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

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Comments

  • marcia_
    marcia_ Posts: 3,493 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
     It depends on what is wrong. The fly or hair yes it would go back but other reasons maybe not so much.
     I don't want to get the chef or server in trouble In case it affects their job. 
  • rollingmoon
    rollingmoon Posts: 265 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    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.
    Which is awful for any restaurant as they aren't given an opportunity to resolve the problem. Much more reasonable and fair to let them know so they can try and put it right than pretend all is well then leave a reputation tarnishing review which surprises them

    Probably a good idea not to serve lousy food in the first place then?
  • Bikerbloke
    Bikerbloke Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Several years ago, myself and my other half went out to an Italian restaurant we'd used multiple times before. It was valentines day. Unbeknown to us, the restaurant had changed hands. I had soup of the day for a starter, after a short wait, my soup arrived. I tucked in and after a few spoonfulls, I knrw something didn't feel right. My other half could see something was up and assumed I'd broken another tooth or a filling had fell out. 
    What I fished out of my mouth repulsed me. 

    It was a very long, perfectly manicured finger nail covered in pink nail polish. 

    I called the waitress over and showed her the finger nail. She had the nerve to acuse me of bringing it with me. She then offered me another bowl of soup from the same pan that the first bowl came from. 
    I refused to eat anymore, so we both got up to leave and theh tried to stop us amd make us pay for the entire meal. 
    Needless to say, I didn't pay and we've never been back there. 
  • Glad
    Glad Posts: 18,944 Senior Ambassador
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    I always find it awkward to send a meal back when I'm with a group of people, they either have to eat and then I'll be eating on my own, or they let their meals go cold while I wait for a replacement
    I am a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Wales, Small Biz MoneySaving, In My Home (includes DIY) MoneySaving, and Old style MoneySaving boards. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Don't often feel the need to but have no problem doing so if needed.

    Brunch a few months ago where I'd specified crispy bacon, what arrived could likely have been saved by a half decent vet. Sent it back, and rather than being cooked to original spec, one of the 3 rashers was flash fried on one side to the point of being burned. The other two returned to me as originally served at round one. Sent it back again and declined to order anything else, partly as mentioned above that the rest of my party would either wait or I'd be eating by myself... partly because I had no faith in cook/chef that can't manage a few rashers of bacon.

    Another occasion where I'd ordered a venison stew, obviously bulk cooked as you would expect, what arrived was stone cold.
  • Dizzycap
    Dizzycap Posts: 1,156 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Photogenic Debt-free and Proud!
    edited 13 August at 9:16PM
    Brie said:
    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.  
    I haven't eaten out for over 35 years! I had a very narrow escape when eating out and finding a large piece of shattered glass in my fresh Strawberry Sunday which I had been trying to crunch up because I thought it was ice,until I naturally, spat it out!  :o  :o  Needless to say, I didn't have to pay for the meal & decided I'd rather play safe than sorry from then on! 
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