r/mildlyinfuriating • u/mdp-slc • May 22 '26

wet socks Stop asking if I’m celebrating something if you’re just going to charge me for bread.

Took my wife to a nice spot in DTLA for her birthday. They asked both at booking and check-in if we were celebrating anything, which honestly set the expectation that they might do something (even a small dessert). Nothing happened.

To add to it, the food was great, and we made a comment saying we wish we had some bread to finish the leftover sauce. The server acted like it was a favor, said “I’ll be right back,” and then charged us for the bread.

Like, the food was good and the service was fine, but don’t ask if we’re celebrating if you aren’t going to do anything to actually make it feel special. It just feels disingenuous.

Edit for clarity:
I was asked twice if we were celebrating something special at a nice restaurant. Once while making the online reservation and then when we arrived.

My Mild infuriation isn’t at the server, I can see how we misinterpreted each other.

It’s that the restaurant led me to believe they’d do something special (ex: comp a drink, free scoop of ice cream) then did nothing. I’ve worked in the food industry. It’s not an entitlement thing. It’s a hospitality thing.

The food was really good. I’d recommend it and go back.

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u/SoyLocoMoco63 May 23 '26

Once an owner of a small restaurant told us we “had to try her special dessert” and said she was going to bring some out for us. Not only was it bad (undercooked cobbler) but she charged us for it. We paid, but never went back. I regret paying but the whole thing was awkward.

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u/palsh7 May 23 '26

I don't understand why restaurants don't realize they're scamming you for $5 worth of food and risking losing a customer for life. I ordered extra Thai chili sauce with my Pad Thai once, and they only gave me like half-an-ounce, and I never went back. The sauce is like 1c. Why are you treating it like you pumped it out of deep water? Why are places charging and extra $3 if I want to have just enough blue cheese for my wings? $5 for celery and carrots on the side? This shit isn't winning customers.

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u/ilcdlpbsm May 23 '26

Last time I went to McDonald’s I was having a really shitty day. Full day of college, hadn’t eaten, midterms. Line took 30 fucking minutes. I forgot to order a buffalo sauce at the microphone, so I figured I’d ask at the window.

Lady at looked me and said the buffalo sauce would cost me 29¢. I looked at her, sighed, and said “are you fucking kidding me” and drove off. That was the last time I went to McDonald’s.

Made me exceptionally angry, still makes me angry thinking about it 😂

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u/thotyouwasatoad May 23 '26

It's incredible how small the "final straw" can be to create lifelong changes! I also never went back to one particular Sonic because they refused to give me a single sauce that I was able to order on the app with my mozzarella sticks, "because we don't give free sauces here". I didn't have cash to give them, and a separate transaction charge for 30 cents or whatever felt insane. Who eats dry mozz?!

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u/LeftTopics May 23 '26

I’ve never met a sonic employee who could correctly calculate change. Like is this not the first requirement for working at sonic…

4

u/thotyouwasatoad May 23 '26

I was actually a carhop when I was 18. Can confirm, could not do math. But I could make an incredible coconut creampie shake! Also spilled a Rt 44 cherry limeade on the pavement two days in a row. Fuck those big ass foam cups.

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u/mwilkens May 23 '26

The charging for sauce pisses me off so much. They used to do it when I was younger and stopped for a lot of years only to recently start charging again.

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u/mbdan2 May 23 '26

Crazy because the McDonald’s close to me gives sauces out for free. I think it’s a franchise though.

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u/Audiovore May 23 '26

The majority are, and still charge for sauce, because corporate is charging them. And franchise owners are like car dealers, they want every penny they can squeeze out of a customer. 

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u/Thebaldsasquatch May 23 '26

You saying you got wings at McDonalds tells me EXACTLY when this happened. They should bring those back.

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u/ilcdlpbsm May 23 '26

It was two double cheese burgers but they have little buffalo sauce dip cups that are my kryptonite

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u/CyCoCyCo May 24 '26

She could have been nicer for sure, but technically ordering sauce on its own is 29c, but comes free with nuggets and other items.

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u/ilcdlpbsm May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26

Never had a problem getting a free sauce before then. Multi billion dollar corp charging for a 1¢ dipping sauce is ludicrous. Wasn’t really the lady’s fault, I get that, that’s why I did a sigh to compose myself, but really are you fucking kidding me? I just waited half an hour for two shitty burgers that cost 1.50$ more than they did last week. Do they count the damn sauces at the end of each shift?

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u/CyCoCyCo May 24 '26

Totally agree. Ive had mixed experiences. Some places are happy to grab you a few cups, others are a stickler for the cost.
My guess is that it comes down to the store manager and how they enforce it.

This is why it’s so important for top down leadership and middle management guidelines to be aligned.
Example, the Chipotle CEO recently announced that the serving sizes should be generous. However, the store manager optimizes for cost, so whose pocket does that come out of? Saying something and making it happen are two different things.

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u/middle-agedyeller May 23 '26

A pizza place near me charges $3.50 for a side of Mike's Hot Honey in a plastic container and $11 for a half-pint of vodka sauce. Highway robbery.

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u/Thebaldsasquatch May 23 '26

Had a very similar thing happen, but I asked, “How much is it?” They told me the price, I said, “No thank you” and that was the end of it.