Do you send food back when eating out?

[Britpopbaby]

I’ve just sent some cake back due to how dry it was and I am not afraid to do this at all. Do you send food back?

I don't think I ever have and wouldn't unless it was burnt or raw. If I didn't like it I'd just assume I have different tastes and wouldn't order it again. I don't get embarrassed about asking for a box to take my leftovers home though. A boyfriend I had once was horrified as he thought it looked like we couldn't afford groceries. But I've paid for it so if there's enough for a snack/meal (and it's not a fast food or very expensive restaurant), I'm taking it!

I put up with not great if it's not expensive, and so much food out is pretty dire now, just heated up by random un-trained person.

But if it's a place that's not cheap and cheerful, yes I send it back if the quality is bad or it's not cooked well.

I'm always polite. If they actually care about their food, it's never been a problem at all. If they get funny about it, it's only ever been somewhere that doesn't genuinely cook.

I only send stuff back if there’s something glaringly wrong with it, and I am polite. I once returned ‘Mediterranean seafood soup’ which turned out to be pickled seafood with single cream poured on top at room temperature. Wait staff argued that ‘Mediterranean’ doesn’t imply there should be any veg and that anything with liquid can be soup.

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten in a Thistle Hotel again.

I sent back a lamb dish once, on the menu as roast lamb, but actually tiny little shreds of meat kind of stuck together with gravy, horrible. The manager came and told me "is is cooked sous vide, madam" as if that explains it. 🤔 I asked to have a steak instead. (that was delicious, happily).

I have had a lump of plastic in chicken enchiladas, a lump of gravel in a sponge pudding and a piece of a plastic bag in some cooked vegetables, chili con carne that was still frozen in the middle (different occasions!) all those were sent back. You should always send things back if there is a problem.

Eating out is a rare treat for most of us these days so it should be enjoyable.

Today I sent scrambled egg back that was over salted and was more like an omelette

Maybe saying, "I'd prefer a fresh one please" might have been a nicer way to interact with someone who only asked you a reasonable question, rather than giving them a wtf stare. Princess by name...

Heck yeah. An ex of mine used to always tell me not to 'make a scene' which I never understood - I'm never rude, just discreetly point out to the staff if something is wrong. But this seems to be something a lot of us Brits are unnecessarily diffident about.

Yes I do , my husband sometimes feels uncomfortable but meh

OMG that sounds revolting! Reminds me of the sort of weird dishes restaurants in Kitchen Nightmares serve up.

I would never have done it when I worked in a kitchen. But my attitude to sending things back/complaining is influenced by having been a waitress. I know that the waiting staff get the ire of the customer and the annoyance of the chef and deserve neither. I never used to be annoyed at diners who complained because sometimes something just goes wrong and it tastes bad. Mistakes happen. However, the chef was working at rocket speed on a knife edge (small restaurant so we’d often be the only kitchen staff) but I knew I’d be shouted at so I always felt very chastened.

Not as often as I should. Op makes a good point about disappointing cake.

A friend of mine complains nearly every time tho.

I sent a floater coffee back with cream that had gone off. I've occasionally sent back food that's not cooked all the way through. I've also had a jacket that was raw/hard in the middle and sent it back. They just apologise and bring you a cooked one.

Oh well, fair enough. I'd still send something back if the quality is too poor but, as you pointed out, different strokes for different folks.

If your food isn’t right, why on earth wouldn’t you say something? Like why?! Im genuinely curious!

Better to send it back, politely but firmly and not eat undercooked chicken as my relative did. Didn’t send it back as she thought that looked “fussy” ffs.
Bet she wished she had when the worst food poisoning ever ensued.

Yes I do, if it’s not cooked as ordered , or it’s cold etc. I haven’t had to do it often, and I would generally not do it if someone else was hosting me, but I think prices are so high these days, that they ought to get it right.
I am polite about it, but assertive if they start arguing.

A definite yes if they ignore my raw tomato allergy (clearly told) and put it on the plate. I'm always polite about requesting a remake as it happens often.

Often the restaurant will just remove the tomato from the plate & send it back. I can still smell it (hyper sensitive to the smell), so I send it back again with a polite please remake unless they want me to vomit all over the table. Now that guarantees a quick, freshly made meal, every time!!

Other than that, I only send it back if it's under or overcooked. A friend sent her cake back because it was frozen solid!

Sometimes, if it’s been totally inedible (raw/burnt/mouldy/frozen)

I’ve just been for lunch and was served something totally different to what I’d ordered (I wanted a pulled pork sandwich, I was given a steak and mustard sandwich!), I ate it because I was hungry and couldn’t be bothered to wait for a new meal to be prepared whilst my family ate theirs, but I didn’t enjoy it at all! I was looking forward to a lovely, saucy pulled pork and an overcooked, mustardy steak didn’t cut the mustard do it for me.

Yes I do. Not if I’m being just very picky but I do if it’s pretty inedible. I did recently in fact, although I ‘joked’ to my son that I hoped they didn’t spit in my replacement food 😬

Here’s a thread where some idiot says it’s rude to send food back in a restaurant because you’re a guest.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4589103-things-you-consider-bad-manners-that-others-dont?page=10

I find this behaviour so odd.

Would only send back fully if completely inedible (raw, burned etc) - though I can’t remember this ever happening tbh - or if given the wrong order.

Have occasionally asked for something to be heated up.

Would never send something back just because it isn’t great quality (eg pp example of clearly a microwaved ready meal). There is nothing the restaurant can do in this situation, that is what they have. I just won’t go again.

I might give constructive feedback at the end of the meal eg all was great except that dish which was too salty. But wouldn’t send back or expect money off for this.

I just didn’t have it in me today to make a fuss 🤷🏼‍♀️

Always. People say I'm a Karen, but to be honest I can't see what's wrong with expecting what I am paying for!