It is not uncommon for people in the service industry to be the recipients of rude comments. However, sometimes the tables are turned, and it is the customers who are left reeling from disrespectful conduct by the waitstaff.
1. He Was Not A Rice Guy
I once joined a pal and her family for a meal at a restaurant they loved. They are Caucasian, while I'm of East Asian descent. When the server came over to get our orders, he asked each person what they'd like. Upon reaching me, he blurted, "Let me think…rice?"
The joke was met with a hearty laugh from him and stunned silence from the rest of us. That awkward moment sealed the deal—I never returned to that restaurant.
2. Tired Of Jive Talkin’
For a good chunk of my life, I worked as a server. An older, experienced waiter took me under his wing when I started my first restaurant job. This job was in a swanky, pricey eatery where newcomers like me had to assist the experienced waitstaff for several weeks before being allowed to serve tables on their own.
I was aiding this veteran waiter one day when a group of eight walked in—a mix of four couples celebrating some event. Drinks were flowing and starters were quickly devoured. The waiter I was helping was doing the rounds, taking orders. He'd already talked through the daily specials and had managed to sell several $40+ dishes. That's when he reached "the loud guy".
Clearly tipsy and wanting to appear big and knowledgeable, this man started pestering our waiter, much to his wife's clear embarrassment. The loud guy asked our waiter to reiterate all the specials, which he patiently did. The man then began asking questions about specific ingredients, even going as far as to ask about the herbs in the Béarnaise sauce.
Bear in mind, this drama was unfolding at 8 PM on a busy Friday night. The waiter and I were in charge of handling three other tables of four people. I was doing my best, but my trainer got stuck dealing with the eight-person table.
Unable to escape the barrage of pointless questions and forced small talk, the waiter finally addressed the man, "Sir, I apologize, but I have other patrons who require my attention. May I take your order?" Upon hearing this, the loud man lost it, berating the waiter for his supposed rudeness.
Calmly, the server looked him in the eye and said, "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't realize I was here to entertain you". But he didn't stop there. He proceeded to dance around the table with disco moves reminiscent of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.
As he made his way around the guests, he gestured towards me, saying, "Take this gentleman's order," before shimmying his way back to the kitchen, leaving the entire table stunned and speechless.
3. He Got Fresh With Me
A couple years ago, my wife and I enjoyed a meal at a Mexican restaurant. After we finished eating, our waiter approached us. He turned to my wife, politely stating, "Dear, it’s the restaurant's rule that I offer you a mint after your meal. But trust me, I'm not saying anything about the delightful freshness of your breath".
With that, he left one mint next to her plate. Then he swiveled towards me. Simply saying, "Here," he spilled a mountain of mints from his apron—nearly a hundred of them—right onto my lap. Despite his cheeky behavior, I gave him the biggest tip. We found the whole thing hilarious and couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the night.
Flickr, Marco Verch Professional
4. She Wasn’t Foolin’
I once visited a restaurant called Buddakan in Philadelphia with a cluster of friends. I found myself seated next to a heavier-set girl. At some point, the waitress circled our table, jotting down our orders. When the girl's opportunity to order arrived, she carefully decided on a salad and water.
However, the waitress, under her breath yet within earshot of us both, made the rudest comment, "Uhh, who are you trying to kid?" Instantly, the girl's cheeks flushed a vivid shade of red, stunning everyone close enough to catch the remark.
Out of respect for her feelings, nobody dared to address the comment, aiming to prevent further embarrassment. With the unpleasant memory of that event, I vowed never to go back.
5. Her Response Had No Leg To Stand On
Back in the day, my great-uncle was part of the Navy Seabees. Just before he passed, I had the pleasure of taking him to a Seabee reunion, held at a Naval base in our state. We decided to grab a bite on our journey back and ended up in a random eatery.
My uncle decided to order a whole rotisserie chicken, but when the waitress served it, he saw that a drumstick was missing. He called the waitress over and pointed out that his chicken was lacking a leg. She responded without a moment's hesitation, asking him, "Are you planning to eat it or dance with it?"
6. Amped Up And Ready To Go
Around the time I was 15, I spent my summer break toiling away at the same machine shop where my dad was employed. I was saving up for a new bass guitar and amp, and my dad helped me secure this gig so I could earn the money.
By summer's end, I had sweated it out, clocked in extra hours, and saved a decent chunk of change. My dad even chipped in a bit, doubting I could pull through the summer balancing work while my buddies were enjoying their holiday.
Together, we headed to our local music emporium. He had errands around the area and estimated he'd be back within an hour. As soon as I set foot in the store, I made a straight dash to the bass aisle. I was hesitantly admiring my favorites when I asked the salesperson if I could test some basses and amps.
Ignoring me completely, he turned away. Refusing to back down, I approached him again, requesting to try out some instruments. His response knocked the wind out of me. He dismissed me by saying, "This isn’t a free practice zone for youngsters". Disheartened, I retreated outside to wait for my dad.
When he arrived, he noticed my empty hands and inquired about my potential purchase. I relayed the incident to him, which caused him to bristle with indignation. Both of us went back inside, and I showed him the instruments I was interested in and my reasons for choosing them.
On noticing us, the same salesman slithered over to help. Seeing this, my dad flashed a smile and quipped, "Sure, we're in search of a free jam space for youngsters". The salesman became flustered, unable to rectify his previous rudeness. Then my dad asked me about the budget I had set aside for the instruments.
When I informed him that I had saved around $1,600, not including his generous addition, he swung back to the salesman, "This job pays commissions, correct?" The salesman nodded, faltering a bit. My dad chuckled looking at me and said, "Guess it's mac and cheese dinner for you tonight," and we went on our way.
