^how *odd

How did that the chef would get offended by someone not liking tomatoes on their burger. That’s just very “extra.” What a diva.

Former restaurant cook here. It is not a big deal to swap it out for something comparable: salad for fries or cole slaw.

I just order what I want. "A burger, medium rare, nothing on it - just the burger and the bun please." If it comes with stuff I can put to the side like lettuce and tomato, then I do. If it comes smeared with some sort of sauce I send it back.

Anonymous wrote:A chef at a burger place? That must be an expensive burger.

It was bizarre. It wasn't a super fancy restaurant, but they had more interesting things on the menu. They also had a burger, that came with a slice of cheese, tomato, onion, and lettuce. My kids asked for it, and since I knew the tomato, onion and lettuce would get discarded, I asked for them to be left off.

The server was like "Chef doesn't like it when people question his recipes." I can see that for some things but it's not like this chef had invented a unique recipe that we were insulting. It was literally the most basic burger, served with a side of fries. No creativity award there.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t normally do this (I like most everything), but I don’t see an issue with it. The only thing I don’t like is when people lie about allergies. I once ate with someone who ordered a burger with no tomato and the waiter asked if it was preference or allergy and she said allergy. It came with no tomato. She then requested ketchup for the fries and I could see the waiter was confused and then annoyed. They have to go through so many additional steps when allergies are involved, and wasted a bunch of people’s time instead of just ordering it as a preference.
/rant

FYI, being allergic to raw tomato but ok with cooked is actually a thing. The heat processing ketchup goes through denatures the offending protein.

I don’t normally do this (I like most everything), but I don’t see an issue with it. The only thing I don’t like is when people lie about allergies. I once ate with someone who ordered a burger with no tomato and the waiter asked if it was preference or allergy and she said allergy. It came with no tomato. She then requested ketchup for the fries and I could see the waiter was confused and then annoyed. They have to go through so many additional steps when allergies are involved, and wasted a bunch of people’s time instead of just ordering it as a preference.
/rant

Anonymous wrote:I tell them to leave it off. Sometimes a place will ask if I want extra "other side" or a substitute. I tip extra for that.

Why do you tip extra? The wait person just writes it down. The kitchen has to go above and beyond and make sure they read it correctly. Hopefully they pool the tips.

Sure, why not?

Anonymous wrote:Do you ask for it to be left off to avoid waste

Or have them leave it on, to avoid being "picky".

I'm thinking of something like a side of coleslaw, or a pickle spear, or onion on your burger, all of which are easy to simply not eat, not something like mustard on the burger, or an ingredient that would be hard to separate.

I feel like I go back and forth. Once I went to a restaurant with my kid who ordered their burger with no tomato and the server told me the chef got offended by these things. On the other hand, I don't like maple syrup, and I always feel sad the little jug of maple syrup will be wasted when I go to a pancake place, so I'm tempted to tell them to leave it off.

I’m lactose intolerant to a horrible degree. I order pizza without cheese all the time. There was a Time where places would give a discount or give a different topping to balance out the fact that cheese is the most expensive ingredient. I don’t get that nicety any more.

Ask for what you need and want. You’re paying them. Even if the chef gets irritated, they’re ultimately not the one paying for waste.

I always say to skip the X if I know I’m not going to eat it. Food waste is terrible for the environment. I do eat most things so I don’t do that often but definitely will do it if I know o don’t want it. I really don’t think this is a big deal at all, and with costs of supplies increasing I’m sure the restaurant owners are glad to save a little on stuff that’s going to get tossed.

I order what I want to eat, whoch might mean leaving off blue cheese or cilantro, or subbing goat cheese, or for a side salad or veggie instead of chips or fries.

You do you

I seriously don’t understand why we can’t just ask and accept the answer? We over think things.

Waiter: can I take your order?

Customer: yes, I am looking to order the burger but will I be able to make an accommodation (or substitution)?

Waiter: yes (or no).

Is it that hard?!?!?

I don't like runny eggs so I will always ask for no poached egg on dishes with it (it's always runny, no matter how you ask for it to be cooked).

I will ask for no bacon in salads (beacuse it's often thick cut diced bacon which tastes like gum made of meat fat to me) and omit strong crumbly cheeses I don't like that flavor everything. I will often swap dressings (can I have the fried chicken salad but with the citrus vinaigrette instead of the honey mustard?). I eat a lot of salads.

But generally it is better to just find something you will eat, if possible.

I have asked to sub hash browns for fruit before. Usually an uncharge and sometimes fruit isn't a thing, but no problem typically.

I tell them to leave it off. Sometimes a place will ask if I want extra "other side" or a substitute. I tip extra for that.