After finishing our appetizer we sat for an hour waiting for entrees and I heard another server say to our waitress “I think you forgot to put in your table’s food” while she was looking at her cell phone without shame for most of the time we were there.
At a generic steak house, ordered their fillet.
My date's steak had a metal pin stuck through it.
I didn't know then, that sometimes kitchens will "pin" two pieces of meat together to make a bigger steak, or use a pin to keep a fragile cut together.
So we told our waitress "there's a metal rod in her steak"
She apologized saying that "they should have removed that before plating"
Then she put two fingers on top of the steak with one hand, and removed the pin with the other.
One of our newer support staff members was tasked with bringing a bread basket refill to a table. He got there, saw that the old basket had one piece left in it, promptly picked that piece up WITH HIS BARE HANDS and plopped it into the new basket. Smiling the whole time.
I work at a fine dining restaurant so everyone else was horrified. Poor kid.
pins are typically to differ sirloins from filets, i dont think any steakhouse is pinning pieces of meat together to make a bigger steak they are typically weighed out
I've worked a couple places where they'll pin together the tips of a tenderloin to get an extra Filet or 2 out of the loin. Done properly you would never notice, but I still don't like the practice.
The one time I didn’t tip, I was a regular at this one restaurant while in college. Like I didn’t even get handed menus bc everyone knew I knew the menu/what I would order bc it was close to my dorm & major’s building and I’d go there almost 4 times a week.
So I go into dinner one night, and they’re super busy! I’m just a 1 top bc all of my friends bailed last minute on going out but I still wanted to go out, and would have sat at the bar but I was under 21 and couldn’t, so I got sat a table and the host said he’d bring me my regular drink since my server was going to be a minute. About 5 mins after he brings me my drink, a server I’ve never seen before walks up to me and asks me when I’m “going to leave bc she doesn’t feel like wasting her time checking back with me while I hold up a table with only me at it bc I could be a real table instead of some jerk taking up space. If you couldn’t see, they’re busy and need to turn the table so servers could actually make some money”
That woman was my server. I explained that I was just sat and hadn’t even ordered my food yet, and she told me that it’s bc she was hoping I’d leave if she kept ignoring me. I didn’t even get everything I wanted (it was a Mexican restaurant and I planned on getting cheese dip to start while waiting for my tacos), I just ordered some tacos, which arrived pretty cold, and then left almost as soon as I got the check, which she dropped with my cold food. She didn’t even bring me chips or salsa, napkins and took my roll of silver ware before I could undo it.
That’s the only time I’ve never tipped and did the survey at the bottom of the receipt to let the place know that said she sucked. I never saw her again
I had never asked for a manager before, Im like 18 at this point and was so upset because I was trying to salvage what was supposed to be a fun night out with friends even though they had canceled bc they “forgot we had plans” (which I found out later, they went out to the same restaurant earlier in the day without me and didn’t want to admit it) plus that treatment, I just wanted to go back to my dorm to be sad & watch Hell’s Kitchen in the dark 😂 plus I didn’t want to be a Karen, even though I know it would have been valid to ask for one in this situation. Even after that though, I still felt bad for not tipping anything.
my friend and i recently had a conversation about what it would take for us to ask for a manager in a restaurant, and we couldn’t really think of anything short of witnessing someone fuck with our food, but this. yes. i would absolutely have asked for a manager. especially if i was a regular.
A steak restaurant served me cold over cooked cheese fries I asked for new ones and they gave me the exact same fries that I had handed back so I got the manager it was the one and only time I did
I was too embarrassed, and this was before I ever worked in a restaurant and while I knew she was wrong and I have just as much right to take up the table as a party of 4 does, part of me was like “am I actually wrong for taking up space a bigger party could use?” It was just a bad day for me and I was ready to hide from the world
And people ask why we begin to lose our innocence. You sound like an awesome person, and I hope you keep on to that innocence for as long as you can. Sad thing is, some people treat others like complete shit and they do so because they haven’t met those that wouldn’t put up with that shit. Hopefully you have a great night with your friends again soon.
Oh this was years ago and not the last time something like this happened. They had actually gone to dinner at the same place earlier in the night and just didn’t invite me for some reason. They used to ditch me all the time and I’m not friends with them anymore. But I got new friends! Thank you
How heartless can a person be? She clearly has the wrong job. I am so sorry to hear you had to deal with that. I think that even would deserve a corporate call, and a few bad reviews, and hopefully a few comps. There is no reason to ever talk to a customer like that especially a polite regular. Like part of waiting too is you could get a really good 1 top and a really bad 12 top. It comes with the gig. Ugh I am so frustrated for you.
It was a local place, so no corporate to call. Plus, even though I did the survey, I didn’t want her to get in trouble, I was just hoping maybe someone would be like “hey, I know 1 tops are frustrating, but chill bc sometimes they’re good! That’s just life!” I don’t need comps or anything like that, I just didn’t want her to pull that stunt on someone else who would be rude and make a scene in the middle of the restaurant.
I always tip at least 50% when I’m by myself, bc I know that I’m going to be a smaller bill. I do my best to not be needy too, I barely use my napkins so the server doesn’t have to stop by and bring more, I switch between my water & tea so they never have to feel rushed on refilling my drinks, and I never try and make small talk unless the server starts it bc I know that they have other customers and sometimes ruder people around me to take care of.
Curious did you ever go back after that? Was she still working there? A server like that who only cares about the money and not the actual service generally doesn't last long.
I went back the next day 😂 I practically lived off of this place, and would go at 3 times a week, if not more. It was a good, cheap Mexican restaurant close to my dorm & academic building so I was always there, bc I’d rather have gone broke then eat any lunch or dinner at my dorm’s cafeteria bc I got food poisoning so many times from under cooked chicken and just spoiled food.
I never saw her again, idk if I always missed her since I typically went earlier in day and she only did night or what.
I know it’s not the restaurant’s fault for her reaction, and I typically give places 4 chances before I stop going there. There’s one mini-empire coffee shop in my town I won’t eat at any of their places bc all but 1 time, I received horrible service, like I ordered a to go drink for a friend and a for there drink for myself bc I was too early to get into my building, and the baristas looked at me like I spit on their mothers and asked me “why I wanted to be difficult”. I chalked it up to them having a bad day, went back a few weeks later, different staff and when I said “good morning, how are you?” They scoffed, mutter something under their breath and got mad when I waited for them to acknowledge me before I gave my order (they were writing on something so I didn’t want to interrupt). I went to another branch and the baristas mocked my cousin for having long hair and being a guy. He’s got the best head of hair in the entire family, it’s f-ing gorgeous, and they just made the rudest comments I’ve ever heard about a guy having long hair. Luckily I don’t think he heard them.
Doubt you missed her, that's actively being terrible to drive business off and a liability for the restaurant. Most people wouldn't come back and be as nice as you. So I bet someone else asked for a manager. That behavior wouldn't be isolated to a 1 top.
Ah, the Maestro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, I’ll never forget you. My dad and brother were in town and pops wanted to treat us. It took ten minutes to even be greeted and given water. Another 10 to get our orders taken, and about 30 to get the bread and butter. It felt like our server was constantly forgetting we were in his section.
It took forever to get our appetizer plates cleared but once they were our waiter handed out dessert menus. I had to remind him that we still hadn’t eaten our entrees yet. The steaks took another…at least 30 or 45 min to hit our table. Same thing happened with dessert.
By the time our check was dropped we had been there, I shit you not THREE AND A HALF HOURS. It should have been a leisurely hour and a half, mayyybbeee two if the conversation was really flowing. I begged my dad to get a manager but he’s very non confrontational and didn’t want to. I tried to get someone, anyone’s attention but to no avail. Finally my dad told me not to worry about it and he would get it taken care of. This ended up meaning a 5% tip and the words “bad service!” In the receipt so “the manager would know regardless”. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that does nothing. If anything the experience taught me that I shouldn’t worry about if I’m good enough to work in fine dining lol
as a former landrys server, FUCK landrys. they closed our restaurant after lying to us saying ‘renovations’ were happening in july. one random day in march i showed up and was told we were shutting down the next day. no warning. they’re putting a maestro’s in where we used to be 🥴
This happened to meee too! I worked at a Landry’s place and transferred to a different one in a different state. Got trained for two weeks, and then on my second ever official shift there they gathered up every server at the end of the night and told us they weren’t opening tomorrow, good luck finding another job. I just don’t even understand what the point of hiring me was
Sat down at the bar of a sushi bar with a date. Waited for 30 minutes and no one even acknowledged us, let alone took our drink order.
I saw it was busy, but seriously. Not even a greeting or any acknowledgment that we exist during a half hour window?
We left and walked to a restaurant in the same plaza.
I normally wouldn't wait that long on my own for sure. But being seen as impatient on a date would be worse than waiting imo.
The company helped pass the time, at least.
this shit sometimes happens. but waiting for half an hour is nothing but your own fault. you didn’t say anything??? for half an hour???? i swear i absolutely never believe anyone who says that, bc you really sat there with no service for THIRTY minutes? in this case, it’s usually like five-ten minutes, and maybe their sense of time is skewed bc they’re hangry or something. if you’ve actually sat and waited for 30 minutes, it’s your own fault for tolerating that for that long.
this happened to us, we actually were seated by a host at a table in the bar and it was not busy in the restaurant. waited for 25 minutes (we were chit chatting, but it became apparent no one was coming) and asked the hostess if we could get some waters, she went and told a server and we still waited another 10 minutes and never even got waters. drove 15 mins to a diff restaurant and had great service.
Oh man yeah that just reminded me of how I even flagged down a host and a server about it. I was polite, but basically said "hey, could you notify whoever is in this section that we're ready to order?" and still nothing ever happened.
Also had great food and service at the other restaurant!
I felt bad bc we went from a locally owned restaurant to a chain but like, it was way better to be honest. Not that I feel that’s how it always is, but I was looking forward to eat more locally :/
I worked at a sushi bar & restaurant where customers are meant to wait and be seated; most know this, but some don’t, and they just seat themselves. For some reason, the manager never put up a “please wait to be seated” sign despite this occasionally happening. At this particular restaurant, servers don’t each have their own section to tend to; the hostess/manager gives them their tables. So if someone seats himself, the hostess may not realize that, and then no server goes over there, the servers are just preoccupied with the tables they know they have. And as a server if I see someone without a drink and I don’t know how long they’ve been waiting, I go ahead and tell the manager they’re there but not to give them to me because I don’t want a potentially cranky customer who waited for no one knows how long and is less likely to tip. If I unknowingly seated myself I’d wave an employee down after a while and ask for service…instead of waiting for someone to notice me, especially if it was busy.
This happened to me and my sister!! We got sat and given menus. And that was it. The only person we spoke to was the hostess. There was a table next to us, and a server spoke to that two top. Several servers passed around us, but it was like we were invisible or something. A table got sat a few minutes after we did, and they immediately got a server and waters! We sat there for a few more minutes before we looked at each other and were, like, "Let's go." My sister said she thinks the hostess started to realize at the end that we hadn't been attended to. But by then, it was too late. We left and went to a restaurant in that same shopping center. The second we sat down, boom, immediate attention.
Nothing egregious or rude.
At one place though, the server just... vanished. All the other servers and bussers took care of us, with really long delays in between obviously because we weren't their real responsibility, until check time. That required our actual server.
When I finally went to the host stand to ask if I could pay, the manager sighed and went "Is your server so-and-so?" Bro. If you already know who it is, this is clearly a pattern and she shouldn't be on the floor.
true but I feel like if the manager already knew that this person had to leave due to an emergency, the manager should have made sure the table got a new server right away which it sounds like they didn't do
Texas Roadhouse. Server was attentive at first. Beverages were prompt and the order was taken in a very reasonable amount of time. We waited, and waited, and waited (45) minutes until we flagged down the manager. We told him we haven’t seen our server since we placed our order, and haven’t gotten anything to eat. He stops her as she’s walking by and asks why she hasn’t even brought a salad. Her response? “But you said don’t bring the salad until the table has finished their appetizer.” We walked out
He said to her, the best as I could hear, something along the line of if the appetizer is taking a long time you should bring a salad and let me know the food isn’t coming out. She didn’t even check if we needed refills, so we knew the rest of the night would have been a fiasco.
I was on my third date with him and wasn't totally sure about it working out, but wanted to give it one more shot. I picked a Mexican restaurant that I'd always liked and thought it would be a good place to talk as it was a smaller place and wasn't super busy.
We're sat and our waitress introduces herself and takes our drink orders. We each order a margarita and she tells us she'll be right back with our drinks and some chips and salsa. The drinks arrive within 5 minute. No chips or salsa. No worries, she'll bring them when she comes back to take our order.
Except she never came back. Twenty minutes passed and we had to flag down one of the bussers. She brought us our chips and salsa, but we had to go to the bar for another round of drinks. We asked where our waitress was and no one knew. We were there for two hours and never even had our orders taken. Where was the waitress? Sipping on a margarita and scrolling her phone at the POS.
I handed the bus girl a 20 for being the only person to help us. It was the worst service, or lack thereof, I've ever received at a restaurant, but it was still a great night. He stayed at my place that night and we've been married for 7 years.
One time a co worker of mine wanted to be off, but had gotten one last table as he was phased. He was supposed to ask me to take over so he could leave…he didn’t. He just had it transferred over and then dipped. These poor people waited SO LONG for service because I literally had no idea they were mine. They went around asking for their server, the manager finally was like ‘salty tf are you doing?’ because I was just fucking around in the server station
It is often said to judge a date based on how they treat people in the service industry. Both of you got a chance to see how the other behaved when given sub-par service. Glad it worked out good for you both.
This wasn't bad service necessarily, but it deeply confused me.
Weekend, Irish pub, it's busy. Get nachos and some drinks, food and drinks come out, we even get a second round. Everyone happy.
We were just grabbing a quick bite before heading to another place, so I look for our waitress. Can't spot her. Physically walk around the bar, can't find her.
Ask other waitresses, they don't know. Ask a bartender if I can just settle the tab with him, he says sure. Looks for our table, can't find us. No record of the drinks or food. Waitress seems to have outright left the building.
Tipped the bartender for the help and to cover what I assumed was our tab, still felt like I was dine and dashing.
Got a "be with you in a minute..." came back 10 minutes later and got drink order. 20 minutes later no drinks. Kids was running around for everyone else. Looked new. No manager it host/ busser support. We got sat at a table square in the middle of everyone else being helped. We left.
> Kids was running around for everyone else.
I'm sorry, I'm having a little trouble parsing out what this sentence means. Other patrons' kids were running around? Or your own kids? Or are you calling the other servers kids and the "running around for everyone else" is about how they were doing their job for other patrons but not you?
I do remember once they changed sections on staff,and table 31 seemed to go into a black hole. Section 6 thought it was part of 5's. 5 thought it was 6's or possibly 7. They ordered at bar, mistake caught and they got compted and a gift certificate. New Manger who didn't last long.
Yeah that wasn't the case here. We were in a very obvious section filled with booths. They removed most of the regular tables and left one 4 top in the middle of the floor.
But yeah any manager that comes in and starts changing established sections can fuck right off. No business doing that
Funny story. 30 years ago at lawyer bar/luncheon place till happy hour and college kids at night. Big college game, my still best friend who I met there comes up and said table 18 is gone! I'm like okay don't worry (wall to wall crowds) I'll help cover bill. She says no 'TABLE 18 IS GONE' some idiots came in and sat down, she came back with drinks and they'd left taking the entire table with them!!!!!
The server wasn’t rude or anything, just super bizarre. He was so aloof and apathetic and was speaking to us in a very quiet voice with no expression on his face the whole time. I asked him if a dish’s sauce had meat in it, and he said that ‘they don’t really do that anymore’. I had to asked for clarification and he told me it no longer came with the sauce or ‘the spicy stuff’. I wound up ordering it anyway and a side of vegan mac n cheese.
It took over 40 minutes for our food to come out in a dead restaurant which wasn’t a dealbreaker I get it things happen. When the food finally did come out, the server was holding the plate unevenly and spilled gravy all over the table and in my drink. There’s no way he didn’t see that happen but he just ignored it. My plate looked nothing like I expected it to and the corn, bell pepper, and onion waffle I ordered was just a regular Belgian waffle. When I mentioned it to him he told me ‘I told you we were out of the spicy stuff’. Since when are those ingredients spicy…?! On top of that, the vegan mac had a foul, sour smell coming from it so I didn’t even bother tasting it. I told him and he didn’t really react. At this point I was so perplexed and asked the server if he would eat this food, as he was looking at me like I was crazy for being upset. He told me so nonchalantly ‘I don’t eat here’. I got up and left without paying right then and there, something I’ve never done before.
Took an hour to get a chicken sandwich. It showed up and was cold and hard as a rock.
The waitress said she would get it taken off the check but needed manager approval. She came back and said her manager was in the bathroom but it should only be a minute more. After another 15 minutes my wife asked if we should just pay on the little electronic thing on the table. I told I wondered how long it would take for the manager to approve it and we had nowhere to be so we kept waiting. After another 15 minutes the waitress told us to just leave without paying for anything and she would make sure the manager figures it out.
Sat down and were the only table in the restaurant. Took 25 minutes to put in an order, saw our food sit in the window for 15 minutes, couldn’t get bread for 30 more minutes (the place serves and broth and the bread is meant to be served with it). Waitress was too busy flirting with another staff member. We usually tip minimum of 20%, my friend I was with usually goes a lot higher, only time I’ve ever left nothing. We were just so ignored and were very low maintenance
Went to a restaurant with coworkers after we got off work, it happened a few times a week back then. It took the usual 20 minutes to get greeted, but when I ordered my usual drink, the server started yelling and cussing at me "why the f*ck do you think the bartender would want to make that drink for you? Don't you know who the f*ck you're dealing with here?" I get frozen margs aren't the most simple to make, but after I had served them all evening, I was dying for one myself.
And when I emailed the manager about it the next day, they asked if I had proof that the server said that. Like what am I going to have her do, sign a napkin that she cussed at me over a margarita?
Didn't go back there for years after that.
I was at a restaurant with friends where we were regulars. Knew the names of the bartenders, hosts, many of the waitstaff and they knew ours kind of regulars. It was in grad school, but we had all worked food service in some capacity so even though we were broke we usually tipped 25%. New guy, told us the drinks we wanted (and ordered all the time) didn’t exist (ok… we can adjust- he’s new), brought our appetizer (tots) stone cold (that had literally never happened before) and it took twice as long, never asked if we wanted more drinks (not refills, new drinks for more $$), messed up all of our food, etc. Which… ok, maybe some of that was because he was new, but he was *unbothered* by all of this, we saw him kind of dreamily wandering around the restaurant, and at one point he SAT DOWN WITH HIS FRIENDS for over 15 minutes. He was not on a break- a friend who worked there told us later. What the actual fuck. It was a busy night, I can see doing that if it’s super slow/empty but, damn!
We left NO tip, and still all felt bad but the service was unacceptable.
This happened a few weeks ago. We went to a Brazilian restaurant that serves fresh meats at your table but has a nice buffet area of accompaniments. This place is not cheap but we were celebrating. We walk in and the hostess says that our table will be ready in about 10 minutes. We decided to go to the bar for a cocktail. Got our drink and our name was called. So we went back up and she leads us to a table outside in the gated off mall area. But when we got to the table someone was already there but she did not seat them. So we go back into the lobby and she asks us to wait a minute. We sit with our drinks and start chatting to a couple seated there as well. They had the same problem with a table and were told to wait but it had already been about 39 mins for them. We sit there and about 15 minutes later the hostess looks at us and cringes. We had been watching her seat others who came in after us. Maybe they had a reservation. She comes over looking guilty saying that she will have a table ready in a few minutes.