He drove an extra 90 minutes to the city to make sure I got the instruments I had worked so hard to earn.
7. You’re Fired!
I used to oversee nightlife activities at Caesars Entertainment, so the management staff were pretty familiar with me. However, the same could not be said for the other employees unless I was in the clubs. One time, I dropped by one of our newly opened restaurants for a bachelorette party and I decided to wait for my party at the bar, ordering a drink while I waited.
Within five minutes, a bartender approached me, telling me I needed to clear my spot because I only had one drink and she needed the space for other potential customers. Despite it being a sit-down bar and me being singled out, I calmly explained that I was awaiting some friends.
To my surprise, her response was dismissive, she clearly stated: "I don't care. You're by yourself with just one drink. There are more important groups I should attend to. Please, move". Remaining calm, I suggested, "How about you have your manager ask me to move and I'll happily oblige".
In response, she enlisted two security guards and summoned her manager, who happened to know me quite well. She explained the situation: "I asked this guy to move but he says won't unless you tell him to". Recognizing me, the manager responded, "That's understandable, seeing as he could potentially fire me. That's our nightlife coordinator for all four properties".
The bartender was speechless. With a nod towards her, I simply said: "You're let go".
8. Wigged Out!
I attended a dinner party with my folks and some of their pals. Our server was remarkably unpleasant. She delivered condescending remarks like telling our friend who's a little on the heavier side, "Are you CERTAIN you need two main dishes? Don't expect me to pack it up!"
Adding to this, one of our diners was undergoing chemotherapy and was donning a wig, which wasn't blatantly evident. In the midst of our meal, the server threw a sarcastic jab her way. Our friend halted, laid her cutlery down, and yanked off her wig revealing her bald head.
Staring at the waitress, she uttered, "Don't play games with me. I'm unwell," and proceeded to continue her meal. It was quite a moment.
9. Wait A Minute!
I stopped by a restaurant, took a seat, and ended up waiting for 20 minutes without any waiter stopping by. So, I decided to go to the waiters' post. The server was comfortably settled having a long chat, and it was clear that it wasn't winding down anytime soon.
I kept my cool and asked if I could place my order. And I'm telling you, those 20 minutes weren't any shorter. I was on lunch break with a colleague of mine who was growing quite annoyed. The server's response? "Do you want to wait a minute? God!"
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10. Mama Mia
My brother and I were adopted from South Korea, and our parents are Caucasian. When I was around eight and my brother was around eleven, we dined at an Italian restaurant. The server was shouting at us, as if we couldn't comprehend English. Our dad is a pretty conservative and relaxed person.
He stared the waiter down and declared, "That's quite prejudiced, don't you think? The young lady you're raising your voice at reads English at university level and can speak and understand it perfectly well, so you can stop shouting in her ear, thank you. Time to dial it down a notch". We weren't charged for our meal after that incident.
11. She Neither Inspired Nor Nurtured My Human Spirit
So, I popped into Starbucks and requested a mocha or something close to that. The coffee artist told me that it was a "chick's drink". I proceeded to collect it, and the barista was right next to me at the counter. Instead of simply handing it over, she trudged to the extreme end of the counter to place it there.
Taking it lightly, I laughed it off saying, "Oh, so now I have to walk all the way over there?" She looked at me deadpan and said, "You seem like you could use a bit of a walk". Just to be clear, I wasn't overweight.
12. He Was Hitting On My Honey
Our server didn't say anything out of line, but his behavior spoke volumes. My boyfriend, a pal, and I popped into a decent bar and grill. Our waiter arrived to jot down our orders. He began with my boyfriend, chatting amicably with him. As he moved on to me, he hurried through my order.
When our meals arrived, mine was delivered last. Later, as he checked in on us, the waiter specifically questioned my boyfriend about his steak. Was it cooked to his satisfaction? Was he enjoying it?
Surprisingly, he didn't ask anyone else, just my boyfriend. Then came the moment to pack up any remaining food, the waiter aggressively plopped my takeout box on my plate while carefully packaging my boyfriend’s leftovers. I paused, curious to see if he would offer the same service to me, but as I suspected, he left immediately after helping my boyfriend.
This unexpected behavior left us all exchanging wide-eyed glances before we burst into laughter.
13. He Wasn’t Dressing Away With It
I was at a swanky new restaurant downtown, celebrating my mom's birthday and Mother's Day with our entire family. Even though I wasn't very hungry, I decided to order a Caesar salad because nothing else seemed appetizing. To my surprise, my salad was the last dish to arrive, and it was a complete letdown.
The lettuce was pathetically wilted and the whole dish was slightly warm. The homemade Caesar dressing was lukewarm too, and it had no flavor at all. We voiced our concerns to the waiter and his response really shocked me. He said, "We take pride in our homemade Caesar dressing; it might not have the same taste as the Kraft dressing you're accustomed to".
Unfortunately for him, my mom had just come off a 20-hour flight and had a knack for picking out bad service. Not to mention, she's a graduate of Harvard Law School. That day, our waiter learned his lesson.
14. I Was Anything But Calm
Once upon a time, I was an employee at a golf club. I distinctly recall on my inaugural day, my supervisor had a simple yet stern rule: if any breakable item, like a glass or dish, dropped and shattered, we must insist that everyone around that area remain in their seats and refrain from moving until the mess was properly cleared away.
About a week later, I was juggling two glasses of water while navigating a group of tables, and was successful in delivering one to an elderly couple’s table and managing a warm greeting. However, fate wasn't as kind when I attempted to deliver the second glass. It slipped down from my grasp, crashed onto the floor, and shattered to pieces.
