Doesn't everything at chain restaurants come pre-made?
Bad restaurant stories
- Thread starter vraiblonde
- Start date
Doesn't everything at chain restaurants come pre-made?
Hank
my war
Yeah, that's why all chain restaurants suck...
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
A little cleavage helps as well...
Funny thing about cleavage; it's like a train wreck inthat you cannot help but look. When I get caught, I just shoot the 'yeah-ya-caught-me' grin.
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
So, you've never been to Mickey D's or Taco Bell?
Hank
my war
They suck as well... Point?
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
THAT way ----->> <SNORT>
Justsayin'.....they are chain restaurants. I suppose you have nor will ever step foot into Cracker Barrel?
I take it, you only go to local/Mom&Pop establishments.
THEY are even fewer and farther between.
Hank
my war
I have never been in a Cracker Barrel, I don't eat fast food, I stay away from Applebee's, Ruby's and such... Closest thing to chain for me is Sakura for sushi. Call me a restaurant snob, I am fine with that.
Dymphna
Loyalty, Friendship, Love
Many, many years ago, we were in Red Lobster in Waldorf on graduation night... I don't know how they do it now, but back when there were only 4 high schools, 2 graduated on a Tuesday and 2 graduated on Wednesday and everyone went to dinner afterwards.
We got there about 7:30. There were about 10 of us. They were terribly understaffed, although they should have known better. The waiter took our order and we never saw him again. We later learned that he got off work about 9 and went home. It was passed closing time and we were still sitting there. They were vacuuming around us and shooting us nasty looks. Eventually, the manager came over to see why we weren't leaving, since they all wanted to go home.
They found our food in the kitchen, where it had been sitting for well over an hour. It was cold, the fried stuff had gotten hard and none of it was fit to eat. The manager and shift supervisor delivered our nasty, inedible food and one of them tripped and spilled cocktail sauce all over my brand new dress and embroidered white cloth shoes. I never did get the stain out.
Before you ask why we just sat there and didn't say anything, I wanted to, but I was a guest and wasn't paying. Those who were didn't want to make a scene, so I had to keep my mouth shut.
We got there about 7:30. There were about 10 of us. They were terribly understaffed, although they should have known better. The waiter took our order and we never saw him again. We later learned that he got off work about 9 and went home. It was passed closing time and we were still sitting there. They were vacuuming around us and shooting us nasty looks. Eventually, the manager came over to see why we weren't leaving, since they all wanted to go home.
They found our food in the kitchen, where it had been sitting for well over an hour. It was cold, the fried stuff had gotten hard and none of it was fit to eat. The manager and shift supervisor delivered our nasty, inedible food and one of them tripped and spilled cocktail sauce all over my brand new dress and embroidered white cloth shoes. I never did get the stain out.
Before you ask why we just sat there and didn't say anything, I wanted to, but I was a guest and wasn't paying. Those who were didn't want to make a scene, so I had to keep my mouth shut.
I have done similar things like that before when I waited. Usually after I got handed one too many soiled diapers that were changed at the table during dinner I would slightly lose it. Those are the non tipping types too. Or equally as bad are the ones that break out a calculator to figure out the tip. I tried not to take it out on my other tables. That was a struggle.
A lot of the time the mistakes were beyond the waiters control. I was so slammed once that I didn't notice that the kitchen hooked me up with a frozen solid prime rib that I delivered to a table. The guy called me back to the table and was actually pretty cool about it and said his dinner was cold. The damn thing still had frost on it.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
It has been my experience that people with rug rats rarely tip well. That said, I always made sure the food looked right before I took it to the table. There is no excuse to drop something in front of a customer, that you know you wouldn't eat just by looking at it. And a prompt courtesy check after you have left the food, to make sure everything is okay. It's not rocket science.
MMM_donuts
New Member
I worked at a Johnny Carino's Italian Grill for a while a few years back. An awful lot of that food was handmade, all the pastas and breads and stuff, and it's a chain. If I remember correctly, the owners (Allegro Restaurants?) also owns Texas Roadhouse.