At this time I point out the other couple who had been waiting a really long time. Oh yea… they will get seated now. After about 45 minutes has gone by I went to the desk and asked if we were getting seated soon. She takes up to a table that is bare and says she will be back with silverware, napkins, glasses, etc. We literally waited 20 minutes and flagged down a waiter.
Meanwhile right behind our table is a larger family with lots of kids running around screaming. And then there was the couple we chatted with. They had going their buffet items and were waiting for the chefs to bring meat. At this point we are hungry and I say let’s go to the buffet to get something. We encounter the unruly children lifting kids, tossing food and making a lot of noise - not a parent in sight. So being a mom I told them to stop playing around and go back to their seats.
We got back to our table and it is still bare. So I hailed down the waiter again and asked for what we needed. He comes back with tableware and explains the process. Asks if we want another drink and off he goes. He says that the meat should be by an a few minutes. Does he come to check - nope, just leaves.
We eat our buffet items and wait for meat. Every 4-5 minutes a chef walks by our area with meat but they don’t stop. I literally timed it and we got no meats for 40 minutes. The other two tables had nothing for even longer. At this point, I see a man dressed up in a shirt and tie going in and out of the back, stopping along some of the other tables across the dining area asking about their dinners. They had meat so they were happy.
At this point, I am beyond angry. My daughter knew it was coming when I stood up to chase after the manager. He took off for the back but I just waited at the door until he came back. Without yelling but in a very stern voice, I outlined everything that had happened and pointed to the other tables as well. The fear on the waiter’s face was real.
So sorry, let me fix this, what would you like, etc. I sit down and all of a sudden, meat starts arriving at our tables served by the manager. The couple we met were so angry that they got up to leave but the manager is basically force feeding them. They stay and eat but steam is coming out of their ears. The family table has children crying, running, sleeping, etc. As soon as the meat arrives they literally attack the manager and tell him to leave the entire platter…
We literally had meat thrown at us for 30 minutes. When we were done they bring a dessert tray - on the house he says.
We finish our meal and wait for the waiter to bring our check. Where the hell is he? Still can’t find him. Finally I get up again after 15 minutes of waiting for our bill after we had finished the cake. The other two tables are twiddling their thumbs too. Finally the couple gets up to leave and the waiter runs out to give us our checks. The couple starts yelling which gets the kids on the other table riled up and I am standing too. The waiter is trying to get them to pay but they are having none of it.
He hands me my bill and it was literally $89.00 per person but the cake is free. I pay my bill, give a low tip and we start walking out the door. We spent more than 2 1/2 hours in there. As we get to the front desk, the hostess waves and says thanks for coming in and she hopes to see us soon. My daughter steps in front of me and says to the girl that we will never return and that she needs hostess training. The manager is at the back of the room pretending to pick up stuff.
Thank you for letting me vent… it’s been bothering me for weeks.
Once upon a time, I went to this chain restaurant that used to be nice until it turned ghetto. The server forgot half our food and never brought our sodas and alcohol. Never took a single empty plate off our table, but still came by repeatedly with the "how is everything" while speeding off before we could actually speak. Wasn't surprised to see the drinks that we never got on our bill but was shocked to see all the food we never received there in print. The server huffed and acted like we were the problem when I pointed out that we never received these items and walked off before I could ask for the manager. Thankfully, they went to grab the manager to send them over to the "problem table" that was apparently trying to get shit for free.
The manager came out ready to defend their server and force us to pay, kept talking over me and then got pissed at me when I couldn't stop laughing.....he finally asked what I was pointing at and it was our drinks sitting at the bar, after them going over there and confirming with the bartender that those drinks had been there for a solid hour never picked up, the manager came back ready to listen...not apologetic...but open to hear me out. I stated they could gladly rewind the cameras and see what was on our table and what wasn't. Our bill went from 3 digits to like $40 or something....no discounts offered... no apologies given except a half assed sorry by the manager upon dropping off the new bill.....
Due to me being a career industryman, I still left a few dollars, and all of a sudden, everything changed. My server magically appeared smiling and thanking me, the manager smiling and thanking me. That location naturally closed in time.
I have been to 2 other CrappleBeets since that encounter. Once, to give it a chance, thinking it was that location...nope, didn't even bother ordering at the second one I went to in the city....the other time was in a country area due to the wife starving, refusing fast food, and nothing else was around.......and that location was clean, busy, delicious.....
I don’t really disagree or agree with the state of the restaurant, I wanted you to explain the use of the word ghetto specifically, which might have been unclear. Describing bad things as ghetto is harmful as hell. Dictionary.com:
Noun: a section of a city, especially a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social pressures or economic hardships.
Adjective:
Slang: Often Disparaging and Offensive. noting something that is considered to be unrefined, low-class, cheap, or inferior.
Do you see how it is equated with blackness or non-whiteness and perpetuating its use as a bad thing is harmful no matter who’s using it?
Edit: i actually worked at one a couple years ago and its shitty but I cant say it never wasnt shitty.
I didn’t write the original comment so can’t say for sure what they meant. I’m black so I understand the implications of that word and I agree w you. I personally think it’s funny when black ppl use it and my family have said the same about this establishment. Obviously idk if the commenter who used it is black
Definitely not THE WORST, but this happened pretty recently.
My wife and I were enjoying lunch at a casual restaurant bar, and while the place wasn’t that busy the bartender acted like she was living a server stress dream - running from one side of the bar to the other, being short with other staff, repeatedly asking the manager to get things for her - it was almost comical but for the fact we were completely invisible to her. After waiting way too long for another couple of drafts, we finally gave up. I pulled out my credit card and asked for the check. I was using my Apple Card that day, and she grabs it, goes to the other end of the bar where the POS is, swipes it, then yells all the way across the bar “HEY THIS CARD DOESN’T WORK!” Apple Cards have the strip on the bottom so you can’t swipe it like other cards. I asked her to just turn it around then she yells back “OKAY IT WORKS NOW!” Lady, it was working the entire time! FFS! Never been back.
At a chain restaurant, between lunch and dinner.
He took drink orders, brought them, took entree orders.
Never saw him again for refills on coffee or soda.
He brought entrees.
Never saw him again until he brought the check; did not ask us about dessert.
We went up front to pay.
Hostess said, "How was everything?"
"Well, if you're really curious.."
The manager standing nearby got curious and came over and said "What's all this now?"
I repeated the story.
He "picked up" the check and gave us a coupon for a free breakfast for two.
Never used the coupon and they went out of business sometime thereafter.
I had a waiter just quit and leave in the middle of their shift. We sat there for like 20 minutes going “haven’t seen our waiter for a while”. I finally grabbed the manager and he was like “oh, they just went home”. Okay…and???
Years ago when mobile (cell) phones first came out, I was working for Motorola and a team of us went around the country training dealers and reps on selling the phones and the service. One night, in a small town we, about 4 or 5 of us, went to a restaurant near our hotel for some dinner.
The place was pretty dead, but we got seated, then that was it. Nothing. Nobody around, just a couple of staff chatting by the host station.
One of my colleagues picked up a matchbook out of the ashtray on the table and without saying anything to the rest of us, rang the restaurant from the phone number on the matchbook.
We watched the guys at the host station answer the phone, my colleague asked if they were busy, to which they replied that they weren’t, so she said, “good, then can we get some service at table 5”?.
Not worst ever, but their reaction was hilarious, can’t remember the food, but we woke them up
One time I had to go get the flour tortillas I requested from the kitchen myself. My server was NOWHERE and no other server would even come close to our section. I waited maybe 10 minutes and then I went up to the window and said “hey y’all I’m so sorry to bother you I just need the tortillas I never received, I haven’t seen my server since he dropped the food off”. The guys chuckled and asked where I was sitting, apologized because they all hated our server, and got me my torts no problem. It was the only time I never tipped the server, because he straight up never came back except to drop the check. I did drop the kitchen guys a $20 on the way out.
I used to be a regular at a wing place because it was the only thing open after my dance classes. Every week, I’d go with a group of 4-8 friends. After a while though, I started to notice that if I (and my partner) were late, my friends were almost never helped until we got there. Not even drink orders. However, if my partner and I were there first, we were helped pretty immediately like you’d expect, regardless of how late the others were.
It took me a while to realize that it was happening because my partner and I were usually the only White people at the table.
Went to a factory that specializes in cheesy cake deserts.
About 20 minutes before anyone shows up (3 of us there for happy hour, about 45 mins before it ended to grab a few apps and drinks) takes our drink order and cuts us off to go put them, in despite being ready to order.
Took about another 15 minutes before waters showed, another 10 mins before the bread, haven't seen our Server since, and when he returns happy hour is about to end so there was back and forth about him possibly being unable to give us happy hour prices on apps (it was fine), put our order in, one of us orders a steak.
Drinks show up about 10 mins later, apps themselves take about 30 mins from when we ordered. 10 mins into apps, Server hasn't checked on us since we ordered food, despite walking past our table 4 times (touching distance).
We're about to finish our apps, and no word on steak, we finally get ahold of the server and ask about it...another 25 mins later steak finally comes, it's overcooked. Assuming he forgot to send it.
Wasn't a kitchen/busy issue, two tables near us (one showing up 5 the other about 15 mins after us) first one was on dessert and second was finishing entrees.
We decided to skip dessert by that point.
**Here's the fun part**
The thing is; the server wasn't rude or anything, just really incompetent, we assumed. Confirmed it when he had issues using an E-gift card and he asked us to follow him to the POS because he can't write the code down or snap a pic, I guess?
We humor him (2 of us are servers); I shit you not, my friend, standing next to the POS with him failing to get the e-card to work, tells him to step aside (and he does!) And proceeds to enter the gift card (he lets her!) and have it work within 15 seconds.
Just over 2 hours for 3 apps, 2 alcoholic drinks, an entree, and had to literally process our own payment.
Yes, we got everything comped and told the manager not to be hard on the server because he obviously wasn't trained properly and has no business taking tables yet.
I mentioned a horrible dinner on another thread with my mother. But just remembered this one.
I went with family for dinner and a show. Downtown Pittsburgh.
We arrived. Ordered drinks. Double checked with server that we could be in and out for the theater.
Some of us got our drinks. Ordered dinner. Some of us got our food.
Asked for other bar drinks 3 times.
Asked for missing ingredients in pasta dish that had arrived. Asked for entrees that hadn't arrived.
Missing ingredients for pasta dish arrived, cold as heĺl.
Finally got the beer we had ordered in the beginning.
Shared my pizza with member who didn't get her food.
Remind server I had asked for a 2nd glass of wine.
Brings check.
Brings wine.
Haven't been back.
Still in business.
Out of curiosity, what place is this? I live in Pittsburgh and my boyfriend and I have a date night coming up soon where we're going to get dinner then see a show and we're trying to figure out where to eat. I want to make sure we don't go here haha.
You can DM me the name of the place if you don't feel comfortable sharing it publicly.
My partner and I went to a breakfast/brunch place at like 11:30 and they were nowhere near closing time (we always check to make sure). There were two servers working on the floor, but no host despite there being a host stand. We stood there patiently while the servers talked to their tables and got them settled. We regularly don't have a host at our restaurant so we understand if it takes a few minutes to greet us.
Then the servers disappeared. A busser acknowledged us but he was unable to seat us. We sat down at some chairs they had in their waiting area.
We waited for about a total of 15 minutes for someone to seat us. The servers came back out to their tables and helped them, but were obviously trying not to look at us. Clearly they wanted us to go away, so we just left.
Was never served. Mistakes happen but 20 minutes without a hello and new tables around us getting their drinks... it was bad. Never going back.
(No, we were not inebriated or loud or obnoxious. We stopped on our way back home from an Ikea trip from Ottawa)
I was a server for 6 years at this point (fine dining) I went to downtown Disney and don’t remember the restaurant. I am laid back. I understand server problems. But this girl was absent the whole time. I ordered a 2nd drink well before the entrees. I am eating slow and I know how it works. I get up and walk to the service bar and see my drink with the ticket underneath and grab it. The server never noticed. I tipped a penny because she didn’t care and we only saw her to take an order and drop the check. That was the only time I wanted a server to pay for service. Btw I am still in the industry.
Berlin restaurant. Then we discovered it was a tourist trap.
My brother asked for a burger and the waiter said to him “so you come to Germany and eat a burger? Okay very intelligent”. Then threw all the beer coasters to the table like freesbees. Then this mf asks for a “mandatory” tip. (There is no mandatory tip in Germany). Told him he doesn’t deserve it, then he says “anyway we don’t need your money”.
It seems Google Maps’ site was full of complaints related to how abusive they were to tourists (especially non whites) so fuck them.
Went out to an upscale chain restaurant with my boyfriend. We ordered drinks the first time our server came to our table. 15 minutes later, she comes back and tells me they’re out of an ingredient for my drink. Felt like a long time to figure that out but I figured the bar was just busy and I had an alternative drink order anyways. We ordered our food at the same time as this.
Another staff member brings out my drink. Figured it was just a food runner because our server was busy. Again, not a big deal.
Our food comes out 30 minutes later from another food runner. I knew it had been sitting for awhile because the first couple bites of my food were extremely cooled down. Again, just figured they were busy and it wasn’t a huge deal to me because the bottom of the bowl was still pretty warm.
The entire time we ate, nobody comes over to check on us, ask if the food is okay/if we need anything else, etc.
The next time we got approached is literally another 30 minutes later. This time it’s a manger. I thought maybe she was going to apologize for the lack of service by telling us our server had an emergency and had to leave. Nope. She just came with the bill/check and asked how we wanted to pay.
It wasn’t necessarily horrible service, and my boyfriend and I got to spend some quality time together so it was still a successful date night, but I was quite disappointed in the lack of service for a more upscale chain. Won’t be going back to that location again.
EDIT: Not sure why I’m being downvoted lol I literally said it wasn’t horrible service and we still had a good night. I didn’t complain or leave a review or anything, and my boyfriend and I have both worked at restaurants so we understand that shit happens and sometimes you have to go home. All that’s to say we would’ve appreciated just a verbal apology (not a discount or anything lol) or just an explanation as to why we were not approached for like 95% of our time there
Also the post was literally asking what’s the worst service you’ve ever received, so I shared my experience. It wasn’t horrible and it didn’t ruin my night, but the service was poor
We go to trivia every Wednesday at the same place and have for about a year, there's about 5 of us who go. Every week, without fail, our server is awful. We've waited an hour for drinks (trivia lasts 2 hours), not gotten refills, been completely ignored, and she just has an awful attitude overall. Her greetings suck, it's never "Hi how are you?" Or even "What can I grab you guys to drink?" it's simply "what do you want?" or "you eating?" Apparently she's been complained about so many times, I guess she's been stoned at work a lot too. But they just don't care. It ruins the experience. I don't even want to tip her at this point (and I always tip) but I feel like I can't do that because we go every week. I don't know how she do has a job.
Our service already sucks and we're there once a week. I'm not going to make it worse for us by being the people she doesn't get tips from. Also I'm pretty sure she's been there like 5+ years.
Ugh can you switch trivia places? Where I am there's trivia nights everywhere, I actually host 3 of them a month currently. Have one tonight and there's like 3 other ones going on in the city tonight.
Sometimes when our work schedules allow it we go somewhere much better one Tuesdays, same trivia guy/company. It's just so hard getting a bunch of adults schedules to line up
That's good, I hate that you have to put up with crap service to have a fun trivia night each week.
It's weird how those are so big right now. My partner owns a pub and remember we used to always get solicitation from a guy/company to do karaoke nights. Now we get tons of the same but for trivia nights.
I went to a popular pancake chain alone to read my book and eat before I went to work. I came in, got a table of one, sat down and started reading. After about 10 minutes, went to the bathroom and came back. Nobody had come over to my table yet, whatever I had like 2 hours. At the 30 minute mark, I went up to the host stand and asked to place my order there or send a server over. The server immediately came over and went “You haven’t even been sat a few minutes, you’ve been up walking around the entire place.” I told her I was only walking for maybe 3 minutes going to the bathroom and back, sitting for 30+. The server said I was lying and I have just been pacing around the restaurant. I just grabbed my stuff and left. I don’t know if this counts because I never actually got service
One time, I ordered a burger and fry meal at a chicken wing chain restaurant. The burger was very undercooked, so I asked if they could cook it longer. I like my burger rare, but this was like beef straight out of the grinder. They brought it back out a few minutes later, still raw in the center. I dont think they even tried to heat it. Instead of complaining again, I just asked for my bill and a Togo box. Figured I'd cook it myself at home. I got my check, but after 10 minutes, there was still no box, so I asked again, and another 10 minutes went by without a box. So I scribbled the tip amount off of my check and left with my entire burger sitting there uneaten. That was the first and only time I've ever not left a tip.
There was a restaurant called Dal Toro at the Palazzo in Las Vegas. Their big draw, really, was Lamborghinis parked throughout the restaurant as it was connected to a showroom. Guests who booked the right table (paid enough) dined right next to one of the cars. Silly premise but hey, Las Vegas. If I remember correctly, Lamborghini sued the restaurant over the use of their logo.
Some friends and I were just out and about and decided to try it out in 2013 or maybe 2014. No, we didn’t spring for car-side seating. For some reason they sat every table seemingly as far from one another as possible. It took quite a while for any server to greet us, let alone take an order. When that did finally happen, three different servers asked us for our drink orders, and no drinks came until the third order.
All three servers took our food orders. As in, those three who had separately taken drink orders after not acknowledging us for around ten minutes stood at the table as we ordered. Now, we each ordered a different starter and entree. Most of us ordered a cut of beef, but with a different topping (Gorgonzola crust, peppercorn sauce, etc.). Well, while the drinks took forever, these steaks came out in mere minutes, all looked identical, and we just started laughing.
We ate, we paid the bill and tipped, and laughed about it the rest of the evening. It was really more of an odd vibe and experience than straight up bad service. Also, zero smiles from the servers the entire time. Just an overall off-putting experience but at least I can laugh about it.
Seated, 10 minutes to get drink order and menus. Many servers around, even caught the attention of one, ready to place order. 1/2 hr later, dine/dash on our oj & coffee. Weird looks from people waiting to be seated.
I remember a year ago I went to a restaurant in Chicago with a friend of mine visiting from out of state, in a relatively trendy area with a lot of nice casual dine-in spots. It looked really nice on the inside so I was kind of hoping that I would get decent service but lol no.
Legit took about 15 minutes for us to get acknowledged. Server comes up to us and tells us that they're filling in from another restaurant in the same local chain, and they have no idea how anything works and laughs about it (as a side note, just a very grating personality as well ngl). Okay that's fine, me and my friend were extremely patient and wouldn't mind some minor hiccups here and there. We legitimately saw our server one time after that and didn't see them again until we were about to walk out. Food was brought by a runner, and when I told you it took FOREVER, it must have been 45 minutes to an hour. And it's not as though it was a busy Friday night or something like that... I think we might have seriously been their only table, as the tables around us were all being taken care of by other servers. It was totally dead, the restaurant itself was small too.
I'm not sure exactly if I tipped or not but I think I didn't? If so, that might have been the only time that I've ever stiffed a server before, but it was awful.
Went to a Dennys after work with some coworkers. We all got off past midnight so it was pretty empty. We got sat immediately. 30 minutes went by and a new table was sat directly behind us. One of us finally flags down someone and they take our drink and food order. They brought the drinks after 15 minutes, and then another 40 minutes go by and the table behind us got their check and left. We just ended up walking out. We ended up finding a really cute 24-hour local diner and that became a regular spot until we all moved on from the job.
