Table Talk

By Ashleigh

December 1, 2006 09:54 AM | Link to this

I don’t know if anyone can beat this. My family, my SO and I went to a restaurant in Stone Mountain. We are seated at our table and as I’m looking over the menu, something catches my eye. I look down at the table and see these bugs scattering all over the place, coming out of the napkin wrapping the silverware. Turns out, they were baby roaches that had just hatched OUT OF THE NAPKIN!! I just grossed myself out re-telling that story.

By Peridot

December 1, 2006 10:01 AM | Link to this

On a Sunday last year me, my husband and then 14 year-old son went to the IHOP on LaVista Road. The waitress, who I think may have been a little drunk, told us was sad because her manager was leaving and that day was his last working there. Then our waitress proceeded to SIT DOWN at our table (she told my son, “Scoot on over, hon!”) to take our order. In the middle of taking our order, she just burst into tears and my poor child was sitting next to her in our booth giving her the “there-there” pat on the shoulder. My husband and I didn’t know what to do! We were like …????!!!!

We were flabbergasted — we still crack up laughing whenever we talk about it!!!

By Jo

December 1, 2006 10:02 AM | Link to this

(Eeeew, Ashleigh, that IS nasty!) When I lived in Florida, while in the ladies’ room at a restaurant, I was horrified to see the walls & floor smeared liberally with human feces! You better believe I complained to the management!

By scubber

December 1, 2006 10:21 AM | Link to this

I had spent a very cold morning replacing a head gasket on my car years ago when I lived in Cabbagetown. After losing the sensation in all of my extremities, I said to myself, “Screw this! I am going to treat myself to some breakfast and warm up.” I walked to Eureka, the location is now called Agave - A Southwestern eatery under new ownership.

I sat down and waited for the server to offer me some coffee and a menu. The wait staff was milling about setting up place settings on the empty tables in the restaurant. I should mention that I was the only person in the place besides them. Anyway, I took care of myself and grabbed a menu from the service area near the bar and scanned the menu.

Several minutes later, no one had yet to appear to wait on me. I walked to one of the waitresses and asked if I could have a cup of coffee, pointing to the table I had been sitting before going to the restroom to clean up a bit. I still had some grease on my hands and face.

When I returned there was a steaming cup of coffee but no servers anywhere. I began to realize that my appearance may somewhat favor that of a vagrant as I was wearing old clothes for doing mechanic work and had streaks of grime and grease all over me.

It was a humbling experience. I felt empathy for people who simply want to escape the cold for a moment and venture indoors to warm up then encounter discrimination. The fact that I was not a vagrant and had $300 in my pocket meant nothing because of my appearance. This was Cabbagetown for crying out loud!

I walked out unnoticed and without my breakfast I wanted. I left two bucks for the coffee and tip and never returned. I chose to never eat at the next restaurant that opened in the same location.

By scubber

December 1, 2006 10:41 AM | Link to this

Do you ever get a insatiable hunger for a good bowl of soup? That can be a hard find in Atlanta, at certain hours of the day and at an reasonable price. I am a foodie, so taste, presentation and ingredients are important to me. This doubles my predicament when countered with a hunger for good soup.

I went to Sun In My Belly Cafe, located two blocks from my house in Decatur/Kirkwood to seek the brothy nectar & ambrosia I craved. I walked in and a chirpy woman behind the counter asked, “What would you like to drink?” at the same time I asked, “What is your soup of the day?”

She replied, “You answer mine first then I will answer yours.” In her mind, I am sure she thought this was cute. However I found the comment rude and annoying. I pressed on. “What is your soup for today?”

“Ahem. You answer me then I answer you, get it?”

I turned on my heel and walked out. I was really hoping this would be a good spot to eat. I was sad that Bailey’s Hardware was no longer was in this location and hoped that whatever replaced it would be a good fit for the neighborhood.

The food may be great, but I suppose I will never know for sure as I will not return.

By Jeff

December 1, 2006 10:42 AM | Link to this

Back in the summer of ‘97 my wife and I were living in Denton Texas when they experienced an onslaught of locusts. They were everywhere! You would walk down the sidewalk and they would crunch under your feet. Anyway, one day I’m in the Taco Hell eating with my co workers. We get our order and sit at a table. All of our food is sitting there with the paper wrappers pulled away when all of a sudden locusts start dropping in our food and our hair. They were falling from the ceiling. As I look up I find that there is a small hole in the ceiling tile above. There were locusts in the light fixtures crawling around. Now, really it wasn’t the restaurants fault. I mean these bugs were everywhere. Fortunately, they never invaded our apartment. The “invasion” lasted the whole summer. Later on into the fall you would go into certain buildings and still smell the carcasses of dead locust.

By TheOne

December 1, 2006 10:46 AM | Link to this

Ashleigh….that was DISGUSTING!!! I would have called the health dept. and reported them. YUCK!!!!!!

By Penny

December 1, 2006 10:47 AM | Link to this

Our experience happened at Ground Round in Snellville. We were unhappy with the service the first time we visited the restaurant but decided to give them a second chance. Not only was the service slow and bad again but the shrimp wrap I ordered had RAW shrimp in it! It was disgusting and even after I told the manager he acted like I was bothering him and I practically had to demand that I not get charged for my raw wrap. Not a restaurant I would recommend!!!

By jc

December 1, 2006 11:01 AM | Link to this

Ordering food at the Taco Mac in Va. Highlands on Monday nights during team trivia is like a game of culinary Russion roulette. Do you go for the dry burger that was cooked to a hockey puck like consistency or the club sandwich that looks like it was assembled by a one-armed blind man (no offense to the handicapped or vision impaired)? It really doesn’t matter because when you complain you’ll be treated with a snarky remark from the manager and an invitation to come back for food at like 1:30pm on a Wednesday (sorry I work on the other side of town). And when they only give you 8 wings in your order of 10, they’ll only act slightly annoyed when you ask for your full order.

By Regi

December 1, 2006 11:04 AM | Link to this

Our neighbors asked us to go to dinner at a nearby restaurant that we’d never tried before. My husband decided he wanted steak but he first asked the server, “Do you have an open flame grill for cooking steaks?” She told him they did so he ordered his teak “Pittsburgh rare” and explained that he meant charred on the outside but rare in the middle. She assured him that was no problem and he said if it couldn’t be cooked that way he would be glad to order something else.

She brought out a well done, grayish piece of meat and when my husband started to say that he must have someone else’s order, she said, “I know…I told the cook what you wanted and he said you were just going to have to eat it the way he cooked it.” My husband calmly asked for the manager and she came over and said, “Sir, we don’t have an open flame grill here and it’s impossible to cook a steak the way you ordered it.” He explained, calmly, that he had asked, first, and the server said they did or he would’ve ordered something else. He then said he would just have a hamburger, well-done - he received a rare one instead. It’s been 7 years and we still laugh about it - and of course, we haven’t been back there.