Overwhelmed and in a daze, I managed to apologize repeatedly stating, "I am terribly sorry, please pardon me...please give me a moment to clean this up!" The gentleman chuckled and reassured me saying, "No worries. I was about to head to the restroom anyway. I'll be right back".
At that instant, I caught sight of my boss glaring at me from afar. Absent-mindedly and with a hint of alarm, I quickly told the gentleman, "PLEASE SIT DOWN AND STAY CALM". Much to my relief, he responded with a hearty laugh and agreed saying, "Well, okay then. I can wait, it's not that urgent".
My supervisor and fellow colleagues found the whole scene incredibly amusing, in spite of my crass reaction. And to this day, my friends never cease to reminisce about the incident with rounds of laughter.
15. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
A few years back, my family decided to grab a bite at the neighborhood Denny's. Ahead of us was a Black family: a father, a mother, and their young daughter. They were decently dressed, not fancy but respectable enough to tell these were good folks. The restaurant was practically deserted that day, hardly any customers.
In spite of the empty seats, they had to wait for about 25 minutes to get a table. Eventually, they grew tired of the prolonged waiting and decided to try their luck at the restaurant across the street. The moment they vacated the entrance, a staff member approached to show us to a table. We opted to follow suit and headed for the restaurant across the street as well.
16. Done In By Her Comment
I enjoy a nicely cooked medium-rare steak. I'm not much of a stickler, but there was this time when I received a steak that was virtually beyond well-done. Worse still, it was bone-dry, so naturally, I voiced my dissatisfaction.
I politely pointed out to the waitress, "Sorry to disturb you, but I ordered this steak medium-rare. This one seems nearly charred". Her response was striking.
The waitress, a charming young lady, looked perplexed and retorted, "Well, what should I do? We can't undo the cooking of the steak!"
17. She Got My Goat
Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of working in the service industry, you can inadvertently come off as slightly impolite. One day, a customer asked me, "Excuse me, sir, what exactly is 'goat cheese'?" Pausing briefly to see if she was joking, I responded, "Well...it's simply cheese...produced from goat's milk. It has an earthy and slightly tart taste".
Barring the intention, I must admit my reply did sound rather patronizing. Despite always striving to be refined and articulate at a high-end dining table, it somehow struck me as pretentious. The restaurant owner was nearby. When the shift ended, she suggested that I needed some time away from the waitstaff duties. Clearly, she was correct.
18. Blue Jean Baby
I had a rendezvous with a high-profile, well-regarded personality at a nightclub. This influential individual told us to dress casually, so our outfits mainly consisted of jeans paired with dress or polo shirts. When we arrived, the host scrutinized us from head to toe, treating us like trash.
With the haughtiest, most stuck-up voice, he said, "I have doubts you'd find a table here while wearing...dungarees," and then he began to walk off. That's when we let him know who we were planning to meet, and to say the least, that left the host shocked and stunned.
19. Here’s A Tip—You’re Rude!
My parents, who were both waitstaff in New York City in the 1940s, had a notable encounter in the 1980s. They'd gone out for a meal with a group of friends. Unfortunately, they had a disappointing evening due to the waiter's unprofessional behavior and the served food being cold.
Thankfully, their companions and stimulating chatter redeemed the night. My dad took the role of dealing with the bill. Gathering contributions from everyone, my father calculated a tip in the neighborhood of 12-13%. His thought process was driven by a sense of empathy assuming that the waiter might just be off his game that night and the chilly food wasn't his fault.
Afterward, my dad left the money with the bill and they exited. But the night wasn't over yet. The waiter wasn't pleased and confronted my dad in the parking area. He brandished the tip he'd gotten, asking whether my dad considered it reasonable or if he was just out of touch with tipping etiquette.
Faced with this, my dad responded, "I have plenty of experience as a waiter, I'll have you know. I tipped you on the assumption that you were simply having an off night. Now that you bring it up, you're right, this tip isn't correct". My dad reached out and pulled a 10-dollar note from the waiter's hand, stating, "There, now it's correct".
With that mic drop moment, he hopped into his car and drove off.
20. Too Hot To Handle
I visited a Thai restaurant once. The server made an assumption that because I was Caucasian, I couldn't handle their hotter dishes. Despite this, I chose to order a spicy dish. Upon tasting it, it was clear they had toned down the spice level. I questioned him about this, and he confirmed that he did indeed request a milder version for me, attributing it to my ethnicity.
Even though I've made several attempts to order this dish with full spice, they consistently make it milder without telling me. It's clear to me it's supposed to be more fiery as I have a friend who works there.
21. No Dessert For You!
My now-husband—then boyfriend—wanted to find a special place to celebrate both of his parents turning 50. We knew of a restaurant we thought was perfect from a previous visit. As several family members were joining in, we booked a table for 12. Problems arose from the start when we were assigned a table which was just a bunch of smaller tables joined together.
Our party was too large for the space provided. The tables were so close to the wall—barely a foot away—that the bigger fellows had to sit opposite, and even the petite folks felt squashed. If that tight front room was the only area available in the restaurant, we'd have understood the uncomfortable seating.
Yet there was a spacious back room and an outdoor area that could accommodate our group size. What started as just an inconvenience escalated to a bigger issue. After 15 minutes, the restaurant owner walked up to us, requesting we scoot down a bit so he could give one of the smaller tables to another customer.
Since we were already rather squished and were in the middle of nibbling on bread, sipping drinks, and using the cutlery, my boyfriend's dad diplomatically yet resolutely declined. The owner didn't take it lightly and started arguing. He even sat at our table in a momentarily empty chair to persuade us to comply.
