50+ Secrets Your Waiter Won’t Tell You

[AquaAthena]

I've always heard the warning: You never know what you are eating when you dine out. I have witnessed a couple of horrible things going on in kitchens, too. But here, from the horses mouths, so-to-speak, are 50 secrets I had never heard before.

What would servers from across the country tell you if they could get away with it? Well, for starters, when to go out, what not to order, what really happens behind the kitchen’s swinging doors, and what they think of you and your tips. Here, from a group that clears a median $8.01 an hour in wages and tips, a few revelations that aren’t on any menu.

50+ Secrets Your Waiter Won't Tell You | Reader's Digest

 

[Jughead]

I’ve seen some horrible things done to people’s food: steaks dropped on the floor, butter dipped in the dishwater. —Waiter at a casual restaurant in the Chicago area

As one who frequents restaurants a lot, I've learned never to ask the waiter to take certain foods back to the kitchen. For instance, if I ask for a steak that's rare, and it's brought to me medium well, I'll bring it to the waiter's attention, but will not ask them to cook me another steak. I do not want them sweeping the floor and adding the dust onto my steak!

It’s much easier to be recognized as a regular on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. Once you’re recognized as a regular, good things start to happen. You’ll find your wineglass gets filled without being put on your bill, or the chef might bring you a sample.

How true. In places where I'm a regular, on occassion they will bend the rules, and charge me the special rate outside of peak hours when it applies. For instance, I've been charged a weekday lunch special rate on a Saturday. Soda many times is free.

 

[percysunshine]

"When you’re with the woman who's not your wife, you’re a lot nicer to us, probably because you know that we know it’s not your wife."

Oh crap, they are paying attention.

 

[AquaAthena]

"When you’re with the woman who's not your wife, you’re a lot nicer to us, probably because you know that we know it’s not your wife."

Oh crap, they are paying attention.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

As one who frequents restaurants a lot, I've learned never to ask the waiter to take certain foods back to the kitchen. For instance, if I ask for a steak that's rare, and it's brought to me medium well, I'll bring it to the waiter's attention, but will not ask them to cook me another steak. I do not want them sweeping the floor and adding the dust onto my steak!

Sadly, they could do that to anything that you ask them to bring you.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

P.S. To me, this is why it all comes down to how you tell them about whatever the problem is. If you are nice and respectful to them, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

 

[AquaAthena]

I’ve seen some horrible things done to people’s food: steaks dropped on the floor, butter dipped in the dishwater. —Waiter at a casual restaurant in the Chicago area

As one who frequents restaurants a lot, I've learned never to ask the waiter to take certain foods back to the kitchen. For instance, if I ask for a steak that's rare, and it's brought to me medium well, I'll bring it to the waiter's attention, but will not ask them to cook me another steak. I do not want them sweeping the floor and adding the dust onto my steak!

It’s much easier to be recognized as a regular on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. Once you’re recognized as a regular, good things start to happen. You’ll find your wineglass gets filled without being put on your bill, or the chef might bring you a sample.

How true. In places where I'm a regular, on occassion they will bend the rules, and charge me the special rate outside of peak hours when it applies. For instance, I've been charged a weekday lunch special rate on a Saturday. Soda many times is free.

I've walked into the kitchen of a business my hubby and I owned, only to see an angry waiter urinating into the vat of gravy, sitting on the floor.

He was fired immediately.

 

[Noomi]

#13 even applies to my workplace.

#21 is so true - I get people asking me all the time if I like a particular burger. Except I am honest and tell them if its crap or not - then they won't order it.

Once on Mother’s Day, this older lady came in alone and told me that her kids weren’t able to be with her that year, but they had mailed her a gift card. So I told my manager that we had to make this an exceptional experience for her. I told her to come back with a friend some time and use her gift card because tonight, her meal was on us. We comped her dinner, and I sat with her through dessert while she told me about her kids. My coworkers were happy to cover my other tables for 15 minutes. The woman told me she would remember that dinner forever. —Melissa McCracken, longtime waitress in Hawaii

That's so sad, but so sweet at the same time.

 

[Jughead]

I’ve seen some horrible things done to people’s food: steaks dropped on the floor, butter dipped in the dishwater. —Waiter at a casual restaurant in the Chicago area

As one who frequents restaurants a lot, I've learned never to ask the waiter to take certain foods back to the kitchen. For instance, if I ask for a steak that's rare, and it's brought to me medium well, I'll bring it to the waiter's attention, but will not ask them to cook me another steak. I do not want them sweeping the floor and adding the dust onto my steak!

It’s much easier to be recognized as a regular on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. Once you’re recognized as a regular, good things start to happen. You’ll find your wineglass gets filled without being put on your bill, or the chef might bring you a sample.

How true. In places where I'm a regular, on occassion they will bend the rules, and charge me the special rate outside of peak hours when it applies. For instance, I've been charged a weekday lunch special rate on a Saturday. Soda many times is free.

I've walked into the kitchen of a business my hubby and I owned, only to see an angry waiter urinating into the vat of gravy, sitting on the floor.

He was fired immediately.

Good heavens!

