MSE Forum poll: If there's something wrong with your food when eating out, do you send it back?

MSE_JC

"Waiter, waiter! There's a fly in my soup!"

"Shh! Quiet down or everyone will want one."

Badum-tsh (thank you, I'm here all week)

Whether it's an unwanted insect interloper or something else entirely, it can be disappointing to be dining out only to have a meal marred by a mistake.

While some of us might flag it to the restaurant's staff and ask for a fresh portion, others might opt to keep quiet and chow down regardless.

How often do you send something back when there's an issue with your meal?

Misslayed

With a very British apology - “I’m terribly sorry, but I ordered rare steak, and this appears to be very well done. Sorry 😔 “

MyRealNameToo

It depends what it is, a bowl of chips with one dodgy looking chip then it'll just be put to the side, a soup thats inedibly salty will go back. 

The more difficult one is when you order something new and discover you dont like it. Have had some restaurants very insistent that an alternative/ replacement is ordered even though it's not something they've done wrong but I've just discovered I dont like pigeon or whatever. 

Renfrewman

A classic was a couple refusing to eat a 'ceviche' because the fish was raw and getting all hot and bothered when it was suggested they should in the future dine elsewhere.

kimwp

Hmm, my experience of sending things back -
At university, I politely mentioned to my waiter that my fajita was inedible (the entire salt pot was accidentally tipped into the pot inedible) and got a shouting at by the manager (the waiter later quietly apologised for her bad mood and removed the fajita from the bill)

At a South Asian eatery in Derby, my rice dish was cold and was redelivered to me hot, but with a big greasy thumbprint on the plate. I ate around it.

In retrospect, I'm a bit of a wimp.

Myci85

Always say something unless it's very minor. It is not cheap to eat out these days, so I expect to enjoy it when we do. 
So long as you raise it in a polite way, mistakes obviously happen, but I think the way they deal with the issue speaks volumes about a place. 

Stevepd

Absolutely, but (in true British fashion), there is a way of saying it. 99% of the time, it's met with an apology and a replacement dish or a refund. Equally, if you are having a takeaway at home. If it's bad, a call is made. Again, usually, a replacement follows. It's down to trust, though, and your moral compass pointing the right way.

Brie

What has amazed me is the reaction I've had the couple of times when there was something truly wrong with something I was served.  Like in a health and safety wrong way.   

Like the time in a nice pub I bit into a burger to find a twist tie inside the burger.

Like the other time I lifted up my burger bun in a decent (not fast food) restaurant and sprinkled some salt on the slice of tomato.  And it began to wiggle about - or at least all the little worms in it did.  

Both times the person served glowered at me as if it was all my fault and then was surprised when I refused to pay the bill.  

MyRealNameToo

Brie said:

Like the other time I lifted up my burger bun in a decent (not fast food) restaurant and sprinkled some salt on the slice of tomato.  And it began to wiggle about - or at least all the little worms in it did.  

They always say its a bad idea and poor manors to add salt before first tasting it, your implying the chef hasn't seasoned it properly. Bet you're glad you decided to mistrust the chef that time. 

Beeblebr0x

Myci85 said:

Always say something unless it's very minor. It is not cheap to eat out these days, so I expect to enjoy it when we do. 
So long as you raise it in a polite way, mistakes obviously happen, but I think the way they deal with the issue speaks volumes about a place. 

My thoughts entirely 

rollingmoon

I know people who have worked in restaurant kitchens and consequently I have heard tales of extremely unpleasant things happening to food that's been sent back... suffice it to say that I'd not be eating anything that'd been thus returned.

On the rare occasion I eat out and the food is bad, I say nothing, pay the bill and leave bad reviews to warn others.