Customers Share the Most Unforgettable Bad Dining Experiences of their Lives

CR Staff - February 9, 2023

21. Wide-Eyed and Shocked

When I was about 5-7 years old (can’t quite remember), me, my mother, my two older brothers, and my brother’s friend went into an Outback Steakhouse. Everything was fine, we got our meals, and we dug in. However, my mother had gotten the steak, and a tough one at that. Out of nowhere, she stood up and began to flail around, grabbing at her neck. She was choking on a hunk of meat and being my young self, I had NO idea what to do. I began to cry, and my brothers began to cry out as well, and I remember my brother’s friend’s expression being of dazed, desperate confusion.

Everyone in the restaurant merely stared at the spectacle like it was some kind of circus act. The 30-something hostess by the desk watched wide-eyed before ACTUALLY walking back towards the kitchen. Two adults in both pointed, doing nothing except watching as my young self watched my mother choking.

Thankfully, my older brother got up from his booth, got behind her, and pressed her stomach with his arms. The piece shot out of her mouth, and my mother was okay. If it weren’t for my 12-year-old-something brother, she would probably have to be carried off to the ER, or even worse.

The memory is very easy to remember in my mind. Seeing waiters and waitresses staring, dazed and confused, wide-eyed and shocked, but never acting. My mother then asked to see the manager, and we got out meals for free. My brother’s friend lightened up the moment, making a joke about how the steak was ‘to die for’. We’ve never gone to that restaurant again.

reddituser

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22. Burget Patty Paper

Ordered a burger, bit into it, and realized I am chewing on paper, I think that a piece of the burger patty paper may have gotten stuck so I take it out of my mouth.

It was a band-aid. I was 12 years old.

I threw up on the table.

whenyouknowyouknow

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23. Close Together

My grandmother and parents took me on a trip to Italy for my 19th birthday after I had studied Italian for four years. For my birthday dinner, we went to a restaurant that was highly recommended by our hotel. The food and staff were wonderful, however, the tables were quite close together and a man (who seemed to be on a date) kept interrupting my family’s conversations to contribute, normally with pretty rude and presumptuous statements. The woman he was with would look very embarrassed whenever he started debating with us. I wouldn’t have minded very much but my mother was inconsolable over my “ruined” birthday dinner.

take_mesomewherenice

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24. Silently Staring and Standing

Went to a diner for dinner with my wife. We’re seated and the waitress hands us our menus and proceeds to stand there, silently, while holding her pen to her notepad. My wife and I are exchanging looks but not saying anything.

It’s awkward.

After about 30 seconds I say to her, “We’re going to need a few minutes to decide.” To which she replies, “Ok.” And doesn’t move. She waited there a solid 5 minutes, silently staring, waiting for us to decide what we wanted for dinner.

Fast forward to bringing our meals out. She places our dishes in front of us and, once again, proceeds to stand there silently. I ask her “Is there something else?” to which she replies “How is your food?”. B*tch, I haven’t even taken a bite. But really I say “I don’t know, I haven’t tried it yet.” She waited there until we each tried our food and confirmed that everything was, in fact, all right.

The food was actually pretty good. Super awkward though.

TheUrbanMarmot

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25. Terrible Grin

This will be buried. My dad stutters and has for his entire life. Was at a local family restaurant we have been going to for years. The new waiter comes to take our order. Dad: “just a c-c-cup of c-coffe for me, p-please.” The waiter pauses with a terrible grin on his face and responds: “Ok s-sir, I’ll b-be right b-back with your c-c-c-c-coffee.”

I was absolutely dumbfounded. My dad told me to just relax and let it go. He is used to getting made fun of for it. F*ck that. I got up and screamed at the waiter in front of the owner. He was surprised and shaken up and ended up dropping an entire tray of drinks. F*ck him. The owner was very apologetic but we have never been back.

WhiteDiabla

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26. That’s not Icing

I dated a girl who worked at a local sit-down restaurant in the area. Her best friend was a waitress there as well. The girl and I had a nasty split after about a year or so and I thought everything was fine. One day a couple of months later my family and I go back to that restaurant.

Our waitress is my ex’s best friend. We recognize each other, exchange pleasantries and go about ordering our food. Everything seems fine, but the girl just did a poor job of waiting at the table. She rarely checked on the table, never filled drinks, and some food came out wrong, all in all, a pretty rough night. But then came dessert. We ordered a bag of doughnuts that come with cream on the side to dip them in. The doughnuts arrived, but with no cream.

We asked for the cream and she brought it out. My sister took a doughnut, dipped it in and took a bite, and burst into tears. My mom, wondering why, did the same and almost threw up. Of course, I tried it next.

What should have been vanilla icing tasted more like spoiled mayonnaise, ranch and paprika mixed into a paste. It was horrendous. Needless to say, when the manager passed by our table and asked how our meal was we held no punches. The manager even tried it and his exact words, with a puzzled look on his face, were “You’re right, that’s not icing.” He had a word with that server after, and while I didn’t want anyone fired, I think that’s what ended up happening.

