking Valentine's Day shoppers. I walked in at the same time as another man with a confused look on his face and I hear him say out loud to himself "Man, the store is pretty packed for a Friday evening...".
Then, we both turn the corner and are met with all of the last minute flower arrangements and Valentine's cards lay out and I see the man completely freeze and again out loud, he says "oh.. no... no no no! Today is Valentine's Day?! I'm so f*cked!" as he quickly runs to the chocolate section, joining the rest of the panic stricken dudes with the same looks on their faces.
Hope those dudes are all still alive this morning.
Not A Steak Fan
Bartender here, Not my guest but a guest in the restaurant threw up on his steak not even a minute after it was placed in front of him. His date kept surprisingly calm for that scenario.
Still Crying
GiphyNot a staff, but a bystander. My wife and I went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch, in a bid to avoid the crowds. Next to us, a dude got down on one knee and proposed (yes, in a Cheesecake Factory). The waitress was filming it, people were watching, she saw the ring and started crying, he smiled, and all looked good...
... Except when my wife and I left 20 minutes later, she was still crying, covering her face, and he wasn't smiling anymore. I couldn't hear well enough to know what they were talking about, but they kept speaking in low voices. Didn't look good.
Verbal Abuse
I had a man verbally abusing his wife at my table, and I don't mean talking over her and being rude. I mean saying things like "what the fck do you think you're doing you f***ing b****" and "I'll give you $36,000 to get the f*** out of here right now you piece of s***"
I had 4 different tables complain about them and we eventually asked them to leave. I've never seen anything like it before. At one point the guy went to the restroom and I went up to the wife and asked if I could help in any way and if she was alright. She was very stoic during the entire thing and half the time wasn't even looking at him.
I was just shocked that they somehow managed to sit through an entire dinner (app, entree and dessert). I just can't even imagine being that miserable of a person that you can constantly berate someone not really fighting back and manage to sit through an entire meal with that person.
When we eventually asked him to leave he asked who complained. We obviously didn't give him specifics just said "a few different tables" his response to that was "well f*** them then."
I've never wanted to assault someone in my life more than that piece of s***.
- thejabel
Personal Horror
My own personal horror story:
GM at my restaurant told me I had quickly become his best server (Been here since December). Been raking it in (for this restaurant at least) and have regulars ask for me close to every shift. I was pumped for Valentine's.
But no, I fainted in the middle of dinner service and got sent home. So here I am today, feeling like s***, and with a fraction of what I planned to make, and ruined four tables' Valentine's dinners.
Sex Worker Shenanigans
When I was a server/bartender:
We had a frequent escort come to our restaurant. It was pretty obvious she was a escort as this restaurant was in a wealthy neighborhood and she would be with a different man every time. Once when I served her she said to me I'd make good money if I joined her company....
So on Valentine's Day, she came in... big, gold hoop earrings, boobs hanging out of a floral dress & fake designer bag... she sat down with an elderly man who I figured was married bc he was wearing a wedding band. Anyway, long story short she "helped" this guy off under the table. Manager kicked her out & she never came back.
- MPic99
Movie Style
I bartend. I'm assuming this couple was on a date. They just ordered their food. In less than 10 minutes of their date, I saw the girl take a drink (and I mean a full 20 ounce beer) and throw it on the guy. It hit the people behind him, the walls, and it soaked the floor too. She immediately walked out almost in tears. The guy's face as he just sat there soaked in beer was indescribable. It was the most movie like break up I've ever seen happen in real life.
Coronavirus
I bartend in the lobby of a fancy hotel in Wisconsin. A woman put a cigarette in her mouth and asked what I would do if she lit it. I told her security would probably escort her out. She then proceeded to try and light it, calling me names, while her friends forced the lighter away from her.
Also, a couple Japanese dudes from San Fransisco were at the bar and this racist dude at the end of the bar kept demanding that I "check them for coronavirus" and he wouldn't shut up about how scared he was that they were there. I ended up cutting him off, asking him to leave. So many trash people last night.
Fake Reservations
My father manages a restaurant and he had a little argument with an IT guy a few weeks prior. The dude made a fake website for the restaurant and accepted over 200 reservations which led to the restaurant be very packed, lots of angry people and a few shattered glasses lol
This Cruising Couple
GiphyWork on a cruise, so I had a dinner last night and a lunch and dinner today.
Last night, there was this 1 lady who was obviously upset with her SO. I'm a photographer so they stepped to take a photo and he didn't want to but she had already paid for it so they had to. She was annoyed with him but she put on a smile.