By Darsh

December 1, 2006 11:06 AM | Link to this

Pizza Hut by my Apt in Buckhead - Getting 2 pies for a poker game, i ordered them for takeout. I arrived and was informed that I had not ordered there. I assured them that I had, and proved it by looking up the number I had called in my cell phone log, and calling the phone right in front of the girl. She went to get her manager, who offered to take my order again, but that it would take upwards of 45 minutes. I asked him if he planned to hold his employees accountable for such a mistake, or offer me compensation (a free/discounted order) for ruining my night. He just looked at me, dumbfounded. It never occurred to him that customer service is important and that employees should be held accountable. I walked out and later reported the incident to Pizza Hut Corporate, and they sent me a free pizza coupon, which I trashed immidiately.

By Eric Mussellman

December 1, 2006 11:09 AM | Link to this

Penny:

Your first mistake was going to dinner in Snellville.

Your second mistake was going to The Ground Round.

Your third mistake was going BACK to the Ground Round!!

By Oldie But Goodie

December 1, 2006 11:35 AM | Link to this

It’s comments like the above that keep me out of restaurants. If it looks mediocre at best in the dining area, you can only imagine what it’s like behind the closed doors of the kitchen.

I’ll stick to my own home cooking, which is 100x better than any restaurant (just ask my kids!), and I know the ingredients, plus I get it cooked MY way.

By Jim Ragan

December 1, 2006 11:37 AM | Link to this

My advice to anyone reading this is to start paying attention to the restaurant inspection score sheets that are usually posted behind most cashier counters in restaurant establishments, and you will very likely start to think twice about eating out in general ANYWHERE. For example, a food court at one of the local malls in Atlanta currently has many scores of only in the 80’s, with one of the eateries scoring an 82 average. I would especially be careful when visiting either a Panera Restaurant or the Atlanta Bread Company. Also, I am unable to tell you how many times I have been out to eat and gone to a restroom and seen a employee use the restroom and NOT EVEN bother to wash his hands.

By Michelle

December 1, 2006 11:37 AM | Link to this

Hey Darsh, next time offer your free coupon to a shelter or someplace like that, I guarantee they’ll appreciate it! My worst experience was also in a Pizza Hut, when business was slow, I was having a lunch buffet maybe 10 years ago. In all fairness, the servers probably didn’t know I was there, but they start telling each other offensive jokes, including some jokes about AIDS, which I think is inexcusable. I slowly turned around until I was making eye contact with the rude girl who had just made the last comment and just looked at her. She realized she had offended me and stopped laughing. I guess I ruined the party because her little cronies all immediately went back to their stations and didn’t say anything else.

By Yuckkkkk!!!

December 1, 2006 11:39 AM | Link to this

Ever since seeing an expose’ on restaurants and how the food handlers don’t wash their hands, wear gloves, hair nets, etc., handle food while sick, sneezing, coughing, etc. over the food, and even dropping food on the floor only to pick it up and cook it, I have decided that I will not grace any “dining establishment” and pay them good money for God-knows-what.

By oohhh

December 1, 2006 11:41 AM | Link to this

This is enough to ruin lunch. How about dead mice under the table at a Chineese restaurant in Covington and then newspapers printed about a woman ordering a kid’s meal at Long Johns and roaches went scurrying when she opened it. I cook at home as much possible.

By oohhh

December 1, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this

Oh yeah, I’ll never forget the time I went to Shoney’s and chose spaghetti from the buffet and got a left over sausage patty from breakfast tucked neatly in the middle.

By Got An Extra

December 1, 2006 11:46 AM | Link to this

Taco Bell…now I know this isn’t a 5 star restaurant, but there is no excuse for ineptitude.

I ordered a large order of nachos and when I got home and started eating, I bit down on something hard, causing a toothache. When I pulled it out of my mouth, it was the dispenser top from the sour cream!

I immediately contacted the store who put me in contact with the main office. I was sent a $5.00 coupon. Big freakin’ deal! I told them of the tooth problem, and that I still had the dispenser top which I would use in court if I had to. They tried to get me to send them the top (nice try!), but I refused. They finally agreed to pay dental work and pain and suffering, not to mention free food, which I told them they could keep because I’d never eat there again.

By mayretter local

December 1, 2006 11:53 AM | Link to this

Can people not follow instructions and leave off the name of the restaurant?? just goes to show how little people actually comprehend what they read in this day of over-information.

By scubber

December 1, 2006 11:56 AM | Link to this

I was sitting in a Korean restaurant on Buford Highway. As I was eating my Korean sausage I could see through to the kitchen where a cook was cleaning intestine to stuff sausage meat afterwards. I know how sausages, wieners and brauts are made, but this was the first time viewing the process - and In the act of eating the very thing he was making!

In case you do not know, water flushes out the poo, then the meat is packed in dirfectly behind.

Dining is a carnal pleasure that at times can be interrupted by the reality of the process by which your food has been prepared.

My advice - drink wine with your meal and forget about it!

By Get a life

December 1, 2006 11:57 AM | Link to this

Hey…mayretter local

Get a life. It’s says “no need to mention the name”…not “do not mention the name”. Big difference.

And since when are you the moderator of this blog?

By Doc Dawg

December 1, 2006 12:03 PM | Link to this

Many years ago my wife and I, our in-laws and my parents were eating at the Ambassador which was a supper club here in Atlanta. The main course was served and the headliner, Ramsay Lewis, had just started his set. A waiter appeared to refill my wife’s wine glass, he picked up the bottle, fumbled it and dropped it right into my wife’s plate. It LOUDLY smashed and wine and food were all over both her and the table. The waiter hauled a* faster than anything I’ve ever seen, never to appear again. Ten seconds later the Maitre D’ rushes over and says “You people MUST BE QUIET! Mr. Lewis will stop his show and you will be removed!”. It went downhill from there. I think the waiter hid and accepted no blame and the manager thought somehow we had created the mess. We weren’t comped anything, not even dry cleaning. They were soon out of business, so I guess they thought they had nothing to lose.

By Drew

December 1, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this

Any steak place (but I’ve always encountered this at Stoney River) that immediately asks you to “cut into your steak to see if it’s ok”. This isn’t a huge deal or a disaster, but damn - you’re a steak house. #1 teach your cooks the right way to cook a steak and #2 how about you come back in 2 minutes and ask instead of hovering over me like a vulture?

By Tim

December 1, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this

I travel on business extensively so I have to eat in restaurants frequently. The one issue that I notice most often is poorly trained staff members. However the higher level of the restaurant the better the staff is trained.

As for the poor fast food managers that work 60-70 thankless hours a week with an annual employee turnover ratio of 400%. They are besieged with customer complaints both vaild and invalid. I don’t envy them at all. That is a tough racket.

