Restaurants-Incorrect Orders

[Makenzie_queen]

I’m not sure if anyone else eats fast food, but I still do as a vegan for 2 1/2 years. Sometimes I’ll go to a restaurant, Taco Bell for example, and they’ll get my order wrong by including dairy products.

I never know what to do in this situation! Throwing away food that’s perfectly good feels terrible, but it’s contaminated with foods that I wouldn’t ordinarily eat.

What do you do if a restaurant gets your order wrong?

 

[shyvas]

I send it back.

 

[Second Summer]

I don't like food waste, but I would send it back if un-vegan foods are touching the vegan part of it. Otherwise, I'd just send back the un-vegan parts.

(No shame in eating at fast-food places BTW, a lot of us do!)

 

[Andy_T]

Yes, that is actually the worst thing happening. If I send back the food, it gets thrown away, and the animal has died in vain.

Where did that happen to me?
Taco Bell, of course. My kids were overjoyed when we had our holiday trip to Spain that there is Taco Bell in Spain (does not exist in Germany), so they wanted to have virtually every other meal there. I tried it 2 or 3 times and they always found some way to screw up my order.

My learning from this - I don't go there anymore, respectively I did not order anything when I went there with my kids.

 

[PTree15]

I send it back as well, and I will give the place a few more chances. If they keep messing up an order, I stop going there.

 

[Lou]

I don't think that has ever happened to me. And I don't think I have ever sent food back. I used to wait tables and my general impression of people who sent food back was very uncomplimentary. so I think i have a strong aversion to sending food back. Plus the whole food waste thing. I also don't have any strong aversion to non vegan food. I don't believe it is toxic or could hurt me. So I'm pretty sure I would just eat it.

But like i said that has not happened to me. I might change my mind when confronted with it.

 

[David3]

It depends how big the mistake is:

• If they bring me the completely wrong item (like a steak), I send it back.
• If they bring me the correct item, but there is a small amount of accidental, non-vegan material that I can mostly remove (cheese or meat), I just remove it, and eat.
• If they bring me the correct item, but there is non-vegan material that I can't easily remove (meat broth, or lots of meat, or mixed-in sour cream or cheese sauce), I send it back.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Taco Bell and Del Taco fast food restaurants. For so many years, they've offered low-cost, satisfying vegan options. For a while, they sold their "7 layer burritos" (vegan, if you omit the cheese and sour cream) for $5 for 3 burritos! I always give them a tip.

If you're ever in the Inland Empire area of Southern California, there's a Tastee Freez restaurant that switched over to all-vegetarian in 1984. Old School! "Covina Tasty", in Covina. They serve vegan burgers, vegan "chicken" and "fish" sandwiches, and hot dogs, vegetarian ice cream (full menu), and vegan ice cream (limited menu). Even though they're no longer affiliated with the Tastee Freez corporation, they still have those cute 1970s Tastee Freez posters in their windows.



Old School!

 

[Nekodaiden]

I so rarely eat out that this is not an issue for me, because when I do it's either at a place where it's easy to order a vegan meal (such as Subway) and you can watch your food being prepared or it's something convenient that can't be screwed up with animal products (like fries in most places).

The only hiccup (possible hiccup) I had in the last 2.5 years was I ordered a soup from a food court outlet that, upon asking explicitly if it contained any egg/dairy/meat, I was told it absolutely did not. However it tasted like it had egg mixed into it. There are spices that mimic egg taste (like Indian Black Salt), so it might have been that. However, I did get a strong mucous reaction finishing the soup. To this day I don't know for sure but suspect. So - my answer was not to go back.

If I were to visit an establishment where what I order might be questionable (dressings, for instance, milk/butter in mashed potatoes etc) I would ask ahead of time and make sure the order taker knew I specifically asked for a meat/dairy/egg free meal. That way it's upfront and he/she can tell me if any part of the meal contains said substances (as they should be able to, working there). After making this clear and I still got animal products, I would send the meal back and not go there again.

 

[Veganite]

If I go out for fast food, which is very rare, I always try to make it sound so important that they can't possibly goof up my order.

For example: "Please understand that I have a deathly allergic reaction to eggs and dairy. Chances are I would go into anaphylactic shock if I was to consume even the smallest amount. Do you think you could possibly inform your chefs of this, as I don't wish to go to the hospital, or worse yet, die here in your restaurant.". Sadly, I've still had mistakes happen. I politely send them back.

My learning from this: I only eat from a fast food place if I have no other choice, and with the above quote, roughly. So basically, only when traveling, and even then I would take a sushi restaurant over burgers and tacos. All sushi places make veggie rolls. It's either that or I go directly to the grocery store and have my way with the produce section.



*

 

[David3]

If I go out for fast food, which is very rare, I always try to make it sound so important that they can't possibly goof up my order.

