What would you have done?? Restaurant issue related

Can75
Can75 Posts: 13 Member
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
So my Husband & I went out for dinner tonight. To Applebees. I ordered a under 550 calorie meal and our waitress screwed up and brought me the chicken fajita meal. (This was not the only issue with service tonight either)

I did not send it back, because frankly I was starving & didn't want to wait. So I get home and enter the meal to find it was nearly TRIPLE the calories. I will say that I did NOT eat the cheese, sour cream, tomatoes that come with their fajita's... So I am sure that was a portion of the calories.

But still - I am so angry to realize the difference in calories. I will say that we only left a 5% tip because the service was so bad. And hubby put a detailed reason WHY it was only 5% on the bill.

Would you have sent the meal back or just sucked it up?
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Replies

  • kmeekhof
    kmeekhof Posts: 456 Member
    I hate sending something back or even special ordering because I am afraid they will do something to my food!
  • sharesb
    sharesb Posts: 416 Member
    I would have sent it back. The few times this has happened to me, I sent it back and generally once they realize they have made a mistake, they will not only bring you your proper meal, but they will take the item off your bill so you don't have to pay for it. You are paying for a service so you are entitled to get what you paid for :)
  • Nikstergirl
    Nikstergirl Posts: 1,549 Member
    Sent it back... sorry, but I would have! Probably also asked for the manager and explained it to them... that's unacceptable!
  • Mrz_Rich
    Mrz_Rich Posts: 90
    I would have sent it back...especially if the service was bad to begin with. I used to waitress and sometimes people just have "off" days but you should have at least gotten the meal that you ordered. What's done is done though...take it with a grain of salt and move on. Next time, stick up for yourself!
  • otm25
    otm25 Posts: 106 Member
    From someone who used to be in the biz, I would have sent it back! Totally not worth some incompetent waitress to throw away all of the hard work you have done! Not that you can't bounce back, but was Aplebee's really worth your cheat? I would much rather have Sushi or French food! BTW, if it was so bad, you should have asked to see her manager. Don't worry, just exercise and drink lots of water, tomorrow is a new day!
  • melissapoulin
    melissapoulin Posts: 61
    i would have sent it back, you go out to eat, you are paying for what you want, and i would expect to get what i ordered. but i also would have asked to speak to a manager and gotten my food comped. most places will give you some sort of discount because they don't want to deal with a big scene or something. but i am the kind of person that phones places if my takeout order is wrong in any way. i seem to have bad luck with that and end up with quite a few free meals.
  • kmtetour
    kmtetour Posts: 300 Member
    I think it depends on the day and my mood. And what they brought instead. Chicken fajitas? I'd eat 'em (love!), but certain other things I could have passed up. I also know, because my ex-husband worked at a Fridays for a while, that if you are too mean to wait staff (no matter if they deserve it), they *will* do something to your food in the kitchen.

    So, in short, if I had the presence of mind to say something politely, I would have sent it back. If I was going to be mean, then I would have sucked it up.
  • callmefor911
    callmefor911 Posts: 155 Member
    guess u can chalk it up as a lesson learned.... I know I use mfp on my phone when we go out helps me figure out to make better choices..

    see I would think the fajatis would have been good..
  • Vtrembacki
    Vtrembacki Posts: 49 Member
    honestly I would have probably looked up the nutrition facts on my phone (the beauty of smart phones!) and then decide if I should eat it or not.
  • bedazzledmom
    bedazzledmom Posts: 32
    I would have most likely sent it back. You have specific nutritional needs and made a wise choice so they should respect that.
    It is the same as a Diabetic ordering a Diet drink. You should get what you ask for!

    However, I could totally see myself doing the same thing, and would just accept it if I was starving too!

    It's like they were tempting you......:devil:

    Do you know what you would do "if" this situation ever were to occur again?:laugh:
  • hotpickles
    hotpickles Posts: 639 Member
    I've never had an order completely messed up where I got something I did not order. The only time I sent something back was when I ordered a steak and it was cold. I just told them to throw it in the microwave for a minute or two, LOL!