He was visibly bothered and eventually withdrew, grumbling that he was just hoping we could assist him. Later, my boyfriend's aunt confronted the owner, reminding him that we were celebrating a special event and urging him to respect the birthday celebs. His response was less than mindful, suggesting we leave if we were unhappy.
We should have taken his advice. Despite the server's effort to save the evening, his boss was regularly heard mumbling about us while passing. He frequently suggested to different party members ways to sit more compactly. Towards the end of our disastrous dinner experience, the owner made a final attempt at reconciliation.
He told my boyfriend's mom that he may have started things off wrong but didn't want to leave it that way. But he didn’t stop there. After just 30 seconds of apologizing, he made a snide remark, suggesting we would have been happier if we had just complied with his request to squeeze tighter.
When dessert came around, my boyfriend requested for his parents’ desserts to have candles and for the rest of us to order dessert too. While our server was taking our dessert orders, the owner interrupted, gesturing negatively. He then came over to inform us that he won’t be able to serve dessert due to a large crowd waiting for tables.
Outraged, we paid and left. As a performance for the crowd waiting at the entrance, he bid us a highly insincere goodnight. My boyfriend's dad shot back, "We won't ever be having one here again". The owner refused us from returning to his restaurant and dramatically shut the door after us.
22. An Unfavorable Night
As the evening was winding down, the bar I found myself in began to thin out. Feeling parched, I asked for a glass of water. The bartender acknowledged my request, then strutted off to the other end of the bar to attend to other customers. With patience, I watched as he continued to cater to others.
Catching his attention again, I said, "Excuse me, I'm the designated driver and I could really use a glass of water". He looked at me and responded, "I heard you loud and clear. But the thing is, you're not exactly putting money in my pocket. You're asking me for a favor, and to get a favor, you need to be a friend of mine".
23. Bumping Up The Wrong Tree
After a hospital visit for a serious knee injury, I caught a ride with friends to grab a bite. With a very noticeable leg brace stretching from hip to ankle due to a third-degree ACL tear, I was hobbling around. We found a table and I sat strategically, with my injured leg safely under the table and my other leg acting as a buffer by the aisle.
We were served by a rather grumpy waiter who never lost his scowl. When the time came to deliver our meals, he tended to toss the dishes down rather hastily. In the process, he hit my injured knee while leaning across to serve the far end of the table. I couldn't help but exclaim in pain, "Ow", aloud, right next to his ear.
He didn't show any signs of realizing what he'd done. My buddy pointed it out, "You just bumped into her". His reaction was dismissive and he simply walked off. Initially against low tipping, I agreed when my friends decided to leave just $1 tip per person, given the waiter's discourtesy and my painful encounter with him.
My one friend jotted down an explanation for the skimpy tip on her receipt. As we were slowly exiting, our waiter caught up with us, seemingly vexed and declaring that he didn't strike a girl with an ACL injury. "Actually, you did—that's me," I responded. Even in my weariness, I was stunned by his denial.
My friends backed me up and recapped how I had yelled in pain, all to his apparent ignorance. His apology followed with a, "Well then, I'm sorry". However, his tone implied otherwise. He returned to the restaurant disgruntled.
A couple exiting behind him overheard everything and the woman, eyeing my leg, sympathetically expressed her shock and mentioned her own encounter with the waiter earlier. She shared, "He elbowed me inside and didn't say anything!"
24. She Was Out Of Her Noodle
After going without food for 36 hours, my teenage hunger kicked into overdrive—I was so famished I could've chewed on my own hand. My cravings led me to my usual spot in the food court: a small Chinese shop. There, I asked for two servings of orange chicken and a side of noodles. However, the waiter refused to fulfill my order.
"I can't assist with contributing to the issue of childhood obesity," she firmly explained. Making the situation a tad more ironic, I was noticeably thinner and she, quite the opposite.
25. Raw Deal
My night kicked off with an undercooked steak. I mean, I like a nice, rare steak just like anyone else, but this wasn't a juicy, cool and red inside. It was icy-cold and purple. I had to send it back twice, and even after the third attempt, it was still underdone. I finally told the waitress to let it go.
I was typically full of bread by then, and everyone else had finished eating. The waitress wouldn't stop bothering me, trying to convince me it was a quality steak and that I just needed to specify how I wanted it cooked. When I expressed my disinterest, she responded unkindly, and told me she was cutting me off after my second drink.
I asked her to leave me be since I didn't want to argue further. Five minutes later, she showed up again, telling me something like, "You're stuck with me. This is my table". All I wanted was to ignore her—but she made the situation worse. Later, she threatened to bring the 6'3" chef out to talk to me.
I replied, "Is he going to kick my butt and stuff the steak down my throat?" By then, I was pretty angry. When she attempted to walk away, I got up, and said, "Sure, bring him out here, and I'll give him his raw steak back". She disappeared and never returned. The chef never showed up either.
Within minutes, the manager approached, deeply regretful, and offered to bring me a new steak along with a free meal voucher. But there was no way I was ever eating there again. This was undoubtedly my worst ever dining experience. I always respect waitstaff and tip generously.
I've worked their job and I understand how tough it can be, so I'm always forgiving of a grumpy or less than friendly waitress. Needless to say, her response to my fair complaint was completely unacceptable.
26. At The Tipping Point
I'm originally from Wisconsin, and I found myself touring a group of Canadians around one day. The plan was to show them everything our place had to offer, from our shopping malls to our famous cheese. Lunchtime rolled around and we decided to dig into some American fare at TGI Friday's.
I opted for a simple $8 salad and a cold coke, which came out to about $12 once tax was included. Our party was small, less than eight, so tipping was entirely optional. Something just felt off since the waiter never once topped off my coke, even though we were there for well over an hour.
