Going out to eat is a huge privilege nowadays. If you thinkgrocerieshave gotten expensive, try ordering two entrees and two glasses of wine from your local Italian restaurant. The shock of seeing your bill will convince you that instant noodles and PB&J sandwiches are healthy enough to sustain you for the rest of the month.

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Close-up of a spinach and egg wrap revealing sparse filling, illustrating food scams.

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Two hot dogs showcasing infuriating food scams: one with loaded toppings, another with sparse toppings.

Coleslaw with fruit loops in a bowl, highlighting infuriating food scams.

There’s nothing like the disappointment of being served a bad meal. Whether your soup comes cold, your pizza came with olives even though you explicitly asked for none, or your burger is burned to a crisp, it’s painful to have to suffer through a gross dish. But if you’re paying for it, it’s even more painful to waste the food!Some of us are far too polite or anxious to complain about a bad meal, but shouldn’t we be happy with what we ordered? Well, if you want to have a game plan for the next time you’re served a plate of disappointment,Food & Winehas some tips. First, they recommend resisting the urge to get angry. You’re likely to receive much better service if you’re polite and respectful. Plus, nobody wants their server spitting in their dinner!

There’s nothing like the disappointment of being served a bad meal. Whether your soup comes cold, your pizza came with olives even though you explicitly asked for none, or your burger is burned to a crisp, it’s painful to have to suffer through a gross dish. But if you’re paying for it, it’s even more painful to waste the food!

Some of us are far too polite or anxious to complain about a bad meal, but shouldn’t we be happy with what we ordered? Well, if you want to have a game plan for the next time you’re served a plate of disappointment,Food & Winehas some tips. First, they recommend resisting the urge to get angry. You’re likely to receive much better service if you’re polite and respectful. Plus, nobody wants their server spitting in their dinner!

Plate with sausage-like food, fries, and sauce, illustrating infuriating food scams.

I remember when going to a steakhouse used to mean something.

“Infuriating food scam: advertised blue cheese salad vs. disappointing real portion on black tray."

Buffalo Tender Sub food scam highlighting discrepancy between advertised and actual sandwich appearance.

If you’re tempted to channel your inner Karen and ask to see a manager when you’ve been served a bad meal, Food & Wine notes that this isn’t always the best choice. It’s likely that they’ll offer you the exact same solution that your server did, so you probably don’t need to escalate the issue to this point.And if you are interested in speaking with the manager, first consider if there’s actually anything they can do for you. If your server has informed you that the kitchen is out of the dish you wanted or is missing a key ingredient, the manager can’t magically make it appear. And if your waiter offered to comp your dinner, that’s probably enough to satisfy you. Try to keep calm and remember that everyone makes mistakes. Yes, even people working in restaurants!

If you’re tempted to channel your inner Karen and ask to see a manager when you’ve been served a bad meal, Food & Wine notes that this isn’t always the best choice. It’s likely that they’ll offer you the exact same solution that your server did, so you probably don’t need to escalate the issue to this point.

And if you are interested in speaking with the manager, first consider if there’s actually anything they can do for you. If your server has informed you that the kitchen is out of the dish you wanted or is missing a key ingredient, the manager can’t magically make it appear. And if your waiter offered to comp your dinner, that’s probably enough to satisfy you. Try to keep calm and remember that everyone makes mistakes. Yes, even people working in restaurants!

Open-faced sandwich with minimal cheese and onion next to coffee, illustrating food scams.

“Infuriating food scams: comparison of a stacked Chicken Bacon Rancher sandwich and a disappointing actual serving."

Plate with minimal vegetables and cheese, representing infuriating food scams.

Eaterhas also shared some advice onhow topolitely complain when a restaurant messes up your order. First, it’s important to know when it’s worth it to say something and when it’s best to keep your mouth shut. For example, if you asked for mild curry, and the first bite of the dish burned your tastebuds off, don’t hesitate to tell your server. However, if you forgot to ask for your salad without tomatoes or didn’t realize that there would be some onions on top of your guacamole, it might be best to just pick them off and carry on with your meal.

Sandwich, chips, and a thin cookie on an office desk, exemplifying infuriating food scams.

Shredded cheese and cherry tomatoes next to a small cup of sauce; example of food scams.

First photo is screenshotted from their online menu and second pic is what I got. I paid extra for a side of avocado and they gave me a little scoop of an overly ripened one that tasted tangy.

Scrambled egg toast, top view. One with herbs, another with avocado. A look at possible food scams.

Eater also suggests that diners remain on their best manners when sharing concerns about their dishes. Don’t be a jerk, and always remain calm. It’s not the end of the world if your steak was cooked the wrong way. Just politely explain the situation and ask for a new one.If you have something in mind that will resolve the issue, be specific when requesting it. If it’s as easy as getting a new meal, ask for that. And if it’s too late, you might want to ask the restaurant to comp your dish. Or, if you ordered an appetizer that was incredibly disappointing, you might be able to swap it out for a different one. Have suggestions, but be reasonable.