Hopefully everyone has more positive than negative dining out experiences. Thanks for letting me throw my two cents in.

By JW

December 1, 2006 12:13 PM | Link to this

Although no fault of the restaurant perhaps this still qualifies. My wife and I were having our meal when suddenly the guy at the table in front of us starts throwing up, and I mean the big chunks, all over his table. I don’t mean just a little, it was a lot. I still get a little icky in the stomach when I think about it. Also we had two waitresses get in a slug fest one time over a tip that one lady said the other one stole from her. It was a real fight, hair pulling and all. We eat at home more often now.

By Cindy T

December 1, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this

Years ago, a goup of us met at Mathis’s Grill in Buford for breakfast. They were covered up, but was that my fault? We ordered; the coffee came, the others got their plates, but I didn’t. Time went on. Finally, the waitress set a plate before me and rushed off. I lowered my fork for a bite of egg, and the waitress rushed back over, whisked the plate up out from under my fork, and said “That’s not yours!” as if I had stolen from another customer. I began simmering, and boiled over when it becamed apparent that I was not going to get my sausage and eggs. Did I complain to management? You betcha!

By Chief Cook and Bottlewasher

December 1, 2006 12:33 PM | Link to this

Thank you all for reminding me of why I ALWAYS cook at home too. Oldie but Goodie, I’m with you. I’d much rather know what goes into my food and prepare it to my liking. I also like to know that it’s a BALANCED meal, something you rarely get when eating out.

By lovelyliz

December 1, 2006 12:34 PM | Link to this

From the other side of the fence:

I worked my way through college in a restaurant. One of the things that would irk me the most were customers who would come in 3 minutes before we closed, order the cheapest thing on the menu and then proceed to sit down at a table for 30 minutes, leaving a really big mess behind.

Then there’s the coworker who never tips more than $1 at lunch if he tips anything at all. This is the guy who has to have everything specially made and for whom the service can never be good enough.

By Puked

December 1, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

I was standing at the counter ordering Shrimp Fried Rice to go at a chinese restaurant. You could see the cooking area in the back and I noticed the cook digging boogers out of his nose. I threw up when I got home and never went to that restaurant again.

By Jack

December 1, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this

While dinning at a Olympia Pizza in Stockbridge , my daughter got up and stood beside me and would no go sit back down. A short time later a roach walked across the table from where she was sitting. The waitress just laughed and tried to move us to another table. I told her we would be leaving , she tried to make us pay however after speaking to the manager we did not have to pay and have never been back.

By Cletus Snow

December 1, 2006 12:43 PM | Link to this

When I was a student at Tech I worked part time At the blue dome Restaurant down town,it was common practise if food was returned to the kitchen or complained about to spit or worse on it. Some of the regulars who were complainers didn’t have to complain, they got it up front.Because of this I only eat where I can see the food prepared. I’m probably Waffle Houses best customer,theres about 10 restaurants that I eat atin Atlanta.

By Cindy T

December 1, 2006 12:46 PM | Link to this

Hey, Mayretter, I didn’t overlook the instructions. I named the restaurant on purpose. Mind your own freaking business.

By scubber

December 1, 2006 12:55 PM | Link to this

Trying to order food drunk without an interpreter can always be a challenge, to yourself and understandably to the sober server.

“Auhwahn tuh skathered,smuth-phhr, cov’rd wih na soosug pitty mil wi….uhhh chee, an uhhh… blik coofy.”

I humbly apologize for every Waffle House waitress I ever subjected to what my friends call, “Sean-ese.” I appreciate that you always someohow got my order right, at least as far as I can remember, and you were gracious and kind given my condition.

With that said, I suppose I should warn you I might see you this weekend and I will preorder my scattered, covered and smothered with cheese, a sausage patty melt and black coffee beforehand to help you expedite my order. Thank you.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 12:59 PM | Link to this

My husband and I went to a restaurant in Larryville because I had been given a gift certificate from someone at the office. We dressed up because it looked like a very nice place online. When we got there we were definitely overdressed but no biggie. We ordered our food and while we’re eating we see a huuuge roach come out from the table across from us. I started to point and show my husband and then another table saw me pointing, and they noticed it, too, but they thought it was funny- I didn’t. The roach went to four different tables and certainly wasn’t afraid of the lights and noise, which leads me to believe it’s been there awhile and is used to it. I called for our server who in turn got management. The manager not only did not want to listen to me (I was trying to be quiet about it) but he stood up, poked his chest out and declared that the restaurant did not have roaches. I was in shock. Here I was trying to be quiet about it and he was getting angry with me? I asked for the check and he offered to comp it (the portion that wasn’t covered by the certificate) and I declined. We paid the bill and left the typical 20% tip (it’s not the server’s fault they have roaches) and we left a plate of crab cakes and the rest of my dinner as well.

I sent a letter to the health department asking for the score of the restaurant but they never answered me. I tried to find it online but Gwinnett seems to be one of the few that you cannot find out about online (probably because most of their restaurants are nasty- just my past experience). We won’t go back and I have told all of my friends and family about it. They were surprised because ‘old Southern money’ visits this place quite frequently. And as bad as it sounds, I hope the roach crawled into the old blue haired hag’s purse next to us who was treating her server with such disrespect. He was a black man and I cannot help but wonder if that’s why she treated him so badly. She did not seem to treat anyone else the way she did him. When the white server came around to fill her water she thanked him, yet when the black server tried to see how her meal was she acted as if she could not be bothered and dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

It’s probably silly but we nicknamed the roach Larry the Roach, because it was in Larryville.

By Elaine

December 1, 2006 01:00 PM | Link to this

This is not nearly as egregious/gross as so many of the posts, but I have a petty peeve…

We absolutely adore the food and service at an “upper-scale” Italian establishment in Roswell (2-locations, you probably know the one.) Anyway, they continually ask us to “keep the fork” between each course. So you have to take your fork and find something on the table other than the table to rest it on, then use it again. For over $50/head, can’t we get a new fork? This isn’t Applebees…

By najan

December 1, 2006 01:02 PM | Link to this

You’re so right, Liz. I no longer go to lunch with coworkers or anyone else who is rude to the restaurant staff. We all know someone like that…it’s as though they feel the need to put the waiter/waitress in a subservient position. I guess it gives them an opportunity to feel better about themselves?

By Allison

December 1, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this

Years ago, we lived in Pittsburgh and had dinner at a family style restaurant. Anyway, it was myself, my husband and our 3 year old daughter. As we were finishing our meal we discovered that the restaurant did not take credit cards and we did not have much cash on us. I told my husband that our daughter and I would wait in the restaurant while he went to the ATM, which was about a mile away. As he was putting on his jacket, the waiter came to our table and explained that our bill had been taken care of by the people sitting behind us. Apparently, they had heard us discussing our situation. Of course, since then we have “paid it forward.”