When I finished eating, I handed over a $20 bill to cover my meal. As we prepared to leave, I noticed that everyone else got their change back, ready to head back to the bus. My change was nowhere in sight. I waited and waited—for thirty long minutes, in fact.
That's when my squadron commander wondered why I was still stuck at the table all alone. I explained the matter—my waiter simply hadn't returned my change. My squadron commander went and had a word with the waiter, who immediately came back with my money. I didn't leave any tip. I was left wondering why he behaved the way he did towards me.
27. Hidden Figures
My spouse and I decided to eat out with some pals at a relatively nice dining spot. We only had cash on hand, so as we ordered, we tried to be cautious and gave an ample estimate of the total cost to make sure we had enough. However, when we received our check, the amount was much higher than we expected.
Although we had just enough money to cover it, it didn't leave much room for a significant tip. As it turns out, the eatery had recently raised their prices on almost all their items, but no one bothered to inform us or print new menus. It would have been useful to learn this before our orders were made rather than after receiving the bill.
To cover the bill, we handed over all the cash we had brought, which unfortunately resulted in a tip that was embarrassingly small. As we were preparing to leave, our server approached me and started hurling insults at me, all related to being stingy, insincere, and a loser, due to the small tip.
She vented her frustration at me for a solid five minutes, with our friends and other customers as an unintended audience, as well as the manager, thankfully. Initially, I felt lousy about the low tip. After her rant, however, I articulated that part of her tip was lost due to the hiked-up prices she didn't disclose.
This prompted the manager to fire her on the spot. He apologized profusely to us and offered to pay for our next meal, with no restrictions. Regardless, none of us have set foot in there since that event.
28. We Didn’t See Eye To Eye
One evening, I decided to take a close friend of mine out for dinner to lift her spirits. She recently lost her eye and was fresh out of the hospital. Her spirits were incredibly low and her perception of depth was greatly affected, making it appear like she wasn't entirely sober. Once we arrived at the restaurant, almost every server seemed to be laser-focused on her.
She held onto my arm tightly, trying to avoid their gazes. We were seated and our waiter quickly took our orders, delivered our food, and continued with his other duties. Halfway into our meal, my friend accidentally spilled her drink. What our waiter said in response made my blood run cold. He told her, "Try to be more careful, cyclops".
I was absolutely livid, but before I could even utter a word, she confronted the waiter, saying, "I would hit you for that, but I’d probably miss" before making a swift exit. I promptly followed, leaving without paying, and vowed to never return. We then moved on to the nearby diner.
I gently explained to the manager about her situation and our previous unpleasant experience. In return, we were treated like royalty. We were even granted a 50% discount on our meals, though I decided to pay in full, giving the remainder to our server as a generous tip.
29. Double The Trouble
I recently got hired at a new job and had lunch with my new boss. Our waitress, in the midst of a busy lunch rush, asked if we wanted separate bills. My boss chose to have just one bill. However, after clearing our table, she queried us again about the bill split. My boss clarified that he'd be taking care of the bill.
Our waitress was generally great at her job, but seemed harried due to the lunch crowd. My boss, on the other hand, was rather rude. He seemed to be delighted at the prospect of unsettling her and questioned, "Why are we still discussing this? Didn't we earlier decide on one bill?" She hesitantly responded she'd misunderstood.
He then asked her about the tip amount. Squirming under pressure, she muttered, "Whatever you think is fair". My boss didn't drop the matter and continued coaxing her to suggest a tip amount. With reluctance, she indicated the average rate, but stated that she really couldn't dictate what he tipped.
Persisting, he said, "Give me a figure, and I'll tip accordingly". Then she said, "So I can say 100 dollars?" The look on his face was one of disbelief, as he asked, "Yes, but did your service warrant a $100 tip today? If you honestly believe you've provided a $100 worth of service today, I'll tip that amount".
This awkward exchange continued until he finally said, “Alright, you can leave". I genuinely think he left her with no tip at all. It was an incredibly unpleasant dining experience.
30. All Bets Were Off
The worst dining experience I've ever had was at a Burger Bar in Vegas. The service that night left a lot to be desired. Once the waitress served our meal, we didn't see her for the rest of the evening. We were left high and dry with empty drinks and without the ketchup my buddy requested.
Even after we'd polished off our food, the bill was nowhere in sight for a solid 25 minutes. Out of desperation, I managed to flag down a different waiter and let him know that we'd been waiting forever for the bill, as our waitress seemed to have vanished.
Instead of offering to help, he reacted poorly by making a dismissive sound, saying, "I'm not your waiter", and leaving us hanging.
31. The Night Was A Wash
I was dining out, and our server hadn't brought us a drink refill since we arrived. A different staff member served our meal, but I needed a beverage to eat my food. Despite plenty of opportunities, our waitress consistently ignored my polite attempts to catch her eye.
She was primarily attending to a table diagonally across from us, frequently visiting and interacting with their baby. My frustration grew as she repeatedly passed our table without checking in. My food was cooling down and my throat was parched. Thus, I decided to insistently grab her attention.
She did notice me eventually—but the saga didn’t stop there. I began with, “Can I please get...” before she abruptly cut me off, saying, “You know what, one minute," even placing her finger in my face. Soon, she was back at the other table, filling their glasses and engrossed in a chat.
In the end, I had to seek another staff member to refill my drink—marking the first time I ever refrained from leaving a tip.
32. Meet The Chef
At the age of 23, I scored my first job as a head chef. I was picked to be part of a crew tasked with rejuvenating a struggling sports pub and diner in a vibrant university city. The day after accepting the job, I chose to go and scope out the place.
