Unlimited chips & salsa is free at restaurant but $10 if you want it to-go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serving chips & salsa complimentary to diners in house typically results in more drinking and tipping.

It's this. But also seems silly not to just package up what OP was eating while she waited. It's a waste of food to just dump it.

They won't dump it. It will be reused. At least the chips.

DCUM would never eat out again if they saw what was going on the back of the kitchen.

They recycle those baskets of chips from people’s tables?! Yuck.

Yep! There’s a lot that goes on in kitchens that you probably don’t want to know.

When I waited tables in college, we brought complimentary bread to tables. We were instructed that bread that appeared to be untouched should be served again — even if you knew the guests had eaten a slice from the basket. I refused to do it. The manager would bust you if he saw bread in the trash, so I would mush it up and wrap it in napkins before throwing it out.

[Anonymous]

Those free chips are recycled from cleared tables and they also use the old chips to make orders of nachos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got to-go dinner for the family. I ordered at the bar and drank a Corona while I waited. She brought out free chips and salsa while I waited, but I declined. Order was like $72, I left her $80 even. Some items came with sour cream and guac and we did not want those. When I asked the bartender to put the chips and lots of salsas in the bag she said that's an additional $10. Is that a bit petty? She literally just offered me those items for free.

Not petty at all. Restaurants never try to rip off customers.

[Anonymous]

This started happening at Mexican restaurants during the pandemic. I used to get Mexican food to go every Friday and they always gave me salsa and a huge bag of chips. I have a rotation of Mexican restaurants that I would pick up from. During the pandemic and after if you wanted chips and salsa you had to pay. I suspect eventually we will have to pay for chips and salsa if you eat in the restaurant. A lot of restaurants have started charging for bread service too Thanks inflation.

[Anonymous]

I think they should have given it free to Op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just got to-go dinner for the family. I ordered at the bar and drank a Corona while I waited. She brought out free chips and salsa while I waited, but I declined. Order was like $72, I left her $80 even. Some items came with sour cream and guac and we did not want those. When I asked the bartender to put the chips and lots of salsas in the bag she said that's an additional $10. Is that a bit petty? She literally just offered me those items for free.

Not petty at all. Restaurants never try to rip off customers.

Restaurants call this deconstructed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got to-go dinner for the family. I ordered at the bar and drank a Corona while I waited. She brought out free chips and salsa while I waited, but I declined. Order was like $72, I left her $80 even. Some items came with sour cream and guac and we did not want those. When I asked the bartender to put the chips and lots of salsas in the bag she said that's an additional $10. Is that a bit petty? She literally just offered me those items for free.

OP, it's like asking for the peanuts or pretzels from the bar to be put in a to go bag.

Also, the tip seems really small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serving chips & salsa complimentary to diners in house typically results in more drinking and tipping.

It's this. But also seems silly not to just package up what OP was eating while she waited. It's a waste of food to just dump it.

They won't dump it. It will be reused. At least the chips.

DCUM would never eat out again if they saw what was going on the back of the kitchen.

They recycle those baskets of chips from people’s tables?! Yuck.

Yep! There’s a lot that goes on in kitchens that you probably don’t want to know.

When I waited tables in college, we brought complimentary bread to tables. We were instructed that bread that appeared to be untouched should be served again — even if you knew the guests had eaten a slice from the basket. I refused to do it. The manager would bust you if he saw bread in the trash, so I would mush it up and wrap it in napkins before throwing it out.

Uneaten bread from the basket has been recycled to another table in every restaurant I ever worked at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serving chips & salsa complimentary to diners in house typically results in more drinking and tipping.

It's this. But also seems silly not to just package up what OP was eating while she waited. It's a waste of food to just dump it.

They won't dump it. It will be reused. At least the chips.

DCUM would never eat out again if they saw what was going on the back of the kitchen.

They recycle those baskets of chips from people’s tables?! Yuck.

Yep! There’s a lot that goes on in kitchens that you probably don’t want to know.

When I waited tables in college, we brought complimentary bread to tables. We were instructed that bread that appeared to be untouched should be served again — even if you knew the guests had eaten a slice from the basket. I refused to do it. The manager would bust you if he saw bread in the trash, so I would mush it up and wrap it in napkins before throwing it out.

Uneaten bread from the basket has been recycled to another table in every restaurant I ever worked at.

This is against health code and is not supposed to be done. Bread is cheap. Only a broke restaurant would do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This started happening at Mexican restaurants during the pandemic. I used to get Mexican food to go every Friday and they always gave me salsa and a huge bag of chips. I have a rotation of Mexican restaurants that I would pick up from. During the pandemic and after if you wanted chips and salsa you had to pay. I suspect eventually we will have to pay for chips and salsa if you eat in the restaurant. A lot of restaurants have started charging for bread service too Thanks inflation.

Just paid $9 for a bread basket in falls church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This started happening at Mexican restaurants during the pandemic. I used to get Mexican food to go every Friday and they always gave me salsa and a huge bag of chips. I have a rotation of Mexican restaurants that I would pick up from. During the pandemic and after if you wanted chips and salsa you had to pay. I suspect eventually we will have to pay for chips and salsa if you eat in the restaurant. A lot of restaurants have started charging for bread service too Thanks inflation.

When I was in Chicago every nice restaurant wanted $8-$15 for bread. Some of the more casual restaurants told me they only give out bread if asked and if you want a refill it’s extra.

Just paid $9 for a bread basket in falls church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those free chips are recycled from cleared tables and they also use the old chips to make orders of nachos.

This is a major health code violation and it’s how customers get sick and even die. A small basket of chips (fried tortillas) is literally pennies. Why would a restaurant do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just got to-go dinner for the family. I ordered at the bar and drank a Corona while I waited. She brought out free chips and salsa while I waited, but I declined. Order was like $72, I left her $80 even. Some items came with sour cream and guac and we did not want those. When I asked the bartender to put the chips and lots of salsas in the bag she said that's an additional $10. Is that a bit petty? She literally just offered me those items for free.

OP, it's like asking for the peanuts or pretzels from the bar to be put in a to go bag.

Also, the tip seems really small.

She was generous for a to-go order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they should have given it free to Op.

Ok you open a restaurant and do this. See how long you last.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This started happening at Mexican restaurants during the pandemic. I used to get Mexican food to go every Friday and they always gave me salsa and a huge bag of chips. I have a rotation of Mexican restaurants that I would pick up from. During the pandemic and after if you wanted chips and salsa you had to pay. I suspect eventually we will have to pay for chips and salsa if you eat in the restaurant. A lot of restaurants have started charging for bread service too Thanks inflation.

When I was in Chicago every nice restaurant wanted $8-$15 for bread. Some of the more casual restaurants told me they only give out bread if asked and if you want a refill it’s extra.

Just paid $9 for a bread basket in falls church.

They are discouraging patrons from filing up on bread and ordering less food