Do you get the manager or send food back

[carltinmar]

I would not send food back unless the manner it was sent to me was insulting. I'd graciously accept it but send back a note of what i thought about it. It seems a bit unethical if i send the chow back...

[suzilightning]

well it wasn't a business event - it was supposed to be my birthday celebration.

the next day i did send the owner an email detailing what was good - how she had upgraded the property, the cocktails, the complimentary water, my husband's food - but then the problems. got a note back several days later saying sorry, hope you give us another try. i have since spoken with several folks i know and all have commented about the lack of quality of the food and the bad, bad service. and the food is supposed to be buy some well known chef.

[savvysearch]

If they mix up the order, I don't think it's a big deal to send it back. I probably wouldn't in situations like if the steak weren't cooked to the correct doneness. Simply, I wouldn't be comfortable doing that in a business situation. They might think I was high-maintenance.

[Jenni]

This is such an interesting thread. I am not sure why so many people think it is inappropriate to send back an incorrectly prepared dish if someone is treating you. I think it would be very rude to talk about how bad a restaurant is in front of the person treating you, but what is wrong with politely asking a mistake to be fixed? Are you actually going to sit there and eat something different from what you ordered, or crunch through still-frozen-veg, undercooked chicken or gone off fish just to be "polite"? Because honestly, if I was the one treating you I would be rather annoyed by that. Don't be rude, don't be snotty or entitled but don't also sit there being a martyr thinking that it makes you a better person!

The person treating you would have to have a serious ego problem to think that you having a small problem with the dish you were served by a restaurant was in some way offensive specifically to them. They needn't even necessarily feel embarassed by their choice of restaurant - mistakes do happen and it doesn't mean it's the worst restaurant in the world.

[Gregg]

We were out with friends the other night and they were treating. I ordered fish that came out like a slab of maritime jerky. It was as close to inedible as anything I've had in a long time. I discreetly called the waiter over and he was very understanding and accommodating about getting me a replacement. Of course everyone else was finished with their entree by the time mine arrived (which would be my #1 reason to suffer through it rather than send it back). This was at a restaurant with a top reputation and one which we frequent so I was really surprised to see this dish made it out of the kitchen, much less to me. They offered drinks, but we had cocktails before dinner and were having wine (they didn't offer to comp wine). They offered desert, but none of us are desert eaters. Its not like we were trying to get some freebie anyway, we just wanted a nice dinner. The timing of the sent back meal kind of blew it for everyone. Next time I will think about just having some more bread...

[Kouign Aman]

I would not send back a preparation I didnt like. Chance plays a part in life, and that's how the restaurant makes that dish.

I have sent back things that were improperly prepared or that should have been binned instead of cooked: chicken still cold in the middle, artichoke hearts fried to shoe-leather, a baked potato black in the middle with rot, fish you could smell from the other end of the table.

In a business setting, I would probably have just eaten the second one.

[Norm Matthews]

I had to go out of town and the place I went has a popular chain Italian restaurant named after a fruit orchard. I went early so I could eat there and still have time to do some antique shopping before keeping my appointment. I ordered Chicken Parmesan. They were busy and the food took a very long time. By the time it came, I barely had time to eat before getting to the other place. The chicken was burnt on the bottom. I only took one bite and noticed it. I called the waiter. He offered to take it back but there was no time for that. I told him I didn't want to call the manager. He took the food away. I was sort of filled on the salad and bread sticks anyway. Then the bill came and the chicken was on the tab. THEN I wanted to see the manager. Everything was straightened out in the end.