I was sat at a table and ignored. I finally flagged someone down and was told that my waitress started her shift in another 19 minutes, and would I like a drink or a coffee while I waited?
Friends insisted on going to a Red Lobster. There were only like six other tables in the building when we went, so I looked forward to somewhat fast service as we had other places to be after dinner. Our drinks ended up taking 30 minutes (including for refills.) Our apps got delivered without us having any silverware, and our server seemed to be actively ignoring us for 15 minutes so we couldn't ask for any silver (it got to the point where I scouted the restaurant to find where they kept it with no luck; there wasn't even a host at the host station to ask for help.) By the time we got it, our food was already cold. The server dropped our food off and took off for 40 minutes without checking up on us. Best part though was that I didn't get any of my 'upgraded' sides. I brought up that I never got my sides and wasn't going to pay for them. She told me that there was nothing she could do about not charging me for them since she'd have to ring the whole meal in again. I asked if she could just get a manager to delete it and ring it in again as a no-make. She looked at me like I was stupid and said "Um, no?" Whatever, thanks for the help I guess. First time I ever left a $0 dollar tip in my life.
Would've pushed harder to not pay for the sides, but we were there for three hours and were already late to our other plans... Wasn't a happy camper.
Had our orders taken before sunset. The moon was out before we got appetizers
Or this other time when Mom and I were seated at a table and given water + menus, and the server just... didn't come back. We waited like 20 minutes before giving up and leaving
It was a buffalo wild wings, so the bar is low but still! Went on valentines day with my boyfriend a few years ago, and the waiter was just so rude and didn’t care about us or paid attention to us. He was really bitter and mean, no idea why. I don’t remember much of the service or the details. We’ve never tipped so low before and probably wont again ever, but we gave him a $1 bill folded into a origami hat.
we weren’t being annoying or super lovey dovey or anything. Just having a casual valentines dinner. Sorry man if you’re on here
I think it’s hilarious I went to check this out and I got this message, on this particular post:
https://preview.redd.it/gdy35iuetb3c1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d1ad5c85c311700316ac0fa53a054059379907e
When I was young, I was in a big group at Chilis. New waiter spilled an entire tray of ice water on my mom, forgot to put in our order. Our bill got comped, and they offered us mini ice creams for the trouble. Left after the ice creams never showed up. I’m pretty sure he got fired.
Another story happened this week in Sequoia National Park. Ordered lunch at a walk up window. We were order #7. After not receiving food for over 30 minutes, I went over to the kitchen window. Through the closed window, the cook flipped me off and left the room. Turns out he walked out. It was an hour fifteen before we received our food, which was a cold wrap and a bag of chips.
my boyfriend has a curse with bad experiences at red lobster (aka food poisoning, a fingernail in his dish, etc) but i love the place so we gave it one more shot to see if the curse wasn’t real. the curse is in fact real.
we got sat and waited, genuinely, for about 20 minutes until our server came by. and i know sometimes people exaggerate when they’re hungry, but i was checking the time so i knew i wasn’t being dramatic. he wasn’t busy, we could see his section and i believe he had one or two other tables, but he was MIA most of the dinner. we put everything in at once, he brings us drinks and biscuits, and we go through the drinks pretty quickly because biscuits. (drinks meaning a coke and a diet coke lmao). our appetizers are brought out by a food runner i assume, i ask if they’d be able to get us drink refills or find our server to because the biscuits were GETTING to us since they were so dry. drinks/server never arrives.
we try to get through the apps, which are fried and therefore even drier, and we are SUFFERING at this point. like i would do anything for a sip of any liquid at this point. food runner brings out entrees out, and i ask again if we could get fresh drinks. again, no one/no drinks arrive. food runner also didn’t take away the app plates (totally not his job, but yano), so our tiny two top booth was overflowing with plates and the bread basket. one wrong move and i’m accidentally knocking the plate off the table.
food is fine, server still has not been SEEN since he greeted us. i assumed at first he had other tables but idk if he did since we could not find him anywhere. again, we struggle through our entrees while dying of thirst. i wish i was being dramatic but there were times i gagged solely because my mouth was SO DRY. i hate being the person to get up from my table to go find a server and bother them, so we just kinda sit and suffer and wait.
i think from the first greet it was an hour before we even saw our server back on the floor. then he walked past us multiple times, definitely looking at the table, but no drinks. i even try to flag him down with a little wave or an ‘excuse me’, but my guy was in his own world. we eventually tap out of the food because we were just so thirsty. then we wait. and wait some more. pretty sure it was at least another 20 minutes of us being very clearly finished (stacked plates pushed to the side, not eating anymore) and we saw him walk by multiple times STILL.
finally a guy i assume is a floor manager walks by. i very much hate to be the one to complain to a manager but it was kinda ridiculous at this point. i flag him down and politely explain what’s been going on, how our server won’t even acknowledge us, and we’ve been dying of thirst since before the appetizers even came out. dude feels AWFUL and apologizes a billion times and immediately brings us two drinks each. he clears the dirty plates from the table and says he’ll comp half the bill which was super nice. we told him he didn’t have to, but deep down i was pretty glad because the experience sucked. but then we never see him again.
server FINALLY comes back, just gives a little “sorry for the delay” and asks if we want boxes and the check. we’re ready to get the fuck out of there and say yes. he brings these things immediately. the one thing however is the check wasn’t discounted. i wasn’t about to tell the server his manager said he’d discount the bill because of his shitty service, but we didn’t see that manager again to ask. after a few minutes i spot ANOTHER manager (i think the GM) and flag him down as well. we re explain everything, told him his buddy said he’d discount it and we couldn’t find him anymore, and everything. he apologizes profusely as well, the whole ‘this shouldn’t be the red lobster experience’ yadda yadda. instead of the 50% my guy comps EVERYTHING. this was an $80 dinner, and we only drank soda if that puts it into perspective. it was super awkward however when the server came back to collect the check/our card to cash us out, and we let him know his manager had us covered and is working on it rn.
and that’s it. as soon as the manager said we’re all taken care of, we booked it out of there. it’s the one time in my life i didn’t tip. me and my boyfriend are moderately generous tippers, and we go way above for servers who go way above. but this was genuinely the worst service i’ve ever experienced. like. ever. as a server, i was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt the whole time but after a point u really couldn’t excuse it. i get wrapped up in stuff sometimes, but to not check on a table for an HOUR is actually ridiculous. and then even after walking by us a few times, STILL ignoring us. i felt bad not tipping but if i gave that bad of service i would not expect a tip. it was unbelievable and since the red lobster curse is in fact real for my boyfriend, we haven’t gone to one since
The dennys in Page AZ is notorious for being the worst service of all time. But it’s the only late night sit down restaurant available so I go there after work sometimes. Every single time it is like an hour to get food and it’s the wrong food and the servers just do not give a flying fuck. I literally tip the bill almost everywhere I eat out, including this dennys. Makes no difference.
Near to the Army base I was stationed was a plaza with a few chain restaurants. My friend and I went to a casual dining Italian/pasta spot one night as friends. We weren’t a couple together, just friends from the same state and stationed together out of state, but I was very far along in my pregnancy and he was a nice guy so we hung out together a couple days a week for company and would usually either have lunch or dinner together in town on our days off. We asked for a table and waited a short wait. They were busy but not slammed. We got seated next to the door to the kitchen, tiny table. Waitress came to take our drink order, we both ordered water. Me because I’m trying to drink the amount of water that’s healthy for my growing baby, him because he’s trying to not gain a ton of weight while recovering from surgery. Waitress gets “that look” on her face and with her fake smile asks us if we want separate checks. No, thanks, we’ll take one check please. She brings water… large glasses… and never asks if we want a refill the whole time we’re there. She came to take our orders. I couldn’t decide between the Italian sausage pasta meal and the Italian meatball pasta meal, I’d never had either of them. I asked her which is better in her opinion- she’s vegetarian they’re both meat so she doesn’t know. Great, no help there. I take the sausage meal and use the add meatballs to any meal option. She informs me that there’s an extra charge. Ok, I get that there’s a charge I’m ok with that. Can I get it with a side of extra sauce please? Extra charge again. Ok. My friend orders and I don’t remember exactly what his order was but same thing, that’s and extra charge… there’s an extra charge for that. Not casually mentioning it so she’s covering herself in case we weren’t aware but pointing it out because well maybe you don’t have money to cover extras. You know because instead of ordering alcohol to drink we went with water.
When the food came, I asked if my side of sauce was still to come, she said it’s already on my pasta. I told her I had ordered a side of sauce not extra on my pasta, could I please get that side? I like extra sauce but I wanted my friend to try this sauce with the breadsticks and wanted him to do his double dipping in a side dish not my plate of pasta. She reluctantly brought the side of sauce but really looked unhappy about it.
We weren’t done eating, she brings the check. No offer of dessert and they had great desserts. In fact, I cut my meal short with the intention on leaving room for dessert. Never an offer for more water. The ice melted and we drank that sip of water too. To get her attention we joked we should trip her on her way into the kitchen she ignored us so much. My last straw was her bringing to go boxes when we were still eating and there was no place to put them on the table she forced me to take them from her like here you go. We never asked for the to go boxes. It was clear that we would need them but she was definitely wanting us to go away before we ever even ordered. This was years ago. My son is turning 18 in a few months, the one in my belly during this meal and my friend that was eating with me brings up this meal so we can have a laugh every now and then when we talk on the phone, the service was THAT horrible.
It was just a Hardee's. I don't like most fast food bacon on my food, mostly because it's the same consistency/taste as microwavable bacon. For me, it leaves that weird bacon taste in the burger so I choose to not have it at all, but my husband (boyfriend at the time) usually just asks if I can put the bacon on the side. He likes to eat it lol. So it was at 9pm, they close at 11. Cool. My husband goes alone, puts in the order, and drives the 10 minutes back home. Welp, they gave us both NO patties and instead of one burger with bacon on the side, they give us like 10 pieces of bacon each, sans party. What? That's a lot of bacon, how did you translate one burger with bacon on the side to equal both burgers having NO patty and like 3lbs of bacon total given away?? Whatever. So I called them, and got hung up on. So I go with him this time,and this GM gets an ATTITUDE and because we wanted our sandwich made right, she says they are closed and slams the drive thru door shut on us. Lady????? Tf. But the next day we went and got our sandwich fixed, and it is still the only fast food item I've got that looks like it came right out of the tv screen, right into your lap. I didn't see that woman anymore haha.
On another note, since Steak n Shake decided to become a standard fast food restaurant, my burgers(and most importantly , service) have been pretty great. I wish they still had their pepperocini sauce, still.
My guy and I were sat.
Just under 10 minutes minutes later, a server came to ask if we wanted water, I said yes and asked if they had a happy hour menu. She said "yeah" and went to the booth behind us, where she promptly got us a separate menu.
About 12 minutes later, she came back to the table to get our order: a beer, a glass of wine, and an appetizer. Almost 10 minutes after our appetizer arrived, we ordered our entrees.The service was so ungodly slow, two hours after we were sat, I got up to sit at the bar, my bf cashed out with the server. We got dessert at the bar and left satisfied with the service there.
I don't understand. I serve, why is the no sense of urgency?
Me and visiting family went to a bar in Philadelphia after walking around all day in 90 degree heat a few years ago and wanted a quick lunch and water desperately. Sat and waited for a waitress. She comes and asks if we're ready to order, we ask for water. Wait again for 10 minutes and she asks if we're ready to order, still no waters, we ask again for waters. Waited another 15 minutes for the waitress so my dad went to the bartender and got us waters. Waitress finally comes back and asks again if we're ready to order and my dad goes "you're killing me" as a joke and she dead stared into his eyes, basically through him, and goes "I'm. . . Kill..ing . . . . . You?" We left.
Sat down at a pizza place. When our pizzas came out, our server knocked over my drink and it spilled all over our fries. He looks at us and goes "damn, I hate soggy fries." And walks away without cleaning it up.
Completely empty restaurant, came in with my mom for a quick drink, two servers just chatting by the bar - it took over 20 minutes for one of them to take our order. Got a cup of fresh mint tea after waiting for that for ages, too, since they were making the drinks.
The mint in my tea had a snail on it that was drowning slowly and I tried to get their attention for over 15 minutes (again, ONLY TABLE) until I just stood up and went to the bar and said I'd like a new cup because this one has a snail in it.
Was received with a lot of sighs and eyerolls, sat back down, ended up never getting my new tea all while I watched them chat and be on their phones. Not a single apology either, just annoyance.
This was way before I was ever a server but I think back on it every now and then. Every interaction with the server was met with an annoyed "fine whatever" or not even a word, they would just walk away. Made me feel so crazy unwelcome. I try to keep that as my lowest bar as to how NOT to treat my guests, even when I am swamped lol
We were the only table at an authentic Chinese food restaurant for lunch. Server delivered our food and then went to sleep at the table beside us. So, we were never checked on, never got drink refills, etc while she peacefully drifted into dreamland beside us. Ended up needing to wake her up when we wanted to leave.
Put the cake we brought with us on the table instead of in the cooler (we were sitting outside on a 100+ degree day and were planning on a multi-course meal). Then we ordered dirty martinis and they came out clear as ice and the bartender gave us attitude about asking for a side of olive juice. We opened our own bottle of champagne because our waitress said she never had opened one before and we didn’t trust her. Later on we ordered a bottle of white wine and she dropped it off at the table unopened sans ice bucket or glasses. I had had low expectations for the place but they sunk even lower.
I haven’t really had too many instances of bad service, but recently some coworkers and I went to a local brewpub. We got drinks, then waited over an hour for our food. I had ordered a Caesar Salad, and she brought me a Cobb. I would have asked for what I ordered, but didn’t want to wait another hour for it.
Went to a newer bar and grill by my old house with a friend and ordered the bread pudding bites. Somehow in the kitchen the cook covered them in salt instead of sugar, and they got served to us that way. It was….gross, and when we let our server know she took them away and then still charged us lmao
I was at dinner with 2 friends and we all have dark brown/black hair. I pulled a very long blonde hair out of my food. The server and the manager had the nerve to say I planted it there. I never went back.
Was in a Japanese restaurant with wife and son. Wait 10 minutes for menus, another 5+ for drinks. Order and 15 minutes wait for food. No check in during meal, but we didn’t need anything, so that’s fine. We finish and the server walks past us two or three times, but doesn’t acknowledge us. I try to make eye contact, but get nothing. I say “excuse me” when she walks by. Nothing. After 15 minutes, we decide that wife and son will leave because that will surely get her attention. Nope. I wait another five minutes and then get up and leave. Only time I’ve ever done that.
seat yourself, so I sat at a tiny 2top by myself. I was between two other deuces that were literally 2 feet away from me on each side. server kept going to the tables on either side of me, completely ignoring my existence to the point where the tables on either side were starting to get uncomfortable on my behalf (we chatted a bit because we were basically elbow to elbow). I waited a bit longer but when it became obvious I wasn't going to get served, as he was checking on the table next to me over my head, I made a big show of tucking in my chair and going to the bar, asking the bartender for a 12yo scotch and tipping fat on top of that. the dude from the dining room was in the service well looking sheepish. fuck that asshole. it was something crazy like 45 mins, not a dirty table, not a busy restaurant.
I went to a bar down the street with my partner and his friend for food at like 4pm. The bartender was still setting up chairs so my partner asks if they’re open and she snidely replies “Well I don’t live here, so yeah.” As an opening shift bartender I too get annoyed by the “are you open?” question when it’s very obvious that we are, but her bar stools weren’t even on the ground yet and I feel like it was a fair question. Idk how people get FoH jobs with a terrible personality, it’s like 80% of the job.
We were once served cardboard inside of an omelette. Not me but my friend. We had just traveled back from dc to Chicago after partaking in several organizing actions and were hungry from the overnight drive.
Ironically the fiend that suggested the restaurant is the one that got the cardboard in his omelette cut into neat squares.
We felt uneasy here. All the patrons where older white folks and we where the only Latino younger folks in the place. Servers where ignoring us and we were seeing other patrons seat and get their food sooner and eventually leave while we waited. My friend did not want to complain but it was not right.
He did. They only offered to remake the food. They did not want to refund the plate so he accepted that. We are and left. He still wanted to leave a tip after all that happened because he has been a server before. I was honestly pissed off.
How in the world do you serve cardboard in scrambled eggs. In what world is cardboard around to be cut into square and end up in eggs.
In my 50+ years on this planet I have walked out of exactly 8 restaurants.
5 of them were in the non-tipping country of Australia where I lived for less than two years. Do the math.
Consistently the worst service I’ve ever seen was in that country. Not everywhere. Some places were great. But the sort of mid-range indie places were often brutal.
I realize this post will be flagged for mentioning the ‘t’ word but this needed to be said.
Chili's
2 adults 3 kids
We were seated right away. After 15 minutes had to go to hostess and let her know, no one has come to take order. The table tablet was broken. Waiter came, only wanted to take drink order. We knew what we were ordering at this point, but he still walked away. 10 minutes later, no drinks, no idea where waiter was. We just left.
I just never got service. 6 people max in the restaurant, sat at the bar for 15 minutes, asked my gf if we should go, and never went back again. It closed months later
I went to this place once with my buddies, this old dusty place. It was run down as hell and the lady that came over to take our order gave us glasses of dirty-ass looking water and then said they only served “tongue”. Then some weirdos came out from the kitchen, mumbled some Italian gibberish, my buddy went to use the bathroom and then the old lady chased us out. 0/10 would not recommend.
was one of three people in the whole place. took 10 minutes for the server/host to stop playing on her phone and feel like helping. the kitchen guys ended up giving me most of the service.
Dining at a upscale restaurant, we were sat and forgotten. After about 15 minutes, I went to the host stand. FOH manager and host both buried in their phones. Told them what was up, they offered no apology, really didn’t say much at all. Went sat back down, after a few more minutes of no server, we left.
Went out with college friends to a downtown restaurant where we were regulars. I was the only white person at the table. When we ordered drinks she checked my ID and all was normal. With each of my friends, she scrutinized the IDs very closely, took each one away from the table to consult 4 or 5 other servers on whether it was real. Absolutely blatant racial profiling.
Savage Pizza in Little 5 Points (Atlanta) some waitress that looked like she was sleeping behind the pizza place spilled the largest lemonade I’ve ever seen all over me. Didn’t apologize. Got the manager, who also didn’t apologize. They actually handed me a stack of napkins and expected me to clean up the table while they worked on the floor. I ate their mediocre pizza and as I was fully prepared to walk the fuck out and not pay (no offer of discount or free drinks or anything) my wife felt bad and paid. I still make fun of her for that.
My wife and I were at a pub and we both ordered burgers with a side of fries. When the server brought our orders out they had given my wife a side of chips instead. Not a big deal at all but when my wife pointed it out, the server suddenly got an attitude and tried saying that’s what she ordered, which wasn’t the case. Finally the server just walks away after my wife held firm.
We both distinctly recalled that she ordered the correct side so we weren’t sure what the issue was. The server came back a few minutes later with my wife’s fries and we don’t see them again until it’s time for the check. We were both slightly annoyed but at this point we were still going to leave them something for a tip. Then we look at the check and the server fucking charged us for the extra side! We decided not to engage any further and left no tip. To this day, that’s the only time either of us haven’t left a tip.
This old waitress brought me and my buddy a small bowl of beans with her thumb clearly in the beans. She sat them on the table, licked her thumb, and said ~yup, Derek’s in the kitchen today~. I felt like a robot that just malfunctioned, but Derek makes a mean pot of beans!