    However, I figure if I'm paying for it, I want to be completely satisfied. If they messed up my meal like that and I was starving, I would have asked them to bring me a side salad (at no cost to me) to hold me over until what I ordered came out.
  • kamechaf
    kamechaf Posts: 87 Member
    If I was starving I would've ate it... but I would've felt guilty later when I got home. This week just get some extra excersies in and you will be ok. We derserve some "splurge" days every once in a while!
  • Yemaya1129
    Yemaya1129 Posts: 75
    I've waited tables and I too, would have sent it back. It's all in how you send it back, of course.
  • ChefJenn
    ChefJenn Posts: 350 Member
    I AM A CHEF AND IF MY KITCHEN HAD MESSED UP A MEAL I WOULD WANT A CUSTOMER TO SEND IT BACK, ITS HOW I MAKE SURE MY SOU CHEFS, LINE COOKS AND ETC.. ARE DOING THEIR JOBS.

    I PERSONALLY LIKE TO GO TO TABLE SIDE TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE DISH YOU REQUESTED.
    SORRY YOU DIDNT GET YOUR DINNER CORRECT.

    CHEF JENN
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
    send it back.. you are paying for what you want. if it was free i might not be fussy, but if i am paying for it darned right i want what i ordered.

    i ordered a side of steamed veg at a restuarant the other day, with NO seasoning on it (i know they use ALOT of salt.. it arrived, liberally sprinkled with the seasoning... back it went *S*
  • LaDiablesse
    LaDiablesse Posts: 862 Member
    I probably would have sent it back since it was completely the wrong meal, but can totally understand just keeping it because of hunger.
  • LoserCruiser
    LoserCruiser Posts: 184
    Depends! If I was there WITHOUT my kids, I would have sent it back for sure!!! If I was there WITH my kids, I wouldn't have because I wouldn't have wanted to have made my kids wait that long! Did they at least give you money off your bill?
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    If I was really hungry I would have ate it but just the meat and vegetable part of the meal, you did the right thing in cutting out the cheese. I ate at Applebees a couple weeks ago and ordered one of their low calorie meals it was there steak dish. I asked for it to be cooked medium, they brought out medium rare. At a nice steak house I wouldn't have complained because I will eat meat that way, If I know it is high quality, but at Applebees I usually won't chance it, when the manager came over to ask about my meal I said it was alright, but I ordered medium and showed him. He said let us make you a knew one, I said don't bother I already ate some it (i was starving) much to my delight they comped me the whole dinner.
  • Shaye85
    Shaye85 Posts: 107
    ALWAYS send it back, its their mistake and it should be what you want no matter what your paying for it, not to mention its messing up your intentions on having a healthier lifestyle!! if u sent it back and complained she would have known about the crappy tip before she recieved it and tried to do everything to make your experiance better(hopefully if she was a decent server)

    I always send it back.
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
    I would have sent it back. I send things back frequently -- even if just the side veggie is wrong. It's not what I ordered, and not what I wanted. Also, I have quite a few food allergies, so an incorrect item can be health injuring. You have every right to send stuff back, if it's not right (or even if it truly sucks).

    Just last week, I was attending a business dinner at Bonefish Grill and had ordered healthily -- grilled shrimp and scallop and steamed broccoli with a mango salsa on the side, so that I could control the quantity being consumed. It came out with an additional side of stewed garbanzo beans and some type of sausage along with other ingredients (looked like bell pepers -- allergy food). I immediately asked what that stuff on the side next to my broccoli was. was told, and then I immediately sent it back. It wasn't what I had ordered. Then when I tried the broccoli, it was tossed in garlic butter. Sent it back again.... since when does steamed broccoli mean broccoli w/garlic butter? They finally got it right. My business companions teased me a little about being so fussy, but I replied too bad... it's not what I ordered!