Then when I went to show her the photo, she was so done with everything. She never got up to dance or anything. I wonder if he did something wrong or if she was sick but she didn't look like she was having fun.
A Protest
One of my tables, which seemed like a really sweet group of friends, turned out to be part of a protest. In the middle of trying to talk to them, they started holding up signs and screaming, while dozens more entered the restaurant along with news cameras.
They were protesting a raise in their rent, the people who own their building own the restaurant I work in.
What was frustrating is that while I understand the importance of fighting for fair housing and whatnot, it seems a little counterintuitive. They were protesting that they couldn't afford housing while also blocking me and my co workers from making the money necessary to pay for ours.
We ended up comping so much for the other patrons too.
Snooping
GiphyGuy and girl come in. they order food, seems all good - then the girl leaves her phone and goes to the bathroom. The guy picks up her phone and starts snooping. The girl comes back and catches him and is understandably pissed. She asks for their food to go. The guy looked guilty and the girl looked like she wanted to leave asap.
When she got the food she sort of shoved him in the chest and left. He paid for everything and quietly left immediately after.
Delicious Desserts
Even though I had to work my ass out to make a bunch of cute stuff in the pastry of the hotel (mostly cause we were "clean" in the middle of the evening), I saw something...
It's not an horror, but it's sad.
When I went to the restaurant to ask the clients if they were enjoying the evening, I saw a boy, in his 20s, ALONE, eating a whole lot of desserts.
10 minutes later I went to him to ask if everything was fine. He just asked who made the deserts, right after I say it was me and my team. He said with a sad expression in his face that they were delicious.
I appreciated the comment, but I didn't know what to say anymore...
Has a Male pastry chef, I never seen a situation like that, and I can't even imagine what that guy felt.
Forced Out
A single man came to the bar in our busy restaurant. He just wanted to sit and have some drinks and eat. This middle aged couple came to the bar cause they didn't want to wait, but there was only one seat. She sat down and we didn't have more chairs so he stood; he stood over the single man, loudly complaining, until the poor guy felt bad and got his check and left.
Didn't even get a chance to eat. F*ck those people. All the other servers were giving them stink eye and slower service.
- echeverianne
Lesbian Standards
Girl showed up and waited for an hour before her date came in. Her date came in looked at her and said, "Sorry. I might be a lesbian but I still have standards"
The girl was honestly pretty so I don't know why she didn't meet her date's 'standards.'
Fire
GiphyThe Texas Roadhouse in my town caught on fire and everyone had to evacuate in like 10 degree weather soaking wet.
- jadienn
Drinks
One of the worst I've ever seen wasn't this year but a while back I'm in a big section of deuces (I guess we all are on VD) running my ass off non stop and I must have checked on this married couple ten times. They didn't order drinks or food yet and it's annoying because you sort of have a timeline for the flow of each table and they're just holding you up because you can't bring them what they need and then do other things for a while. You're kind of on edge until they're good if that makes sense to those who haven't waited tables.
Anyway, after about a half hour of this I walk slowly up to ask for the millionth time if I could help them pick out a glass of wine or cocktail or if they have any questions. They've been arguing the whole time but quietly so I don't think it's that serious. The second I pause to say my line she looks at him really calmly and just blurts out "I want a divorce."
He got really red and said "I need a f*cking drink". I didn't think he was serious but she let out a huge sigh and agreed and they literally ordered drinks and then proceeded to talk it out and drink together.
Honestly the whole night was better after she said it but still one of the most shocking things I've heard.
Instant Karma
Not staff, but as I was taking my wife into Texas Roadhouse, this redneck looking dude came busting out of the place screaming insults at his date who was not far behind him. As soon as he crossed the curb, without looking, he got hit by a car exiting the lot.
Paramedics splinted his arm and patched him up, and his date didn't wait for him.
- Hoesy
The good thing about the 21st Century? Options.
There are options everywhere. For food, there are options to the point that if you don't want to go somewhere, you're under no obligation.
But also in this capitalist 21st century, our business is valuable. And if we share the reasons why we don't eat at certain places, we may persuade a ton of people away from that place too.
u/Turquoisecat789 asked:
What restaurant do you refuse to eat at and why?
Here were some of the answers.
Lesson Well LEarned
Chili's. I went a few years ago with my mom and made the horrible decision to get a side of chili lime rice. I ate maybe three bites because it didn't taste good. Those three bites didn't seem to get along well with my body AT ALL. Unfortunately, Chili's was the first stop before hitting the store to do our weekly grocery shopping. At the store, I had to make a run for the bathroom twice. After we finally checked out, my mom made a suggestion that maybe I should make another stop there before we drove home since it would take at least 20 minutes. I declined even though my stomach was turning, thinking I could make it home (and would rather use that toilet than a public one). BIG MISTAKE.