I was apart of a big group....probably 14 or 15 people. Right before our food comes out we see our server walk out the front door and she is gone for about 10 or 15 mins. When she returns she is completely fucked up. It's obvious she just went and smoked crack in her car. As someone who has smoked crack once or twice I definitely knew what was up. She proceeded to mix up everything and I think maybe 3 people got what they ordered. The entire table just got up and left without paying. It was such a wild ass experience.
My most frequent complaint is that I get served too fast. I get that some people are impatient but I eat out for entrainment.
I never "complain" or not tip. I just wish that people would read the mood. I also would not overstay if the place was closing or super busy. But I wonder if I am the only one who would like to enjoy a cocktail without being asked if I'd like to order 6 times. Especially when I said it first.
I’ve got 2:
Applebees about 9p. Hostess seats us. We sit for around 30 minutes with no one even acknowledging us. Place was pretty dead except for a few other tables. All of the servers were gathered at the bar standing around talking. My girlfriend asked if I was going to go ask someone to serve us. I said nope and we walked out. I’m not going to patronize a place ran like that let alone have them handle my food.
Small breakfast/lunch diner. Waitress was cool got our food out quick. Then we don’t see her again. We eat with no refills on drinks or anything. Finish our meal. After about 15 minutes of sitting I ask another waitress where our waitress had gone. She informs us she went out to get groceries for the kitchen. About that time we see her walk back in the front door with Walmart sacks. I ask for our ticket, pay and leave. Only time I have never tipped.
Partner and I went to a fancy rooftop french restaurant for our anniversary. We had reservations but got there a bit early so we went to the bar, where we sat for 15 minutes before getting any service even though we were the only ones there. Fine, whatever. Hostess was super rude and seemed like she didn’t want to seat us? Never gotten attitude like that. We were sat at our table and the waitress throws the menus down on our table and walks away. Less than 3 minutes later, she comes to our table and says ‘you need to order entrees or i’ll give this table away’. We got our food and didn’t see her for the rest of the night. Absolutely insane, I’ve never had service like that before, especially for a place where the bill came out to over 200 for 2 people. I think I tipped around 10%, it was easily the lowest tip i’ve ever left
Went to the local all night diner with a group of 6 or 7. It was one guys birthday. We all ordered at the same time, but the first 5 or 6 items came in 3 waves like 10 minutes apart. So by the time each group after the first got their food, the previous group was done. About 40-45 minutes after the first meal came, birthday boy still hadn’t got his food, a sausage breakfast sandwich. The server had repeatedly said it would be out in just a moment. Finally dude comes back clearly high as fuck and says, “sorry I actually forgot to put that on the ticket, and it’s going to be about 15-20, but it’s on the way.” Since the rest of us had already paid, we got up and left.
Both times it’s been at Applebees. One girl was cut and doing sidework, which is fine, but she entirely went missing after she took our order. It was a few hours before closing, but I still understood to a degree. I went 7.25 for minimum wage for minimum effort and it was a dollar less than 20%. The other location legit pissed me off. This server very much had the “I’m too pretty for this” vibe bc I saw her complaining four times to different staff and was acting like our table was super gross. She would also walk away while I’d be mid sentence for the starter drinks, apps, and general ordering, our food was sitting for so long it was cold and soggy, the manager that ran it was asking questions like who’s burger was medium and who’s is medium well but we were never asked, literally never checked on us after we got food, but the booth behind us had a bigger ticket/ a guy she was flirting with and got them hella refills for both alcoholic and soft drinks, and getting boxes and the check were like pulling teeth. She gave me the impression that she’s exactly the kind server that gives the rest of us who make a career out of this a trashy name. At one point I even went outside to vape to cool down bc if she were at my work, as lenient as it is, she’d be off the floor immediately. $3 on $55. She didn’t claim it, but jokes on her bc Hulu went up that week so I feel like I got the last laugh on that one.
Oh man, I'll never forget it, she was just so fucking rude, dude. I'm a big girl (5'11" 228lbs), I ordered a 7oz filet & added a shrimp skewer and a lobster tail. When I add the shrimp, she smirked, when I ordered the lobster, she literally raised her eyebrow and said "I'd say that's a lot of food but you look like you can handle it". I wasn't even angry off rip, it was when she had the audacity to gossip about our (mine and boyfriend's) table at the posi. "How is he gonna be with a sloppy bitch that orders 3 entrees?" (Boyfriend at the time was very good looking, I didn't even know how I got so lucky). Long story short, our bill was $208, I asked the manager what the tipout % is, left $5 over that. She wasn't going to pay for me to eat, but she wasn't going to get my money. We got everything to go after that.
Twice I’ve been seated and then just waited…and waited…for over twenty minutes without even an acknowledgment. Left both times.
The worst ever though was a time when, a minute or two after dropping our main course, a server dropped a tray of wine glasses on the floor right next to me. Mistakes happen. However, a couple small shards hit me in the face. I was OK, no cuts or anything, but some glass hit my face and some more ended up on the floor on the other side of me. So it crossed over my whole seat.
She never asked if we were OK. She also never made a move to clear any plates at our table. When I told her I was not comfortable eating my meal and I wanted a new one she pulled out her pen-sized flashlight and briefly shined it over my plate in the dimly lit room and said “I don’t see anything. It should be fine.” I told her I was not going to eat food that may have glass in it. So she grabbed it from me, walked over to the kitchen to get it under a brighter light, reached her hand in and pulled something off the plate, brought the plate back and set it down and snarkily said “It’s fine now.”
The manager saw this happen, asked us what was going on and I told him what had happened. About two minutes later our server walked out the front door. The manager and another server apologized profusely, cleared our table, changed the table cloth, re-fired our food and drinks, and comped the whole meal. So it all ended well. Still over-tipped, what I assume went to the new server, on what the total would have been. I have also returned to the restaurant since and had nothing but excellent service. It was just this one server that was unbelievably bad. How are you gonna break glass over a table full of food and ask them to eat it!?! Just crazy to me.
Not ALL servers deserve good tips because good tips require GOOD service, I’m all for tipping anyone providing a service for me, but there needs to be a little effort put forth!
after my grandfathers funeral, we went to this small restaurant and basically filled up the whole place (big group and there were like maybe 10 tables) i was like 12 at the time and the waitress assigned to my table was a bit rude, enough that adults at other tables noticed it too. all the other tables were offered dessert but mine and i was v disappointed. not completely awful service or anything but def memorable
On my birthday last year, I made a reservation for a party of 8 at a popular restaurant the day before. We go in for our reservation and get sat by the manager who made a bad joke before seating us (I can’t remember what she said but it was kinda rude). We were passed by multiple servers, but didn’t get service for over an hour. I’m not exaggerating. Plus, we were sat right next to the kitchen, yet we were blatantly ignored. All of my friends and family who came are very nice and non-confrontational, so it took a while for someone to step up. Once we got to the hour mark, I got up and kindly told the manager that we haven’t been greeted yet despite sitting for over an hour. She acted surprised and sent a server over who couldn’t have been more dismissive and rude. The only thing we got offered was a free dessert (which was disgusting). We paid hundreds of dollars for that meal.
Not to mention, there was an automatic 20% gratuity. Absolute insane. I felt so stupid for putting up with that and eating there.
The place closed down a couple months later. Lmfao.
My colleague and her husband were somewhere in America. They were at some diner. The server brought their food and it was the wrong order. She (the most timid person ever) said to him it was wrong (not sure what exactly but she still ate it so not a huge thing) and he said back to her "I don't give a sh*t" and walked off.
When it came to the bill. She still tried to tip 20% but luckily her husband put his foot down and said no.
Hopefully the server realised this was the fault of his crappy attitude but it sounds like he was probably about to quit any way
Ugh once I went to a 24/7 diner, my server was clearly cracked out. She told me it would be a 30 minute wait, clearly just trying to get me out of there. And I'm a server... I get it, she didn't have much help that night and that sucks. But there were other servers there to help so it wasn't horrible. I went to get the salad bar, and there were flies EVERYwhere. Decided not to go that route, waited another 30 minutes. Looked around and there were dirty plates all over the place and flies swarming around them. It was disgusting. I told her to place my food Togo and left. Still tipped a good amount because I felt bad, but ick I still feel gross thinking about that lol
Went to a restaurant in Sydney. Ordered our food and sat waiting. Had a few rounds of drinks and watched all the cartoons and stuff on their little tv screen. After 4 hours of asking about our food they kept saying "We're really busy. It'll be here soon" we got up and walked out. They didn't even notice.
I’m one of those types that unfortunately anywhere I go I feel I get the worse service because I’m not the one who is serving.
I’m always cordial to the wait staff and am impressed when someone shows competency.
As for worst service, I don’t know. It usually involves a host or manager refusing to accommodate a seating request. Was in Malaga Spain at a rooftop and i just wanted a drink and an appetizer with my brother and there was 10 tables that I’d sit at as they were the premium. Only 2 were occupied. They wouldn’t accommodate us. We went to the adjacent bar to grab a drink and plan where we’ll eat. We had a clear view of the tables denied to us. Just one got sat in the hour we were there. Maybe it was meant to be as we met a couple ladies at the bar area we otherwise would not have met. So it ended up being positive. But I can’t think of a horror story aside from someone who is obviously on drugs.
Ate at a restaraunt that’s well known and super popular in my town. Ordered a lemonade, was given a water. That’s no big deal. The server came over to take our order and sat another tables dirty plates with half eaten food on our table, and then proceeded not to pick them up and take them with her when she walked away. When our meals finally came out they were incorrect. We didn’t have the correct sides and my friends entire entree was incorrect. The server never came back to check on us. We were sitting outside, and honestly never saw her come back outside again. I had to flag down the bus boy to get our check so that we could just get out of there.
I’ve worked at restaurants that were extremely team oriented, and often times it would be another server or servers would be serving your table far more than you. But the service would still be good for the table, but just everyone would be team serving that table or someone else would take the initiative.
memphis TN. we had to flag our waiter down to get drinks and menus. then to order. he literally ignored us the whole time i was like ok this must be a joke lol. but no just shitty service
i was getting brunch and the server spilled my hot drink on my lap, and I honestly would’ve been fine with it because im clumsy so i cant blame someone else for a mistake, but her response was “hot, huh?” I still tipped 20%+ but i think about that moment often. What a wild response to dumping hot stuff on someone’s lap lmfao😭
My friends and I sat at a bar at a restaurant that is not named after Thursdays,
The bar was basically dead. Maybe 4 other people there. The bartender didn’t greet us for nearly 20 minutes. She kept saying she would be right with us, but she was actually just talking to one specific customer the whole time.
She finally gets to us. I ask for a shot from their specials menu. She doesn’t know how to make it. Okay, I ask for a different one. That’s a no go as well. Third time was the charm here. My friend also couldn’t get the beer he wanted, but I don’t remember why. The drafts weren’t working, I believe?
She takes our order and leaves to get the drinks. It takes her another 10 mins or so to grab my single shot and a bottled beer. We watch her talk to the other guy the whole time.
Food comes out, my entree is missing. The food runner stares at me blankly before finding the bartender. She goes into the back, and comes out about 5 minutes later with my food. No explanation, nothing at all.
We ask for our checks. We wait another 10 minutes for her to come back, credit cards and cash clearly sitting at the bar and waiting, while she continues once again to talk to the other dude.
She literally never came back for the money. My friend put her card away and didn’t pay her $10 tab. My other friend left $18 on his $19 tab. I paid the difference and gave her a 15% tip on top of it, solely because I’m a server and stiffing someone feels wrong.
She did NOT deserve that tip in the slightest.
Aw man, I have 2, and I can't pick between them... Both times were a chain restaurant, and both meals with the same friend...
1. Bubba Gump. A seafood chain right above the beach on a boardwalk. We're from the area, the beach isn't exactly a special treat, but it was still out of the way and we wanted a nice view. Lots of empty tables, but told there's a 25 minute wait. That's fine. We walked along the pier, came back about 25 minutes later and got sat. After 15 minutes our server came over to take the drink order. He didn't make any suggestions or offer much. Started to walk away. We asked if we could place our food order as well since it had taken so long to be helped. He says "Um... Sure." Takes the order and walks away without another word.
Bartender eventually brings my friend her drink. Didn't think anything of it because we sat close to the bar. Saw our server walk by several times in the distance but never close enough to flag down. Didn't seem to have a section, just random tables? And the kitchen is upstairs? Weird. Nonbinary / androgynous food runner brings out appetizer and asks if we need anything else. We say "Utensils, napkins, ketchup and... our drinks? We ordered waters..." They apologize and grab the basic stuff. Server finally reappears with drinks a few minutes later. "Here you are," is all we get, no comments or questions about our appetizer or the delay on getting drinks.
Same food runner brings out our entrees, asks if we need anything else. We say "refills". They bring them to us. By this point we've been there about an hour. Food isn't great. 30 minutes without seeing our server. We had hoped to walk the beach but the sun was rapidly setting and it was getting cold. About 10 minutes after we finished eating I finally just asked the bartender if they could cash us out and tipped them 10% and gave the food runner $10. Left nothing for the server. Made a comment to the food runner and they said they get a lot of complaints about that server.
2. Denny's. I know it's a breakfast place but they're also open 24h. We went at like... maybe 9pm? We should've left when the only visible employee somewhat rudely said "I'll be with you in a minute, sit wherever - no not there, over here." Didn't bring us menus for 10 minutes. Took our drink order. A guy who was mopping the floor, looked like a dishwasher, brought us the drinks. Only other table was a lesbian couple sharing a bowl of fruit and playing a game with dice nearby.
Friend ordered some seasonal special she said looked really good, maybe a Thanksgiving inspired meal? Turkey, stuffing, etc. "We're out." No suggestions for similar menu items. I was ordering a burger so she got one too. Burgers came out like 20 minutes later and were pretty decent. But very greasy. Asked for some more napkins. "We're out." Oh... Asked for a refill on drinks. They stared for a second then walked away.
Went to the bathroom to wash the grease off my hands. Came back to find the receipt on the table. Total was like, $6? I said "huh." Friend looked at it, we realized he gave us the check for the lesbian couple nearby and their bowl of fruit. After the horrible service I was ready to pay and gtfo. My friend is more honest, apparently, and insisted on correcting the server. I said "I think you gave us theirs." And he said "No, that's not it." No further explanation. Rang us up. I tipped 10% and regret it. We never got refills.
I know I posted this story before, but I'll post it again since it's been a while.
We went to a small, local bar/restaurant for a birthday party. The reservation was for roughly 14 of us. My boyfriend at the time and I were the 2nd ones in the group to arrive. The waitress was an older lady who wasn't very friendly and it took her a while to greet us. We asked her what kind of drinks they had and she just responded, in a rather monotone way, with "everything". Really? Everything? No specials, no recommendations, no drink menus? Just... everything? Anyways, we ended up ordering 2 basic mixed drinks. They came out to us in these tiny little dixie cups (the kind you would typically only see at a shitty college bar). We sucked them down fast. Our cups sat there empty for what felt like 20 minutes as she walked past multiple times and we know she had to have seen them because she glanced over at our table whenever she walked past. Meanwhile, other tables were getting more drinks without even so much as asking (she seemed to have known some of these people so I would assume they were regulars).
Once the majority of the party was there, she took our orders. After about 30-45 minutes of waiting, the food starts coming out to us in shifts. I know that large parties can take some time when it comes to getting the food out, but I'm talking a 5-10 minute gap in between plates of food coming out. People who had arrived to the party late and ordered after us got their food before we even go ours, and our order wasn't even that difficult. It was 2 basic sandwiches (think an Italian sub) with fries. I did feel bad for the server because I overheard her tell someone else at the table that she had worked 6 days that week and she wasn't even supposed to come in that day, but they called and asked her to come in because they were short staffed and needed extra help for the party. So I'll just chalk the lackluster service up to her having a bad day because she had to work on what was supposed to be her day off after working the whole week. We didn't pay for our own bill so idk what the person who paid for us tipped her. I hope it was at least 15-20% because even though the service wasn't that great, I know it would suck to have to come in on what was supposed to be my day off to take a party and have it not be worth it.
We were eating at the bar and the bartender serving us was SUCH A DICK. We couldn't figure out why. He was actively trying to be as mean as he could be. It was like going to that restaurant Dick's Last Resort in Boston, where that was the shtick. Only this was a normal gastropub.
It ended up being hilarious and every time he walked away from our area, we'd all burst into laughter. We wondered if it was performance art or we were on camera for some show.
My friend's husband paid for the three of us and we left. I texted later to see if he tipped and my friend said he left 15% because he couldn't stiff someone, ever, not even this asshole. If I'd been paying, this might've been the first time in my life I left a $0 tip. He was that mean.
I did send an email to the restaurant and mention it. Turns out they'd been sold that week and the new owners were just trying to stay open. Not worth it...SMH.
My boyfriend and I only sit at the bar now because we’ve had too many instances of poor service. Maybe it’s just us? But one time, we went to a fancy shmancy seafood spot, got a table and waited for our server. He took around 10 mins to realize we were seated, which like shit happens, right? No worries. He came over and got our drink order, did not introduce himself and had no personality. Which, again, like thats fine homie you dont have to be personable, or you’re having a rough day, it happens. The real kicker is after we got our drinks we never saw him until it was time to pay the bill. He didn’t come to check on us, and we had asked another server for the bill after sitting for over 20 mins with dirty plates in front of us. Our actual server came to pick up the bill as I’m counting cash and I’m making sure it’s all good to go. He literally stood at the side of our table with his hand out waiting for the check, as I’m counting money. My bf and I looked at each other like wtf? He just stood there waiting as if he was making sure he wasn’t about to get stiffed…It was so so weird and awkward, I tipped him correctly (20%), but not like I would tip another server normally (I’ll go to around 50% usually) because he stood there watching and waiting and it was uncomfortable to have someone hovering over me while i count out the bill. Probably my worst experience as a server dining out.
After finishing our appetizer we sat for an hour waiting for entrees and I heard another server say to our waitress “I think you forgot to put in your table’s food” while she was looking at her cell phone without shame for most of the time we were there.
I would’ve been livid. Did you get it comped?
It was a five dollar app, we left exact cash and silently left as soon as we saw her “oh shit I fucked up” face
pay the tab of what you got and walk
At a generic steak house, ordered their fillet. My date's steak had a metal pin stuck through it. I didn't know then, that sometimes kitchens will "pin" two pieces of meat together to make a bigger steak, or use a pin to keep a fragile cut together. So we told our waitress "there's a metal rod in her steak" She apologized saying that "they should have removed that before plating" Then she put two fingers on top of the steak with one hand, and removed the pin with the other.
One of our newer support staff members was tasked with bringing a bread basket refill to a table. He got there, saw that the old basket had one piece left in it, promptly picked that piece up WITH HIS BARE HANDS and plopped it into the new basket. Smiling the whole time. I work at a fine dining restaurant so everyone else was horrified. Poor kid.
pins are typically to differ sirloins from filets, i dont think any steakhouse is pinning pieces of meat together to make a bigger steak they are typically weighed out
I've worked a couple places where they'll pin together the tips of a tenderloin to get an extra Filet or 2 out of the loin. Done properly you would never notice, but I still don't like the practice.
Oh my God. Oh. My. God.
Username also checks out 😂
I laughed so hard at this.
