Crappy Restaurants

Deadly Sushi · Jan 25, 2009

I went to a BAD restaurant last week. Expensive..... the service SUCKED and the food was like kissing the wrong side of a cat. :lol:

Anyone else have a bad experience like that?

Maverick2272 · Jan 25, 2009

Yea, Old Country Buffet. It is not like I had high expectations, we only go there cause the kids want to sometimes. But this was horrible, they didn't keep hardly anything stocked and what was out there was old old old. And the chicken nuggets were raw, and the desserts were mostly gone.
We were pretty upset so they sent us coupons for free meals... like I wanna go back there again free or not!!

sattie · Jan 25, 2009

I have had bad experiences at really good resturants. I guess there are a few generally bad places, but for the most part I think that really good places have off nights. Most of the places I go I frequent over and over. As long as they take care of me when the service/food is off, I'll come back.

I real deal breaker for me is when trying a place for the first time and the food stinks. I will more than likely not go back unless given some sort of incentive.

PieSusan · Jan 26, 2009

My biggest problem with restaurants besides being allergic to certain foods is that they over salt everything. Even when you ask them not to--even at expensive places.

Maverick2272 · Jan 26, 2009

PieSusan said:
My biggest problem with restaurants besides being allergic to certain foods is that they over salt everything. Even when you ask them not to--even at expensive places.

Amen!! I like a pinch of salt to help bring out flavors, but not so much that I can taste it or it overwhelms everything else! I know here Latinos (not saying anything bad about them here) love salt and it shows in their cooking when they are working at restaurants, everything is salty.
But their home cooking... let's just say I love living in a diverse community! So much food, so little time! LOL.

joec · Jan 26, 2009

My wife worked in Restaurants for years as both a waitress and bartender so she pretty much don't like to go out to dinner. I might add she worked in what would be classed as the high end places. Now me I've sure eaten my share of food in restaurants all over the world and to be honest I'm not big on it either. We go out to dinner only when we have a guest in that want to go out to eat which is once a year perhaps.

High Cheese · Jan 26, 2009

The DW and I went to a very posh restaurant for X-mas eve. This was our 2nd time there. The menu is very modern and for the most part unique. My problem is: I like to experience different and modern foods but don't care for the place-the-napkin-on-your-lap service.

Why can't I get a Lobster Salad with Beluga Caviar served by Joe the Plumber?

PanchoHambre · Jan 26, 2009

outside of the chain restaurants... crapplebees and the like which I really cant stand
some of the worst restaurants I have eaten at were in tourist areas when you are stuck and clueless. Mulberry St in Manhattan has its share of places that would make the Olive Garden look good.

I don't eat out a whole lot so when I do it is nice to be able to get something new and different. I really hate being served up reheated schlock at markup.

I will never forget my 3 ravioli lunch... who is expected to consider 3 small ravioli lunch... oh they were allegedly lobster (maybe some lobster powder) this was in Olde City Philly

joec · Jan 26, 2009

I've eaten in a few Olive Garden's that are petty good but for the most part aren't. The one here up the street has one of the best salad and soup menus I've ever had. I love the salad dressing and the minestrone soup which I've had in others that was just plan terrible. I've never had more than lunch in one though so I can't say much about the rest of their menu. Being Italian raised by my Italian grand parents I pretty well set in what I like and don't.

waybomb · Jan 26, 2009

The Giant Mojito said:
I went to a BAD restaurant last week. Expensive..... the service SUCKED and the food was like kissing the wrong side of a cat.

Anyone else have a bad experience like that?

Which one Sush?

And tell us about your knowledge on the cat, make, female, black, white :yum:

PanchoHambre · Jan 26, 2009

Wasn't dissing the O.G. Joe... it definitely has its place... I have enjoyed meals there. What I hate are the Italian-tourist jobs that masquerade as authentic when they are really bad and overpriced.. People go somewhere looking for good Italian (NY and Venice come to mind) and get slight of hand garbage with an affected accent)

Italian is probably the hardest thing for me to eat out because I am most fussy but I wish when someone came to NYC they had a really good Italian meal instead of tourist-trap schlock.

on the other hand I have nothing but love for your local red-sauce joint these places are invaluable

joec · Jan 26, 2009

I didn't think you where Pancho as I said there are some good and some bad. I guess that can be said for most chains though as it would depend largely on who is running the kitchen.

Locutus · Jan 26, 2009

One of the biggest turn-offs for me is over salting. I won't eat in an Olive Garden or Red Lobster in this area because all I can taste is the salt. :yuk:

The other real turn-off is the refusal of the cook to actually cook the meat. Some "high end" steak houses, I've had to send a steak back 3 times to get it cooked even medium rare, when I originally ordered it well done.

I finally told one so-called "chef" to cremate it and serve me the ashes. I finally got it medium, with still a trace of red in the center.

joec · Jan 26, 2009

I can understand that since I have some cajun in laws that want their meat either in ash form or boiled to death. Me now I like it a few seconds after it stopped breathing at least my beef.

waybomb · Jan 26, 2009

Locutus said:
I've had to send a steak back 3 times to get it cooked even medium rare, when I originally ordered it well done.