By Access Management GUI

December 1, 2006 01:21 PM | Link to this

Thanks to everyone that listed the restaurants name. I know that listing the name was not required, but you helped a lot of people by spreading the news.

By lovelyliz

December 1, 2006 01:24 PM | Link to this

A bit advice to those who have a bad experience. When you complain be resaonable and very specific about the location, time, names of people involved, etc, etc.

You would be suprised at the # of phony complaints these places get. If it’s deserved, you have to be specific or you won’t be taken seriously.

If your complaint involves a serious health violation, hound the government agency responsible. Those of us who also dine out would appreciate it.

By Penny

December 1, 2006 01:26 PM | Link to this

Eric:

You are exactly right and it is one lesson I will never repeat again!!!

Ground Round is HORRIBLE!

By Val

December 1, 2006 01:34 PM | Link to this

One of the grossest things I’ve seen is in Paulding County at a certain chicken wing restaurant. The guys that worked in the back actually were running their hands down their pants and and waving their testicles around, then putting their hands back on the food they were cooking. It was soooo disgusting!

By seenitb4

December 1, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

This past Thanksgiving on my way visit family, I happened to stop in a Waffle house near Douglasville off of I 20 and Lee exit. The place had EVERY TABLE full of dirty dishes and the counters, all this and there were no other customers in the place! I went to the restroom, which smelled like a latrine in a park, and to top it off there was no tissue. I then went to the waitress to tell her and she said through her gum cracking that the place was completely out and someone would go to the store later on. GROSS!!

By scubber

December 1, 2006 01:54 PM | Link to this

Some friends of mine and myself used to haunt a chinese restaurant/pizza/dive bar that was run by a Vietnamese man who had a distinct southern hick accent combined with his native Vietnamese dialect. We loved the guy and all of his hilarious stories of being on the other side of the Vietnam war. Well, hilarious to us anyway. The reason we went so regularly is that 1) we were his primary customers and could count on excellent service and, 2) $2 pitchers of beer.

One day I am eating one of Novann’s egg rolls and notice this squishy sienna colored item amongst the usual cabbage, pork, etc. I also notice an orange colored item and a dark brown that do not have the texture or taste of vegetables. At that moment I looked up to ask Novann what was in his egg rolls, but he had ducked into the kitchen for a moment.

I could see through his doorway to the kitchen the staove and on a shelf atop was a Sam’s Club-sized plastic container of Deli-Cat cat food. We continued to drink his beer until we finally had to close the place. I suppose you cannot make a living selling $2 pitchers of beers to four guys every night. Nonetheless, I never ordered the egg rolls again.

As mentioned before in the Korean restaurant entry -eat,drink,be merry, and try not to think about how the food was prepared.

By Slim

December 1, 2006 02:15 PM | Link to this

I’m with the other posters who prefer not to dine out, and cook at home. We go out to dinner about once a week, and we usually end up at Applebee’s and we know several of the servers there, so I think we are getting what we order. Other than that, I cook my own meals.

By Serious Lee

December 1, 2006 02:19 PM | Link to this

My worst restaurant experience? As a former restaurant worker there was always one or two tables a night.

The table of obnoxious, pretentious, morons that don’t understand that “Hey! Its just dinner people. Its not the last supper!”

After seeing this situation played out countless times it made me realize that the 10 top with 6 toddlers ain’t so bad after all. They have an excuse.

By Jo

December 1, 2006 02:24 PM | Link to this

You’re so right, Liz & Najan! I have a friend whom I love dearly, but because her life s—cks (she’s seriously overweight, disabled, awful looking & no social life), she gets her jollies the only way she can-by causing trouble for others. I try to avoid going out to eat with her because every restaurant trip with this gal has turned into a restaurant horror story. She always causes an embarrassingly loud scene. Example: If a dish is a teeny bit bland, instead of salting it like a normal human being, she yells & screams, demands to see the manager with a story that the food is “tainted” & she’s sick to her stomach. She always gets comped. Then she calls corporate & gets the server fired by making up some story. This happens most often if the server is young, female & attractive. OK, I secretly like seeing bimbos getting taken down a peg but geez, I’d NEVER get someone fired unless they absolutely deserve it & even then I’d feel guilty 99% of the time!

By TheOne

December 1, 2006 02:27 PM | Link to this

YES, thanks to all who have named the restaurants. We need to share this kind of info, maybe with word of mouth and more complaints to the Health Dept. we can at least minimize these disgusting experiences. I, too, am one who prefers to eat at home (my cooking is off the chain!!!). I love Benihana partly because they cook right in front of you.

Allison…nice story, I like the pay it forward mentality.

By Paul

December 1, 2006 02:53 PM | Link to this

Ashleigh, I have one better. My friends and I used to frequent a popular Mexican restaurant at nights in Peachtree City at the bar during the late 90’s when we were all single, free, and childless. One night as customary, a friend (female) orders cheeze dip to go along with our free chips and salsa. Good idea at the time until she goes to dip a chip (But not double dip) and sees the dip moving. OUT COMES A ROACH and falls from the small bowl to the bar top and proceeds and proceeds to walk in daze (but lucky it fell on it’s feet) leaving small little cute footprints along it’s journey.

My friend freaked out but is a trouper and still to this day, can be found at the bar, but no cheeze dip!

By elviejo

December 1, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this

Plenty of stories about roaches and such, so I’ll tell one about customers. My rotation one night was “back of the house,” unpopular with the guests because it didn’t overlook the water. Anyway, I only had one large party one night; of course they came in as the manager was about to send me home. I served the party of twelve well, and they not only told me they enjoyed the service and food but they filled out a very kind comment card as well. Given that I made the waitstaff minimum of $2.14/hour and the government assumed a tip based on a percentage of the bill, I ended up losing money by working that night!

By nowayhenrycounty

December 1, 2006 03:10 PM | Link to this

I thought sure there would be many horror stories from the Henry County Area….. If you look at their restaurant scores you would see why…. Yuck!

By Pam

December 1, 2006 03:13 PM | Link to this

I have a similar story to one already posted. The Krystals at the corner of Northside Drive and 14th Street. One evening around 5pm, I pulled into the entrance to the restaurant and saw an employee standing outside digging deep into her nose. She saw me and stopped. I ordered my meal at the drive through and pulled up to the window. There in the drive through window stood the employee I had just saw picking her nose…she didn’t have time to wash her hands. I wanted to vomit right in her face. I didn’t eat my food because although she only handled the money, I didn’t want anything from that place and never went back to that location.

By Bridget

December 1, 2006 03:30 PM | Link to this

elviejo, the place you work can’t pay you less than min. wage. If your tips average less than the difference between your base pay and the min. wage, then the restaurant has to make up the difference. However, I’m not sure if the averaging is done on a daily, weekly, monthly, or what kind of basis.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 03:32 PM | Link to this

Ok, I have to give in to warn people. The place we ate at in Larryville was called Lil’ River Grill.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 03:35 PM | Link to this

Cletus, if you are a graduate of Tech I think I need to contact them regarding your bad grammer. WTH, dude?

