When Eating Out Goes Wrong
From overcooked steak to bad service and long waits, there are plenty of things that diners love complaining about when eating out. And to be fair, sometimes it's justified! It's time to see whether you're being a Karen or if you're just at a bad restaurant. Here are 20 of the most common complaints diners have at restaurants - most make sense, but some might just be you acting too nitpicky.
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1. My Food Is Over/Undercooked
Looks like getting the temperature of your steak done right is hard even for professional chefs. While it doesn't happen all the time, it's not uncommon for restaurants to overcook or undercook your food, especially when it comes to meat. As long as you're not throwing a tantrum about it, the restaurant will happily redo your order.
2. My Soda Is Too Watery
To save on money, many restaurants and fast food places mix their soda with water. So while the quantity of the drink looks good, the taste may leave more to be desired. It's becoming more and more often that diners complain about the wateriness of their sodas.
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3. The Music Is Too Loud
While music can help set the atmosphere of a restaurant, playing loud, head-banging music at the top volume isn't exactly what people are looking for. If you're having to scream just to talk to the person in front of you, maybe turn it down a little bit? Customers definitely prefer having it in the background rather than the forefront.
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4. The Food Is Taking Too Long
Whether it's actually the restaurant's fault or the customer is simply too impatient, one of the most common complaints you'll hear from diners is that the food is taking too long. Sometimes it's probably safer to avoid going to restaurants when you're starving - all it'll do is make you extra hangry if there's a long wait!
5. The Service Here Is Bad
There are definitely some restaurant Karens in the world who expect way too much out of their waiters, but the opposite can be argued too. Some restaurants just don't care about providing good service and making their diners feel comfortable. So whether it's a valid complaint or not, it is a frequently heard one.
6. The Restaurant Is Messy
No one wants to eat somewhere that looks and feels messy. It just gives us the heebie jeebies thinking about our plate of food touching a dirty table, seeing spills on the floor, or observing a kitchen with everything in disarray. People want to enjoy their food in a spot that's comfortable, clean, and tidy. It's up to restaurants to maintain that level of excellence, especially when it comes to cleanliness.
7. Having To Wait Forever To Be Seated
To be fair, if you're visiting a popular restaurant without a reservation, waiting a long time for a table is to be expected. While it's definitely something everyone complains about, there's only so much a restaurant can do. The best thing you can do in the future is book a reso way in advance.
Image by Mircea Iancu from Pixabay
8. The Lighting Is Bad
No, we're not talking about the lighting just for your Instagram photos. We're talking about lighting that feels way too bright or too dark depending on the restaurant. Some places love going for a dark, romantic ambiance, but hey, we still need to see the plate of food in front of us!
Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash
9. They Served Us The Wrong Food
Listen, waiters are humans too and sometimes, they make mistakes. Having the wrong order sent to you isn't the end of the world, especially if the waiter is genuinely apologetic. There's no need to throw a tantrum and start spewing out complaints. Give them a chance to make it up to you.
10. The Food Isn't Hot/Cold Enough
Whether your drink doesn't have any ice in it making it room temperature or your hot appetizer is just well, an appetizer, the food at restaurants can sometimes miss the mark. Maybe it was sitting at the pass for too long or it was rushed back in the kitchen, but just call the waiter over and they should quickly get it fixed up for you.
11. It's Too Spicy!
Honestly, this mistake usually has to do with the customer. We just love overestimating our ability to handle heat! The next time you see those chili peppers indicating the hotness of a dish, don't ignore them. If they're telling you it's spicy, you best be prepared for a spicy dish.
12. The Utensils Aren't Clean Enough
Tying in with our point on cleanliness, the last thing a diner wants to see at a restaurant are dirty forks or spoons. That's something we're going to put in our mouth, meaning they should be cleaned with the utmost care. Seeing something like that immediately sends red flags to our brain. For us, that restaurant definitely lost some points if we're getting served poorly cleaned utensils.
13. This Looks Nothing Like The Menu!
Have you ever ordered something off the menu in excitement, only to be completely disappointed when the real thing arrives? Sometimes photos just look so much bigger, more vibrant, and well, tastier. It's certainly a bit upsetting if what appears in front of you is completely different than what was shown on the menu. Now that's worth complaining about.
14. The Menu Is Overpriced
Everyone is always looking for the best bang for your buck menu around, so when you get served a disappointing dish that was worth more than a couple of pennies, it can definitely feel like you've been a bit cheated. And in today's economy, people can appreciate value much more than extravagance. After all, who wants to pay $20 for a sandwich you can make at home?
15. It's Too Hard To Make A Reservation
Dear restaurants, while we'll do our best to make reservations so you can anticipate in advance how busy your service will be, please do us a favor in return and make the reservation process as easy as possible. Certain places require too many steps to make a simple reso. Not to mention, if everything is constantly booked out, it can make you feel frustrated too.
16. There's No Parking
We can hear diners groaning in unison over this one. There's nothing more irritating than trying to find parking when there is none. Especially when you're on a time crunch trying to arrive on time for your reservation! While obviously it's out of the restaurant's control, we just wish more places had adequate space for parking.
17. Their Menu Is Hard To Read/Understand
Why does ordering food have to be so complicated? While most places are pretty straightforward, we're sure many of you have experienced difficult to understand menus that make ordering hard. All we want is a simple menu that clearly lists out what the food is, has pictures, and notes down anything else we need to know.
18. The Ambiance Feels Off
It can feel confusing sitting at a restaurant that doesn't really know what it wants to be. If it looks intimate but is incredibly noisy, looks refined but plays pop music, or anything along those lines, it can make the whole experience feel a bit strange.
19. Making A Reservation But Still Having To Wait
Now this is a major pet peeve most restaurant-goers share. After taking the time to put in a reservation, you still have to wait an extra 30 minutes? It's up to restaurants to establish a system that seats their guests on time. While a short wait can be understandable, having to wait more than 20 minutes when you've already made a reservation is just unbelievable.
20. The Portions Are Tiny
After spending $40 on an entree, you'd hope it'd be a bit bigger in size, right? While prices are only soaring, sometimes it feels like portions are getting smaller and smaller. Never assume that price is an indication of size. Doing so will only lead the way toward disappointment.