As my hiring had been done over a phone call, I was still a stranger to the staff. One evening, I strolled into the half-empty joint with a lady friend of mine and we waited, surprisingly, for about 20 minutes to get seated. We were met by a tired, irritable server who clearly lacked experience.
She introduced herself as Lisa and asked if we wanted a drink. I amused myself thinking, "This is going to be interesting". I good-humoredly requested a glass of Louis XIII, to which she responded in confusion, "Um, I don't think we serve that". I grinned and told her, "Don’t worry, I was just joking. Two mojitos, please".
As she walked away, I heard her mutter a distasteful remark under her breath. When our drinks arrived, I politely asked Lisa to clarify her previous comment. Furious, she blasted, "How dare you? Who do you think you are?" I calmly replied, "Look, I didn’t mean to upset you. But I must say, that was uncalled for and unwelcoming".
She retorted with a nasty comment, making it clear she wasn’t interested in pleasing me or my date. I modeled my most stern expression and requested to see the owner. Visibly shaken, Lisa scampered off and came back with him. He politely asked, "What seems to be the issue, sir?"
I replied, "There’s no issue at all! I just thought I'd introduce myself before starting work tomorrow". Expressing gratitude for his hospitality, I told him how excited I was to start and asked if he could ensure all staff members, particularly our delightful server, were present the following morning.
He amiably acknowledged my request and expressed his anticipation for our collaboration. I shot a playful wink at my server, who was by now clearly anxious.
33. No Winner At This Chicken Dinner
One day, I decided to grab a bite at a local homestyle eatery. After a nearly half-hour wait, my meal finally arrived but unfortunately, it had a concerning issue. It appeared that my chicken was undercooked in the center. Not wanting to risk illness, I calmly asked the waitress to return it to the kitchen.
However, her response was less than professional. She angrily reported to the chef that I was "unhappy with the meal and declining to consume it". Upon her return, she informed me that the chef wouldn't be able to cook it further without singeing the exterior.
They outright refused to prepare a fresh piece of chicken and didn't bother to deduct it from my bill. Needless to mention, I ended up filing a complaint with the local health authority.
34. Say Cheese Please
I found myself in a city where I requested a simple hamburger sub. What I got, though, was a cheeseburger sub. I clarified my original order by saying, "I asked for a plain hamburger". The server, however, contradicted me, claiming, "Nope, you didn't. Your order was a cheeseburger sub".
I responded with assurance, "I've spent my entire life being lactose intolerant. I would never accidentally order a cheeseburger sub". He made the offer to resolve the situation and, while I watched, he began removing the cheese using the edge of a spoon.
35. Roll With It
In a bid to switch things up, I decided to dine in at my regular sushi take-out spot. However, things quickly went south. My order arrived ten minutes after my sister's meal, and it was completely wrong. I questioned the waitress, genuinely unable to identify the sushi roll on my plate.
Her response was brief, just murmuring the roll's name before she walked away. Looking it up on the menu, I was shocked to discover it was a $13 roll, not the $5 one I ordered. I pulled the waitress back over, stating there'd been a mix-up with my order.
Unbelievably, she simply replied, "It's already been made," and disappeared. I couldn't believe how she was handling the situation, completely ignoring our table while we simmered with irritation. What was already a ridiculous situation only escalated as, after much effort to get her attention again, she blamed me for the mistake and vanished once more.
The commotion wasn't lost on the sushi chef, who, seeing my frustration, started speaking with the waitress in Japanese. The exchange became heated as she pointed at me and raised her voice. Eventually, I found myself losing my cool, demanding she removed the incorrect roll and provide our bill for the orders we actually made.
Much to my surprise, as we moved to pay at the counter—right by the sushi chef's spot—he presented the roll I initially requested. Despite the chaos, he maintained his professionalism which I appreciated. I suggested he pack up my correct order in a take-out box and assured him I'd pay for it.
Then, looking our waitress squarely in the eyes, I passionately stated, "I'll cover the cost of the two rolls I initially ordered and nothing more". Despite my clear statement, she had the audacity to try and bill me for the $12.95 roll. That was the final straw for both my sister and me, and our tempers flared.
The ensuing uproar was certainly uncomfortable for patrons around us, and as we left the restaurant, we could feel every eye upon us.
36. Go Suck An Egg!
Several days post my mom's surgery, we decided to try a new breakfast joint. Seeing my mom struggling with her prescribed soft and bland diet, she specifically ordered two poached eggs from the approaching waitress. However, the waitress rejected her order, saying it was too boring.
Promising us a delightful experience, she went on to suggest her own version of scrambled eggs that supposedly everyone raved about, and then hastily headed back to the kitchen.
After waiting for about thirty minutes, the waitress returned, bearing a plate of heavily seasoned, semi-cooked scrambled eggs, smothered with cheese and spinach, and filled with other unknown ingredients. However, mom couldn't stomach it and requested her kindly to change them.
Here, we got to know that she was also the owner and was quite adamant about not exchanging the order. Hence, mom and I mutually decided to not pay for the food and began to exit. To our shock, the owner tagged along with us, accusing us unjustly of not appreciating her culinary skills.
Additionally, she threatened to call the authorities.
37. Put A Cork In It
I've spent my entire career in the restaurant industry, which has allowed me to gain experience in almost every role. Because of this, it's easy for me to connect with servers and bartenders when I dine out. I don't often receive poor service, but I don't hesitate to call out any silly games.