About five minutes into the drive home, I realized that I needed to get to a toilet or I would ruin my mom's car forever. After telling her this, she tells me there's nowhere to stop yet since we were in a residential area. I ask if we can stop at a family friend's house which is close by, and she agrees. She tells me to give them a call so they can unlock the door and save me a few seconds. I explain to her that if I move to grab my phone from my pocket, her car interior would be ruined. The five minute drive there feels like forever and I'm clenching my butt for dear life.
We finally get there and I bolt up the porch stairs to knock on their door. No answer. At this point, I'm desperate. I knock again and finally hear someone coming. Right as the door opens, my muscles give out. The friends stare as me as I spew liquid excrement all over their porch. I'm just standing there still making a mess everywhere and the husband grabs a hose to start spraying me and his porch down.
A few minutes later, my mom emerges from the car, crying laughing, with a roll of paper towels in hand like that's going to help now. Eventually, I'm able to make it to the friends bathroom (which I somehow managed to clog after pooping on their porch) and wash up. They ended up giving me some clothes to change into and I was able to get home and shower the poop off. Unfortunately, you can't shower off embarrassment and shame. So, I will never step foot in a Chili's again because I don't fancy pooping on a family friend's porch again.
Germy Germy Germy
Any self serve buffet. Kids are nasty and not all parents watch their kids. Saw a kid lick a serving spoon and put it back. Glad I caught it but imagine how often it isn't caught.
When Seafood Attacks
Seven or eight years ago, I was at a big medical trade show in Anaheim, CA and after a day of hanging out in the vendor booth, I decided to have dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp. About 4 or 5 hours after eating there, I came down with the nastiest case of food poisoning I have ever experienced. Alone in a hotel room after hours of throwing up, I called an ambulance, which I couldn't afford but was desperate for help. The doctor at the hospital thought shellfish fit the profile. For some reason can still eat shrimp, but never again at Bubba Gump.
Two Against Chili's
My Dad placed a family boycott on Chili's because they had terrible service once and refused our never used gift cards
About 15 or so years later my dad was forced into going to Chili's while on a business trip and put an end to the boycott. Then he spilled ketchup on his pants and announced the boycott was back on.
In my 22 years I think I've been to Chili's 3 times, and there is one down the road from me.
Litmus Test
Golden Coral. We've got a family joke where if someone recommends a restaurant we wait until later in the conversation and ask if they like Golden Coral. If they say yes we never try the place they recommended
A Front
There is a local Mediterranean all-you-can-eat place that I have never eaten at, and refuse to try, but not for the reason you probably think. It was in a weirdly dingy, broken-down building that never has anybody parked out front and has almost never had anybody in it. This place is surrounded on all sides by significantly nicer restaurants and businesses, which just makes it stand out even more.
Here's the real kicker for why I don't go in: this place is near where I work so I have literally seen it every day. In the seven years I've known of its existence, almost every restaurant around it has folded and gone out of business at least once before coming back as something else. Yet this place has somehow survived despite having no obvious signs of doing business; I believe it's a money laundering front. My suspicions have doubled since last year when the building they were in got a suddenly an upgrade and renovated the building to be much nicer than every building around it; again, this is at a place where I think I have maybe seen a dozen people parked outside of, ever.
C'mon, Denny's!!!
Not any in particular, but there was one case worthy of bringing up. Was on the road from the airport to our lodgings in Jacksonville area. Wife wanted to eat, so we saw a Denny's and stopped. I went into the bathroom to freshen up. While doing my business, I noticed the 2 stalls were occupied. No big deal, I finish up just as the one guy leaves. In the mirror I see him. With a cook's apron on. Didn't stop to wash his hands. I got out and immediately got my wife to leave with me.
Revenge
My dad refuses to eat at Papa Murphy's because when I was in high school I applied there, had an interview, and was told I was hired and that they would contact me with starting info, then never contacted me.
Upsetting Non-Conformity
Applebee's. My grandparents used to force our whole family to go there at ever family get together. It's just over priced tv dinners. Half the menu isn't even edible, a quesadilla burger makes no sense, you can't even hold it!
Capitalist Jerks
Tim Hortons. Every single time I went it was a letdown. The food quality has been declining for years and their coffee tastes like it's been pumped right out of the sewers.
Also, they treat their employees like absolute bunk and their franchise owners have been known to throw childish tantrums over the slightest wage increases.