I finally told one so-called "chef" to cremate it and serve me the ashes. I finally got it medium, with still a trace of red in the center.

OMG - ever work in a restaurant? Do you have any idea what they do with returned food?

GreenWannabe · Jan 27, 2009

For the past few years, I travelled with my job full time, so basically lived out of hotels and restaurants. I've become very disenchanted with all the chains and most local restaurants in the past couple of years. Even foods I have always loved, they manage to mangle now. Last month, I was stranded in New York for three days on my way to Greece (the airline blamed the weather) and in that time managed to find not one good meal, even using AAA's tour book looking for restaurants rated really high. In Greece, on the other hand, I rarely had a meal out that wasn't good - and no chains.

Fred

Rusty Shackleford · Jan 27, 2009

other than the fact that noone ever cooks my steak the way i want it the FIRST time, (except Smokey Bones, never ever had a problem,) theres been times that ive refused to return, and told the people who served me that i wont be comeing back. they really dont seem to care or make an effort to bring me back in. managers, either. i dont know if that has anything to do with the fact that most of the restaurant workers around here are compiled of annoying high schoolers whose parents made them get a job or not, but thats my story and im stickin to it

Maverick2272 · Jan 27, 2009

My wife won't even eat Italian when we go out, she doesn't like their idea of pasta sauce and Italian dishes.
But for crying out loud, we live next to Chicago so you know there has to be a good Italian restaurant in the area, just need to find it! We did drive thru the small Italian neighborhood nearby but it was all bakeries, jelato storefronts and coffee shops no restaurants that we saw.

Locutus · Jan 27, 2009

It's a shame, but when I travel, I always look for a Cracker Barrel, Village Inn, or Perkins.

Never has a really excellent meal in any of them, but never had a really bad one either. Damn shame when you have to settle for mediocrity.

Doc · Jan 27, 2009

waybomb said:
OMG - ever work in a restaurant? Do you have any idea what they do with returned food?

No. How about telling us what you know Fred.

Doc · Jan 27, 2009

joec said:
I've eaten in a few Olive Garden's that are petty good but for the most part aren't. The one here up the street has one of the best salad and soup menus I've ever had. I love the salad dressing and the minestrone soup which I've had in others that was just plan terrible. I've never had more than lunch in one though so I can't say much about the rest of their menu. Being Italian raised by my Italian grand parents I pretty well set in what I like and don't.

I have to agree about Olive Garden. I've never had a main entree that I liked there. However, their soup and salad w/ breadsticks are GREAT. I don't go there often, maybe once every year or two. And it's always for just soup and salad. I've given up on their main entrees.

joec · Jan 27, 2009

I have never eaten in one except lunch and only a couple that I can remember. Soup and salad is all I've ever order but even that it was different at each one as far as taste and dressings. The one here I would love to get their recipe for their salad dressing.

Maverick2272 · Jan 27, 2009

I have never actually eaten at Olive Garden... DW won't let me

I would like to try it at least once to see how it is.
And yet, she will go to Perkins and Denny's...

joec · Jan 27, 2009

The chains I miss the most from my youth are the Howard Johnson's both great motels and good food. I also miss Lum's (great hot dogs steamed in beer), Royal Castle (best sliders I ever had) and White Castles (second to Royal Castle but still good) which all predated Burger King followed by McDonalds.

Maverick2272 · Jan 27, 2009

OMG! That reminds me of something that happened not to long ago. I was in the hospital on a bed in the hall of the ER waiting to be taken up to a room, and there was all this fuss going on over an office near me.
There was a horrible smell coming from it, and none of the nurses or doctors could figure it out. Finally maintenance showed up and promptly found the problem: He came out holding a large bag of White Castle burgers (mostly eaten) that had been tossed in the trash and left for a couple of days!
True story, I swear! So good Lord if you are going to eat em, eat em fresh!! LOL.

joec · Jan 27, 2009

Oh yes like any kind of meat it will smell when it rots. Those are the times I'm glad my sense of smell is gone.

Maverick2272 · Jan 27, 2009

Sorry not dissing White Castle, go there on occasion myself... your post just reminded me of that story...

Hey, has anyone mentioned Jack in the Box? Haven't seen them around here for years and years but recently they have been running commercials in our area... maybe making a comeback?

joec · Jan 27, 2009

Didn't think you was dissing white castle and they are probably horse meat burgers anyhow. :mrgreen:

You know I've never stepped foot in a Jack in the Box though they used to be every where.

PanchoHambre · Jan 27, 2009

oh I used to live a few blocks from a White Castle.... nothing beats it when your stumbling drunk at 3am... I have slurred many an order...

but Wow do you pay the next day... dem little sliders sit like bricks... still I would kill for one in Philly... they would do great too don't know why we dont have one.

on the O.G.... dreadful if you are thinking real Italian but a great place to go if you are with a big group of non-foodies.

All those chain joints serve their purpose for when you just don't want to think and you have a big group that needs to be seated and eat ASAP.. trying to go to good restaurants in these situations can be disastrous.

Maverick2272 · Jan 27, 2009

Me neither but now it has me curious.

Ya know what my wife calls it when I 'hit' a fast food joint for lunch? She says I am slumming it! LOL.

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