Eater also suggests that diners remain on their best manners when sharing concerns about their dishes. Don’t be a jerk, and always remain calm. It’s not the end of the world if your steak was cooked the wrong way. Just politely explain the situation and ask for a new one.

If you have something in mind that will resolve the issue, be specific when requesting it. If it’s as easy as getting a new meal, ask for that. And if it’s too late, you might want to ask the restaurant to comp your dish. Or, if you ordered an appetizer that was incredibly disappointing, you might be able to swap it out for a different one. Have suggestions, but be reasonable.

They told me to come back and they would give me another one. No apology, no compensation for my inconvenience.

Sparse sandwich with minimal fillings, showcasing infuriating food scams.

French fries served sparingly on foil, highlighting food scams with misleading portions.

I got a refund, but still felt cheated. I craved this meal all day and it took over an hour to get. Had a small scoop of rice. No meat and look at everything else. By the time I got it, they were closed for the day. I was infuriated to say the least. Highly doubt that I’ll order from Panera anytime soon.

Mediterranean bowl with chicken and low carbon label compared to a simpler serving; highlights food scams.

When expressing concerns about your food to restaurant staff, you also have to remember that they might not always be interested in hearing your feedback. It’s possible that the chef will double down and assure the customer that there’s nothing wrong with their food. And you know what, they might be right. If you’re really uncomfortable with your dish, no one will force you to eat it. But you might still have to pay and simply decide to never return in the future.

Open sandwich with sparse tomato and avocado, highlighting infuriating food scams in a plastic container.

Gray ice cream in a cup with deceptive hollow center highlighting food scams.

Cheese-covered bread slices in a box, with two dip sauces, illustrating food scams.

It’s also not a great practice to fail to speak up in the moment when you’ve been served a disappointing meal, and then write a scathing Yelp review after you’ve left. Give the restaurant an opportunity to right their wrong while you’re still sitting at your table. Negativereviewscan really hurt a business, and it’s possible that you just caught them on a bad day. Don’t make the restaurant suffer forever because of one bad experience.

Two stale buns in a takeout box with minimal filling, illustrating food scams.

Sparse cheese on a sandwich highlights common food scams.

Hand holding a skimpy portion of crispy noodles in a takeout box, illustrating food scams.

Everyone loves to enjoy a delicious meal, and it’s natural to hold restaurants to a high standard. But the reality is that there are a lot of ways an order can go wrong. First, the customer must correctly explain what they want. Then, the server has to relay that information to the kitchen. The line cooks must pay attention to what’s written and properly plate the order, and then, the server has to deliver it to the correct customer before it gets cold. Let’s have some sympathy for the staff when dining out!

Caprese salad in a styrofoam box, highlighting food scams with minimal ingredients.

Lettuce in a bowl with packaged croutons on a seat, representing food scams.

I ordered a salad from Subway using this little robot delivery service my campus has. I get back to my room, and see that my “salad” is just a bowl of ham. The cold cut combo is supposed to have three types of meat anyway, why just the ham?I’m mostly just baffled. I’m upset because it cost nearly $8 and they just gave me ham.

Packaged food with hidden space exposing infuriating food scams.

Pizza in a box with pepperoni sparsely covering the surface, illustrating food scams with uneven topping distribution.

I will admit ordering pasta from a pizza place was mistake #1. But how did they forget one of the only two ingredients?

Melted cheese in a foil container, possibly showcasing infuriating food scams.

Unusual burger presentation with minimal avocado slices, highlighting food scams in restaurant servings.

The original dish was described as yellow tomato sauce, confit cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, dried chillie flakes and garlic confit. I got 3 almost raw yellow cherry tomatoes and some garlic paste at the f***ing bottom. Violife coconut feta is insane.

Top image shows vibrant pasta dish; bottom image shows plain pasta, highlighting food scams.

Sandwich with a thick slice of cheese on a bun, an example of infuriating food scams.

Infuriating food scams: misleading avocado toast vs. actual serving comparison.

Box of four small fried food pieces with two dipping sauces, illustrating food scams.

Plate with skimpy hot dog, ketchup, and fries beside a menu, illustrating potential food scams.

Plate of scallops versus a meager portion in a foil container, illustrating food scams.

I knew better. But, I always try new things, and I’m a sucker for limited & special items.The box was larger than I expected so I had high hopes. But it was light and upon opening, I was greeted with chicken marbles. They wouldn’t qualify for boneless wings let alone nuggets. These are the extras that get thrown in your chicken strip meal at other places.They were crispy, but that doesn’t make me any less of an idiot for ordering them.

