Waiter story

[Hambo]

I was working as a room service waiter for a 4 star hotel in Baltimore a few years ago. It was a summer job and the tips were really solid. One night in the middle of the week, a man ordered a plain burger and fries to be delivered to a room on the fourth floor of the hotel. When I got to the room, the man let me in and lifted the plate cover to examine the burger. He then turned to me and informed me that it wasn't 'medium enough'. I looked at it and it certainly didn't look burnt or too red, so I shrugged my shoulders and waited for him to sign bill so I could go back downstairs. He put the plate cover back over the plate and handed it too me. "Take it back," he said. "I want it done medium."

I took the cart back with the burger and fries back downstairs. This was the first time that somebody had returned a meal to the kitchen and I didn't know what to expect. When I told the grill cook what had happened. He just smiled and said, "Watch and Learn." Five other people heard our conversation and started to egg the grill cook on. He re-cooked a patty and then wiped it on the sole of his shoe. The cook then dropped his pants and wiped the patty over his bare butt. The burger meal was re-assembled and I returned to the man on the fifth floor.

"Now, that's a good looking burger!" he said. "You see, son, if you point out what is wrong, you get results in this world." He gave me a handsome tip and I was on my way.

[Hugh]

I've heard stories like that from restaraunt industry folks but nothing quite like that. that cook should have been arrested

[Jean]

I am never sending food back to the kitchen again, not that I ever have before, but that story is absolutely disgusting

[saxman]

I've worked in restaurant kitchens during my high school years and I never saw any behavior like that, mainly because there was always the kitchen manager present to make sure nobody stole any food. I guess a late at night room service order could happen like that though

[Hugh]

they always say that food theft and spoilage are two of the biggest reasons for restaurant failure even if customers are walking through the door. I am hearing that food prices could rise 30% in 2010 (side note)

[Ronny]

food prices are rising 30% next year. Man, we cannot get a break. I have had a lot of exposure to celebrities over the years and I'll will tell you that most of them send food back on a regular basis in restaraunts

[GeorgeL]

I've witnessed a fight break out between a chef and a patron before. It was in a high end Greek restaurant in New York. That was fun to watch

[Ralphy Boy]

We were at a restaurant last evening and my burger was more raw than I would have preferred, but I remembered this story and I chose not to raise a stink

[thai_guy]

"I remembered this story and I chose not to raise a stink."

When we are afraid to send food back to the kitchen, the terrorists will have won.

[Hugh]

Thai Guy, those are pretty hard words, but I learned this rule of thumb a few years ago. Our waiter came over after I sent some pasta back laughing and one look at the new pasta told me not to eat it. We walked out