    BTW, the calories weren't in the tomatoes... they were in the fajita marinade and the tortillas. Advice for the future... if you eat the fajita filling WITHOUT the tortilla, you save about 100 cals per tortilla (if not more -- depending on tortilla size). This goes for tortilla chips too. In addition, the beans and rice add a total of approx 250 cals, so be careful of those too.
  • LOVEsummer
    LOVEsummer Posts: 304 Member
    I have had to learn to send things back, I just try to be realllllly nice about it and apologize. I was a waitress and it isn't that hard and I never cared as long as people are polite. Also, when I get bad service I leave NO tip at all... a tip is earned not expected IMO. I read somewhere that you can either waste food on a plate or waist it on your thighs and it helps me remember that my health is more important than the 5 min it takes to get the order fixed <3
  • heidlynn
    heidlynn Posts: 2
    I hate sending stuff back! We had a less than stellar Applebee's visit recently, too! A suggestion for next time is to preview the menu. I did that online and found out the 2 for 20 steak dinner is not a bad deal, calorically speaking. I would also not count the meal, since you didn't eat everything but count the ingredients you did eat, by adding them each separately. Good Luck!
  • LeslieRoyale
    LeslieRoyale Posts: 331 Member
    From someone that's been in the restaurant business, including being a manager for a very high profile sports bar, for almost 20 years...always send it back if it's not correct. Trust me, mess ups happen, but we (restaurant managers) would rather know about it and be able to correct the situation, then have EXACTLY what is happening here! Because now you've had a bad experience, and are telling everyone about it!! LOL But really, you're paying for it, you should get what you ordered.

    As far as people 'doing' things to your food...I've worked in kitchens, been a server and a bartender, and I have NEVER seen anyone do something to someone's food! I'm not saying it's 'never happened', but I think it's almost like an urban legend!!

    Good for you for looking it up and being accountable, though!!
  • arfdemob5
    arfdemob5 Posts: 109 Member
    I never ever ever send food back! I worked in a restaurant once and saw what they do to your food if you send it back. I would rather eat a meal I didn't want, that was improperly prepared than eat BOOT DIRT! But, after everyone else is finished I will ask for the manager and let them know what happened, they always offer to bring something else out, and I always politely decline.
  • Giovanni_P
    Giovanni_P Posts: 107
    As the waitress was sitting the incorrect meal in front of me, I would have told her that I did not order this. Your meal, the one you ordered was probably sent to another table, and they probably sent it back.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I would have sent it back. If someone brings me something that I didn't order it's wrong. I want what I ordered. Period. Especially if it had been something low cal like that.
  • Can75
    Can75 Posts: 13 Member
    A nice range of answers. Thank you. -- The excess calories wasn't as painful as they could have been because I was only at 350 for the day when we got there. Which is why I was so freaking hungry when we got there.

    The waitress did tell us it was her first day "by herself" . One of the other waitresses in her area tried to pick up her slack, but it was too little too late. Mostly we sat there for fifteen minutes before the Manager finally came over to get our drink order. Then I asked her not once, not twice, but THREE times for a tea refill. I ate my entire meal with an empty glass. grrrr... My husband had asked for a beer refill -- this is where the other waitress picked up the slack -- because she overheard the beer request & noticed he hadn't received it yet. It was the other waitress that also overheard my "That's not what I ordered" comment AND noticed we were sitting there for another 20 minutes twiddling our thumbs after our meal was complete & got us our ticket. [/end rant]



    Thank you all for your input. I doubt we will be going back anytime soon -- but ever in that scenario again -- I will send it back.
  • Can75
    Can75 Posts: 13 Member
    As the waitress was sitting the incorrect meal in front of me, I would have told her that I did not order this. Your meal, the one you ordered was probably sent to another table, and they probably sent it back.

    Just to clarify -- Basically it was lack of training combined with poor Server skills-- I ordered one thing & the waitress put in another. It was not a kitchen error -- it was her error for hitting the wrong button. The person who brought it out asked if I wanted to send it back -- but again I was HUNGRY, so I kept it. If I would have realized the calorie difference I would have.

    As for MFP mobile -- Husband & I have a "no phones at dinner" rule. It works for us.
  • Silky815
    Silky815 Posts: 367 Member
    I would have said to send it back, but as mentioned before, I would be afraid of something being done to my food. What you need to do, is file a complaint on the Applebee's website, and make sure someone calls you back about this. I have had trouble like this before, and they called me and also sent me a gift card, to have dinner on them. It is always worth a shot. Good luck.
  • strbryt
    strbryt Posts: 488 Member
    FIrst I would like to say that I have been a server for 3yrs now and I myself would have sent the food back. Second I agree with the fact that I have NEVER seen anything remotely nasty done to sombody's food when it is sent back. I would also agree with saying you should get the service that you paid for. Nobody is perfect and server's have bad or off days just like anyone else but no matter thier mood you should get the complete attention and best service. I am sure even without your DH leaving a detailed message on the bill that the server knew why her tip was awful. Always send your food back but don't let one unplanned meal set you back either. You are doing great.
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