Server got it all wrong

[Anonymous]

I have pretty severe dietary restrictions and I only have a few restaurants where I know I can get a meal I can eat. My biggest restriction is salt. I rarely eat out and look forward when friends agree to go to one of my go to places. I order plain chicken or fish, veggie and baked potato. No spices. Nothing. I am very clear. I have had never had a problem eating at this restaurant. I place my order, get my meal and it is loaded with salt and seasoning. I said something and the server said nothing. Blank look. I am so self conscious of my dietary restrictions so I said nothing further. I took a few bites. One of my friends ended up taking it home for her lunch the next day.

The server knew this.

When the bill came I did not leave a tip and wrote a note explaining why. I have NEVER done this. It still makes me cringe when I think about it.

What would you have done?

[Anonymous]

You should have insisted it go back and be redone.

[Anonymous]

In a group situation I would have tipped.
I would probably have spoken to manager too though and got my meal comped, but u ate some and friend took the rest.

[Anonymous]

I always tip 20% or more but in this case I not only would not have tipped but I would have told the manager in detail what happened and expected them to come up with the right meal even if I had to take it home in a to go box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In a group situation I would have tipped.
I would probably have spoken to manager too though and got my meal comped, but u ate some and friend took the rest.

Well I had to taste it and I was starving.

I already read like a “Karen” and I did not want to put a damper on the evening. Speaking to the manager would have been a classic “Karen” move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should have insisted it go back and be redone.

My husband worked in a couple of restaurants when he was in his teens and early twenties. He will never let food get sent back to the kitchen when he is eating with us. Too many horror stories. He says it's better to complain at the end. Often times managers will comp the meal, but complaining and asking the food to be redone. No way, never.

[Anonymous]

Asking a cook in a restaurant to make something without seasoning or salt is asking a lot. A lot of stuff is prepped before and /or cooked on the same surface. You should be gracious when it is done correctly. Plus, it sounds like the cook got it wrong. How would the server know without tasting it? Why did you not politely send it back, explaining you could not eat it due to health problems? I get you were upset, but by not tipping you just made that restaurant less likely to try to provide altered meals. That sever in the future will likely just say “ sorry, we cannot do that.’

I am sorry that you are ill.

[Anonymous]

I understand your discomfort, but I would have spoken with the manager. That is why they are there: to solve problems. I would not have not tipped (but I understand why you didn't).

[Anonymous]

I’d call the restaurant to check in about it. Not to complain. To ask how to handle it in the future if you intend to go there again. If they cannot accommodate your needs it’s important to know ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

You shouldn't be wasting your time on "friends" who would call you a Karen for getting food that you couldn't eat due to your health issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should have insisted it go back and be redone.

This is the only right answer.

[Anonymous]

You should find something else to do with your friends besides going to a restaurant and asking that they make the food poorly.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,

I typically order very similarly to you due to medically required diet.

I find that ordering a jacketed, unsliced baked potato is many times the safest. It is hard to screw up.

I would not have sent the foods back in a group setting.
It would take another 30 minutes for you to get food and everyone is done eating.

The server should have been able to visually tell the food was seasoned. Unseasoned foods look very plain. It was on the server to get this right. He/she should have talked to the chef when putting the order in.

I probably would have tipped low. I would not have talked to the manager in a group setting.

This would be a restaurant that I would take off my list.

[Anonymous]

Probably next time you should let the server know exactly what you want. She probably forgot to write down no salt or seasonings. I would have asked her to cancel the order.

[Anonymous]

Absurd. You tell them what's wrong and they will remake it. Your fault for not speaking up.