Bad Pancakes and Free Food

[coldcupofjoe]

For about a year now a coworker of mine and I have been going to this little breakfast diner across the street every Wednesday for breakfast.

The food is cheap and amazing, the two waitresses are awesome, and the owner is a great guy. And a great cook.

This guy makes almost everything from scratch, he even makes his own gravy. Which is awesome. The only things on his menu that aren't made from scratch are the pancakes and waffles.

Needless to say you don't go there for the pancakes. They're not bad but compared to the rest of the menu, they kinda pale in comparison.

Except today. The pancakes were in fact, bad. They tasted horrible.

Me and my coworker told our waitress. She didn't believe us at first, but then again we tease her alot, she can be kinda ditzy sometimes. So we made her try them.

She agreed, they were, 'ick.' She offered to replace them, we got biscuits and gravy.

The couple at the table next to us also had the pancakes and after what happened at our table they tried theirs. Apparently their pancakes were bad too. They complained long and loud, tried to get their meal comped and all kinds of crap until finally the owner came out and told them in no uncertain terms "No free food EVER!"

My coworker and I finished our biscuits and gravy while trying not to laugh at the buttwads.

[Andara Bledin]

I like that guy.

I have absolutely no problem with a "no free anything" policy. It keeps the scamming to a minimum.

^-.-^

[spark]

I just love the train of thought that goes "ew, this is awful, hey I bet I could get it for free." It's like... a completely illogical and demented thing to think! Any sane person just wants edible food when they come to a restraunt, so wanting inedible food free is silly! I'm willing to bet that they only reason their thought process went straight from "awful" to "try to get it free" is because they pull that kind of crap constantly in other situations.

[DeltaSierra]

Sounds like an awesome place to eat (as long as you don't have pancakes.)

I have DREAMS about biscuits and gravy. They just can't make it right here in Canada.

[jedimaster91]

If I had a meal that tasted that bad, I would expect a replacement and not to be charged either for said replacement or the original meal. But I wouldn't expect the entire meal comped. That's just silly.

[PepperElf]

the food quality was making me think of the Pico Mundo Grille...
up until you said the pancakes were bad

[LingualMonkey]

If I had a meal that tasted that bad, I would expect a replacement and not to be charged either for said replacement or the original meal. But I wouldn't expect the entire meal comped. That's just silly.

Actually, in this situation, I wouldn't particularly mind paying for the replacement. I've done that before, in fact.

Some places let their iced tea sit too long, and it gets...funky... If I get a bad iced tea, I'll switch to a soft drink, but I fully expect to pay for that soft drink.

[PhotoChick]

I think jedimaster means you would just be charged for one. (It's an either or sentence.)

[One-Fang]

And this, kiddies, is why learning your punctuation is important:

"...and not to be charged either, for said replacement or the original meal."

"...and not to be charged, either for said replacement or the original meal."

I automatically read it the first way and wondered how that wasn't comping the meal.

[jedimaster91]

I blame my boards that I'm studying for.

But yes, I meant I'd expect to only be charged for one if it was the kitchen's screw-up. If I just didn't care for the meal, I'd chalk it up to experience and eat more rolls.

[Akasa]

Sounds like an awesome place to eat (as long as you don't have pancakes.)

I have DREAMS about biscuits and gravy. They just can't make it right here in Canada.

In Hawaii either.

[Red_Dazes]

^_^Now I want biscuits and gravy.... curses....

I rarely ever expect my food to be comped... and am always pleasantly surprised when it is..
I think the two times I have actually asked for a refund my food was served and when I took a bite I realized it was ...well... rotten... Yeah... food poisoning is a bitch.

[Andara Bledin]

I've never been comped, but I did get free dessert once because the restaurant forgot to bring out our appetizers.

They practically fell all over themselves apologizing, because they were a starred establishment and customer service was a huge thing to them.

^-.-^

[dalesys]

I got comped when my chicken fettuccine alfredo was a little too 'al dente'...

I noticed a bite was 'extra chewy', fished around in my teeth and found the wrist ring part of a rubber glove.

I showed it to my server, she panicced, called over the shift manager...

I told them "Hey, it's OK. My grandfather taught me that you'll eat a peck of dirt a year, it's obviously well-cooked, just tell the kids in the kitchen to be more careful with their rubber band fights. Besides, one of my nephews works here."

"What's his name?"

"Barry."

"He's the manager. He's off today, but we'll comp your meal."

They checked back later to make sure I was OK (which I was) and told me: "Barry called. We told him about the accident with his uncle. He asked 'Does he look like Steven King?' Yep. 'That's my uncle dalesys for sure."

I don't mention which restaurant it was because as far as I'm concerned there was no harm & no foul.

I do tease his mother, my sister L, about it though.

[PepperElf]

better than the pizza place i first worked in.

One of the girls lost her band-aid in a pizza.

Now... technically we didn't have to wear gloves because the food was going to be cooked. However if you had a band-aid on, or a burn on your hand etc, you were allowed to wear them... I guess she just didn't bother (or care).

Needless to say, the customers were pretty grossed out when they bit into the band-aid. (yes they got free stuff)