In a restaurant, what should you say when the food is bad and you are asked how it is/was?

Question

When you are dining in a restaurant and the food is bad and the waitress comes back (either during or at the end) and asks "How is/was everything?" or "How is/was the food?", how should one respond? (My hubby tends to be polite and say "fine" or something, whereas I tend to be honest and tell them my thoughts on the food, which I view as helping the restaurant, but I don't know.) What do you do? And if you've been honest about it, what has their reaction(s) been?

Answer 1

Just tell them the food is not good. I have been at place that the food was bad and let them know. They sent the food back, have me reorder something else, or competed my food for me.

Answer 2

Well, I think you should simply say "The food was delicious" and let it go at that. If you don't like the food dont go back. If the food was bad when you ate there, it could be that the cook may just be having a bad day and the food probably really is pretty good on most days.
Also, don't go and tell everyone you see that the food was bad at that particular restaurant if you really want to help the restaurant.

Answer 3

Well as a manager of a restaurant I can honestly say don't lie. Tell them what is wrong so we can fix it. We would rather be able to make our customers happy then have them complain after they left. What can we do then? Nothing. So the best thing to do is nicely tell your waitress right away. Maybe then can cook you a new one or get you something else. The worse thing to do is complain to the person that is checking out at the till. They can not do anything now that you are done eating and ready to leave. So definitely say something. It doesn't offend us workers. We want people to be happy. Oh and I might add. If you dont like the food but service is good, leave a tip. It is not that waitress/waiters fault. They live off those tips. It is the cooks fault. Tip appropiately.

Answer 4

well, i rarely have this problem, first of all. i stick to menu items that i'm pretty sure i'm going to like.
however, there are times when i want to try something new or a steak is under/over cooked and i do say something.

it's all about tact.

here's my view of the situation:
-if it's an under/over cooked steak, then i immediately mention it to the server. i simply let them know that it's a little under cooked and could they put it back on the grill for just a few more minutes?? i also, try to remember how certain places do their steaks or i ask when i order.

-if it's something new that i was trying out...it's my fault for ordering it and therefore my fault for not liking it. i'm stuck with the charge on the check. this just happened at a restaurant my husband i went to for the first time. i ordered fried green tomatoes...something i've never had, but always wanted to try. well, i wasn't too thrilled with them and i think we ate one whole one. the server came by and asked how everything was and i simply told her that we tried something new and it didn't work out.

-now, if the food is a complete disaster and you are expecting some sort of comp on your check, which i have done, maybe, once or twice in my life, then once again....be honest. also, don't beat around the bush on your expectations.
tell the server that the french fries were cold, the chicken was undercooked and your soda is flat. then, explain to them that you would appreciate something else and could they take the first meal off your check please.


every restaurant has their own way of doing things and they will RARELY be the way you would do them in your kitchen.
it sounds like your "critiquing" may happen often, which, makes me think your standards might be a little too high.
your complaining about certain things probably fall on deaf ears since a server has no real bearing on how something is prepared and therefore will probably never get back to the kitchen staff or management.

my recommendation....
unless it's awful, needs recooked or the server realizes something is wrong and asks....then "fine" is the appropriate answer.

once again...just my opinion.

take care.

Answer 5

It depends on how much time you have, if the problem is fixable and if you are paying the bill. If you complain then they will take your dinner back to the kitchen and try to improve it which may or may not work. Then you'll be given your dinner back while everyone else at the table is ready for coffee or just the check. It is also very impolite to complain and make a fuss if someone else is paying the bill and treating you to dinner. I also think it is awkward to complain if you are with friends and colleagues since it puts a damper on everything and makes everyone feel uncomfortable. BUT you can always call back the next day and make comments to the manager because after all restaurants should not be in business if they cannot serve delicious food.

Answer 6

if you have a good server he/she should come back after you have had a chance to taste the food, not in the middle or end of the meal. Be honest, but not rude. Simply say "I'm sorry but the food is not cooked correctly, it's cold, it does not taste good" If you have a good server the food should be taken from you immediately and you should be able to either get new food or your food heated up. Most of the time if there is a problem and you are not satisfied the manager will come out and apologize, possibly giving you food or drinks on them.
As long as you are not rude and unreasonably demanding the server should be wiling to do whatever it takes to make you happy. His/Her tip depends on your happiness. And the restaurant will want your return business.

If the server refuses to help you it is within your right to ask for a manager.

Answer 7

When you go to a restaurant your spending your hard earned money to work there. You worked hard for your money, so should the people at the restaurant you choose to go to. It's best to be honest with your server, so that they can fix the problem. It's not rude in the least. If I were the owner of the restaurant or even the cook, I'd want all the criticism I could get, good or bad. Remember, you're spending money for a decent meal. Let them know so that they can avoid it from happening again.

Answer 8

You have every right to complain if the food's bad. After all, you're paying good money for it. The staff should be informed if they're making a bad product. On the other hand, if you're one of those people who finds fault with everything, then keep it to yourself.
I have a friend who LOVES to complain about everything. He once took a helicoter ride over Wiamea Canyon on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, over 1,000-foot high waterfalls, among some of the most beautiful and spectacular scenery IN THE WORLD, and afterwards he was complaining that it was a "boring" experience.
Hope you're not one of those people who can never be pleased.
Otherwise, have the staff refund your money, or make up a better plate!

Answer 9

If the food is truly bad I wouldn't wait for them to come around asking how everything is. It's happened to me once and it's not at all the way I wanted to spend my time. But this one time the food was so bad I actually had to spit the first bite out into a napkin. I sat back, and while trying to stop the urge to gag, I waved our waitress over. I gave her back the plate with an explanation of why I was turning green. I just couldn't eat the swill they served me. Boyfriend took a small taste and almost blew that all over the table. They offered me a fresh serving..and I had to decline. BF pushed his plate aside too, and the management said that we didn't have to pay. Thank God. It's just a nasty thing to have to go through though.

Answer 10

i am a waitress .... and i have to say... i always check back within 5 min of serving the food so that if it is not good... its within the first few bites and they can get something else etc... not wait til the end of the meal . I appreciate it when people - in a mannerly way tell me what they dont like about whatever or if it doesnt taste right. Yet what one person may like the next may not.. different taste buds. Honestly i dont like anything but the soup and salad at my restaurant.. I dont like ANY of the food.. but everyone else does.. I just keep my mouth shut.

Answer 11

I just pick out the worst thing and mention it in a question like 'Is the soup suppose to be this cool? Be humble, you will get more free food. Once my wife and I were at a restaurant and the food took a long time. They appologized and we said 'No big deal' but they comped the whole meal anyway.