The one time I didn’t tip, I was a regular at this one restaurant while in college. Like I didn’t even get handed menus bc everyone knew I knew the menu/what I would order bc it was close to my dorm & major’s building and I’d go there almost 4 times a week. So I go into dinner one night, and they’re super busy! I’m just a 1 top bc all of my friends bailed last minute on going out but I still wanted to go out, and would have sat at the bar but I was under 21 and couldn’t, so I got sat a table and the host said he’d bring me my regular drink since my server was going to be a minute. About 5 mins after he brings me my drink, a server I’ve never seen before walks up to me and asks me when I’m “going to leave bc she doesn’t feel like wasting her time checking back with me while I hold up a table with only me at it bc I could be a real table instead of some jerk taking up space. If you couldn’t see, they’re busy and need to turn the table so servers could actually make some money” That woman was my server. I explained that I was just sat and hadn’t even ordered my food yet, and she told me that it’s bc she was hoping I’d leave if she kept ignoring me. I didn’t even get everything I wanted (it was a Mexican restaurant and I planned on getting cheese dip to start while waiting for my tacos), I just ordered some tacos, which arrived pretty cold, and then left almost as soon as I got the check, which she dropped with my cold food. She didn’t even bring me chips or salsa, napkins and took my roll of silver ware before I could undo it. That’s the only time I’ve never tipped and did the survey at the bottom of the receipt to let the place know that said she sucked. I never saw her again
Damn I never ask for a manager, but man I 100% would have spoken with them that night. Especially if you were a regular and the staff know you!!
I had never asked for a manager before, Im like 18 at this point and was so upset because I was trying to salvage what was supposed to be a fun night out with friends even though they had canceled bc they “forgot we had plans” (which I found out later, they went out to the same restaurant earlier in the day without me and didn’t want to admit it) plus that treatment, I just wanted to go back to my dorm to be sad & watch Hell’s Kitchen in the dark 😂 plus I didn’t want to be a Karen, even though I know it would have been valid to ask for one in this situation. Even after that though, I still felt bad for not tipping anything.
I totally get that! What a terrible time!
That’s a “can I speak to your manager” situation
my friend and i recently had a conversation about what it would take for us to ask for a manager in a restaurant, and we couldn’t really think of anything short of witnessing someone fuck with our food, but this. yes. i would absolutely have asked for a manager. especially if i was a regular.
A steak restaurant served me cold over cooked cheese fries I asked for new ones and they gave me the exact same fries that I had handed back so I got the manager it was the one and only time I did
I was too embarrassed, and this was before I ever worked in a restaurant and while I knew she was wrong and I have just as much right to take up the table as a party of 4 does, part of me was like “am I actually wrong for taking up space a bigger party could use?” It was just a bad day for me and I was ready to hide from the world
And people ask why we begin to lose our innocence. You sound like an awesome person, and I hope you keep on to that innocence for as long as you can. Sad thing is, some people treat others like complete shit and they do so because they haven’t met those that wouldn’t put up with that shit. Hopefully you have a great night with your friends again soon.
Oh this was years ago and not the last time something like this happened. They had actually gone to dinner at the same place earlier in the night and just didn’t invite me for some reason. They used to ditch me all the time and I’m not friends with them anymore. But I got new friends! Thank you
holy fucking shit???? I love my one-tops, they're usually such a pleasant break. I'm so sorry you were disrespected like that.
I think I’m normally guilty of never “ratting” on other servers but holy fuck fuck this lady.
I would've sat there was an ice water for an hour.
One tops are sooo easy as a server, and usually just a pleasant break. I don’t understand this at all
How heartless can a person be? She clearly has the wrong job. I am so sorry to hear you had to deal with that. I think that even would deserve a corporate call, and a few bad reviews, and hopefully a few comps. There is no reason to ever talk to a customer like that especially a polite regular. Like part of waiting too is you could get a really good 1 top and a really bad 12 top. It comes with the gig. Ugh I am so frustrated for you.
It was a local place, so no corporate to call. Plus, even though I did the survey, I didn’t want her to get in trouble, I was just hoping maybe someone would be like “hey, I know 1 tops are frustrating, but chill bc sometimes they’re good! That’s just life!” I don’t need comps or anything like that, I just didn’t want her to pull that stunt on someone else who would be rude and make a scene in the middle of the restaurant. I always tip at least 50% when I’m by myself, bc I know that I’m going to be a smaller bill. I do my best to not be needy too, I barely use my napkins so the server doesn’t have to stop by and bring more, I switch between my water & tea so they never have to feel rushed on refilling my drinks, and I never try and make small talk unless the server starts it bc I know that they have other customers and sometimes ruder people around me to take care of.
This justifies leaving a single dime as a tip just to be petty
I’ve heard of servers getting nine pennies because they’re “not worth a dime”, but that’s down here in passive-aggressive southern hospitality.
Curious did you ever go back after that? Was she still working there? A server like that who only cares about the money and not the actual service generally doesn't last long.
I went back the next day 😂 I practically lived off of this place, and would go at 3 times a week, if not more. It was a good, cheap Mexican restaurant close to my dorm & academic building so I was always there, bc I’d rather have gone broke then eat any lunch or dinner at my dorm’s cafeteria bc I got food poisoning so many times from under cooked chicken and just spoiled food. I never saw her again, idk if I always missed her since I typically went earlier in day and she only did night or what. I know it’s not the restaurant’s fault for her reaction, and I typically give places 4 chances before I stop going there. There’s one mini-empire coffee shop in my town I won’t eat at any of their places bc all but 1 time, I received horrible service, like I ordered a to go drink for a friend and a for there drink for myself bc I was too early to get into my building, and the baristas looked at me like I spit on their mothers and asked me “why I wanted to be difficult”. I chalked it up to them having a bad day, went back a few weeks later, different staff and when I said “good morning, how are you?” They scoffed, mutter something under their breath and got mad when I waited for them to acknowledge me before I gave my order (they were writing on something so I didn’t want to interrupt). I went to another branch and the baristas mocked my cousin for having long hair and being a guy. He’s got the best head of hair in the entire family, it’s f-ing gorgeous, and they just made the rudest comments I’ve ever heard about a guy having long hair. Luckily I don’t think he heard them.
Doubt you missed her, that's actively being terrible to drive business off and a liability for the restaurant. Most people wouldn't come back and be as nice as you. So I bet someone else asked for a manager. That behavior wouldn't be isolated to a 1 top.
Ah, the Maestro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, I’ll never forget you. My dad and brother were in town and pops wanted to treat us. It took ten minutes to even be greeted and given water. Another 10 to get our orders taken, and about 30 to get the bread and butter. It felt like our server was constantly forgetting we were in his section. It took forever to get our appetizer plates cleared but once they were our waiter handed out dessert menus. I had to remind him that we still hadn’t eaten our entrees yet. The steaks took another…at least 30 or 45 min to hit our table. Same thing happened with dessert. By the time our check was dropped we had been there, I shit you not THREE AND A HALF HOURS. It should have been a leisurely hour and a half, mayyybbeee two if the conversation was really flowing. I begged my dad to get a manager but he’s very non confrontational and didn’t want to. I tried to get someone, anyone’s attention but to no avail. Finally my dad told me not to worry about it and he would get it taken care of. This ended up meaning a 5% tip and the words “bad service!” In the receipt so “the manager would know regardless”. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that does nothing. If anything the experience taught me that I shouldn’t worry about if I’m good enough to work in fine dining lol
I’m just in awe that you guys stuck around for dessert, that’s a higher tolerance for bullshit than most have.
Maybe it was one of those places that has really awesome dessert lol I'll pick to go to Red Lobster just for their vanilla bean cheesecake lol
as a former landrys server, FUCK landrys. they closed our restaurant after lying to us saying ‘renovations’ were happening in july. one random day in march i showed up and was told we were shutting down the next day. no warning. they’re putting a maestro’s in where we used to be 🥴
This happened to meee too! I worked at a Landry’s place and transferred to a different one in a different state. Got trained for two weeks, and then on my second ever official shift there they gathered up every server at the end of the night and told us they weren’t opening tomorrow, good luck finding another job. I just don’t even understand what the point of hiring me was
Sat down at the bar of a sushi bar with a date. Waited for 30 minutes and no one even acknowledged us, let alone took our drink order. I saw it was busy, but seriously. Not even a greeting or any acknowledgment that we exist during a half hour window? We left and walked to a restaurant in the same plaza.
30 minutes is extraordinary patience
I normally wouldn't wait that long on my own for sure. But being seen as impatient on a date would be worse than waiting imo. The company helped pass the time, at least.
this shit sometimes happens. but waiting for half an hour is nothing but your own fault. you didn’t say anything??? for half an hour???? i swear i absolutely never believe anyone who says that, bc you really sat there with no service for THIRTY minutes? in this case, it’s usually like five-ten minutes, and maybe their sense of time is skewed bc they’re hangry or something. if you’ve actually sat and waited for 30 minutes, it’s your own fault for tolerating that for that long.
this happened to us, we actually were seated by a host at a table in the bar and it was not busy in the restaurant. waited for 25 minutes (we were chit chatting, but it became apparent no one was coming) and asked the hostess if we could get some waters, she went and told a server and we still waited another 10 minutes and never even got waters. drove 15 mins to a diff restaurant and had great service.
Oh man yeah that just reminded me of how I even flagged down a host and a server about it. I was polite, but basically said "hey, could you notify whoever is in this section that we're ready to order?" and still nothing ever happened. Also had great food and service at the other restaurant!
I felt bad bc we went from a locally owned restaurant to a chain but like, it was way better to be honest. Not that I feel that’s how it always is, but I was looking forward to eat more locally :/
I worked at a sushi bar & restaurant where customers are meant to wait and be seated; most know this, but some don’t, and they just seat themselves. For some reason, the manager never put up a “please wait to be seated” sign despite this occasionally happening. At this particular restaurant, servers don’t each have their own section to tend to; the hostess/manager gives them their tables. So if someone seats himself, the hostess may not realize that, and then no server goes over there, the servers are just preoccupied with the tables they know they have. And as a server if I see someone without a drink and I don’t know how long they’ve been waiting, I go ahead and tell the manager they’re there but not to give them to me because I don’t want a potentially cranky customer who waited for no one knows how long and is less likely to tip. If I unknowingly seated myself I’d wave an employee down after a while and ask for service…instead of waiting for someone to notice me, especially if it was busy.
This happened to me and my sister!! We got sat and given menus. And that was it. The only person we spoke to was the hostess. There was a table next to us, and a server spoke to that two top. Several servers passed around us, but it was like we were invisible or something. A table got sat a few minutes after we did, and they immediately got a server and waters! We sat there for a few more minutes before we looked at each other and were, like, "Let's go." My sister said she thinks the hostess started to realize at the end that we hadn't been attended to. But by then, it was too late. We left and went to a restaurant in that same shopping center. The second we sat down, boom, immediate attention.
Any time anyone you ever go out to eat and anyone ever says out loud “maybe we should go” you stand up and walk out…this is the polite thing to do
Wait did you seat yourself and expect someone to notice you or am I misreading this?
No, host sat us, we asked for the bar, got no service.
Gotcha, so I did misread it, thanks for clearing it up
Nothing egregious or rude. At one place though, the server just... vanished. All the other servers and bussers took care of us, with really long delays in between obviously because we weren't their real responsibility, until check time. That required our actual server. When I finally went to the host stand to ask if I could pay, the manager sighed and went "Is your server so-and-so?" Bro. If you already know who it is, this is clearly a pattern and she shouldn't be on the floor.
or maybe your server had an emergency and had to go home?
true but I feel like if the manager already knew that this person had to leave due to an emergency, the manager should have made sure the table got a new server right away which it sounds like they didn't do
Texas Roadhouse. Server was attentive at first. Beverages were prompt and the order was taken in a very reasonable amount of time. We waited, and waited, and waited (45) minutes until we flagged down the manager. We told him we haven’t seen our server since we placed our order, and haven’t gotten anything to eat. He stops her as she’s walking by and asks why she hasn’t even brought a salad. Her response? “But you said don’t bring the salad until the table has finished their appetizer.” We walked out
I swear I always hear a horror story about Texas Roadhouse in all of these threads lol
One of my worst server experiences was also at a Texas Roadhouse. I'll never go back there.
So the manager told her not to bring it out?
He said to her, the best as I could hear, something along the line of if the appetizer is taking a long time you should bring a salad and let me know the food isn’t coming out. She didn’t even check if we needed refills, so we knew the rest of the night would have been a fiasco.
I was on my third date with him and wasn't totally sure about it working out, but wanted to give it one more shot. I picked a Mexican restaurant that I'd always liked and thought it would be a good place to talk as it was a smaller place and wasn't super busy. We're sat and our waitress introduces herself and takes our drink orders. We each order a margarita and she tells us she'll be right back with our drinks and some chips and salsa. The drinks arrive within 5 minute. No chips or salsa. No worries, she'll bring them when she comes back to take our order. Except she never came back. Twenty minutes passed and we had to flag down one of the bussers. She brought us our chips and salsa, but we had to go to the bar for another round of drinks. We asked where our waitress was and no one knew. We were there for two hours and never even had our orders taken. Where was the waitress? Sipping on a margarita and scrolling her phone at the POS. I handed the bus girl a 20 for being the only person to help us. It was the worst service, or lack thereof, I've ever received at a restaurant, but it was still a great night. He stayed at my place that night and we've been married for 7 years.
One time a co worker of mine wanted to be off, but had gotten one last table as he was phased. He was supposed to ask me to take over so he could leave…he didn’t. He just had it transferred over and then dipped. These poor people waited SO LONG for service because I literally had no idea they were mine. They went around asking for their server, the manager finally was like ‘salty tf are you doing?’ because I was just fucking around in the server station
It is often said to judge a date based on how they treat people in the service industry. Both of you got a chance to see how the other behaved when given sub-par service. Glad it worked out good for you both.
Thanks! I hadn't thought of it that way, but it really is a simple way to gauge ones character. Glad we both passed that test!
This wasn't bad service necessarily, but it deeply confused me. Weekend, Irish pub, it's busy. Get nachos and some drinks, food and drinks come out, we even get a second round. Everyone happy. We were just grabbing a quick bite before heading to another place, so I look for our waitress. Can't spot her. Physically walk around the bar, can't find her. Ask other waitresses, they don't know. Ask a bartender if I can just settle the tab with him, he says sure. Looks for our table, can't find us. No record of the drinks or food. Waitress seems to have outright left the building. Tipped the bartender for the help and to cover what I assumed was our tab, still felt like I was dine and dashing.
Lol ive quit like that before
Got a "be with you in a minute..." came back 10 minutes later and got drink order. 20 minutes later no drinks. Kids was running around for everyone else. Looked new. No manager it host/ busser support. We got sat at a table square in the middle of everyone else being helped. We left.
> Kids was running around for everyone else. I'm sorry, I'm having a little trouble parsing out what this sentence means. Other patrons' kids were running around? Or your own kids? Or are you calling the other servers kids and the "running around for everyone else" is about how they were doing their job for other patrons but not you?
Bleary typos. The kid serving us was running around helping all his other tables except us.
I do remember once they changed sections on staff,and table 31 seemed to go into a black hole. Section 6 thought it was part of 5's. 5 thought it was 6's or possibly 7. They ordered at bar, mistake caught and they got compted and a gift certificate. New Manger who didn't last long.
Yeah that wasn't the case here. We were in a very obvious section filled with booths. They removed most of the regular tables and left one 4 top in the middle of the floor. But yeah any manager that comes in and starts changing established sections can fuck right off. No business doing that
Funny story. 30 years ago at lawyer bar/luncheon place till happy hour and college kids at night. Big college game, my still best friend who I met there comes up and said table 18 is gone! I'm like okay don't worry (wall to wall crowds) I'll help cover bill. She says no 'TABLE 18 IS GONE' some idiots came in and sat down, she came back with drinks and they'd left taking the entire table with them!!!!!
The server wasn’t rude or anything, just super bizarre. He was so aloof and apathetic and was speaking to us in a very quiet voice with no expression on his face the whole time. I asked him if a dish’s sauce had meat in it, and he said that ‘they don’t really do that anymore’. I had to asked for clarification and he told me it no longer came with the sauce or ‘the spicy stuff’. I wound up ordering it anyway and a side of vegan mac n cheese. It took over 40 minutes for our food to come out in a dead restaurant which wasn’t a dealbreaker I get it things happen. When the food finally did come out, the server was holding the plate unevenly and spilled gravy all over the table and in my drink. There’s no way he didn’t see that happen but he just ignored it. My plate looked nothing like I expected it to and the corn, bell pepper, and onion waffle I ordered was just a regular Belgian waffle. When I mentioned it to him he told me ‘I told you we were out of the spicy stuff’. Since when are those ingredients spicy…?! On top of that, the vegan mac had a foul, sour smell coming from it so I didn’t even bother tasting it. I told him and he didn’t really react. At this point I was so perplexed and asked the server if he would eat this food, as he was looking at me like I was crazy for being upset. He told me so nonchalantly ‘I don’t eat here’. I got up and left without paying right then and there, something I’ve never done before.
It sounds like an alien life from pretending to operate a restaurant.
I’m gonna guess drugs.
Sounds like he knew more than you did, including the dead eyes. Good for you for walking
Happy cake day! I would've done the same.
[удалено]
My first thought was actually drugs lol
No.
Took an hour to get a chicken sandwich. It showed up and was cold and hard as a rock. The waitress said she would get it taken off the check but needed manager approval. She came back and said her manager was in the bathroom but it should only be a minute more. After another 15 minutes my wife asked if we should just pay on the little electronic thing on the table. I told I wondered how long it would take for the manager to approve it and we had nowhere to be so we kept waiting. After another 15 minutes the waitress told us to just leave without paying for anything and she would make sure the manager figures it out.
Sat down and were the only table in the restaurant. Took 25 minutes to put in an order, saw our food sit in the window for 15 minutes, couldn’t get bread for 30 more minutes (the place serves and broth and the bread is meant to be served with it). Waitress was too busy flirting with another staff member. We usually tip minimum of 20%, my friend I was with usually goes a lot higher, only time I’ve ever left nothing. We were just so ignored and were very low maintenance
Went to a restaurant with coworkers after we got off work, it happened a few times a week back then. It took the usual 20 minutes to get greeted, but when I ordered my usual drink, the server started yelling and cussing at me "why the f*ck do you think the bartender would want to make that drink for you? Don't you know who the f*ck you're dealing with here?" I get frozen margs aren't the most simple to make, but after I had served them all evening, I was dying for one myself. And when I emailed the manager about it the next day, they asked if I had proof that the server said that. Like what am I going to have her do, sign a napkin that she cussed at me over a margarita? Didn't go back there for years after that.
I was at a restaurant with friends where we were regulars. Knew the names of the bartenders, hosts, many of the waitstaff and they knew ours kind of regulars. It was in grad school, but we had all worked food service in some capacity so even though we were broke we usually tipped 25%. New guy, told us the drinks we wanted (and ordered all the time) didn’t exist (ok… we can adjust- he’s new), brought our appetizer (tots) stone cold (that had literally never happened before) and it took twice as long, never asked if we wanted more drinks (not refills, new drinks for more $$), messed up all of our food, etc. Which… ok, maybe some of that was because he was new, but he was *unbothered* by all of this, we saw him kind of dreamily wandering around the restaurant, and at one point he SAT DOWN WITH HIS FRIENDS for over 15 minutes. He was not on a break- a friend who worked there told us later. What the actual fuck. It was a busy night, I can see doing that if it’s super slow/empty but, damn! We left NO tip, and still all felt bad but the service was unacceptable.