TheChrisMorrison

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27. Everyone Stopped

I went to eat at a small restaurant in town. It was one of those where you could see in the kitchen. The owner started yelling at the chef. The argument got more and more heated until everyone stopped eating and was watching it. Then the chef punches the owner, I mean clocks him hard in the face. They yell some more, then GO BACK TO WORK as if nothing happened. It was so surreal.

sexual_chocolate

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28. Took a Drink

My worst experience was at a chain in Charleston called “T-Bonez”.

I was with my aunt, her boyfriend, and a couple of friends from theirs. The waitress had a few tables but nothing that appeared overly busy. We were seated for 15 minutes before she even introduced herself. When she did we had already looked at the menu and, after giving our drink requests (2 sweet teas and Cokes), said we’d like to go ahead and order. She said, “Wait on that I’m a bit busy.” That seemed odd but whatever.

After another 10 minutes, she brings our drinks and takes our order. I don’t remember what the rest of the table ordered but I asked for some chicken, veggies, and mashed potatoes. Our friends who ordered the sweet tea took a drink and found it to be regular tea. They flagged the waitress and asked for her to bring sweet tea because that’s what they wanted. She insisted that she brought sweet tea; our friends disagreed. The waitress then picked up one of their glasses, took a drink, then slammed the cup down and said, “Tastes sweet to me.” She walked off without fixing the drinks.

When we got our orders there was something wrong with everyone’s plate except mine. I got a beautifully cooked piece of fish, crispy fries, and coleslaw…except for the fact that I ordered chicken, veggies, and mashed potatoes, it was a great meal. At this point, we didn’t feel like dealing with the waitress anymore except that I told her she put in the incorrect order which she then said she got the orders right I just didn’t remember what I wanted.

We didn’t see her at our table again that night. A different server brought our check. I certainly made a complaint to the management that night and left the tip she earned.

bythog

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29. Conversation Ensues

I went to a restaurant that just opened its doors and ordered a razzmatazz martini. It tasted like cough syrup. It was awfullll. I thought I might have been exaggerating so I asked my friends to try it and they agreed it was terrible. I told the waiter (the drink was still 95% full). Instead of taking it back and saying I will get you a new drink, the waiter went to get the manager. This was the first time I have ever sent a drink (or food) back. I worked in restaurants for many years and didn’t want to be that customer. However, this drink was terrible and I was not about to shell out $13 for it. Getting a free drink was not my mission, I just simply wanted a new one (that I fully expected to pay for). The manager walks up and conversation ensues:

Manager: Just curious why did you not like the drink? Me: Well, it tasted like cough syrup. Manager: Like cough syrup? Me: yes. Manager: I’m just curious, why would it taste like that? Me: I honestly have no idea. Had I known it would taste like that, I definitely wouldn’t have ordered it. (conversation continues back and for like this for 2 minutes…skip ahead). Manager: I’m just wondering have you ever had raspberry liqueur? Me: Yes, I have. Manager: Well, do you like it? Me: Yes, that is why I ordered a drink with it. Manager: Well, I am just trying to figure out why you don’t like the drink. Me: Because it didn’t taste good. I liked the sugar on the rim. Manager: Sooooo you have had raspberry liqueur? Me: Yes. Manager: Well, so what have you had exactly that has had raspberry liqueur in it? (So I start to explain some of the martinis at the restaurant I worked at in college and my favorite shot that has it). Manager: So how long have you been drinking? Me: Tonight? Manager: No. In general. Me: For a while now. Manager: Well, like how long? Me: Well, legally or before that? Manager: In bars. Me: Well, Like I said. Legally? or before that? Manager: Legally, I guess. Me: Two years. Manager: Well.

I would continue the conversation but it is pissing me off just thinking about it again. Not to mention, you get the point. (I wrote an old blog post about it right after it happened). Lady was a bitch, the waiter eventually brought me a different drink and then they charged me for the drink I sent back that was FULL. My table of friends refused to let me pay for that drink so they called over our waiter and asked for another manager or the owner. The new manager came out and apologized for the whole thing and said they sent the other girl home because she was in a “bad mood.” So dumb. We went the week the restaurant opened and within three months it was closed for good.

jenzcheer05

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30. A Mean Look

Late to the thread but the relevant story. When I was a little boy, around 3 or 4, my now stepdad took me out to eat chicken nuggets at McDonald’s. This was so my then-single mom could have a break. When my dad and I sit down I get ready to dig in and eat one nugget, and my dad tells me we have to go. I had a really bad attitude problem when I didn’t get my way as a child, but my dad told me we had to go, and we ended up leaving the food on the table.

Later my dad explained to me, when we sat down to eat three guys walked into McDonald’s and he recognized one of them. The one he recognized was giving him a mean look because this was a guy my dad, a police officer, had locked up a while ago. My dad wanted to leave because if he got into an altercation with them I’d be in danger. So we left and I found out why my dad sits where he can see entrances and exits to restaurants.

jumpin_judo

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