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 03:37 PM | Link to this

Scubber, most waitresses at Waffle House don’t speak much better than that anyway ;)

By harold

December 1, 2006 03:37 PM | Link to this

one time my 16 YO nephew was in town so we took him to that hamburger joint vortex. they had a big sign on the door reading ‘nobody under 21 inside’ but we planned to eat lunch out front since it was nice out. well they chased us off asking didnt we see the sign on the door. Well, yeah we saw the sign on the door but we were not wanting to go inside, which is where it said youngsters could not go. the employees there must do so many drugs they dont know if they are inside or outside. well anyway i never went back to that place even though i liked it and used to eat there fairly often. what good is a touristy restaurant if you cant take your tourists there????

By Tommy

December 1, 2006 03:41 PM | Link to this

I went into a Pizza Hut just outside of Washington DC, (Georgetown) a few years back. I had called ahead to order, all I was foing to do was pickup and leave. When I walked in the girl behind the counter looked at me and said “We don’t allow your kind in here.” I looked around and I was the only white person in the place. She proceeded to tell me “Them Guys are going to Kill you and rape your wife” … I just laughed at her proceeded to pull back my coat revealing a shoulder strap with a .357 in it. And I told her “Look all I want is Pizza, the first six of them guys are are going to die, after that the rest can do whatever they want!” She freeked out and said “You AIN’T suppose to have a GUN in DC.” … I just laughed and said its because of people like you is why I have a GUN. Now let me have my pizza and I will be on my way. I paid laughing and left.

My wife said “What took ya so long?” I said “Had to show a little redneck to get a pizza”

What a world we live in when folks of different colors would threaten to kill and rape just because we are different. But it happens every where to all races. :(

By tex

December 1, 2006 03:42 PM | Link to this

Jo,

Your friend is a pathetic loser—and so are you if you hang out with her and let her do those types of things.

Nothing too gross here. I’d recommend that you not get the fish tacos at Cheesecake Factory (perimeter). They reek something awful and taste horribly fishy. I try not to eat at the big chains at all, but it was a company lunch.

Once had a long black hair in one of my chicken fingers at the Captain D’s on Montreal near Lavista. The girl behind the counter didn’t care and wouldn’t do anything about it.

By Grandpa Jack

December 1, 2006 03:44 PM | Link to this

MANY years ago, as I recollect it was a nice restaurant in the Biltmore on P’tree, the family dined out on Christmas Eve. I am the firstborn, & it was my idea to go out with parents, little brother & my brand spanking new fiancee. I ordered an EXPENSIVE NY steak, wanted it rare, got it WELL done, after waiting WAY too long. Moral of story: NEVER go out to dinner on Christmas Eve !!

By sagegirl

December 1, 2006 03:45 PM | Link to this

Years ago my family and I went out for breakfast. Tired of the same ole, same ole, we tried this new place in Marietta. We liked it okay. It was a reasonably good find. My teenage daughter liked it so much she decided to get a job there. After two days she quit, but not because of what you might think. The work’s too hard… the tips lousy. Nope. She quit because the company “recycled” the food. In our case, the “food” being the biscuits and toast. That’s right. The busser/server removes the un-eaten basket of bread, tosses it back into the warmer and re-serves it to the next guests. Saves them a ton of money. That was the end of that find.

Speaking of recycled — Ever wonder how many plates those grimy-nasty little jellies have seen in the same day at “Awful” House.

By Tommy

December 1, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this

A local factory here in town once had a BBQ lunch catered in. Most everyone that ate got deathly sick. After and ivestigation it was found the person that catered the event had “human waste” on their hands and it got into the cole slaw. Whomever ate the cole slaw got sick. It was a big mess, the co who done it was a mom and pop outfit with no insurance …. The factory is now went out of business, but for all who worked there that day will never be forgot.

By DWT

December 1, 2006 03:53 PM | Link to this

Tommy - I agree with you, but it’s interesting the races you encounter in the worst neighborhoods in the US, isn’t it? That’s not being racist, it’s stereotyping and stereotypes exist for a reason.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 03:55 PM | Link to this

LOL! Here I am correcting someone and I misspelled grammar! Maybe I need to check myself! LOL

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 03:57 PM | Link to this

Tommy, is that story true or BS?

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 04:02 PM | Link to this

When I was 13 I worked at a local restaurant, the ONLY restaurant, in town. The owner also worked there. Some days I would wash dishes while she waited tables and some days I would wait tables while she cooked. It depended on how busy she was. Anyway, one day I was washing dishes and she comes running back, and she starts sifting through the dirty dishes I had piled up next to me. She grabbed the onions off of a plate and runs back to the grill only to put them on other people’s sandwiches. No, I am not joking.

Another restaurant I worked at would recycle the dinner rolls. They were used to make dressing on Sundays for the Sunday turkey dinners.

By Joesph

December 1, 2006 04:05 PM | Link to this

I had two complete (and fried) chickens feet in my Chineese take-out once. It was shrimp fried rice I ahd ordered. I still ate the food, my dog ate the chickens feet and we both lived to tell.

By scubber

December 1, 2006 04:05 PM | Link to this

Good Afternoon SageGirl:

I worked in a chinese restaurant when I was a teenager. No, not the aforementioned one with the dried cat food in the eggrolls. It is common practice I found out to save yesterday’s leftover white rice to make today’s fried rice. The same goes for leftover vegetables and meats. Directly into the fried rice.

If you are wary of restaurants that serve leftovers, stick with the fresh steamed produce and starches.

That sounds gnarly what they do with left over biscuits, but many cooks will use yesterday’s breads to make today’s stuffing and bread crumbs.

By Jo

December 1, 2006 04:06 PM | Link to this

Tex, you monumental moron! Maybe if more people showed this woman compassion, she wouldn’t need to go to such extremes to seek attention. If she didn’t have me, she’d probably be even worse.

By

December 1, 2006 04:06 PM | Link to this

This is a complaint about diners. I work at a large company in Atlanta. Everytime we had a group lunch, it would never fail that one or two Blk women would eat a third of their meal and send it back. This has happened in every dept I have worked in. These are perfectly nice people. The rest of us always roll our eyes at each other. I dread this every time we go out.

By Tommy

December 1, 2006 04:15 PM | Link to this

Why would ANYONE eat ANYWHERE out in Gwinnett, Henry, Cobb, or any of suburban restaraunts?

It doesn’t matter what kind of food they serve, they are all staffed by third-world food handlers because they are too cheap to pay for good cooks.

I refuse to eat out in the suburbs. If the people clean anything like they drive, the places must be completely filthy.