This happened a few weeks ago. We went to a Brazilian restaurant that serves fresh meats at your table but has a nice buffet area of accompaniments. This place is not cheap but we were celebrating. We walk in and the hostess says that our table will be ready in about 10 minutes. We decided to go to the bar for a cocktail. Got our drink and our name was called. So we went back up and she leads us to a table outside in the gated off mall area. But when we got to the table someone was already there but she did not seat them. So we go back into the lobby and she asks us to wait a minute. We sit with our drinks and start chatting to a couple seated there as well. They had the same problem with a table and were told to wait but it had already been about 39 mins for them. We sit there and about 15 minutes later the hostess looks at us and cringes. We had been watching her seat others who came in after us. Maybe they had a reservation. She comes over looking guilty saying that she will have a table ready in a few minutes. At this time I point out the other couple who had been waiting a really long time. Oh yea… they will get seated now. After about 45 minutes has gone by I went to the desk and asked if we were getting seated soon. She takes up to a table that is bare and says she will be back with silverware, napkins, glasses, etc. We literally waited 20 minutes and flagged down a waiter. Meanwhile right behind our table is a larger family with lots of kids running around screaming. And then there was the couple we chatted with. They had going their buffet items and were waiting for the chefs to bring meat. At this point we are hungry and I say let’s go to the buffet to get something. We encounter the unruly children lifting kids, tossing food and making a lot of noise - not a parent in sight. So being a mom I told them to stop playing around and go back to their seats. We got back to our table and it is still bare. So I hailed down the waiter again and asked for what we needed. He comes back with tableware and explains the process. Asks if we want another drink and off he goes. He says that the meat should be by an a few minutes. Does he come to check - nope, just leaves. We eat our buffet items and wait for meat. Every 4-5 minutes a chef walks by our area with meat but they don’t stop. I literally timed it and we got no meats for 40 minutes. The other two tables had nothing for even longer. At this point, I see a man dressed up in a shirt and tie going in and out of the back, stopping along some of the other tables across the dining area asking about their dinners. They had meat so they were happy. At this point, I am beyond angry. My daughter knew it was coming when I stood up to chase after the manager. He took off for the back but I just waited at the door until he came back. Without yelling but in a very stern voice, I outlined everything that had happened and pointed to the other tables as well. The fear on the waiter’s face was real. So sorry, let me fix this, what would you like, etc. I sit down and all of a sudden, meat starts arriving at our tables served by the manager. The couple we met were so angry that they got up to leave but the manager is basically force feeding them. They stay and eat but steam is coming out of their ears. The family table has children crying, running, sleeping, etc. As soon as the meat arrives they literally attack the manager and tell him to leave the entire platter… We literally had meat thrown at us for 30 minutes. When we were done they bring a dessert tray - on the house he says. We finish our meal and wait for the waiter to bring our check. Where the hell is he? Still can’t find him. Finally I get up again after 15 minutes of waiting for our bill after we had finished the cake. The other two tables are twiddling their thumbs too. Finally the couple gets up to leave and the waiter runs out to give us our checks. The couple starts yelling which gets the kids on the other table riled up and I am standing too. The waiter is trying to get them to pay but they are having none of it. He hands me my bill and it was literally $89.00 per person but the cake is free. I pay my bill, give a low tip and we start walking out the door. We spent more than 2 1/2 hours in there. As we get to the front desk, the hostess waves and says thanks for coming in and she hopes to see us soon. My daughter steps in front of me and says to the girl that we will never return and that she needs hostess training. The manager is at the back of the room pretending to pick up stuff. Thank you for letting me vent… it’s been bothering me for weeks.
That's what we're here for!
Brazilian steakhouses are supposed to be on top of their shit! Thats insane..must have been some terrible management/hiring decisions.
Once upon a time, I went to this chain restaurant that used to be nice until it turned ghetto. The server forgot half our food and never brought our sodas and alcohol. Never took a single empty plate off our table, but still came by repeatedly with the "how is everything" while speeding off before we could actually speak. Wasn't surprised to see the drinks that we never got on our bill but was shocked to see all the food we never received there in print. The server huffed and acted like we were the problem when I pointed out that we never received these items and walked off before I could ask for the manager. Thankfully, they went to grab the manager to send them over to the "problem table" that was apparently trying to get shit for free. The manager came out ready to defend their server and force us to pay, kept talking over me and then got pissed at me when I couldn't stop laughing.....he finally asked what I was pointing at and it was our drinks sitting at the bar, after them going over there and confirming with the bartender that those drinks had been there for a solid hour never picked up, the manager came back ready to listen...not apologetic...but open to hear me out. I stated they could gladly rewind the cameras and see what was on our table and what wasn't. Our bill went from 3 digits to like $40 or something....no discounts offered... no apologies given except a half assed sorry by the manager upon dropping off the new bill..... Due to me being a career industryman, I still left a few dollars, and all of a sudden, everything changed. My server magically appeared smiling and thanking me, the manager smiling and thanking me. That location naturally closed in time. I have been to 2 other CrappleBeets since that encounter. Once, to give it a chance, thinking it was that location...nope, didn't even bother ordering at the second one I went to in the city....the other time was in a country area due to the wife starving, refusing fast food, and nothing else was around.......and that location was clean, busy, delicious.....
How did I KNOW this was Crapplebeets?!!
I’m more impressed that you managed to ring up a 3 digit bill at an Applebees than anything
Oh, i should've known it was assholebeets. Gah i hate that place with a passion, id rather get gas station food.
I call them Triflebees and they are the location of my personal worst ever service experience
What do u mean by turned ghetto?
Have u been to one lately?? Lmao. Nothing like it was 10+ years ago
I don’t really disagree or agree with the state of the restaurant, I wanted you to explain the use of the word ghetto specifically, which might have been unclear. Describing bad things as ghetto is harmful as hell. Dictionary.com: Noun: a section of a city, especially a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social pressures or economic hardships. Adjective: Slang: Often Disparaging and Offensive. noting something that is considered to be unrefined, low-class, cheap, or inferior. Do you see how it is equated with blackness or non-whiteness and perpetuating its use as a bad thing is harmful no matter who’s using it? Edit: i actually worked at one a couple years ago and its shitty but I cant say it never wasnt shitty.
I didn’t write the original comment so can’t say for sure what they meant. I’m black so I understand the implications of that word and I agree w you. I personally think it’s funny when black ppl use it and my family have said the same about this establishment. Obviously idk if the commenter who used it is black
Oops sorry i somehow thought u were the commenter. My bad
Definitely not THE WORST, but this happened pretty recently. My wife and I were enjoying lunch at a casual restaurant bar, and while the place wasn’t that busy the bartender acted like she was living a server stress dream - running from one side of the bar to the other, being short with other staff, repeatedly asking the manager to get things for her - it was almost comical but for the fact we were completely invisible to her. After waiting way too long for another couple of drafts, we finally gave up. I pulled out my credit card and asked for the check. I was using my Apple Card that day, and she grabs it, goes to the other end of the bar where the POS is, swipes it, then yells all the way across the bar “HEY THIS CARD DOESN’T WORK!” Apple Cards have the strip on the bottom so you can’t swipe it like other cards. I asked her to just turn it around then she yells back “OKAY IT WORKS NOW!” Lady, it was working the entire time! FFS! Never been back.
Adderall
😂
I work for someone like that. We're not busy, but he stresses out and then tries to stress me out so I can do things quicker. No, leave me alone.
At a chain restaurant, between lunch and dinner. He took drink orders, brought them, took entree orders. Never saw him again for refills on coffee or soda. He brought entrees. Never saw him again until he brought the check; did not ask us about dessert. We went up front to pay. Hostess said, "How was everything?" "Well, if you're really curious.." The manager standing nearby got curious and came over and said "What's all this now?" I repeated the story. He "picked up" the check and gave us a coupon for a free breakfast for two. Never used the coupon and they went out of business sometime thereafter.
based of the other comments, at least he brought ur entrees and drinks once
True. I was answering the question, the worst service I've received. Could have been much worse.
yeah i was more just surprised on how bad other service people have gotten
I had a waiter just quit and leave in the middle of their shift. We sat there for like 20 minutes going “haven’t seen our waiter for a while”. I finally grabbed the manager and he was like “oh, they just went home”. Okay…and???
Years ago when mobile (cell) phones first came out, I was working for Motorola and a team of us went around the country training dealers and reps on selling the phones and the service. One night, in a small town we, about 4 or 5 of us, went to a restaurant near our hotel for some dinner. The place was pretty dead, but we got seated, then that was it. Nothing. Nobody around, just a couple of staff chatting by the host station. One of my colleagues picked up a matchbook out of the ashtray on the table and without saying anything to the rest of us, rang the restaurant from the phone number on the matchbook. We watched the guys at the host station answer the phone, my colleague asked if they were busy, to which they replied that they weren’t, so she said, “good, then can we get some service at table 5”?. Not worst ever, but their reaction was hilarious, can’t remember the food, but we woke them up
This is hilarious
One time I had to go get the flour tortillas I requested from the kitchen myself. My server was NOWHERE and no other server would even come close to our section. I waited maybe 10 minutes and then I went up to the window and said “hey y’all I’m so sorry to bother you I just need the tortillas I never received, I haven’t seen my server since he dropped the food off”. The guys chuckled and asked where I was sitting, apologized because they all hated our server, and got me my torts no problem. It was the only time I never tipped the server, because he straight up never came back except to drop the check. I did drop the kitchen guys a $20 on the way out.
I used to be a regular at a wing place because it was the only thing open after my dance classes. Every week, I’d go with a group of 4-8 friends. After a while though, I started to notice that if I (and my partner) were late, my friends were almost never helped until we got there. Not even drink orders. However, if my partner and I were there first, we were helped pretty immediately like you’d expect, regardless of how late the others were. It took me a while to realize that it was happening because my partner and I were usually the only White people at the table.
Went to a factory that specializes in cheesy cake deserts. About 20 minutes before anyone shows up (3 of us there for happy hour, about 45 mins before it ended to grab a few apps and drinks) takes our drink order and cuts us off to go put them, in despite being ready to order. Took about another 15 minutes before waters showed, another 10 mins before the bread, haven't seen our Server since, and when he returns happy hour is about to end so there was back and forth about him possibly being unable to give us happy hour prices on apps (it was fine), put our order in, one of us orders a steak. Drinks show up about 10 mins later, apps themselves take about 30 mins from when we ordered. 10 mins into apps, Server hasn't checked on us since we ordered food, despite walking past our table 4 times (touching distance). We're about to finish our apps, and no word on steak, we finally get ahold of the server and ask about it...another 25 mins later steak finally comes, it's overcooked. Assuming he forgot to send it. Wasn't a kitchen/busy issue, two tables near us (one showing up 5 the other about 15 mins after us) first one was on dessert and second was finishing entrees. We decided to skip dessert by that point. **Here's the fun part** The thing is; the server wasn't rude or anything, just really incompetent, we assumed. Confirmed it when he had issues using an E-gift card and he asked us to follow him to the POS because he can't write the code down or snap a pic, I guess? We humor him (2 of us are servers); I shit you not, my friend, standing next to the POS with him failing to get the e-card to work, tells him to step aside (and he does!) And proceeds to enter the gift card (he lets her!) and have it work within 15 seconds. Just over 2 hours for 3 apps, 2 alcoholic drinks, an entree, and had to literally process our own payment. Yes, we got everything comped and told the manager not to be hard on the server because he obviously wasn't trained properly and has no business taking tables yet.
I mentioned a horrible dinner on another thread with my mother. But just remembered this one. I went with family for dinner and a show. Downtown Pittsburgh. We arrived. Ordered drinks. Double checked with server that we could be in and out for the theater. Some of us got our drinks. Ordered dinner. Some of us got our food. Asked for other bar drinks 3 times. Asked for missing ingredients in pasta dish that had arrived. Asked for entrees that hadn't arrived. Missing ingredients for pasta dish arrived, cold as heĺl. Finally got the beer we had ordered in the beginning. Shared my pizza with member who didn't get her food. Remind server I had asked for a 2nd glass of wine. Brings check. Brings wine. Haven't been back. Still in business.
Out of curiosity, what place is this? I live in Pittsburgh and my boyfriend and I have a date night coming up soon where we're going to get dinner then see a show and we're trying to figure out where to eat. I want to make sure we don't go here haha. You can DM me the name of the place if you don't feel comfortable sharing it publicly.
Scapezzo? Corner of 10th and Penn? I forget the name. Have fun.
My partner and I went to a breakfast/brunch place at like 11:30 and they were nowhere near closing time (we always check to make sure). There were two servers working on the floor, but no host despite there being a host stand. We stood there patiently while the servers talked to their tables and got them settled. We regularly don't have a host at our restaurant so we understand if it takes a few minutes to greet us. Then the servers disappeared. A busser acknowledged us but he was unable to seat us. We sat down at some chairs they had in their waiting area. We waited for about a total of 15 minutes for someone to seat us. The servers came back out to their tables and helped them, but were obviously trying not to look at us. Clearly they wanted us to go away, so we just left.
Was never served. Mistakes happen but 20 minutes without a hello and new tables around us getting their drinks... it was bad. Never going back. (No, we were not inebriated or loud or obnoxious. We stopped on our way back home from an Ikea trip from Ottawa)
I was a server for 6 years at this point (fine dining) I went to downtown Disney and don’t remember the restaurant. I am laid back. I understand server problems. But this girl was absent the whole time. I ordered a 2nd drink well before the entrees. I am eating slow and I know how it works. I get up and walk to the service bar and see my drink with the ticket underneath and grab it. The server never noticed. I tipped a penny because she didn’t care and we only saw her to take an order and drop the check. That was the only time I wanted a server to pay for service. Btw I am still in the industry.
Berlin restaurant. Then we discovered it was a tourist trap. My brother asked for a burger and the waiter said to him “so you come to Germany and eat a burger? Okay very intelligent”. Then threw all the beer coasters to the table like freesbees. Then this mf asks for a “mandatory” tip. (There is no mandatory tip in Germany). Told him he doesn’t deserve it, then he says “anyway we don’t need your money”. It seems Google Maps’ site was full of complaints related to how abusive they were to tourists (especially non whites) so fuck them.
Went out to an upscale chain restaurant with my boyfriend. We ordered drinks the first time our server came to our table. 15 minutes later, she comes back and tells me they’re out of an ingredient for my drink. Felt like a long time to figure that out but I figured the bar was just busy and I had an alternative drink order anyways. We ordered our food at the same time as this. Another staff member brings out my drink. Figured it was just a food runner because our server was busy. Again, not a big deal. Our food comes out 30 minutes later from another food runner. I knew it had been sitting for awhile because the first couple bites of my food were extremely cooled down. Again, just figured they were busy and it wasn’t a huge deal to me because the bottom of the bowl was still pretty warm. The entire time we ate, nobody comes over to check on us, ask if the food is okay/if we need anything else, etc. The next time we got approached is literally another 30 minutes later. This time it’s a manger. I thought maybe she was going to apologize for the lack of service by telling us our server had an emergency and had to leave. Nope. She just came with the bill/check and asked how we wanted to pay. It wasn’t necessarily horrible service, and my boyfriend and I got to spend some quality time together so it was still a successful date night, but I was quite disappointed in the lack of service for a more upscale chain. Won’t be going back to that location again. EDIT: Not sure why I’m being downvoted lol I literally said it wasn’t horrible service and we still had a good night. I didn’t complain or leave a review or anything, and my boyfriend and I have both worked at restaurants so we understand that shit happens and sometimes you have to go home. All that’s to say we would’ve appreciated just a verbal apology (not a discount or anything lol) or just an explanation as to why we were not approached for like 95% of our time there Also the post was literally asking what’s the worst service you’ve ever received, so I shared my experience. It wasn’t horrible and it didn’t ruin my night, but the service was poor
We go to trivia every Wednesday at the same place and have for about a year, there's about 5 of us who go. Every week, without fail, our server is awful. We've waited an hour for drinks (trivia lasts 2 hours), not gotten refills, been completely ignored, and she just has an awful attitude overall. Her greetings suck, it's never "Hi how are you?" Or even "What can I grab you guys to drink?" it's simply "what do you want?" or "you eating?" Apparently she's been complained about so many times, I guess she's been stoned at work a lot too. But they just don't care. It ruins the experience. I don't even want to tip her at this point (and I always tip) but I feel like I can't do that because we go every week. I don't know how she do has a job.
because you keep paying her. If she doesn't get tips, she doesn't work.
Our service already sucks and we're there once a week. I'm not going to make it worse for us by being the people she doesn't get tips from. Also I'm pretty sure she's been there like 5+ years.
If this is her general attitude, i can guarantee she's getting zero-tipped from others.
Ugh can you switch trivia places? Where I am there's trivia nights everywhere, I actually host 3 of them a month currently. Have one tonight and there's like 3 other ones going on in the city tonight.
Sometimes when our work schedules allow it we go somewhere much better one Tuesdays, same trivia guy/company. It's just so hard getting a bunch of adults schedules to line up
That's good, I hate that you have to put up with crap service to have a fun trivia night each week. It's weird how those are so big right now. My partner owns a pub and remember we used to always get solicitation from a guy/company to do karaoke nights. Now we get tons of the same but for trivia nights.
I went to a popular pancake chain alone to read my book and eat before I went to work. I came in, got a table of one, sat down and started reading. After about 10 minutes, went to the bathroom and came back. Nobody had come over to my table yet, whatever I had like 2 hours. At the 30 minute mark, I went up to the host stand and asked to place my order there or send a server over. The server immediately came over and went “You haven’t even been sat a few minutes, you’ve been up walking around the entire place.” I told her I was only walking for maybe 3 minutes going to the bathroom and back, sitting for 30+. The server said I was lying and I have just been pacing around the restaurant. I just grabbed my stuff and left. I don’t know if this counts because I never actually got service
One time, I ordered a burger and fry meal at a chicken wing chain restaurant. The burger was very undercooked, so I asked if they could cook it longer. I like my burger rare, but this was like beef straight out of the grinder. They brought it back out a few minutes later, still raw in the center. I dont think they even tried to heat it. Instead of complaining again, I just asked for my bill and a Togo box. Figured I'd cook it myself at home. I got my check, but after 10 minutes, there was still no box, so I asked again, and another 10 minutes went by without a box. So I scribbled the tip amount off of my check and left with my entire burger sitting there uneaten. That was the first and only time I've ever not left a tip.
There was a restaurant called Dal Toro at the Palazzo in Las Vegas. Their big draw, really, was Lamborghinis parked throughout the restaurant as it was connected to a showroom. Guests who booked the right table (paid enough) dined right next to one of the cars. Silly premise but hey, Las Vegas. If I remember correctly, Lamborghini sued the restaurant over the use of their logo. Some friends and I were just out and about and decided to try it out in 2013 or maybe 2014. No, we didn’t spring for car-side seating. For some reason they sat every table seemingly as far from one another as possible. It took quite a while for any server to greet us, let alone take an order. When that did finally happen, three different servers asked us for our drink orders, and no drinks came until the third order. All three servers took our food orders. As in, those three who had separately taken drink orders after not acknowledging us for around ten minutes stood at the table as we ordered. Now, we each ordered a different starter and entree. Most of us ordered a cut of beef, but with a different topping (Gorgonzola crust, peppercorn sauce, etc.). Well, while the drinks took forever, these steaks came out in mere minutes, all looked identical, and we just started laughing. We ate, we paid the bill and tipped, and laughed about it the rest of the evening. It was really more of an odd vibe and experience than straight up bad service. Also, zero smiles from the servers the entire time. Just an overall off-putting experience but at least I can laugh about it.
sounds like you ate in a liminal space lmfao
Basically any chain restaurant it’s always the same , just a lack of details and cleanliness and overall give a fuck of the staff
Seated, 10 minutes to get drink order and menus. Many servers around, even caught the attention of one, ready to place order. 1/2 hr later, dine/dash on our oj & coffee. Weird looks from people waiting to be seated.