Once, I was dining at a popular steakhouse in Nantucket, a place where I ate regularly. I enjoyed sitting outside at the bar where my friend served as the bartender. Being a wine enthusiast, I always brought a bottle from my collection to enjoy with dinner. Although most places would charge a corkage fee for this, around $10-$15, my friend never did.
It was customary for me to share half a glass with my friend and send another to the chef, who was also a close buddy. One evening, I visited with a few friends and as usual, brought a couple of bottles along. We asked our waitress for glasses and to uncork our first bottle.
She was about to do so when the new sommelier rushed over and stopped her—I wasn't sure what was happening. The sommelier informed us that we weren't allowed to bring our own wine, that the restaurant had never allowed it and neither did any other restaurants.
I explained that I'd been bringing my own bottles for years, not just here but at many other places, and was typically charged a corkage fee. She insisted she'd never heard of such a fee and that it was against the rules. I then asked her to bring the menu.
She did, and I pointed out the clause stating, "A corkage fee of $15 will be charged for any patrons bringing their own". She dismissed it as an error. Eventually, I let her know that I owned a restaurant nearby and was well-versed with the laws. At that stage, my chef friend came out to greet us.
The sommelier began to state her case to him, but he directed her to his office promising to discuss it later. He then apologized to us. We all had a good chuckle over it and carried on to have a great dinner. Since that incident, the new sommelier has always steered clear of me.
38. C’est La Vie
When I was younger, my mom, her buddy, and I went on a day outing to France. We figured out it'd be nice to have a meal at a local restaurant. I'm English, and back then, I was studying French in school, so I knew a bit of the language. Despite my French being quite rough around the edges, I managed to place our orders.
Our order was taken by the waitress, and then we settled into a 20-minute wait. During that period, we witnessed other people enter, sit, order and eat, while we were left waiting, our patience dwindling. A half hour later, we brought up the delay in our order.
Only 40 minutes into our wait did we finally get served. But the incident that really left a mark happened during our exit. I overheard the waitress referring to us as "English pigs" in French. It was rather ironic because I am partially French by descent, as was my mom, and her friend was actually Swedish, not English.
39. He Was Rude No Matter How You Slice It
While in university, I once ordered a pizza from a nearby eatery. The fellow on the call inquired if I'd prefer paying through cash or card. Opting for the card, I thought nothing more of it since it's common for the delivery vehicles to have card machines. So, I wasn't surprised when he didn't ask for my card details on the phone.
On arrival, I handed over my card to the delivery man. He looked at me, puzzled. What he followed up with was truly hard to forget: "Where do you expect me to swipe this, my backside?" I was taken aback and just remained there dumbstruck. Meanwhile, my famished girlfriend, craving pizza yet wishing to avoid any dispute, quickly fetched some cash.
And there I was, standing flabbergasted, pizza cartons in my hands.
40. Lo Mein Losers
We got Chinese takeout from a restaurant named Empire and honestly, the food was a disappointment to start with. But that wasn't even the worst part. They completely disregarded basic courtesy. Our delivery, which they assured would arrive in 25 minutes, took over an hour to get to us. To top it all off, they messed up our order and pocketed the payment for a dish that never showed up.
They dismissed the mistake on their end with the excuse that the extra money was meant for tips. When we phoned the place to complain, the manager simply brushed us off saying it was our issue, despite us having confirmation of our order and six people who witnessed everything.
The attempt to discuss the situation got us nowhere—he responded with harsh words, insulted us and ultimately told us to shove off. They were just incredibly unpleasant to deal with.
41. I Was Left Shaken, Not Stirred
On a Friday evening, I visited a local pub and decided to order a pomegranate martini. The waitress, who wasn't particularly friendly, gave me an odd look but said nothing. As the night progressed, I unintentionally knocked over my male friend's drink. I assured him that I'd order him another when the waitress returned—and I did.
At my order, she made a teasing comment: "Finally switching to the good stuff?" I clarified that the drink was for my friend next to me. When she brought the drink, she started to say something as she inserted a straw into the glass, but then she stopped short. Misunderstanding, my friend asked her to repeat herself.
She then said, insinuatingly, "I was gonna bring two straws for you, but I guess his [pointing at me] lipstick will just mark his side". Her comment fell flat—no one found it funny. It was clear she'd crossed a line. I did my best to brush it off. After the meal, we left. We happened to return after a couple of weeks, and unfortunately, we got the same waitress.
When it was my turn to order a drink, I requested a water as I was the designated driver that night. She shot back, "No pomegranate martinis tonight?" I reiterated my order for water and tried to dismiss her. She pushed further, snidely saying, "Gonna drink like a real man tonight, hmm?" At this point, I lost my patience.
But instead of lashing out at her, I simply shook my head, grabbed my coat, and calmly walked out. I'm not someone who's easily provoked, especially when it comes to my orientation, but she really hit a sore point. I haven't returned to that place since.
42. My Irish Eye Were Smiling
My girlfriend and I were vacationing in the Canary Islands, where it's common for restaurants to have hosts who actively persuade passers-by to dine with them. They varied in their assertiveness, but usually offered free beverages to draw people in.
While taking a casual walk one evening, a particular restaurant host invited us in for a meal. I politely responded that we were just out for a walk and would consider it once we worked up an appetite. In the course of our little chat, he found out we were from Ireland and spoke a few words in Gaelic to us, which got a few laughs.
Later, when he approached us again and we declined his offer, he got a bit aggressive. He suddenly held onto my elbow and whispered "Pog mo thoin" in my ear, which means "kiss my backside" in Gaelic. I was about to retort back, but my girlfriend quickly pulled me away from the scene.