For example: "Please understand that I have a deathly allergic reaction to eggs and dairy. Chances are I would go into anaphylactic shock if I was to consume even the smallest amount. Do you think you could possibly inform your chefs of this, as I don't wish to go to the hospital, or worse yet, die here in your restaurant.". Sadly, I've still had mistakes happen. I politely send them back.

My learning from this: I only eat from a fast food place if I have no other choice, and with the above quote, roughly. So basically, only when traveling, and even then I would take a sushi restaurant over burgers and tacos. All sushi places make veggie rolls. It's either that or I go directly to the grocery store and have my way with the produce section.

*

The next time, if they still make a kitchen mistaken, you could try imitating an actual anaphylactic shock. Then, just in time, have your companion "rescue" you with a fake epinephrine pen. That might cement the intended lesson. Or, it might just result in the restaurant''s management posting huge legal disclaimer signs all over the restaurant:

"Not responsible for customer deaths due to kitchen mistakes!"

"Major allergens are present in every menu item (including the ice water)!"

"Customer responsible for adequate chewing before swallowing!"

"Don't sue! Aw my gawd please don't sue!"




.

 

[Amy SF]

The next time, if they still make a kitchen mistaken, you could try imitating an actual anaphylactic shock. Then, just in time, have your companion "rescue" you with a fake epinephrine pen. That might cement the intended lesson. Or, it might just result in the restaurant''s management posting huge legal disclaimer signs all over the restaurant: "Not responsible for customer deaths due to kitchen mistakes! Major allergens are present in every menu item (including the ice water)! Customer responsible for adequate chewing before swallowing! Don't sue! Don't sue!"


.

I think faking anaphylactic shock could backfire big time. They’d end up assuming that everyone who experiences anaphylactic shock or any other negative reaction to their food is actually faking it, for one reason or another, and they might ban the customers, sneak the supposedly taboo ingredients into their dishes for revenge, or whatever else.

For the record, I maintain that one should NEVER pretend to be allergic to certain foods if they’re not. It could end up hurting people who are genuinely allergic.

 

[shyvas]

It depends how big the mistake is:

• If they bring me the completely wrong item (like a steak), I send it back.
• If they bring me the correct item, but there is a small amount of accidental, non-vegan material that I can mostly remove (cheese or meat), I just remove it, and eat.
• If they bring me the correct item, but there is non-vegan material that I can't easily remove (meat broth, or lots of meat, or mixed-in sour cream or cheese sauce), I send it back.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Taco Bell and Del Taco fast food restaurants. For so many years, they've offered low-cost, satisfying vegan options. For a while, they sold their "7 layer burritos" (vegan, if you omit the cheese and sour cream) for $5 for 3 burritos! I always give them a tip.

If you're ever in the Inland Empire area of Southern California, there's a Tastee Freez restaurant that switched over to all-vegetarian in 1984. Old School! "Covina Tasty", in Covina. They serve vegan burgers, vegan "chicken" and "fish" sandwiches, and hot dogs, vegetarian ice cream (full menu), and vegan ice cream (limited menu). Even though they're no longer affiliated with the Tastee Freez corporation, they still have those cute 1970s Tastee Freez posters in their windows.

View attachment 21438

Old School!

View attachment 21443

That's good to know (very inexpensive) as I used to go and visit a place nearby. However, I wouldn't call Covina part of the Inland Empire region as it's in San Gabriel Valley. San Bernadino and Riverside are part of Inland Empire.

 

[Blues]

I communicate with not only the waiters but also the chefs so they understand exactly my request.if I can’t see the chef I just walk out the back where they are cooking . I use kindness and humour as my calling card and have always been warmly welcomed to talk it through. Once I was with family and friends (meat eaters) and the restaurant messed up my meal , geez the group went right of at the management for getting it wrong they seemed incredibly protective of me and my food choices.
So I thought it through latter and came up with fronting up to the chef idea .
But in answer to your question ,yes, I would politely send it back .

 

[Veganismo]

It's complicated. If you send it back it gets thrown away and your newly made vegan food is an additional drain on resources and food. If you end up taking two portions of everything then whatever incidental animal death occurred to get that food to you such as insects or birds being hit by trucks delivering vegan hamburger buns to the restaurant, is doubled. It's like throwing away leather shoes to buy canvas shoes (as I have done) or buying new canvas shoes instead of used leather shoes from Goodwill ( as I have also done) . To exaggerate, it's like buying a brand new vegan car because your car now has leather seats and a leather steering wheel. Think of all the resources and pain and suffering of animals and humans that go into getting your new vegan car to you from mining the raw materials to production in sweatshops to Transportation pollution, Etc.