By Michelle

December 1, 2006 04:20 PM | Link to this

Once I ordered a side salad at McD’s and it was almost completely plain, nothing but lettuce, they didn’t even have croutons, I asked for my money back and was laughed at by both the bimbo behind the counter as well as her redneck boss. I asked for both of their names as well as the store number before telling them I was going to have them both fired and that I hope it was worth it. They stopped laughing. I f*** hate McDonald’s.

By red

December 1, 2006 04:22 PM | Link to this

Don’t do the hole-in-the-wall Chinese joints. My friend once found a bloody band-aid in her sweet and sour chicken.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 04:24 PM | Link to this

Tommy, I have to agree with you. Two weeks ago my husband and I had to venture to the burbs to go to a friend’s house. We were hungry when we left but refused to pull into any of the restaurants. Heck, any restaurant on Buford Hwy is a Mexican restaurant no matter which one you go to. No, that’s not where we were, just saying.

I worked at a restaurant in VA-HI for three years and we had to call the exterminator repeatedly because the restaurant down from us (Moe’s) was naaaasty, and had a huge bug problem that was overflowing to us and to the other establishments. You could literally walk out back and watch the roach parade from there to us. It was horrible and very embarrassing as we did everything we could to keep them out :(

By Ewwwww

December 1, 2006 04:26 PM | Link to this

An ex friend of mine use to work at the Blimpie in Fayetteville and when customers made her made or were just plain rude she would drop their meat on the floor and step on it and put it back on the sandwich…. She also use to spit and throw snot rockets in the sandwich too when she could…..Also when she use to cut herself with the knives she would keep on making sandwiches with out putting on band aids…. I use to think it was funny because we were teenagers but now it’s sick…. I won’t eat at a Blimpie today….

By Jim

December 1, 2006 04:27 PM | Link to this

so, who got the sandwich first?

My absolute worst one was at Wendy’s in Cumming. I was working late, and my family was going to meet me at our office. so I hit the drive through on the way there. Went through, couning the sandwiches to make sure we had the right number-we did-then headed for the office about a mile away. Did NOT open the sandwiches to check-my mistake.

I pull out the first one, hand it to my wife, she opens it, says, “Oh my God?” and drops it on the table. it was someone’s half eaten chicken sandwich, re-wrapped and placed in our bag.

Needless to say, that was worth a trip back. I walked in, held the sandwich, partially wrapped, up, and said, “anybody lose this?” One of the guys on the line says, “oh, that’s where that went,” walked over, took it, and took a bite out of it. Seems he’d been working the line while eating, and the guy next to him got in a hurry, grabbed his sandwich, wrapped it, and tossed it in our bag.

Manager says he’ll give me a free frosty for our trouble…”Yeah buddy, keep the frosty, just give me my money back.”

I really prefer Waffle House, at least there I can see when the food hits the floor:-)

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 04:29 PM | Link to this

Speaking of Chinese, there is a place in Cobb County called the Jade Dragon. My husband and I stopped there once because we were very hungry on the way back from a long trip. We went in and sat down. When we went to get our food (buffet, which is normally against our beliefs in eating but were in a hurry) they had a container of stagnant water with cleaner (I suppose is used to be cleaner) sitting right next to the buffet table. They started mopping around our feet (literally). The smell overcame me and I started to gag. We went back to our table so I could compose myself. My husband came back to the table with something on his plate. I took a closer look at what he was pointing at and it was deep fried claws of some sort. We asked for the check, didn’t care that we were paying for what we weren’t eating, and we left. I have since continued to tell people about the place to warn them how disgusting it is.

By schroeder

December 1, 2006 04:29 PM | Link to this

my favorite bad restaurant story comes from the short-lived Damon’s franchise at the then-newly-reopened underground. I took my sister and her family, who were visiting from florida, there on a Saturday night, not more than a month after the restaurant had opened. Although the restaruant was less than half full, they made our party of seven wait for 45 minutes until one of the two appropriately-sized tables in the restaurant opened up. Not only did they refuse to push two tables-for-four together (and there were an ample supply of adjacent emptiy ones), they wouldn’t let us do it ourselves. That should have been a clue.

By schroeder

December 1, 2006 04:30 PM | Link to this

my favorite bad restaurant story comes from the short-lived Damon’s franchise at the then-newly-reopened underground. I took my sister and her family, who were visiting from florida, there on a Saturday night, not more than a month after the restaurant had opened. Although the restaruant was less than half full, they made our party of seven wait for 45 minutes until one of the two appropriately-sized tables in the restaurant opened up. Not only did they refuse to push two tables-for-four together (and there were an ample supply of adjacent emptiy ones), they wouldn’t let us do it ourselves. That should have been a clue.

By scubber

December 1, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this

The foulest meal I ever ate was not at a restaurant, but at the maid of my friend’s family. She mentioned what she would be cooking for Christmas dinner, including collards, boiled chitlins, fried chicken, black-eyed peas and cornbread. It sounded wonderful, except I realized that I had never eaten chitlins before. I knew what they were, but had never eaten boiled, fried or otherwise. I asked her if she would make me some and she said sure and to drop by christmas around lunch.

On christmas my friend and I drove to her apartment and as soon as we exited the car was sucker-punched by the most heinous, vile odor we have ever smelled before. She lived on the third floor of the aprtment building, but the stench of chitlins being boiled had laid a gnarly cloud of stink down upon the parking lot.

We ascended the stairs and knocked on her door. She opened the door and we entered into her living room where everyone was smoking, drinking bourbon and having a fantastic time in the midst of what may be described as the smell of a rotting animal. She introduced us to everyone and told them why we had come. Everyone laughed and cheered us on to sit down aand get ready.

She returned with two plates heaped with grey, gelatinous heaps of boiled chitlins with banana peppers and red pepper sauce sprinkled on top. I was sending terrified screams of panic telepathically to my friend as we looked at each other and the plates. She asked, “What you want to drink? Beer?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” we said in unison.

She came back with two Colt .45 tallboys and sat down with us, smoking her cigarette.

I felt horrible, not totally because of what I was about to do, but because I was to be expected to savor what I was about to eat. I took my first bite and chased it with half of my beer. My friend did the same.

He managed to use a technicality to avoid eating more as he does not handle spicy food too well. I on the other hand was known to love spicy food. She sat there smiling at me, all the while flicking her cigarette butt into the tray.

I managed to meekly consume three-quarters of the heap of boiled chitlins, largely helped by the four tallboys I consumed during the time I spent eating.

I will never, and I am so serious, never eat boiled chitlins as long as I live. They are all yours to have and I will not fight you for the last portion. I gag every time I think of them, that smell, and the aftermath of that day.

By NoOneKnows

December 1, 2006 04:32 PM | Link to this

I’ll keep this short. These are within the past year. Chicago Pizza in Alpharetta and Taco Mac Old Milton in Alpharetta both near where I work.