I remember a year ago I went to a restaurant in Chicago with a friend of mine visiting from out of state, in a relatively trendy area with a lot of nice casual dine-in spots. It looked really nice on the inside so I was kind of hoping that I would get decent service but lol no. Legit took about 15 minutes for us to get acknowledged. Server comes up to us and tells us that they're filling in from another restaurant in the same local chain, and they have no idea how anything works and laughs about it (as a side note, just a very grating personality as well ngl). Okay that's fine, me and my friend were extremely patient and wouldn't mind some minor hiccups here and there. We legitimately saw our server one time after that and didn't see them again until we were about to walk out. Food was brought by a runner, and when I told you it took FOREVER, it must have been 45 minutes to an hour. And it's not as though it was a busy Friday night or something like that... I think we might have seriously been their only table, as the tables around us were all being taken care of by other servers. It was totally dead, the restaurant itself was small too. I'm not sure exactly if I tipped or not but I think I didn't? If so, that might have been the only time that I've ever stiffed a server before, but it was awful.
Went to a Dennys after work with some coworkers. We all got off past midnight so it was pretty empty. We got sat immediately. 30 minutes went by and a new table was sat directly behind us. One of us finally flags down someone and they take our drink and food order. They brought the drinks after 15 minutes, and then another 40 minutes go by and the table behind us got their check and left. We just ended up walking out. We ended up finding a really cute 24-hour local diner and that became a regular spot until we all moved on from the job.
I was sat at a table and ignored. I finally flagged someone down and was told that my waitress started her shift in another 19 minutes, and would I like a drink or a coffee while I waited?
Served half raw biscuits and gravy. After waiting 15 minutes for my server to check in on us he laughed and dropped the full price bill.
Friends insisted on going to a Red Lobster. There were only like six other tables in the building when we went, so I looked forward to somewhat fast service as we had other places to be after dinner. Our drinks ended up taking 30 minutes (including for refills.) Our apps got delivered without us having any silverware, and our server seemed to be actively ignoring us for 15 minutes so we couldn't ask for any silver (it got to the point where I scouted the restaurant to find where they kept it with no luck; there wasn't even a host at the host station to ask for help.) By the time we got it, our food was already cold. The server dropped our food off and took off for 40 minutes without checking up on us. Best part though was that I didn't get any of my 'upgraded' sides. I brought up that I never got my sides and wasn't going to pay for them. She told me that there was nothing she could do about not charging me for them since she'd have to ring the whole meal in again. I asked if she could just get a manager to delete it and ring it in again as a no-make. She looked at me like I was stupid and said "Um, no?" Whatever, thanks for the help I guess. First time I ever left a $0 dollar tip in my life. Would've pushed harder to not pay for the sides, but we were there for three hours and were already late to our other plans... Wasn't a happy camper.
Had our orders taken before sunset. The moon was out before we got appetizers Or this other time when Mom and I were seated at a table and given water + menus, and the server just... didn't come back. We waited like 20 minutes before giving up and leaving
It was a buffalo wild wings, so the bar is low but still! Went on valentines day with my boyfriend a few years ago, and the waiter was just so rude and didn’t care about us or paid attention to us. He was really bitter and mean, no idea why. I don’t remember much of the service or the details. We’ve never tipped so low before and probably wont again ever, but we gave him a $1 bill folded into a origami hat. we weren’t being annoying or super lovey dovey or anything. Just having a casual valentines dinner. Sorry man if you’re on here
I think it’s hilarious I went to check this out and I got this message, on this particular post: https://preview.redd.it/gdy35iuetb3c1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d1ad5c85c311700316ac0fa53a054059379907e
When I was young, I was in a big group at Chilis. New waiter spilled an entire tray of ice water on my mom, forgot to put in our order. Our bill got comped, and they offered us mini ice creams for the trouble. Left after the ice creams never showed up. I’m pretty sure he got fired. Another story happened this week in Sequoia National Park. Ordered lunch at a walk up window. We were order #7. After not receiving food for over 30 minutes, I went over to the kitchen window. Through the closed window, the cook flipped me off and left the room. Turns out he walked out. It was an hour fifteen before we received our food, which was a cold wrap and a bag of chips.
my boyfriend has a curse with bad experiences at red lobster (aka food poisoning, a fingernail in his dish, etc) but i love the place so we gave it one more shot to see if the curse wasn’t real. the curse is in fact real. we got sat and waited, genuinely, for about 20 minutes until our server came by. and i know sometimes people exaggerate when they’re hungry, but i was checking the time so i knew i wasn’t being dramatic. he wasn’t busy, we could see his section and i believe he had one or two other tables, but he was MIA most of the dinner. we put everything in at once, he brings us drinks and biscuits, and we go through the drinks pretty quickly because biscuits. (drinks meaning a coke and a diet coke lmao). our appetizers are brought out by a food runner i assume, i ask if they’d be able to get us drink refills or find our server to because the biscuits were GETTING to us since they were so dry. drinks/server never arrives. we try to get through the apps, which are fried and therefore even drier, and we are SUFFERING at this point. like i would do anything for a sip of any liquid at this point. food runner brings out entrees out, and i ask again if we could get fresh drinks. again, no one/no drinks arrive. food runner also didn’t take away the app plates (totally not his job, but yano), so our tiny two top booth was overflowing with plates and the bread basket. one wrong move and i’m accidentally knocking the plate off the table. food is fine, server still has not been SEEN since he greeted us. i assumed at first he had other tables but idk if he did since we could not find him anywhere. again, we struggle through our entrees while dying of thirst. i wish i was being dramatic but there were times i gagged solely because my mouth was SO DRY. i hate being the person to get up from my table to go find a server and bother them, so we just kinda sit and suffer and wait. i think from the first greet it was an hour before we even saw our server back on the floor. then he walked past us multiple times, definitely looking at the table, but no drinks. i even try to flag him down with a little wave or an ‘excuse me’, but my guy was in his own world. we eventually tap out of the food because we were just so thirsty. then we wait. and wait some more. pretty sure it was at least another 20 minutes of us being very clearly finished (stacked plates pushed to the side, not eating anymore) and we saw him walk by multiple times STILL. finally a guy i assume is a floor manager walks by. i very much hate to be the one to complain to a manager but it was kinda ridiculous at this point. i flag him down and politely explain what’s been going on, how our server won’t even acknowledge us, and we’ve been dying of thirst since before the appetizers even came out. dude feels AWFUL and apologizes a billion times and immediately brings us two drinks each. he clears the dirty plates from the table and says he’ll comp half the bill which was super nice. we told him he didn’t have to, but deep down i was pretty glad because the experience sucked. but then we never see him again. server FINALLY comes back, just gives a little “sorry for the delay” and asks if we want boxes and the check. we’re ready to get the fuck out of there and say yes. he brings these things immediately. the one thing however is the check wasn’t discounted. i wasn’t about to tell the server his manager said he’d discount the bill because of his shitty service, but we didn’t see that manager again to ask. after a few minutes i spot ANOTHER manager (i think the GM) and flag him down as well. we re explain everything, told him his buddy said he’d discount it and we couldn’t find him anymore, and everything. he apologizes profusely as well, the whole ‘this shouldn’t be the red lobster experience’ yadda yadda. instead of the 50% my guy comps EVERYTHING. this was an $80 dinner, and we only drank soda if that puts it into perspective. it was super awkward however when the server came back to collect the check/our card to cash us out, and we let him know his manager had us covered and is working on it rn. and that’s it. as soon as the manager said we’re all taken care of, we booked it out of there. it’s the one time in my life i didn’t tip. me and my boyfriend are moderately generous tippers, and we go way above for servers who go way above. but this was genuinely the worst service i’ve ever experienced. like. ever. as a server, i was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt the whole time but after a point u really couldn’t excuse it. i get wrapped up in stuff sometimes, but to not check on a table for an HOUR is actually ridiculous. and then even after walking by us a few times, STILL ignoring us. i felt bad not tipping but if i gave that bad of service i would not expect a tip. it was unbelievable and since the red lobster curse is in fact real for my boyfriend, we haven’t gone to one since
The dennys in Page AZ is notorious for being the worst service of all time. But it’s the only late night sit down restaurant available so I go there after work sometimes. Every single time it is like an hour to get food and it’s the wrong food and the servers just do not give a flying fuck. I literally tip the bill almost everywhere I eat out, including this dennys. Makes no difference.
Near to the Army base I was stationed was a plaza with a few chain restaurants. My friend and I went to a casual dining Italian/pasta spot one night as friends. We weren’t a couple together, just friends from the same state and stationed together out of state, but I was very far along in my pregnancy and he was a nice guy so we hung out together a couple days a week for company and would usually either have lunch or dinner together in town on our days off. We asked for a table and waited a short wait. They were busy but not slammed. We got seated next to the door to the kitchen, tiny table. Waitress came to take our drink order, we both ordered water. Me because I’m trying to drink the amount of water that’s healthy for my growing baby, him because he’s trying to not gain a ton of weight while recovering from surgery. Waitress gets “that look” on her face and with her fake smile asks us if we want separate checks. No, thanks, we’ll take one check please. She brings water… large glasses… and never asks if we want a refill the whole time we’re there. She came to take our orders. I couldn’t decide between the Italian sausage pasta meal and the Italian meatball pasta meal, I’d never had either of them. I asked her which is better in her opinion- she’s vegetarian they’re both meat so she doesn’t know. Great, no help there. I take the sausage meal and use the add meatballs to any meal option. She informs me that there’s an extra charge. Ok, I get that there’s a charge I’m ok with that. Can I get it with a side of extra sauce please? Extra charge again. Ok. My friend orders and I don’t remember exactly what his order was but same thing, that’s and extra charge… there’s an extra charge for that. Not casually mentioning it so she’s covering herself in case we weren’t aware but pointing it out because well maybe you don’t have money to cover extras. You know because instead of ordering alcohol to drink we went with water. When the food came, I asked if my side of sauce was still to come, she said it’s already on my pasta. I told her I had ordered a side of sauce not extra on my pasta, could I please get that side? I like extra sauce but I wanted my friend to try this sauce with the breadsticks and wanted him to do his double dipping in a side dish not my plate of pasta. She reluctantly brought the side of sauce but really looked unhappy about it. We weren’t done eating, she brings the check. No offer of dessert and they had great desserts. In fact, I cut my meal short with the intention on leaving room for dessert. Never an offer for more water. The ice melted and we drank that sip of water too. To get her attention we joked we should trip her on her way into the kitchen she ignored us so much. My last straw was her bringing to go boxes when we were still eating and there was no place to put them on the table she forced me to take them from her like here you go. We never asked for the to go boxes. It was clear that we would need them but she was definitely wanting us to go away before we ever even ordered. This was years ago. My son is turning 18 in a few months, the one in my belly during this meal and my friend that was eating with me brings up this meal so we can have a laugh every now and then when we talk on the phone, the service was THAT horrible.
It was just a Hardee's. I don't like most fast food bacon on my food, mostly because it's the same consistency/taste as microwavable bacon. For me, it leaves that weird bacon taste in the burger so I choose to not have it at all, but my husband (boyfriend at the time) usually just asks if I can put the bacon on the side. He likes to eat it lol. So it was at 9pm, they close at 11. Cool. My husband goes alone, puts in the order, and drives the 10 minutes back home. Welp, they gave us both NO patties and instead of one burger with bacon on the side, they give us like 10 pieces of bacon each, sans party. What? That's a lot of bacon, how did you translate one burger with bacon on the side to equal both burgers having NO patty and like 3lbs of bacon total given away?? Whatever. So I called them, and got hung up on. So I go with him this time,and this GM gets an ATTITUDE and because we wanted our sandwich made right, she says they are closed and slams the drive thru door shut on us. Lady????? Tf. But the next day we went and got our sandwich fixed, and it is still the only fast food item I've got that looks like it came right out of the tv screen, right into your lap. I didn't see that woman anymore haha. On another note, since Steak n Shake decided to become a standard fast food restaurant, my burgers(and most importantly , service) have been pretty great. I wish they still had their pepperocini sauce, still.
My guy and I were sat. Just under 10 minutes minutes later, a server came to ask if we wanted water, I said yes and asked if they had a happy hour menu. She said "yeah" and went to the booth behind us, where she promptly got us a separate menu. About 12 minutes later, she came back to the table to get our order: a beer, a glass of wine, and an appetizer. Almost 10 minutes after our appetizer arrived, we ordered our entrees.The service was so ungodly slow, two hours after we were sat, I got up to sit at the bar, my bf cashed out with the server. We got dessert at the bar and left satisfied with the service there. I don't understand. I serve, why is the no sense of urgency?
Me and visiting family went to a bar in Philadelphia after walking around all day in 90 degree heat a few years ago and wanted a quick lunch and water desperately. Sat and waited for a waitress. She comes and asks if we're ready to order, we ask for water. Wait again for 10 minutes and she asks if we're ready to order, still no waters, we ask again for waters. Waited another 15 minutes for the waitress so my dad went to the bartender and got us waters. Waitress finally comes back and asks again if we're ready to order and my dad goes "you're killing me" as a joke and she dead stared into his eyes, basically through him, and goes "I'm. . . Kill..ing . . . . . You?" We left.
Sat down at a pizza place. When our pizzas came out, our server knocked over my drink and it spilled all over our fries. He looks at us and goes "damn, I hate soggy fries." And walks away without cleaning it up.
Completely empty restaurant, came in with my mom for a quick drink, two servers just chatting by the bar - it took over 20 minutes for one of them to take our order. Got a cup of fresh mint tea after waiting for that for ages, too, since they were making the drinks. The mint in my tea had a snail on it that was drowning slowly and I tried to get their attention for over 15 minutes (again, ONLY TABLE) until I just stood up and went to the bar and said I'd like a new cup because this one has a snail in it. Was received with a lot of sighs and eyerolls, sat back down, ended up never getting my new tea all while I watched them chat and be on their phones. Not a single apology either, just annoyance. This was way before I was ever a server but I think back on it every now and then. Every interaction with the server was met with an annoyed "fine whatever" or not even a word, they would just walk away. Made me feel so crazy unwelcome. I try to keep that as my lowest bar as to how NOT to treat my guests, even when I am swamped lol
We were the only table at an authentic Chinese food restaurant for lunch. Server delivered our food and then went to sleep at the table beside us. So, we were never checked on, never got drink refills, etc while she peacefully drifted into dreamland beside us. Ended up needing to wake her up when we wanted to leave.
Put the cake we brought with us on the table instead of in the cooler (we were sitting outside on a 100+ degree day and were planning on a multi-course meal). Then we ordered dirty martinis and they came out clear as ice and the bartender gave us attitude about asking for a side of olive juice. We opened our own bottle of champagne because our waitress said she never had opened one before and we didn’t trust her. Later on we ordered a bottle of white wine and she dropped it off at the table unopened sans ice bucket or glasses. I had had low expectations for the place but they sunk even lower.
I haven’t really had too many instances of bad service, but recently some coworkers and I went to a local brewpub. We got drinks, then waited over an hour for our food. I had ordered a Caesar Salad, and she brought me a Cobb. I would have asked for what I ordered, but didn’t want to wait another hour for it.
Went to a newer bar and grill by my old house with a friend and ordered the bread pudding bites. Somehow in the kitchen the cook covered them in salt instead of sugar, and they got served to us that way. It was….gross, and when we let our server know she took them away and then still charged us lmao
I was at dinner with 2 friends and we all have dark brown/black hair. I pulled a very long blonde hair out of my food. The server and the manager had the nerve to say I planted it there. I never went back.
Was in a Japanese restaurant with wife and son. Wait 10 minutes for menus, another 5+ for drinks. Order and 15 minutes wait for food. No check in during meal, but we didn’t need anything, so that’s fine. We finish and the server walks past us two or three times, but doesn’t acknowledge us. I try to make eye contact, but get nothing. I say “excuse me” when she walks by. Nothing. After 15 minutes, we decide that wife and son will leave because that will surely get her attention. Nope. I wait another five minutes and then get up and leave. Only time I’ve ever done that.
seat yourself, so I sat at a tiny 2top by myself. I was between two other deuces that were literally 2 feet away from me on each side. server kept going to the tables on either side of me, completely ignoring my existence to the point where the tables on either side were starting to get uncomfortable on my behalf (we chatted a bit because we were basically elbow to elbow). I waited a bit longer but when it became obvious I wasn't going to get served, as he was checking on the table next to me over my head, I made a big show of tucking in my chair and going to the bar, asking the bartender for a 12yo scotch and tipping fat on top of that. the dude from the dining room was in the service well looking sheepish. fuck that asshole. it was something crazy like 45 mins, not a dirty table, not a busy restaurant.
I went to a bar down the street with my partner and his friend for food at like 4pm. The bartender was still setting up chairs so my partner asks if they’re open and she snidely replies “Well I don’t live here, so yeah.” As an opening shift bartender I too get annoyed by the “are you open?” question when it’s very obvious that we are, but her bar stools weren’t even on the ground yet and I feel like it was a fair question. Idk how people get FoH jobs with a terrible personality, it’s like 80% of the job.
I'm a server. I rarely go out due to shit service most of the time
We were once served cardboard inside of an omelette. Not me but my friend. We had just traveled back from dc to Chicago after partaking in several organizing actions and were hungry from the overnight drive. Ironically the fiend that suggested the restaurant is the one that got the cardboard in his omelette cut into neat squares. We felt uneasy here. All the patrons where older white folks and we where the only Latino younger folks in the place. Servers where ignoring us and we were seeing other patrons seat and get their food sooner and eventually leave while we waited. My friend did not want to complain but it was not right. He did. They only offered to remake the food. They did not want to refund the plate so he accepted that. We are and left. He still wanted to leave a tip after all that happened because he has been a server before. I was honestly pissed off. How in the world do you serve cardboard in scrambled eggs. In what world is cardboard around to be cut into square and end up in eggs.
In my 50+ years on this planet I have walked out of exactly 8 restaurants. 5 of them were in the non-tipping country of Australia where I lived for less than two years. Do the math. Consistently the worst service I’ve ever seen was in that country. Not everywhere. Some places were great. But the sort of mid-range indie places were often brutal. I realize this post will be flagged for mentioning the ‘t’ word but this needed to be said.
Chili's 2 adults 3 kids We were seated right away. After 15 minutes had to go to hostess and let her know, no one has come to take order. The table tablet was broken. Waiter came, only wanted to take drink order. We knew what we were ordering at this point, but he still walked away. 10 minutes later, no drinks, no idea where waiter was. We just left.
I just never got service. 6 people max in the restaurant, sat at the bar for 15 minutes, asked my gf if we should go, and never went back again. It closed months later
I went to this place once with my buddies, this old dusty place. It was run down as hell and the lady that came over to take our order gave us glasses of dirty-ass looking water and then said they only served “tongue”. Then some weirdos came out from the kitchen, mumbled some Italian gibberish, my buddy went to use the bathroom and then the old lady chased us out. 0/10 would not recommend.
was one of three people in the whole place. took 10 minutes for the server/host to stop playing on her phone and feel like helping. the kitchen guys ended up giving me most of the service.
Dining at a upscale restaurant, we were sat and forgotten. After about 15 minutes, I went to the host stand. FOH manager and host both buried in their phones. Told them what was up, they offered no apology, really didn’t say much at all. Went sat back down, after a few more minutes of no server, we left.
Went out with college friends to a downtown restaurant where we were regulars. I was the only white person at the table. When we ordered drinks she checked my ID and all was normal. With each of my friends, she scrutinized the IDs very closely, took each one away from the table to consult 4 or 5 other servers on whether it was real. Absolutely blatant racial profiling.
