New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has found an ally in his battle against sugary soft drinks, as the mayor of Cambridge, Mass., announced last night that she’s also considering a ban on large sodas served at the city’s restaurants. [More]
restaurants
Waiter Kindly Lets Cook Know That He Has A Tendency To F*&k Up The Eggs Benedict
By 6.11.12
Think of all the times you may have complained to restaurant servers that your food was prepared poorly or incorrectly. Then think of all the times in a single day that same server has had to take complaints and re-do orders back to the kitchen. At least one waiter out there decided to put his feelings in writing. [More]
Diner Demands $100 Gift Card To Not Post Negative Yelp Review
By 5.29.12
We’ve written before about companies offering free stuff or discounts in exchange for positive online reviews — or for removing negative comments — but a restaurant in California says a disgruntled diner tried to use the threat of a scathing Yelp review to squeeze a $100 gift card out of the eatery. [More]
What Peeves You Most When You Eat At A Restaurant?
By 5.23.12
Most of the time when you go out to a restaurant, you’re not only paying for food, but also for service and ambiance. So even if the meal was perfectly prepared, there are still plenty of things about which diners feel justified to complain. [More]
Can A Restaurant Meal Be So Bad You Shouldn't Pay The Bill?
By 5.14.12
I have a friend who likes to reward horrible restaurant service and food by leaving two pennies as a tip, but I’ve never known him to not pay the bill. However, one Colorado couple is telling their local Outback Steakhouse that the meal was so bad, the eatery should not be expecting a payment anytime soon. [More]
Study Claims 1 In 3 Restaurant Servers Discriminate Against Black Customers
By 4.25.12
We’d like to believe that when we go into a restaurant, the waitstaff will treat everyone at the table equally (which may be a good or bad thing, depending on the server), but a new survey claims that more than one-third of servers admit to providing inferior service to African-American customers, and more than half say they’ve seen other servers treating customers poorly based on race. [More]
Culinary Bill Shock: Beware The Secret $275 Truffle Pasta Special!
By 4.9.12
There’s a small, innocuous-looking cafe on Madison Ave that you may find yourself considering on your next meander through New York City. Watch out, says BoingBoing, whose Rob Beschizza wandered into the place on a lark, you’re about to get socked with hidden charges. How bad could it be? Behold: [More]
Ways Restaurants Try To Squeeze More Money Out Of You
By 3.27.12
When you sit down at a restaurant, you’re often engaging in a tug-of-war with the establishment to get you to fork over more money than you originally planned. Owners employ clever little tricks to get you to up the amount of your final check. [More]
California Restaurant Settles Suit Over Racial Slurs Written On Receipts
By 2.15.12
A California man sued a restaurant in federal court, accusing it of discrimination for leaving racial epithets on his receipts. Weeks before the case was set to be heard by a jury, the restaurant and the customer reached a settlement with undisclosed terms. [More]
You Shouldn't Break Your Server's Finger For Bringing The Check To The Table
By 1.11.12
It is not unexpected to receive a check at the end of one’s meal, so we’re not sure why one diner at a restaurant in Florida was moved to such rage over getting the bill that he allegedly broke his server’s finger. [More]
Customers Must Sign Waiver Before Eating Hot & Spicy "Pasta Plate From Hell"
By 12.16.11
When a restaurant needs to protect itself from legal action should you harm yourself while eating their food, that’s a clear indication that said cuisine is not meant for the average ingester. Culinary daredevils in Boston sign a waiver before eating the East Coast Grill’s insanely spicy “Pasta Plate from Hell.” [More]
Who Should Pay If A Bird Poops In Your Food?
By 12.14.11
This isn’t the most seasonally appropriate question to ask, at least here in the Northeastern U.S. And in the Northern Hemisphere. Perhaps it’s important (yet disgusting) enough that we can argue about it until springtime.
Simply put: if a bird relieves itself in your food while you’re dining outside, should the restaurant comp your meal?
Manhattan Twentysomething Uses Match.com To Feed Herself
By 12.1.11
There are a number of ways to deal with the problem of being young and broke in a large, expensive city. A 24-year-old woman who has trouble paying her bills could move to a cheaper apartment. She could eat rice, lentils, and ramen instead of takeout. She could take on a second part-time job. Or she could join Match.com and find men to go on a few dates with her, paying for her meals at nice restaurants. That’s one way to save money on food. [More]
Restaurants May Scan Fish DNA To Verify Identities
By 11.28.11
Due to deceptive labeling practices, diners can’t be sure the fish they eat at restaurants are what they’re identified as on menus. Mistakes and trickery at various levels of the supply chain lead to cheap fish often being mislabeled as more expensive varieties. Now restaurants around the world are trying to rebuild confidence by using DNA tests to certify their fish labeling. [More]
Should You Go To A Restaurant For Thanksgiving?
By 11.16.11
If you’ve decided to ditch the turkey fryer and go to a restaurant for your Thanksgiving meal, you’re not alone. According to a new survey, 14 million Americans will eat out on Thanksgiving this year. [More]
Restaurant Near Occupy Wall Street Protest Lays Off 21
By 11.2.11
A restaurant owner believes an occupied Wall Street is crowding out his business. He says police barricades meant to protect establishments from protest mayhem have restricted foot traffic, dropping sales by 30 percent and forcing him to lay off 21 workers — more than a sixth of his workforce — and placed his operation in jeopardy. [More]
Someone At This Dave & Buster's Needs To Learn How To Count
By 10.28.11
Steve has no problem with the mandatory 18% tip included in the bill for parties of eight or larger at Dave & Buster’s. He does, however, have a problem with getting charged 18% for mediocre service for a dinner party of seven, not eight. Maybe most diners are having too much fun to notice that there isn’t an invisible eighth guest at their tables. [More]
DNA Tests Show Cheaper Fish "Mislabled" As Pricier Kinds At Restaurants
By 10.24.11
In an investigation, the Boston Globe gathered fish from 134 restaurants, supermarkets and fish-mongers. They hired an independent lab to test the fish for authenticity and discovered 87 of the 183 fish tested were “mislabeled,” a whopping 48%. [More]