Chicago Pizza had ants crawling on the tables. I told the co-worker that recommended the place about the ants and she still goes there. Hello dummy.

Taco Mac me and a co-worker eating wings. He orders an extra blue cheese, dips his hot wing into it and almost gets sick. They brought him sour cream. I was crying, he was almost puking, the waitress comes over and says “Yeah, that’s sour cream.” She removes it from the table and brings back blue cheese without ever saying sorry. I still chuckle thinking about it.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 04:34 PM | Link to this

Shortly after the Moe’s on Ponce opened we took the kids. We were sitting eating our food, which wasn’t too bad, when one of the workers comes out and starts spraying the tables next to us with what smells like fish oil. I don’t know how else to explain it, because that’s exactly what it smelled like. We got up to leave and he kept spraying. I do have a problem with the gag reflex and I nearly threw up on the floor before exiting the building. There is absolutely no way that was cleaner he was using on the tables. Other customers just sat there. Not us, and we haven’t been back since, to any of their locations. Here’s a hint: Print the names of the cleaners in Spanish so they can read it!

By YesMa'am

December 1, 2006 04:34 PM | Link to this

Pappadeaux’s restaurant: Food poisoning twice in Atlanta, family had food poisoning once in Chicago.

The second time was my fault the shrimp/crawfish tasted funny but I ate them any way. I am a maroon.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 04:40 PM | Link to this

When I was younger my parents and I went to a fast-food burger joint. When we walked in we smelled something horrible but couldn’t make out what it was. The guy who took our order didn’t look very clean. When we got back to the car we could still smell it. We were kind of laughing about it until we realized what it was: Our cups smelled just like the restaurant did. It had to have been the guy who waited on us, because that’s what he smelled like when we were ordering. Yes, I know, we shouldn’t have ordered, and I am very surprised my parents did because that is not something they would normally do. We ended up throwing it all out the window. Again, yes I know, we should not have littered but it was a 30 mile drive back home and the smell was taking over the car. I wish I could say I was kidding, but I’m not.

By schroeder

December 1, 2006 04:40 PM | Link to this

Part 2 of the Damon’s story: I got terminated long before it was over! After waiting an additional 15 minutes for service, the first thing the waitress did was spill a glass of water down my wife’s back. To her credit, she was appropriately contrite, annd did the right things, but the restaurant manager hid in the kitchen so he didn’t have to get involved. We order, ad proceed to wait another 45 minutes. During the interval, the same waitress spilled a beer while serving it, but this one only hit the table, and not ay of us. Here’s my favorite part: when they finally brought our food, 4 out of the 7 orders were wrong, not even close, and my brother-in-law’s chicken was almost raw. Three of us, by now starving, agreed to eat the dishes we had not ordered, while my nephew and brother-in-law sent theirs back. Fifteen minutes later, a cook emerges from the kitchen with a dish. The guy looked bad — his jacket was open, and he had no shirt under it; all of his close were obviously unwashed; and he had a nastly looking rash on both arms and hads. He comes to our table and asks, in a voice that could be heard throughout the dining room, “who ordered the cooked chicken?” I swear this is true. And it’s so Atlanta!

By Jim

December 1, 2006 04:43 PM | Link to this

Pet Peeve

I do have one pet peeve that will send me out the door of a restaurant. Not sure when it started, or where, but it now seems acceptable at some locations for the servers to carry the folders they bring the check in stuck down the seat of their pants.

Yes, I want you to stick this down your pants, pull it out, lay it on the table next to mine, pick it up, stick it back down your pants, pull it out again, put it back again, THEN use those same unwashed nastified hands to carry the silverware I’m about to eat with to my tabletable….YUK!

Please, either carry it in your hand, or wear an apron with pockets big enough to hold it.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 04:56 PM | Link to this

Jim, that’s just nasty! I have seen people do the very same thing; and I totally agree with you.

There is a place near my work called Homespun Cafe. I like the place but they don’t wash their hands between handling cash and food. Before having the job I have now, I was in food service for years and I always made sure to wash my hands; even between waiting on different tables. My co-workers used to make fun of me for having a “phobia” but I consider it being considerate to others! It’s gross to see someone handling money and then grab a slice of bread to fix your tuna sandwich. It’s ironic they don’t see how dirty it is. I have also seen servers lick their finger to separate money while cashing out customers; and then return to waiting tables, touching food, plasticware, etc. Gross!

By realist

December 1, 2006 05:28 PM | Link to this

Hey! When they put it in their back waistand, it is tucked between the pants fabric and the clean shirt fabric, and only about 2-3 inches. Unless their shirt is untucked, which I doubt. Even IF it touched their skin, which is doubtful, the skin there is probably cleaner than the skin on their hands.

By realist

December 1, 2006 05:32 PM | Link to this

Oh…bad dining experiences: The trendy intown places with snotty servers who are beautiful, but do not serve well, and act like you are a bother to them. You know who you are! I don’t return. I don’t care how pretty my waiter/waitress is. Be nice to me and do a good job or I will not return. Even good looking people can be nice, of they want to be nice. I waited tables and bar tended for over 6 years.

By Jennifer

December 1, 2006 06:27 PM | Link to this

Reatlist: I agree about snotty servers. One place in particular that is good for that is Cafe Intermezzo. It doesn’t matter how good you look, you are still serving me cake. Get over yourselves. I waited tables and tended bar for 20 years. It can be decent money sometimes.

By OldSchool

December 1, 2006 06:29 PM | Link to this

A friend and I had stopped in at a Shoney’s to grab a burger and chat. Across the aisle sat a lone woman reading a novel while she waited on her order. The waitress appeared at her table with a plate of boiled shrimp in hand and just stood there for severel minutes. We heard her ask the customer, “Would you mind tasting one of these?” The lady looked a little confused but took one, peeled it and as she chewed on the little critter, the waitress continued, “The cook thought they looked a little funny before they were cooked.”

We left.

By MM MM MM MM Gross

December 4, 2006 09:12 AM | Link to this

Our office was so very excited when Quizno’s opened up right across the street. There was always such a long line to get in but recently I’ve noticed you can walk right in and here is one of the reasons why: My coworker ordered a salad from this establishment,paid for it and returned to work. As she ate her salad, she bit into a hard object. Upon closer inspection, she found a grease pencil in her salad. She returned the salad to the restaurant with another teammate as witness. The manager told her that the greasepencil was EDIBLE and would do her NO HARM. When she refused this explanation, he then offered her coupons for future free meals - of course she refused them. Several weeks later and, after letters to their corporate office, the matter remains unresolved.

By sagegirl

December 4, 2006 09:32 AM | Link to this

As a former food service worker, I can tell you I’ve seen a lot of bad behavior behind the scenes. Everything from angry servers picking their noses then filling salad bowls… purposely spitting on customers food… tabasco or visine in soups… dropping food onto the floor then putting it back on the plate… Then there were the bugs. Always crawling up the wall, on the tables, out of rolled silverware… and the mice. OMG! The sad part was that management looked the other way most of the time. They’d rather lose a customer than their servers. Then they would have to do the work themselves.