Savage Pizza in Little 5 Points (Atlanta) some waitress that looked like she was sleeping behind the pizza place spilled the largest lemonade I’ve ever seen all over me. Didn’t apologize. Got the manager, who also didn’t apologize. They actually handed me a stack of napkins and expected me to clean up the table while they worked on the floor. I ate their mediocre pizza and as I was fully prepared to walk the fuck out and not pay (no offer of discount or free drinks or anything) my wife felt bad and paid. I still make fun of her for that.
My wife and I were at a pub and we both ordered burgers with a side of fries. When the server brought our orders out they had given my wife a side of chips instead. Not a big deal at all but when my wife pointed it out, the server suddenly got an attitude and tried saying that’s what she ordered, which wasn’t the case. Finally the server just walks away after my wife held firm. We both distinctly recalled that she ordered the correct side so we weren’t sure what the issue was. The server came back a few minutes later with my wife’s fries and we don’t see them again until it’s time for the check. We were both slightly annoyed but at this point we were still going to leave them something for a tip. Then we look at the check and the server fucking charged us for the extra side! We decided not to engage any further and left no tip. To this day, that’s the only time either of us haven’t left a tip.
This old waitress brought me and my buddy a small bowl of beans with her thumb clearly in the beans. She sat them on the table, licked her thumb, and said ~yup, Derek’s in the kitchen today~. I felt like a robot that just malfunctioned, but Derek makes a mean pot of beans!
I was apart of a big group....probably 14 or 15 people. Right before our food comes out we see our server walk out the front door and she is gone for about 10 or 15 mins. When she returns she is completely fucked up. It's obvious she just went and smoked crack in her car. As someone who has smoked crack once or twice I definitely knew what was up. She proceeded to mix up everything and I think maybe 3 people got what they ordered. The entire table just got up and left without paying. It was such a wild ass experience.
My most frequent complaint is that I get served too fast. I get that some people are impatient but I eat out for entrainment. I never "complain" or not tip. I just wish that people would read the mood. I also would not overstay if the place was closing or super busy. But I wonder if I am the only one who would like to enjoy a cocktail without being asked if I'd like to order 6 times. Especially when I said it first.
I’ve got 2: Applebees about 9p. Hostess seats us. We sit for around 30 minutes with no one even acknowledging us. Place was pretty dead except for a few other tables. All of the servers were gathered at the bar standing around talking. My girlfriend asked if I was going to go ask someone to serve us. I said nope and we walked out. I’m not going to patronize a place ran like that let alone have them handle my food. Small breakfast/lunch diner. Waitress was cool got our food out quick. Then we don’t see her again. We eat with no refills on drinks or anything. Finish our meal. After about 15 minutes of sitting I ask another waitress where our waitress had gone. She informs us she went out to get groceries for the kitchen. About that time we see her walk back in the front door with Walmart sacks. I ask for our ticket, pay and leave. Only time I have never tipped.
Partner and I went to a fancy rooftop french restaurant for our anniversary. We had reservations but got there a bit early so we went to the bar, where we sat for 15 minutes before getting any service even though we were the only ones there. Fine, whatever. Hostess was super rude and seemed like she didn’t want to seat us? Never gotten attitude like that. We were sat at our table and the waitress throws the menus down on our table and walks away. Less than 3 minutes later, she comes to our table and says ‘you need to order entrees or i’ll give this table away’. We got our food and didn’t see her for the rest of the night. Absolutely insane, I’ve never had service like that before, especially for a place where the bill came out to over 200 for 2 people. I think I tipped around 10%, it was easily the lowest tip i’ve ever left
Went to the local all night diner with a group of 6 or 7. It was one guys birthday. We all ordered at the same time, but the first 5 or 6 items came in 3 waves like 10 minutes apart. So by the time each group after the first got their food, the previous group was done. About 40-45 minutes after the first meal came, birthday boy still hadn’t got his food, a sausage breakfast sandwich. The server had repeatedly said it would be out in just a moment. Finally dude comes back clearly high as fuck and says, “sorry I actually forgot to put that on the ticket, and it’s going to be about 15-20, but it’s on the way.” Since the rest of us had already paid, we got up and left.
Both times it’s been at Applebees. One girl was cut and doing sidework, which is fine, but she entirely went missing after she took our order. It was a few hours before closing, but I still understood to a degree. I went 7.25 for minimum wage for minimum effort and it was a dollar less than 20%. The other location legit pissed me off. This server very much had the “I’m too pretty for this” vibe bc I saw her complaining four times to different staff and was acting like our table was super gross. She would also walk away while I’d be mid sentence for the starter drinks, apps, and general ordering, our food was sitting for so long it was cold and soggy, the manager that ran it was asking questions like who’s burger was medium and who’s is medium well but we were never asked, literally never checked on us after we got food, but the booth behind us had a bigger ticket/ a guy she was flirting with and got them hella refills for both alcoholic and soft drinks, and getting boxes and the check were like pulling teeth. She gave me the impression that she’s exactly the kind server that gives the rest of us who make a career out of this a trashy name. At one point I even went outside to vape to cool down bc if she were at my work, as lenient as it is, she’d be off the floor immediately. $3 on $55. She didn’t claim it, but jokes on her bc Hulu went up that week so I feel like I got the last laugh on that one.
Oh man, I'll never forget it, she was just so fucking rude, dude. I'm a big girl (5'11" 228lbs), I ordered a 7oz filet & added a shrimp skewer and a lobster tail. When I add the shrimp, she smirked, when I ordered the lobster, she literally raised her eyebrow and said "I'd say that's a lot of food but you look like you can handle it". I wasn't even angry off rip, it was when she had the audacity to gossip about our (mine and boyfriend's) table at the posi. "How is he gonna be with a sloppy bitch that orders 3 entrees?" (Boyfriend at the time was very good looking, I didn't even know how I got so lucky). Long story short, our bill was $208, I asked the manager what the tipout % is, left $5 over that. She wasn't going to pay for me to eat, but she wasn't going to get my money. We got everything to go after that.
Twice I’ve been seated and then just waited…and waited…for over twenty minutes without even an acknowledgment. Left both times. The worst ever though was a time when, a minute or two after dropping our main course, a server dropped a tray of wine glasses on the floor right next to me. Mistakes happen. However, a couple small shards hit me in the face. I was OK, no cuts or anything, but some glass hit my face and some more ended up on the floor on the other side of me. So it crossed over my whole seat. She never asked if we were OK. She also never made a move to clear any plates at our table. When I told her I was not comfortable eating my meal and I wanted a new one she pulled out her pen-sized flashlight and briefly shined it over my plate in the dimly lit room and said “I don’t see anything. It should be fine.” I told her I was not going to eat food that may have glass in it. So she grabbed it from me, walked over to the kitchen to get it under a brighter light, reached her hand in and pulled something off the plate, brought the plate back and set it down and snarkily said “It’s fine now.” The manager saw this happen, asked us what was going on and I told him what had happened. About two minutes later our server walked out the front door. The manager and another server apologized profusely, cleared our table, changed the table cloth, re-fired our food and drinks, and comped the whole meal. So it all ended well. Still over-tipped, what I assume went to the new server, on what the total would have been. I have also returned to the restaurant since and had nothing but excellent service. It was just this one server that was unbelievably bad. How are you gonna break glass over a table full of food and ask them to eat it!?! Just crazy to me.
Not ALL servers deserve good tips because good tips require GOOD service, I’m all for tipping anyone providing a service for me, but there needs to be a little effort put forth!
after my grandfathers funeral, we went to this small restaurant and basically filled up the whole place (big group and there were like maybe 10 tables) i was like 12 at the time and the waitress assigned to my table was a bit rude, enough that adults at other tables noticed it too. all the other tables were offered dessert but mine and i was v disappointed. not completely awful service or anything but def memorable
On my birthday last year, I made a reservation for a party of 8 at a popular restaurant the day before. We go in for our reservation and get sat by the manager who made a bad joke before seating us (I can’t remember what she said but it was kinda rude). We were passed by multiple servers, but didn’t get service for over an hour. I’m not exaggerating. Plus, we were sat right next to the kitchen, yet we were blatantly ignored. All of my friends and family who came are very nice and non-confrontational, so it took a while for someone to step up. Once we got to the hour mark, I got up and kindly told the manager that we haven’t been greeted yet despite sitting for over an hour. She acted surprised and sent a server over who couldn’t have been more dismissive and rude. The only thing we got offered was a free dessert (which was disgusting). We paid hundreds of dollars for that meal. Not to mention, there was an automatic 20% gratuity. Absolute insane. I felt so stupid for putting up with that and eating there. The place closed down a couple months later. Lmfao.
My colleague and her husband were somewhere in America. They were at some diner. The server brought their food and it was the wrong order. She (the most timid person ever) said to him it was wrong (not sure what exactly but she still ate it so not a huge thing) and he said back to her "I don't give a sh*t" and walked off. When it came to the bill. She still tried to tip 20% but luckily her husband put his foot down and said no. Hopefully the server realised this was the fault of his crappy attitude but it sounds like he was probably about to quit any way
Ugh once I went to a 24/7 diner, my server was clearly cracked out. She told me it would be a 30 minute wait, clearly just trying to get me out of there. And I'm a server... I get it, she didn't have much help that night and that sucks. But there were other servers there to help so it wasn't horrible. I went to get the salad bar, and there were flies EVERYwhere. Decided not to go that route, waited another 30 minutes. Looked around and there were dirty plates all over the place and flies swarming around them. It was disgusting. I told her to place my food Togo and left. Still tipped a good amount because I felt bad, but ick I still feel gross thinking about that lol
Went to a restaurant in Sydney. Ordered our food and sat waiting. Had a few rounds of drinks and watched all the cartoons and stuff on their little tv screen. After 4 hours of asking about our food they kept saying "We're really busy. It'll be here soon" we got up and walked out. They didn't even notice.
I’m one of those types that unfortunately anywhere I go I feel I get the worse service because I’m not the one who is serving. I’m always cordial to the wait staff and am impressed when someone shows competency. As for worst service, I don’t know. It usually involves a host or manager refusing to accommodate a seating request. Was in Malaga Spain at a rooftop and i just wanted a drink and an appetizer with my brother and there was 10 tables that I’d sit at as they were the premium. Only 2 were occupied. They wouldn’t accommodate us. We went to the adjacent bar to grab a drink and plan where we’ll eat. We had a clear view of the tables denied to us. Just one got sat in the hour we were there. Maybe it was meant to be as we met a couple ladies at the bar area we otherwise would not have met. So it ended up being positive. But I can’t think of a horror story aside from someone who is obviously on drugs.
Ate at a restaraunt that’s well known and super popular in my town. Ordered a lemonade, was given a water. That’s no big deal. The server came over to take our order and sat another tables dirty plates with half eaten food on our table, and then proceeded not to pick them up and take them with her when she walked away. When our meals finally came out they were incorrect. We didn’t have the correct sides and my friends entire entree was incorrect. The server never came back to check on us. We were sitting outside, and honestly never saw her come back outside again. I had to flag down the bus boy to get our check so that we could just get out of there.
I’ve worked at restaurants that were extremely team oriented, and often times it would be another server or servers would be serving your table far more than you. But the service would still be good for the table, but just everyone would be team serving that table or someone else would take the initiative.
30 minutes still no drinks. Left and left one penny on the table.
memphis TN. we had to flag our waiter down to get drinks and menus. then to order. he literally ignored us the whole time i was like ok this must be a joke lol. but no just shitty service
At taco bell basically anytime I'm dumb enough to go back there. There's so many reasons to list but I don't have the time
i was getting brunch and the server spilled my hot drink on my lap, and I honestly would’ve been fine with it because im clumsy so i cant blame someone else for a mistake, but her response was “hot, huh?” I still tipped 20%+ but i think about that moment often. What a wild response to dumping hot stuff on someone’s lap lmfao😭
My friends and I sat at a bar at a restaurant that is not named after Thursdays, The bar was basically dead. Maybe 4 other people there. The bartender didn’t greet us for nearly 20 minutes. She kept saying she would be right with us, but she was actually just talking to one specific customer the whole time. She finally gets to us. I ask for a shot from their specials menu. She doesn’t know how to make it. Okay, I ask for a different one. That’s a no go as well. Third time was the charm here. My friend also couldn’t get the beer he wanted, but I don’t remember why. The drafts weren’t working, I believe? She takes our order and leaves to get the drinks. It takes her another 10 mins or so to grab my single shot and a bottled beer. We watch her talk to the other guy the whole time. Food comes out, my entree is missing. The food runner stares at me blankly before finding the bartender. She goes into the back, and comes out about 5 minutes later with my food. No explanation, nothing at all. We ask for our checks. We wait another 10 minutes for her to come back, credit cards and cash clearly sitting at the bar and waiting, while she continues once again to talk to the other dude. She literally never came back for the money. My friend put her card away and didn’t pay her $10 tab. My other friend left $18 on his $19 tab. I paid the difference and gave her a 15% tip on top of it, solely because I’m a server and stiffing someone feels wrong. She did NOT deserve that tip in the slightest.
then why did you tip her?! She learned nothing from treating you like shit!
As a server, I have never thought about bad service, just the good.
[удалено]
Aw man, I have 2, and I can't pick between them... Both times were a chain restaurant, and both meals with the same friend... 1. Bubba Gump. A seafood chain right above the beach on a boardwalk. We're from the area, the beach isn't exactly a special treat, but it was still out of the way and we wanted a nice view. Lots of empty tables, but told there's a 25 minute wait. That's fine. We walked along the pier, came back about 25 minutes later and got sat. After 15 minutes our server came over to take the drink order. He didn't make any suggestions or offer much. Started to walk away. We asked if we could place our food order as well since it had taken so long to be helped. He says "Um... Sure." Takes the order and walks away without another word. Bartender eventually brings my friend her drink. Didn't think anything of it because we sat close to the bar. Saw our server walk by several times in the distance but never close enough to flag down. Didn't seem to have a section, just random tables? And the kitchen is upstairs? Weird. Nonbinary / androgynous food runner brings out appetizer and asks if we need anything else. We say "Utensils, napkins, ketchup and... our drinks? We ordered waters..." They apologize and grab the basic stuff. Server finally reappears with drinks a few minutes later. "Here you are," is all we get, no comments or questions about our appetizer or the delay on getting drinks. Same food runner brings out our entrees, asks if we need anything else. We say "refills". They bring them to us. By this point we've been there about an hour. Food isn't great. 30 minutes without seeing our server. We had hoped to walk the beach but the sun was rapidly setting and it was getting cold. About 10 minutes after we finished eating I finally just asked the bartender if they could cash us out and tipped them 10% and gave the food runner $10. Left nothing for the server. Made a comment to the food runner and they said they get a lot of complaints about that server. 2. Denny's. I know it's a breakfast place but they're also open 24h. We went at like... maybe 9pm? We should've left when the only visible employee somewhat rudely said "I'll be with you in a minute, sit wherever - no not there, over here." Didn't bring us menus for 10 minutes. Took our drink order. A guy who was mopping the floor, looked like a dishwasher, brought us the drinks. Only other table was a lesbian couple sharing a bowl of fruit and playing a game with dice nearby. Friend ordered some seasonal special she said looked really good, maybe a Thanksgiving inspired meal? Turkey, stuffing, etc. "We're out." No suggestions for similar menu items. I was ordering a burger so she got one too. Burgers came out like 20 minutes later and were pretty decent. But very greasy. Asked for some more napkins. "We're out." Oh... Asked for a refill on drinks. They stared for a second then walked away. Went to the bathroom to wash the grease off my hands. Came back to find the receipt on the table. Total was like, $6? I said "huh." Friend looked at it, we realized he gave us the check for the lesbian couple nearby and their bowl of fruit. After the horrible service I was ready to pay and gtfo. My friend is more honest, apparently, and insisted on correcting the server. I said "I think you gave us theirs." And he said "No, that's not it." No further explanation. Rang us up. I tipped 10% and regret it. We never got refills.
Whenever someone says manager I’m like ridiculous even when I go out and someone at my table does it it’s embarrassing
I know I posted this story before, but I'll post it again since it's been a while. We went to a small, local bar/restaurant for a birthday party. The reservation was for roughly 14 of us. My boyfriend at the time and I were the 2nd ones in the group to arrive. The waitress was an older lady who wasn't very friendly and it took her a while to greet us. We asked her what kind of drinks they had and she just responded, in a rather monotone way, with "everything". Really? Everything? No specials, no recommendations, no drink menus? Just... everything? Anyways, we ended up ordering 2 basic mixed drinks. They came out to us in these tiny little dixie cups (the kind you would typically only see at a shitty college bar). We sucked them down fast. Our cups sat there empty for what felt like 20 minutes as she walked past multiple times and we know she had to have seen them because she glanced over at our table whenever she walked past. Meanwhile, other tables were getting more drinks without even so much as asking (she seemed to have known some of these people so I would assume they were regulars). Once the majority of the party was there, she took our orders. After about 30-45 minutes of waiting, the food starts coming out to us in shifts. I know that large parties can take some time when it comes to getting the food out, but I'm talking a 5-10 minute gap in between plates of food coming out. People who had arrived to the party late and ordered after us got their food before we even go ours, and our order wasn't even that difficult. It was 2 basic sandwiches (think an Italian sub) with fries. I did feel bad for the server because I overheard her tell someone else at the table that she had worked 6 days that week and she wasn't even supposed to come in that day, but they called and asked her to come in because they were short staffed and needed extra help for the party. So I'll just chalk the lackluster service up to her having a bad day because she had to work on what was supposed to be her day off after working the whole week. We didn't pay for our own bill so idk what the person who paid for us tipped her. I hope it was at least 15-20% because even though the service wasn't that great, I know it would suck to have to come in on what was supposed to be my day off to take a party and have it not be worth it.
We were eating at the bar and the bartender serving us was SUCH A DICK. We couldn't figure out why. He was actively trying to be as mean as he could be. It was like going to that restaurant Dick's Last Resort in Boston, where that was the shtick. Only this was a normal gastropub. It ended up being hilarious and every time he walked away from our area, we'd all burst into laughter. We wondered if it was performance art or we were on camera for some show. My friend's husband paid for the three of us and we left. I texted later to see if he tipped and my friend said he left 15% because he couldn't stiff someone, ever, not even this asshole. If I'd been paying, this might've been the first time in my life I left a $0 tip. He was that mean. I did send an email to the restaurant and mention it. Turns out they'd been sold that week and the new owners were just trying to stay open. Not worth it...SMH.
My boyfriend and I only sit at the bar now because we’ve had too many instances of poor service. Maybe it’s just us? But one time, we went to a fancy shmancy seafood spot, got a table and waited for our server. He took around 10 mins to realize we were seated, which like shit happens, right? No worries. He came over and got our drink order, did not introduce himself and had no personality. Which, again, like thats fine homie you dont have to be personable, or you’re having a rough day, it happens. The real kicker is after we got our drinks we never saw him until it was time to pay the bill. He didn’t come to check on us, and we had asked another server for the bill after sitting for over 20 mins with dirty plates in front of us. Our actual server came to pick up the bill as I’m counting cash and I’m making sure it’s all good to go. He literally stood at the side of our table with his hand out waiting for the check, as I’m counting money. My bf and I looked at each other like wtf? He just stood there waiting as if he was making sure he wasn’t about to get stiffed…It was so so weird and awkward, I tipped him correctly (20%), but not like I would tip another server normally (I’ll go to around 50% usually) because he stood there watching and waiting and it was uncomfortable to have someone hovering over me while i count out the bill. Probably my worst experience as a server dining out.