 

[AquaAthena]

As one who frequents restaurants a lot, I've learned never to ask the waiter to take certain foods back to the kitchen. For instance, if I ask for a steak that's rare, and it's brought to me medium well, I'll bring it to the waiter's attention, but will not ask them to cook me another steak. I do not want them sweeping the floor and adding the dust onto my steak!



How true. In places where I'm a regular, on occassion they will bend the rules, and charge me the special rate outside of peak hours when it applies. For instance, I've been charged a weekday lunch special rate on a Saturday. Soda many times is free.

I've walked into the kitchen of a business my hubby and I owned, only to see an angry waiter urinating into the vat of gravy, sitting on the floor.

He was fired immediately.

Good heavens!

Yep. Another time walked in and saw a waiter sharpening his pencil over a vat of gravy. He wasn't even angry and this was a very high-end business. He was canned immediately.

You never know what you are eating when dining at a restaurant. It's a craps-shoot.

 

[Zander]

I've walked into the kitchen of a business my hubby and I owned, only to see an angry waiter urinating into the vat of gravy, sitting on the floor.

He was fired immediately.

Good heavens!

Yep. Another time walked in and saw a waiter sharpening his pencil over a vat of gravy. He wasn't even angry and this was a very high-end business. He was canned immediately.

You never know what you are eating when dining at a restaurant. It's a craps-shoot.

Literally. A "CRAP" shoot.....there is a staggering amount of fecal matter in our food....There Is A Staggering Amount Of Feces In Our Food

 

[Two Thumbs]

How to Be a Good Customer
Avoid Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day like the black plague. It’s crazy busy, so they’re not going to be able to pay as much attention to quality. Plus, they bring out a special menu where everything is overpriced.
-Steve Dublanica

What You Need to Know About Tipping
The best tippers tend to be middle-class or people who have worked for everything they have, not the really wealthy or the kid who inherited the trust fund. Which is not to say that we mind if you use coupons. But when you do, tip on the amount the bill would have been without them.
-Judi Santana

What We Lie About
We’re not allowed to tell our customers we don’t like a dish. So if you ask your server how something is and she says, “It’s one of our most popular dishes,” chances are she doesn’t like it. —Waitress at a well-known pizza chain

Oh, you needed more water so badly, you had to snap or tap or whistle? I’ll be right back … in ten minutes. —Charity Ohlund

AND

If you order grilled cheese, you better be under 12 y/o. It really pisses the cooks off.

Seriously, what kind of adult goes out for grilled cheese?

 

[Iceweasel]

I worked in the kitchen on several occasions when young. The cook in one would scrape grease off the fan and apply it to a burger if it came back. In college at the Chinese restaurant the cooks would regularly throw the greasy blackened hose laying on the floor into the big pot for their soup. I would take it out and put some weight on it so the water would flow into it but they would just throw it back into the water.

I very rarely eat out, I don't trust people with my health. The food is often unhealthy anyway, cooked mostly for flavor. I can do better at home.

 

[BDBoop]

What a great share! This one's going on Facebook.

 

[rightwinger]

How to Be a Good Customer
Avoid Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day like the black plague. It’s crazy busy, so they’re not going to be able to pay as much attention to quality. Plus, they bring out a special menu where everything is overpriced.
-Steve Dublanica

What You Need to Know About Tipping
The best tippers tend to be middle-class or people who have worked for everything they have, not the really wealthy or the kid who inherited the trust fund. Which is not to say that we mind if you use coupons. But when you do, tip on the amount the bill would have been without them.
-Judi Santana

What We Lie About
We’re not allowed to tell our customers we don’t like a dish. So if you ask your server how something is and she says, “It’s one of our most popular dishes,” chances are she doesn’t like it. —Waitress at a well-known pizza chain

Oh, you needed more water so badly, you had to snap or tap or whistle? I’ll be right back … in ten minutes. —Charity Ohlund

AND

If you order grilled cheese, you better be under 12 y/o. It really pisses the cooks off.

Seriously, what kind of adult goes out for grilled cheese?

I love grilled cheese and tomato soup

 

[strollingbones]

o and they just love the 100 questions from the diabetic....

 

[AquaAthena]

o and they just love the 100 questions from the diabetic....

Restaurants could save much time if they offered a separate menu for that medical condition which is on the rise...

 

[Pennywise]

Well what I got most from the article is that there are a lot of people serving food who should be doing something else. I especially love the douchebags who pretend they are on hard times to bilk cash from people with a conscience.

 

[Jughead]

I've walked into the kitchen of a business my hubby and I owned, only to see an angry waiter urinating into the vat of gravy, sitting on the floor.

He was fired immediately.

Good heavens!

Yep. Another time walked in and saw a waiter sharpening his pencil over a vat of gravy. He wasn't even angry and this was a very high-end business. He was canned immediately.

You never know what you are eating when dining at a restaurant. It's a craps-shoot.

He should have been required to consume the gravy before he left! I would have waited to can him, and told him that there was a dish we wanted him to try to give his opinion, with lots of gravy on top. Lots of gravy. Then afterwards I'd can him.

Didn't he realize that the rest of the kitchen staff saw what he was doing? Even if you would not have walked in, he was toast anyways. They would have reported him, and if not, then they are not the type that should be working in your kitchen, especially in a high end restaurant.