To be angry at DH for ruining Father’s Day lunch out

[Chelle882]

Myself, DH and our two teenage DC went out for lunch today to celebrate Father’s Day at a local restaurant.

When the food arrived, there was an issue with DH’s meal and he alerted the waitress to this. The waitress told him she’d arrange for this to be re-cooked and it would take 15-20 minutes.

DH asked that they also take the other three meals away so that we’d all be eating at the same time.

The waitress said she’d need to check this with a manager. The manager came over and apologised, said that they wouldn’t be able to re-do the three meals which were fine but they’d deduct the cost of DH’s meal from our bill and also give us a free round of drinks.

DH challenged this and the manager stood firm. Without consulting me, DH said that we would leave and find somewhere else to eat. So we didn’t touch our food and DH settled the bill for the drinks we’d had and we all walked out (much to our hungry DC’s bemusement).

Obviously being Father’s Day, the two other restaurants in close proximity were fully booked until this evening, so we grabbed a KFC drive through on the way home (which doesn’t agree with me so I’ve had stomach cramps for the past three hours!)

DH maintains he was correct to leave the meal and that restaurant’s should not get away with this - we’d ordered to eat together and they failed to deliver this.

For the sake of our DC’s I think he should have just sucked it up and not ruined the lunch.

Do you agree with what he did or would you have just accepted the free meal and got on with it?

they weren’t going to charge for his meal and offered free drinks?
what an asshole.
The epitome of cutting your nose off to spite your face

If the issue with your DH's meal was fairly big (as opposed to just missing a mushroom or something) then yes, I would expect them to re-do the food for the rest of the party. Eating out isn't just about the food, it's about many things including the ambience, the company and the act of sharing food together. You don't pay good money, especially on a special occasion, for one person to have to eat their meal separately after everyone else has finished. That person is hardly going to particularly enjoy their meal are they? It defeats the whole point of going out to eat as a family event. I have raised this with restaurants myself a couple of times in the past. So from that angle your DH wasn't wrong. Having said all of that, given you had 2 hungry teenagers with you I would have just sucked it up but then as a woman I'm used to acquiescing to keep everyone else happy.

I can see your DH point, you went for a meal as a family, to eat together. At the same time, a shared experience. He was going to have to sit and watch you 3 eat then vice versa. Not ideal. However he was unreasonable to take it upon himself to eject you all from the restaurant without any discussion, and obviously cast a cloud over what was supposed to be a lovely meal out.

The restaurant Should have done the right thing and served you all again at the same time, but they didn’t.

Consequently you all had a crap time. In conclusion he should’ve been a bit more chilled out, and just accepted it wasn’t going to be ideal this time. I would’ve accepted their offer and got on with it.

Did you go to another place??

My mind is blown by people defending his behaviour. I’ve got no issues with asking for an incorrect meal to be fixed, but no man in my family would behave this way and let his wife and kids wait for his food to be re-served. I get people like to eat together, but it’s not the end world and you chalk it up to experience.

Because they came in as a party of four and would expect to be served together.

It was for father's day and the father's meal wasn't ready (and shouldn't have been brought out below standard).

It's on the kitchen if they can't prepare four meals correctly at once, so the manager should take the hit. A round of drinks or a couple of sharing nibbles for a twenty minute wait together, to be able to sit and eat together and be not spoil the atmosphere.

It's really weird to be one person sitting with nothing while everyone else finishes and equally to be the only one eating while everyone else watches.

That being said, I do think OP should have been consulted before leaving entirely.

I voted you were being unreasonable only because why on earth did you agree to leave with him?

He was acting completely insane, you were happy to waste food, make yourselves look completely insane and have your kids go hungry just so he could throw a mantrum?

If he wanted to storm out let him but no need for you and the kids to follow.

Probably because the chefs have to finish cooking what's already in production before getting onto his steak. I'm not saying it's right, but that's the likely explanation. Also, it would more likely take 15mins, but they didn't want to over-promise.

They could have offered to bring him a complementary snack or drink whilst he waited.

He sounds ridiculous.

To whoever asked - he hasn’t got form for this but he isn’t the biggest fan of the hospitality industry these days so we rarely eat out - today was a treat and for DC’s benefit as much as his.

You could have all given him a part of your meals, enjoyed eating together, then he share his with you. Share and share alike.

He sounds absolutely ridiculous.

We’ve done that before now. A nice compromise. Turn it into tapas 😂

He should have just waited.

I'm deducing that the steak was overcooked, not under (if it was undercooked they could have just popped it back in the pan for a few minutes). If he wanted it rare/medium rare that takes five mins and a couple of minutes resting. That's not a long wait for a free meal and free drinks. Certainly not as long as it took to go to KFC.

He shouldn't have to, but an apology and getting his meal for free is a perfectly appropriate resolution.

I'm shocked at the number of people who think not all eating at the exact same time would ruin a meal. Do none of you have young children and have helped them with their meal before eating yours?
Have you never eaten anywhere that serves food as and when it's ready? Very common abroad. Have you never gone out in a big group where a few people just come along for drinks, or where some people don't have a starter or dessert while others do, or where some people eat fast and others don't?

He could have had some chips or something off someone else's plate while he waited.

It's not the workhouse, ffs, it's really really not that big a deal if everyone doesn't start and finish eating at the exact same time.

I get his point about wanting to eat together. Not sure if I'd walked out.

When we go put for meal I want us all to eat together. To me that's the point of going for a family meal.

I'd be unhappy and not want to wait 20 mins when the rest of the table would have finished.

Not sure if I would have walked out with it being Fathers Day (and no doubt busy).

Thing is with steak it is personal preference its not like uncooked chicken etc... I'd have probably eaten the other stuff on my plate but not the steak, had a word with the waitress and accepted it as deducted from the bill or not said anything and not darken their doors again.

And why eat a KFC if it gives you stomach cramps?

What was wrong with his steak?

Well you know what to do next year

Well, he’s a twat for passing up a steak for KFC 🤮

and also for putting his needs above those of you and his dc. He could have had a drink then his meal would have been ready, and you could all have chatted.

What did the restaurant do wrong with his steak?!

What exactly was wrong with your husband's meal, was it under or over cooked, was he given the wrong dish?

He’s an idiot. You could have eaten slowly but to ask them re cook everything is just silly

How do you say he shouldn't have to, but then say an apology and discount are the resolution? He wanted a resolution where that didn't happen.

It should be a choice to ask for the meals to come at once and wait for that to happen. It's still a compromise on the part of the customer. And it's still costing the business who made the mistake more. If that's fine with the manager in his own scenario, surely it should be fine to give the customer what they'd actually prefer.

Not sure why the replacement steak would take 20 mins, the manager should have corrected this much quicker. I do think he has a point about all the meals been served together, that’s basic in hospitality. Shame you all had a shit day.

Oh c'mon. You don't pay good money to scrape bits and pieces off your plate in the middle of a restaurant. The food would get cold, it would cause a potential mess and everyone would be left with less than a whole meal. And the lucky recipient would inherit a weird hotch potch of things they didn't particularly want. Who does that?

And then have three people who had eaten their meal waiting for him to finish his meal? Poor response from the restaurant.

Yeah this is what I hate about take aways and restaurants. They fuck up a meal or order and basically your choice is refund so no food while everyone else eats, or wait 20/30 minutes while everyone else is then done before yours arrives. It’s a shambles tbh. Your paying for all the food to arrive / be ready to eat together not take it in turns.

Though 20 minutes for a steak to be redone? I’d of not bothered at all be like boot leather 😅