I found a catipillar in my salad. Should I sue the restaurant?

Question

It was camouflaged in the broccoli and lettuce. It didn't notice it until it was about to enter my mouth. It was green and wiggling like it knew it was about to be eaten -- and that's the only reason I noticed it because it was green and blended in with the brocoli.

I'm well aquainted with the owner and I get discounts from him all the time. The place was pretty packed at the time, and I didn't want to cause a scene and scare all his customers away, so I kept quiet. I, instead, took a picture with my phone cam, and gave him a phone call after I left.

He apologized, but an employee that I know recently told me that he thought I was making it up, and to not offer me anymore discounts.

I'm pretty po'd about it because I went out of my way to "protect" his shop's reputation.

Should I report this incident to the health department? Should I sue him for having nightmares?

Answer 1

I would definately take it to the health department especially becase of the fact that he "stabbed you in the back". It was rude of him to act in the manner he did and he doesn't deserve the respect you clearly gave him.

Answer 2

I could see how this could upset you and how you may want to sue the resaurant for this, but if you are well aquanted with the owner it may not be the best thing for you to do so and as someone who has worked in many restaurants and has run a deli, I can see how accidents may happen. I think as a restaurant owner though he ahould have done more than appologize especially if you eat there often, perhaps a free meal or such anything to make it "right" If it hasn't happened before to your knowledge it probably isn't the best idea to report it to the health department, they probably won't find anything else wrong with the place. I know that here in NY, sometimes the smallest things go overlooked by the health dept. I am not sure about the trustworthiness of this employee, if you have any q's about it perhaps you should contact the owner in person instead of relying on what is said thru the grape vine.

Answer 3

The caterpillar you found is very common in broccoli- you've probably eaten several in your life. Don't worry, the effects will wear off in time. Seriously, though, do you really have that kind of time? Suing is serious business, and courts take forever to resolve anything. I am serious about those caterpillars being common, they can be a real plague. The restaurant owner is paying his prep guys $7 an hour so he can serve you a $10 dollar entree, you've gotten one lousy worm and now you want to sue. Food is still organic and very much a part of the food chain. I'm not suggesting that you should have eaten the caterpillar, but give the restauratuer a break. Do some gardening and see what attacks your plants- you'll be appalled. If you approach the owner in an extremely diplomatic manner you may get a free meal, but I would just drop it unless you see hygiene at the place take a nosedive. Believe me, all the cabbage family- cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc. are all crawling w/ them worms and it's amazing we don't eat more of them.

Answer 4

You could report him, or sue him, however, I would check into laws in your specific area. Most places have laws that protect restaurants rights, as long as they take "reasonable" actions to ensure your food was free of debris that may naturally occur. For example, the restaurant would not be found liable if you found a chicken bone in chicken tortilla soup, or a piece of clam shell in clam chowder. I believe your caterpillar would fall under this category since they are naturally found upon lettuce and vegetables.

As a restaurant manager myself, if you are out again and something similar happens to you, let them know right away! You can discreetly call a server over and let them know what is wrong without alerting the whole restaurant. That way you can show them what is wrong and you won't have to hear from other people that you are "making things up".

Personally, I wouldn't visit the place again, and tell everyone else I know about what happened. They won't want to eat there either with the poor food and bad service.

Answer 5

Personally I go by the saying no harm no foul. I think that the person who said that you are making the story up needs to see the picture of the caterpillar in your salad. As to reporting it to the health department, I don't think you should because it's not a matter of the whole place being unsanitary but a simple accident(yes a living caterpillar is unsanitary in food but it's not like it happens all the time). I think that somehow the caterpillar got into the kitchen and was trying to find some food (your salad unfortunately) and it wasn't noticed by the waiter. Heck, even you didn't notice it until you just about ate it. As for you having nightmares about it, don't worry too much about and if it happens again, find somewhere else to eat.

Answer 6

call the administrative over and factor it out. you will in all probability get a unfastened meal out of it. Managers are continually "comping" food for any variety of dissatisfaction. bear in concepts that it could have been all and sundry who allowed this sort of mistake to be made -- the prepare dinner if he made the salad, or the prepare dinner's helper, the waiter, or the salad maker. no longer something will ensue to them, whether it particularly is going to be the controversy of the kitchen for awhile. there's a plant that has seed pods that appear as if eco-friendly caterpillars, and a few gardeners strengthen those in basic terms so as that they might lay them on a salad they serve their travellers and hear the shrieks. i do no longer think of a individual could consume them, yet they actual appear as if bugs. I observed this plant in a seed catalog this spring.

Answer 7

no dint sue. But why would you want to go back and eat there any way!! No don't report this incident to the health dept. it was probably an honest mistake. I hope you get over your nightmares. Caterpillars are good source of protein.

Answer 8

These things happen. You should let it go and move on with your life.

You don't sound like a very nice person in your question. The owner gives you discounts all the time, you find a caterpillar in your salad (which isn't really that uncommon) and you're thinking of suing him? For what? Maybe you should stop trying to take advantage of the restaurant owner at every opportunity and start eating in instead.

Answer 9

Deal with it and move on. In a perfect world, all your food and meals would not have any contaminants or "visitors". These things happen all the time. If it bothers you that much, don't patronize that establishment anymore. If you think the restaurant down the street is any better, go enjoy!

Answer 10

THis is the planet earth. Vegetables are grown from it and luckily insects live there also. Sometimes they get mixed into food. For every bug we find, we probably have eaten dozens before it without realizing they were there. IMHO, I don't think this is something worth pursuing.

Just my opinion.