When you go to a buffet restaurant?!
When you go to a buffet restaurant?
is it petty of me to get upset that the people that work there do not know what is in the food?
we do not eat pork (and i really eat very little meat), and my daughter is a vegitarian, so when we go out to eat, it is not uncommon for me to ask if a certain dish has meat in it.
And all too often the workers have NO idea and cop an attitude if I ask if they can find out.
OR...like a few month back my mom asked the person who put the food out if there was meat in a certain pasta dish and she said "no..well, just bacon"
I do not expect special treatment (though some options would be nice), but i do get kind of urked by the lack of knowledge and the attitudes of the people working at these restaurants.
Am I being petty?
1 month ago
I have always been bothered by the fact that if I was allergic, people would not think twice, but because it is a conviction, I am odd.
ofcourse it does not help that I live in the south where if it does not have some sort of pig it is considered inedible
Answers:
1 month ago
I have always been bothered by the fact that if I was allergic, people would not think twice, but because it is a conviction, I am odd.
ofcourse it does not help that I live in the south where if it does not have some sort of pig it is considered inedible
As a waitress, I can understand sometimes not knowing exactly what is in something. But I make it my personal vendetta to find out. And I don't ask just one person in the 'back' ... I usually get two opinions just to make sure. I can't believe there are people in the food service industry who are annoyed by inquiries like yours. *shakes head* I don't think you're being petty at all.
I think if a restaurant is serving something they should know what is in it and they should be willing to tell you...and not just with vegetarians...
it is just creepy to serve food and not know what is in it...where did the food come from if they don't know??? and why aren't they willing to tell you?? it is rather suspicious to me when people won't tell me....
not at all. i want to know what i am putting into my body. it aggravates me because my husband LOVES buffets and when we go i am always stuck with salads because if you ask the wait staff any questions they ignore you.
There's no point in getting worked up if you can't do anything about it. Just avoid going to restaurants where the waitstaff doesn't know what's in the food. There are plenty of places who have specific selections for vegetarians, and sometimes even list them on the menu. Make it easy on yourself.
I don't think so. They should know what is in the food. What if you had a severe allergy to nuts? They would have to know if something contained nuts in order to prevent you from having a bad reaction. Tell them to check the attitude, that's not what you are paying for.
No, you aren't. They are there to serve the customers. I would complain if I were treated rudely. Okay, the bacon lady could have been just a bit dense. But they can go ask the people who cook the food. They should know. Complain to the manager, bet they will find out what is in the food, and reprimand the worker that was rude.
You can't expect a waitress to know every ingredient in their menu. But they should be expected to find out about foods for a diet specific question. Would you accept that behavior if it was nuts you were allergic to and they wouldn't find out if peanut oil was used to prepare a food?
they are supposed to know and i know exactly what you mean by there reaction when asking them .im allergic to fish and get same reaction when i ask if fish was cooked in grease.my solution is i say ok you want to be rude i will take my business elsewhere then leave.
I agree with you. What if you are allergic.
I'm try not to be a judgemental person, but in my opinion, yes. You should remember that the servers working in a buffet style or family type of restaurant are there to take orders and serve the food, not to cook, plan menus or create recipes. Many times there are employees who frankly don't care what's in a dish, they just want to do what's required in the job description, collect their pay and go home. If you were dining at a more upscale establishment, then typically the staff is more familiar with the dishes and their ingredients, as the menus are typically smaller. The old saying is true... you get what you pay for.
The problem here is that you are dealing with minimum wage workers who could care less about what is in the food.
The work sucks and so do the tips at a buffet.
Ask for a manager next time - if you get the same attitude, then it is time to find a new buffet.
I WORKED IN RESTAURANTS FOR A LOOOOOOOONG TIME AND TRUST ME WHEN I SAY IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MEAT- STICK TO SALADS. ESPECIALLY IF IT IS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS.
THE REASON BEING EVEN IF MEAT IS NOT IN THE DISH YOU ARE EATING- THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IT WAS PREPARED IN THE SAME PLACE MEAT WAS (I.E. FRIES IN THE DEEP FRYER WHERE CHICKEN AND SHRIMP ARE COOKED)
ESPECIALLY A HIGH VOLUME PREP PLACE LIKE A BUFFET- THEY JUST CAN'T SEGREGATE THE COOKING AREAS.
I KNOW- IT SUCKS AND IT'S NOT FAIR. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS A FACT OF LIFE IN RESTAURANTS.
THE REASON MANY SERVERS DON'T KNOW IS THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T PREP OR COOK THE DISHES. THEY ASSUME THAT THE CUSTOMER WILL ORDER SOMETHING THEY ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH AND MANY ARE TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THE PREP/COOK SITUATION IN THE KITCHEN.
YOUR BEST BET WOULD BE TO STICK TO VEGGIE FRIENDLY PLACES. A HIGH CLASS RESTAURANT SHOULD BE WILLING TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR CLIENTELE. MANY ASIAN RESTAURANTS/BUFFETS ARE VEGGIE FRIENDLY DUE TO BUDDHISM AND THE HINDU RELIGION. SOME PEOPLE TAKE THEIR CUSTOMER'S VALUES SERIOUSLY.
Sum , unfortunately many people in the food service industry are low paid and not experts or even novices in food prep or ingredients, they are there to put their time in and pick up a check. They are not bad people, but could care less about what is in the food they serve.
I agree with Terri B as I also have worked in restaurants since I was 16. Many apparently veggie dishes like rice or veggie soup are made with chicken broth. Only the severs in expensive or veg-friendly places really know or care what is in the food. Sorry but you should stick with salad or stay away from the buffet. And I know what you mean about the south and pork--uuuugghhh!
No, you are not being petty, just concerned. If all of us on the Earth had that same amount of concern for what we eat, then a lot of food borne illnesses would be eliminated.
Ask the employees at the restaurant what is in the food and see if they can tell you, or even best, have them bring you an ingredient book like Panera does. If you feel like they can't answer your questions correctly, then don't return there as a paying customer.
This same scenario happened to me last night. My wife and I are vegans and live in South Carolina. We went to a birthday party for my Mother-in-law at Golden Corral, an all-you-can-eat buffet. We paid the $9.99 per person price and had to look for things like steamed vegetables (on the "Heart Healthy" bar), baked potatoes, and fruit. We had to ask about brussel sprouts in a yellowish liquid and they told us it was butter so we avoided it. As we walked around and got our food, you could still see where people had spilled pepperoni into the fruit or a shrimp into the greenbeans as they leaned over the bar.
Even though the service tried to help us, my wife and I feel very unconfortable at buffets because they are too expensive for vegans, you have to endure all the meat steaming on the bar, and there is a lot of cross-contamination. We only go when we feel we must for family or friend celebrations. I understand why they can't charge a "Veg rate" because everyone would claim to be veg, but then would pick whatever they wanted from the bar. It is best to go to a nice restaurant like Macoroni Grill or Chili's, and pay the same amount or less for a nice, newly cooked meal; everyone can pick what they want and not have to eat the dried, stale items on a buffet.