I only eat out about once a month but I would say about half the time my order gets messed up. This is especially true at my local Burger King which does not seem to understand the phrase "no mayonnaise." I just scrape it off because I don't want to be responsible for all the negative effects associated with remaking an entire order. Now I don't go there.

I'm not saying I know the answer, I'm just saying that there are certain negative effects of returning food that could be considered. I first started thinking this way when I was pricing a replacement rubber steering wheel for my current leather steering wheel, The only leather part of my car. The price wasn't too high but when I started thinking about what it would take to produce and get that new steering wheel to me I realized that would do some environmental damage along the way and even though it wasn't leather surely some animals would be harmed in creating some of the components or assembling the steering wheel or Transportation or whatever. As much as I don't want to touch a leather steering wheel, I had to subjugate that feeling to stop myself from doing more harm.

As I said, it's complicated. Think about it carefully and do what you think is best, thanks for caring enough to ask the question.

 

[Blues]

It's complicated. If you send it back it gets thrown away and your newly made vegan food is an additional drain on resources and food. If you end up taking two portions of everything then whatever incidental animal death occurred to get that food to you such as insects or birds being hit by trucks delivering vegan hamburger buns to the restaurant, is doubled. It's like throwing away leather shoes to buy canvas shoes (as I have done) or buying new canvas shoes instead of used leather shoes from Goodwill ( as I have also done) . To exaggerate, it's like buying a brand new vegan car because your car now has leather seats and a leather steering wheel. Think of all the resources and pain and suffering of animals and humans that go into getting your new vegan car to you from mining the raw materials to production in sweatshops to Transportation pollution, Etc.

I only eat out about once a month but I would say about half the time my order gets messed up. This is especially true at my local Burger King which does not seem to understand the phrase "no mayonnaise." I just scrape it off because I don't want to be responsible for all the negative effects associated with remaking an entire order. Now I don't go there.

I'm not saying I know the answer, I'm just saying that there are certain negative effects of returning food that could be considered. I first started thinking this way when I was pricing a replacement rubber steering wheel for my current leather steering wheel, The only leather part of my car. The price wasn't too high but when I started thinking about what it would take to produce and get that new steering wheel to me I realized that would do some environmental damage along the way and even though it wasn't leather surely some animals would be harmed in creating some of the components or assembling the steering wheel or Transportation or whatever. As much as I don't want to touch a leather steering wheel, I had to subjugate that feeling to stop myself from doing more harm.

As I said, it's complicated. Think about it carefully and do what you think is best, thanks for caring enough to ask the question.

My experience with sending it back is that it educates the restaurant how to serve up vegan food to you or the next person who comes in and orders a vegan meal.

 

[Sax]

I send it back. It's a pretty basic part of serving food that they need to do correctly - for all they know I'm allergic. Mistakes happen and I don't get angry over it, but I'm not going to lower my expectations for service or eat food tainted with body parts/fluids.

 

[shyvas]

My experience with sending it back is that it educates the restaurant how to serve up vegan food to you or the next person who comes in and orders a vegan meal.

Yes, it's as simple as that even without adding 'vegan'. You should get exactly what you order. Afterall that is what the hospitality service is all
about ; satisfying the customer.

 

[Lou]

I think if this is a big worry of yours, just don't go to fast-food restaurants or any restaurants. I know a vegan that won't even get a cup of coffee at McDonald's because he won't support a company that serves up so much chicken, beef, and eggs.

 

[silva]

I've had worse issues with cilantro myself.
I so rarely eat out, but I plan very well before I go, and if it's not right I will send it back. This is an area I don't discern things like if the whole grain bread has honey.
Actually, I do have more issues with vegan things I can't eat, like cilantro seems to be everywhere, and vegan restaurants love to use avocado, which is the only food that really makes me ill!

 

[Hog]

Now that I am vegan, I prefer not to dine out.

A little respect goes a long way in a restaurant. When my wife and I enter a restaurant, we treat people with respect. Thus, there is a distinct deference in the level of service that we receive compared to most people.

I recall taking a group of eight people to a restaurant. I informed the waitress that I was paying the bill and we were there to have a good time.

The waitress said, "For a party of more than eight people there is a flat 18 percent tip."

I very politely informed her that normal rules do not apply to me. She said, "If you have a problem with it, it is between you and management."

I said, "I would never talk to management about this type of issue. It is between you and me."

She said, "That is the rule."

I said, "You do understand that this arrangement is not in your best interest.'

She talked about rules.

I said, "You have won your argument."

I turned to my wife and asked, "Would I ever tip just 18%?"

My wife said, "No."

I said, "Fine we shall follow your rules."

The waitress had a change of heart and offered to make all sorts of special accomodations.

I said, "You already won your argument. Like you said, rules are rules."

I got great service that day.