Open box revealing only four small fried chicken pieces, illustrating food scams.

Plate of glazed chicken wings compared to box of smaller coated chicken pieces, highlighting food scams.

Bagel with a small amount of cream cheese in a cardboard box, illustrating a food scam.

Empty fried mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce highlighting food scams.

Unsubstantial portion of grilled meat and lettuce with a drizzle, highlighting questionable food presentation.

Plastic tray of spaghetti with one meatball, highlighting food scams.

Open sandwich with sparse toppings, highlighting food scams concept.

A box of unusually shaped breadsticks representing food scams.

Sparse salad in a foil container, highlighting infuriating food scams with minimal lettuce, onion, and cheese.

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Veggie wrap in foil with sparse filling, highlighting food scams.

Pizza with uneven pepperoni distribution highlighting food scams.

A small bun next to a single-serve coffee pod, illustrating food scams.

Bowl of plain noodles with a small portion of sauce, depicting food scams.

Pizza topped with fries and a tall glass of beer on a checkered table; an example of infuriating food scams.

Takeout container full of sauce cups, highlighting food scams with excessive packaging.

Close-up of a blueberry muffin sliced in half with sausage inside, highlighting food scams.

Plate of fries and chicken on a waffle with gravy, highlighting infuriating food scams.

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Pizza with sparse pepperoni and mushrooms on a countertop, highlighting food scams.

A minimal serving of cucumber sticks with sauce, representing food scams.

Plate of loaded potato skins next to a single disappointing piece, highlighting food scams.

“Disappointing eclair with minimal pink frosting and sparse filling, illustrating food scam."

Tiny portion of ravioli on a plate, illustrating food scams in dining experiences.

I legitimately don’t understand how this is possible. When I called the restaurant, the cook said he “cut it weird” and was completely dismissive.

Pizza with minimal toppings in a box, highlighting food scams.

Store-bought sushi tray with infuriating food scams, showcasing minimal filling and uneven ingredients.

Avocado toast with hash browns, highlighting food scams with minimal toppings.

“Food scam showing sushi rolls filled almost entirely with rice, lacking expected filling content."

Bagel with missing center, highlighting food scams, in a car setting.

Pizza with sparse toppings, showcasing a food scam with minimal pepperoni and vegetables.

Cheese pizza cut into uneven squares, representing food scams in a cardboard box.

Plates of poorly prepared burgers with scattered fries, illustrating food scams.

Plate of steak with toast, mashed potatoes, and broccoli, illustrating common food scams in dining portions.

Chips with minimal avocado and small portion of fries, illustrating infuriating food scams.

Chicken nuggets on a digital scale showing 5.1 ounces, illustrating food scams with misleading packaging or portion sizes.

Two pizzas in boxes highlight infuriating food scams with uneven toppings and sparse ingredients.

Gourmet fries in ad versus plain fries with cheese and meat, illustrating common food scams.

Rectangular pizza with uneven toppings in a box, demonstrating food scams with half missing pepperoni.

Crumbled dry fish pieces in a foam container, highlighting infuriating food scams.

A disappointing sandwich with sparse toppings, showcasing classic food scams.

Plate of breaded chicken, soggy fries, and coleslaw; an example of infuriating food scams.

Unappetizing takeout meal with fruit garnishes, illustrating food scams with disappointing portions.

Close-up of a stir-fry dish possibly illustrating food scams, showing beef, rice, zucchini, and onion.

Two pastries compared; a round one and a small, rectangular one with visible infuriating food scams evidence.

Fries next to a plain sandwich with a hole, illustrating food scams.

Menu vs. reality depicting a simple baked potato, highlighting food scams.

Burger bun with missing patty, highlighting food scams.

A few weeks ago I went to the renowned Boschendal Wine Farm, outside Stellenbosch, and ordered their vegan aubergine pizza. One would think that they would take pride in what they do and make aubergine the star of the dish. What I got was so dissapointing, and made me feel that they really hate their vegan customers. My husband, who is not vegan got a beautiful presented plate of food. I wrote them a polite letter about customer experience, etc. but to date got no response, hence I now name them for their bad pizza and arrogance. How hard can it really be to have made this a great pizza without too much effort? For my part it wasn’t even necessary to replace mozzarella with bad vegan cheese. How about a great Napolitana sauce, grilled aubergine, a few Kalamata olives, some red onions, rocket or basil pesto perhaps? I am also a professional chef, but I would never treat my vegan or vegetarian customers with such disdain. I won’t recommend them, nor spend my hard earned cash there ever again.

Pizza with minimal toppings, highlighting food scams with sparse onions and tomatoes.

Stacked salad with pesto between two slices of toast, resembling a food scam.

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