And I agree. Snooty servers have no business serving anything. I once worked with a snotty bartender that hated everyone. If she poured a beer, she expected a $2 tip. Here’s a tip: If you can’t be bothered to be nice to me, you don’t get a tip.

By rav

December 4, 2006 09:47 AM | Link to this

My girlfriend, now my fiancee and I walked into the Joe’s Crab and Shack on Mount Zion Rd. We sat down and order, and before the food per the usually he waitrees brough the house salad. First of all the salad was soaked in salad dressing. I carried on away, and much to my dismay after a few bites I looked and saw a couple pieces of long strainds for hair. I have never been back since, and ever time I drive by that restaurant I get sick.

By Laura

December 4, 2006 10:25 AM | Link to this

YesMa’am - that’s too bad about the food poisoning. Pappadeaux is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. But I can imagine how I’d feel about returning if I got sick not once, but twice. Too bad….

By Joye

December 4, 2006 10:42 AM | Link to this

Chinese buffet in LaGrange. My husband tried to get mustard out of the squeeze bottle. Wouldn’t come out. Upon inspection found a fly in the bottle stopping it up. Told the manager, who just looked at him and did nothing. My husband put the bottle on a shelf by the buffet so no one else would use it. Needless to say the place is now closed.

By Bryan

December 6, 2006 11:24 AM | Link to this

A view from the other side. I was waiting tables while I was in college down in Houston. I had a customer send back a steak that was not cook enough. She asked for it well done, the Chef cooked it some more and it was promptly brought back out. She then sends it back and says it is over cooked. To my dismay, the Chef went out to the table and actually told the lady not to order the steak anymore and she would have to eat something else! I was in ahh, as were the people at the table. This was even before the famous Seinfeld episode. “No steak for you!” As you would expect the table left promptly. .

By pinkbunny

December 6, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this

Several years ago I was invited to attend a citizenship swearing-in ceremony for one of my students. Afterward, his parents invited us to a Korean restaurant on Buford Highway where they had reserved a room in which there was a table with a grill in the middle, and you could barbecue your own meat. Lots of side dishes and kimchee were brought in, and although I had never tried Korean food (and found it much spicier than I had anticipated), I was really trying to get into the spirit of the thing. At one point, having taken too large a bite of something terribly hot, I was in search of something relatively mild, and grabbed for a piece of fried starchy vegetable I vaguely recognized. What I was not quite prepared for, however, was the whole roach fried intact onto the reverse side of it. Delicate dilemma—should I call attention to it, considering I was the guest of the young man’s parents and they were paying for this? Or do I pretend not to see it and hide it under my plate, so as not to embarrass them? Meanwhile, of course, I am turning six shades of red and five shades of green. I have never been back to the place, certainly.

By Rebecca

December 6, 2006 12:40 PM | Link to this

I was working at a popular Mexican restaurant in Marietta. A customer asked for a bottle of the Cholula hot sauce. When the waiter brought it over to the customer, at the very last moment, the bottom of the bottle fell out and sauce went everywhere. Unfortunately mostly in the customer’s lap. He attempted to go to the restroom to clean it up, but it had soaked through. Poor guy had to go home since he was in too much pain from the hot sauce being accidently poured in such a sensitive area. The restraunt comped the whole family’s meal for the accident.

By June Gader

December 7, 2006 12:27 PM | Link to this

My husband took me to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for our anniversary. (I was wearing a new wool suit and matching silk blouse I’d just bought in Paris!).A passing wait-person spilled an entire entree plate all over me. My waitress brought me a wet towel. The manager never came over, no one apologized. My husband finally sought the manager out and made him agree to pay for cleaning my outfit. Not a Happy Anniversary.

By George Davies

December 7, 2006 01:52 PM | Link to this

Dec 7, 2006 My wife decided to treat ( no special occasion) we went to Spanish Restaurant afriend had told us about I order a chicken diner . the chicken was not cooked , they took it back and I guess they put it in the microwace when it came back it was over cooked my ” always has the last word ” you should have ordered what I ordered I put the remains in to go box took it home removed the bones . Gave it to the dog she didn’t like it either.

By Charles

December 11, 2006 10:56 AM | Link to this

Do I have a story for you. Last week Thursday I met a friend of mine for lunch at Zaria’s in Vinings. I chose this place based on the review in the AJC. Not to mention that it is close to my job. We arrived there and we were seated by the waiter who had dirty fingernails(no exaggeration) and a runny nose. Anyway, I ordered the Chicken Panini substitute the chicken for Salmon minus the cheese. I cannot eat dairy products and I have not done so for years. The waiter bought the order to our table. Needless to say, the Salmon Panini was covered in cheese. I advised the waiter of the problem. He apologized and promptly brought my dish back to the kitchen. My friend immediately expressed her concern that the kitchen staff would just scrape the cheese off of the salmon. I told her that I didn’t think that they would do that. The sandwich came to the table on what appeared to be the same bread. I was able to tell because the sandwich comes with Arugula and this didn’t have any on it. However, it had some pieces of arugula stuck to cheese on the side of the bread which was what I saw on the first sandwich. Now comes the good part. I didn’t see any cheese on the top of the salmon. However, I noticed some on the side of the salmon. So, I decided to turn the salmon over. It was full of cheese underneath it. It turned out that it was the same sandwich but all they did was turn the salmon over to hide the cheese. I couldn’t believe it!! I brought it to Jeremy’s(waiter) attention. This time I asked him to leave the sandwich on the table to make sure that they don’t try to pull another fast one. Eventually, they brought out the correct sandwich with a side of cold mushy roasted potatoes. There is a first and last time for everything and that was definitely my first and last time to Zaria’s.

By Charles

December 11, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this

This one is about Azio’s in Vinings. It is located at the corner of East/West Connector and Atlanta Road. Approximately, one month ago I met some coworkers at Azio’s for lunch. It was a beautiful day out so we all decided to eat outside. I ordered a Salmon Panini. My coworker ordered a sandwich. The waitress brought his sandwich to the table. Just as he was about to pick the sandwich up to eat it he noticed a four inch blonde hair blowing in the wind. The salmon Panini comes with a small side salad. As I was eating the salad I noticed a long black hair sitting in the salad dressing. I was totally disgusted!! How likely is it that this would happen at the same table during lunch. The waitress’ attitude was as if we put it in there. That was impossible because I am bald and no one at the table had hair that matched the two strands of hair described earlier. The waitress brought out new plates for both of us. Now I was(key word) a frequent patron of Azio’s. I didn’t like how the problem was resolved. I have not and will not return to Azio’s for lunch. Nor will any of my coworkers.