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
I didn't always think this. I mean, I've only ever worked at Chesapeake Seafood House when I've worked in restaurants - twice, at different places - and food prep was a major part of the labor. I honest to God can't think of anything that came already "made". The fish and shrimp came frozen, and the frozen shrimp did also come peeled and de-veined - but we made everything else. We had a large board with all our recipes listed. I guess the only thing you could say about "pre-made" is that we got in early that morning and prepped most of the food for lunchtime and stored it in the cooler.
And I'm sure some chains don't, although I suspect that the more "sophisticated" the meal, the more likely it arrives frozen and pre-made.
But Petruzzis? It's not a chain. Serving Italian food out of a bag is a joke, especially if you're an Italian restaurant.
We've given up on the Green Turtle in PF. We went there a few times, each time hoping the food/service had improved. One time it took 30 minutes just to get our appetizer and another 30 mins to get our mediocre food. They weren't even that busy! Had to flag down the server for drink refills 3 times. The service there has consistently been pretty crappy but the food was decent for "bar food". Last time we went, my boneless wings were soggy, the breading was falling off. Hubby got the ribs and they were cold in the middle. The lettuce in my salad was brown & slimy. My son's fries were cold and crunchy as potato chips. And the server didn't give a crap so we talked to a manager. We won't be going back.
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
Nah.....you're not a restaurant snob. You just like sushi. The irony for me is, I'm 1/2 Asian; I'll leave it at that; and I'm not a sushi nut. Tried it; just not crazy 'bout it. Mexican, Italian, Chinese, 'merkin.....all me.....
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
My sister's been a waitress several times, and in some pretty interesting places (perhaps the most interesting was the big truck stop in Laurel).
She has consistently observed that the worst tippers are:
Elderly people (but she doesn't fault them).
Large groups on luncheons (on a per person basis)
Professional women dining alone (one once handed her a dollar and laughed, saying "go to college, sweetie" - and she HAD).
The best couples to wait on, she said, was guys taking girls on dates.
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
LOVED that place! It was a treat to go when I was a kid.
That applies to all places that claim to be "authentic" or "homemade."
MMM_donuts
New Member
Tipping
The best tip I ever got was back in TN at that same Johnny Carino's from a man that had brought his family in for dinner. He and his wife and 4 teenagers, including one very large corn-fed looking boy that consumed more food than I had ever seen anyone eat at one time in that restaurant. They kept telling me how cool it was to be eating out and in such nice place (a "real" restaurant). The table was a real pleasure to serve. And when they left, the dad put some money in my hand and told me that I had done such a great job that he was going to give me $5. Like, you could tell what a big deal it was to him.
I don't think that was anywhere near the customary percentage of their bill but they were so appreciative and such a good time that it's my most memorable and favorite tip. My husband and I try to kind of convey that same spirit when we go out to eat.
.....except we get pretty bad service so much that we rarely go out to eat anymore. But when we do...and when we get good service...we tip big.
The best tip I ever got was back in TN at that same Johnny Carino's from a man that had brought his family in for dinner. He and his wife and 4 teenagers, including one very large corn-fed looking boy that consumed more food than I had ever seen anyone eat at one time in that restaurant. They kept telling me how cool it was to be eating out and in such nice place (a "real" restaurant). The table was a real pleasure to serve. And when they left, the dad put some money in my hand and told me that I had done such a great job that he was going to give me $5. Like, you could tell what a big deal it was to him.
I don't think that was anywhere near the customary percentage of their bill but they were so appreciative and such a good time that it's my most memorable and favorite tip. My husband and I try to kind of convey that same spirit when we go out to eat.
.....except we get pretty bad service so much that we rarely go out to eat anymore. But when we do...and when we get good service...we tip big.
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
That just shows your appreciation for the good service and how tasty you thought the food was. JMO
And when you went back, you received more of the same? Becuase some servers remember who the stiffer's/cheapskate's are, and won't go out of their way.
DEEKAYPEE8569
Well-Known Member
In reference to my other post about our dinner with the family in CA; while on a different vacation out there; before he passed, Grampa treated all of us to dinner; paid for everything; even left a huge tip, not agonizing of the math. Everybody said, 'but that's a bit much.' Grampa said, "Did you enjoy it?" A: (All of us) "Well, yeah." Grampa says, "So, don't worry about it."
"Now let's go get ice cream."
I wonder whats considered a good night in tips for a server at a chain restaurant in Southern Maryland...