Over the last few months I've had to eat out more than usual due to traveling for work and busy sports schedules for the kids. I've been to different cities and even out of state and have had bad experiences a majority of the times I ate out. The problems have ranged from getting the wrong order, missing items from my order, burnt food, being overcharged for food, dirty tables and seats with nobody cleaning them, having to wait crazy lengths of time for service or food, and not even being waited on at all. I've walked out of 2 places- I was seated at one but nobody came and took my drink order (I have a 10 minute rule), the other I stood at the hostess stand and was not seated in spite of servers walking all around. I seated myself after a few minutes but then nobody took my drink order.


I am the most laid back non-confrontational person you would most likely meet but it is ridiculous. I pay good money for food and expect a quality meal. How can you set a burnt steak down in front of a customer? If the server bothered to look down at the plate she would have seen it. Or the waitress that was irritated when I complained about chicken wings that had so much grease in the basket it was running onto the table and dripping onto the freakin floor, and the wings were way overcooked and not edible. I understand places and people can get busy and mistakes happen but a lot of it is people just not doing their job. This has happened at fast food places up to nicer sit down restaurants. It seems like prices are going up, food quality and portions are going down, and the quality of workers is going down. There have been some excellent experiences in there but I would say the bad ones outnumber the good ones 2-1. Is this a problem for anyone else?

Yes, it is awful. I attribute it to the staff being on their phones every spare moment rather than paying attention to detail.

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Originally posted by cooger:
Or the waitress that was irritated when I complained about chicken wings that had so much grease in the basket it was running onto the table and dripping onto the freakin floor,

Nothing to complain about there. That's a damn fine wing!

I get it though. I don't travel a bunch these days, but some years ago, I noticed the same thing happening. I found that the best places to go to were the local mom and pop diners. Friendly folks and good home cookin'.

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chicken wings that had so much grease in the basket it was running onto the table and dripping onto the freakin floor

A lot of hot wing sauce uses butter or similar. It's more likely that than grease.

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Originally posted by a1abdj:

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chicken wings that had so much grease in the basket it was running onto the table and dripping onto the freakin floor

A lot of hot wing sauce uses butter or similar. It's more likely that than grease.

These were boneless wings and this was oil from the deep fryer.

I am wondering how much of this, and i agree it is getting worse, has to do with uber eats and other delivery qpps.

I was talking to a friend who owns a resteraunt. He gets swamped with uber eats orders. Causing diners to have to wait. He says some night it can be 2 to 3 times more than pick up or dine in
.

Not saying it's impossible, but when you put chicken into hot oil the moisture coming out of the chicken prevents much of the oil from absorbing in. This is true with some other fried foods as well.

Generally the only way to get it "oily" is to put in in oil that is too cold or to fry it for too long.

But the sauces are "greasy" and will separate. Many confuse that liquid as coming out of the chicken.

I feel that way around here too...I’m wondering if it’s due to a good economy in our neck of the woods, making good help hard to find (?)

I probably get 1/3 of my meals in restaurants and right now I am hard pressed to find much difference between big-name restaurants and some of the quickie fast food

I did have two great meals in Riverside this week - but they were pricey

I was staying at The Mission Inn in Riverside and I must admit that the food was great, as was the wine selection

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Originally posted by a1abdj:

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chicken wings that had so much grease in the basket it was running onto the table and dripping onto the freakin floor

A lot of hot wing sauce uses butter or similar. It's more likely that than grease.

Butter or the like is grease.

Restaurants have always had issues with getting functional people.

The current employment market means everyone is short of help

The current, very young folks, are an improvement, but millenials are a disaster in the work place.

Lower quality help over all. People do not have the same work ethic they did a decade or more ago.

flashguy

We don't eat out much, but it seems when we do, it is a local restaurant with involved ownership that keeps a tight watch on quality control, or chik-fil-a.....

I don't go out to eat often. But when I do, it's in Japan and the experience is fantastic.

Seriously, I actually don't eat out often. Mostly just while on biz trips (and rarely when I take vacation). If I do eat out, it's usually take-out. When it's eat-in, yes, I'm generally disappointed in food and/or service regardless of price. Expensive can be hit/miss as can be cheap.

Sadly, the most consistently good service w/ reasonable food is Chik-fil-A.

There is a general lack of customer orientation these days. Everything is just a job where people "don't get paid enough to take that shit" or whatever the prevailing attitude is. Basically, take it or leave it. Customers are a necessity or part of work and effectively just an annoyance to take care of.

I'm generally disappointed when eating out - food and/or service.

I'm back - I stepped back for 5 minutes to try hard to think about at least 1 place where I enjoy dining, both food and service. Drew a blank.

30 years ago, I could rattle off places w/ ease....

Good restaurants, bad ones- to me, it really hasn't changed all that much in the last 20 years. To be honest, in general, the choices I have made in restaurants lately have mostly resulted in decent to excellent meals and service.

I've had bad meals 25 years ago, and I've had bad meals this year. But I'd say the good ones outnumbered the bad ones. YMMV.

Go to Whole Foods and hit their buffet. I do this frequently while on the road and at least I can eat somewhat healthy.

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Originally posted by coloradohunter44:
Go to Whole Foods and hit their buffet. I do this frequently while on the road and at least I can eat somewhat healthy.

I always end up spending close to $20 when I go there, find most of their food bland, and wished I ordered to go from a good restaurant.

It’s the millennials, they have no sense or urgency and just don’t care

Today I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, a strawberry milkshake, and a salad with no tomatoes.

I received a blue cheese crumble burger, no milkshake, and a salad with lots of tomatoes. And the salad came AFTER my meal, not before as an appetizer as is customary. And no drink refills even though my glass of water sat empty for 20 minutes. Oh, and didn't check back with me at all, so I couldn't swap my burger out, get my salad fixed, get my milk shake that I ordered, or get a refill on my water.

She got a tip of zero fucking dollars today. I always tip, but this was outlandish incompetence.

Had a great t-bone, loaded baked potato, and strawberry shortcake at a local place tonight. Food and service is always excellent.

The key is to find the good local places. Ask folks who live in the area where to eat. I typically tell them that I do NOT want a chain, unless it is a local chain.