We ended up settling for a restaurant with a stunning view of the sunset over the water, although it was within sight of the rude host's joint. While I ruminated over the incident, I tried to keep my cool to avoid ruining the evening for my girlfriend. As we awaited our appetizers, a raucous eruption of noise caught our attention.
We looked to see the same host in a scuffle with a man wearing a Gaelic football jersey. The Irish guy came in with an impressive "dragon punch," sending the host sprawling over a table. It was a sight to behold. You know what the best part was? The other restaurant hosts, along with onlookers from the scene, burst into cheers and applause!
43. Condescending To The Core
Once, in a high-end restaurant, a waiter threw some pretty harsh, albeit polished, jabs my way. My parents had treated me to a date at the fanciest place in Milan, where I met my girlfriend. Fresh off campus, I showed up in my typical outfit—a backpack, sneakers and casual gear.
Meanwhile, my girlfriend was dressed to the nines, looking as elegant as a royal. One glance at the well-dressed crowd, and I realized I'd majorly botched up on my choice of attire. And the waiter certainly didn't let me forget it. He expressed his disapproval of my outfit in a series of refined put-downs throughout the night.
The incident that struck me the most was when he was serving our drinks. Normally, it's customary for the man to taste the wine before it's served. But, he looked at me and said to my girlfriend, "I assume, with the circumstances, it would be madame doing the tasting," as he poured the wine into her glass.
44. Childish Remarks
My spouse and I decided to have dinner at a buzzworthy new restaurant in town with a couple of our buddies. Boy, were we in for a plot twist. When we settled into our seats, to our surprise, our waitress turned out to be my wife's high school chum whom she hadn't seen in roughly 15 years.
Naturally, they spent some time reminiscing and asking the catch-up questions like, "Do you have kids?" My wife and I had chosen a path of not having children, a conscious decision we were comfortable with. So, when my wife answered with a meek "No," her old pal, obviously puzzled, turned towards me and blurted, "What? Are you incapable or something?"
I was taken aback and almost lost my cool.
45. She Got Her Just Desserts
My partner and I decided to enjoy a night out, just the two of us, at a restaurant. When we entered, we were greeted by a waitress who was in the process of training a newbie waiter, as she let us know while taking our orders. All was well until our food arrived.
Unfortunately, it was overspiced to the point of being inedible, but hunger made us stick it out and endure. Once we had pushed through the meal and asked for our check, the waitress politely inquired if we would be interested in any desserts, to which we politely declined.
Then, she turned to the waiter-in-training, and with a misleading smile says, "They never want dessert". Her snide remark, certainly intended to be overheard, breached the standard protocol of respect for customers. Her comment could've waited until we had either left or were beyond earshot.
It was this rudeness that prompted my first ever impulse to speak to a manager. Suffice to say, we never returned to that venue.
46. This Service Was Crummy
We decided to dine at Buffalo Wild Wings and got a table. However, we ended up being unnoticed by three different waitstaff. One of them came near us, cleared away a bit of food from a table, then turned and left. We stayed there with our menus for about 20 minutes, got up, and left the place.
As we were exiting, the person at the hostess station chirped, "Thanks! Come again!" We responded, "Thanks! But we didn't get any service!"
47. Over The Top
A few years ago, my mother visited the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO. At the conclusion of the tour, complimentary beer samples were on offer. When asked what she'd like, she made a quick but regretful decision. Thinking nothing of it, she requested a Miller Lite.
In response, the server gave her a mean stare, filled her glass half with water and half with beer, abruptly set it down, and insulted her with harsh words.
48. Stupidity Drove Her To Do It
Once, when I was 23, I decided to catch up with some friends at a local Asian eatery. I always looked younger than my age, around 16 or 17, which was sometimes a good thing. Arriving at the restaurant, I was told by the hostess that they couldn't serve underage patrons without an adult.
This was something I encountered regularly, so I just showed her my driving license. To my surprise, she thought it was a fake. What followed was downright bizarre. She snatched my driving license, ripped it up right in front of me, and then called the authorities. When the officers arrived, they checked out my license details.
They confirmed to the hostess that the license was indeed genuine. After this episode, not only did I get a meal on the house, but the manager also asked me if I would like the hostess to be dismissed. I declined that outright as I didn't want to hold a grudge over what I saw as a silly mistake.
49. If That Don’t Beat All
I made plans to treat my boyfriend to dinner while he was visiting my city. All seemed well until the bill arrived. I reached into my wallet, pulled out my credit card and handed it to our server. To my surprise, the server glanced at my boyfriend and bluntly asked me, "Does he make you pay every time?"
It sounded like the server found it troubling for a man to let a woman foot the bill for a date.
50. This Waitress Was Cooked
I was hanging out in Kansas City at a trendy restaurant; the place was essentially a bar set up with a stage for live jazz and a few tables scattered about. I was in town catching up with old college buddies and we found ourselves posted at the bar for almost an hour, waiting for a table to become available.
Finally, a table freed up and our waitress walked over to refill our drinks and discuss the fixed-price menu. Being an enthusiastic vegetarian, the meat-centric menu had given me second thoughts about dining at this place. Tactfully, I mentioned to our waitress that I was a vegetarian and inquired if there was something they could whip up for me. If not, I was more than content to sit back and enjoy my martini.
About 15 minutes later, one of the chefs approached our table and took a seat. The first thing that slipped from her lips was, "So I hear some geeky dude wants us to prepare a vegetarian dish for him". Little did she know, I was well-equipped to respond to that. I asked, "Well, what did you say to that?"
With a grin, she responded, "Oh, I told her never to call my best friend like that". Yes, as it turned out, my best friend from college was one of the chefs, and the waitress just threw a shade at me, unknowingly to her.
Sources: Reddit, ,
