Customer Has Severe Food Allergies, Restaurant Fails To Be Accommodating, Customer Leaves 1-Star Review

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mattstaff
Aug 7, 2021 10:00 PM EDT

The reality is that there are plenty of people in this world that unfortunately have to deal with very intense, potentially life-threatening food allergies. It ultimately falls on the restaurant to take those food allergies seriously, and at least try to cater to the information that they're provided in a timely manner. It sounds like this restaurant definitely failed to do so. Or, at the very least they could've thrown that order back out on the fly, and not had them wait all that extra time over some tomatoes. So, a 1-star review from the customer seems like a pretty reasonable development. Naturally, folks in the comments section were in agreement that the customer wasn't necessarily in the wrong for their decision to leave a scathing review. 

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  • 01
    Font - AITA for leaving a diner a 1 star review for refusing to accommodate me and remake my food? Not the A-hole Yesterday I took my son out to eat for lunch. We decided to try a cute family owned diner that had pretty good reviews. I have some severe, potentially life threatening food allergies so I usually try to play it safe and order something I know does not have anything I will react to in it. I ordered a toasted gluten free grilled chicken breast wrap with lettuce, onions, and green pepp
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  • 02
    Font - When I got my food I noticed something red in it and picked it out with my fork. It was a tomato, which I am highly allergic to. There was tomatoes all through my food so I was unable to eat it. I quietly motioned for someone to come over to explain the situation and they called for the owner to listen to me. The owner said they'd remake my food but they'd have to charge me again for the time and ingredients even though I could not eat what I was given.
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  • 03
    Font - I pointed out that nowhere was tomatoes listed as part of the dish I ordered and if they were in the wrap it should be listed so people know what they are getting, especially if someone has an allergy to something. Owner said that they don't put everything up on the board and it's not a big deal and for me to either pay to have my food remade or I can choose to not eat, but I will not be receiving a second meal for free. I ended up re-ordering my meal to my specifications and it took over
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  • 04
    Smile - NTA: if they're gonna list the ingredients, they should list all of them. Also, it's awful that they made you pay for two meals when they were clearly in the wrong. |+ 6 Reply 1 10k 3 ...
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  • 05
    Font - CaticusFaticus · 21h S 1 Award (Super, super) small restaurant owner here! Assuming you didn't spew obscenities at your server or do something else horrendous that you left out, NTA. Personal feelings: Bad reviews are devastating. I will literally feel intense guilt and lose sleep for days if/when we receive a stray one. With that in mind, if you were legitimately disappointed by something fundamental to your experience it is completely reasonable for you to leave a negative review. It is
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  • 06
    Font - As an owner, would want to know the details of your disappointment so I could ensure it never happened again. As a human, I would want you to share these feelings with me in person, at the time of your visit so I could fix them immediately, rather than leaving and giving a bad review later-you obviously tried to do this. You're three for three so, from my perspective, the review seems warranted. My only (very small) advise for next time would be mentioning your allergies to your server be
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  • 07
    Rectangle - RedditDK2 · 21h Colo-rectal Surgeon [47] NTA they earned a 1 star review. |+ 6 Reply 1 1.9k
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  • 08
    Font - poet_andknowit · 21h NTA, that was really poor attitude and service on the restaurant's part, especially the owner. Now, if tomatoes HAD been listed and you'd ordered it anyway then that would be a different story, but that's not the case here. I hate it when restaurants don't list all that's in their dishes and it's a dangerous practice on their part that can really cause them some serious liability issues one of these days. I can imagine that the owner might have thought you were scammi
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  • 09
    Font - Pew1375 · 12h YTA - I've worked in the restaurant industry for decades. You should have informed them of your allergies, and asked questions about what you were thinking about ordering. The places I've worked would take extra precautions to ensure you got what you expected, and that there was no cross contamination. They don't know you, or your situation, so why would you expect it to be perfect for you? It's kind of crappy that they didn't remake it for free, but that is their decision.
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  • 10
    Font - 2 Awards ESH Because they were wrong as many others have pointed out, but if you have severe potentially life-threatening allergies to common ingredients I honestly think it's on you to check with the server when you are ordering. I have a friend who has such an allergy to shellfish and even when she orders chicken or beef she always mentions it so the kitchen can avoid cross- contamination. G Reply 4 886 ..
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  • 11
    Head - ESH. Them for obvious reasons. You because you didn't alert the waiter of your life threatening allergies. Common sense G Reply 4 496 3
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  • 12
    Font - ESH if you're "deathly allergic" to something it takes two seconds to confirm that ingredient isn't in there. You now want them to eat the cost because you couldn't be arsed to manage your own health condition. I say this because tomatoes in a sandwich place are common. Just because it's not listed doesn't mean other ingredients aren't cross contaminated with it. If you're as allergic as you say you are you should always point it out so they can use a fresh cutting board and knife G Reply
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  • 13
    Font - Crazed_rabbiting • 12h YTA if you have a food allergy, it is on you to inform your server. That is how they know to make sure that there is no cross contamination and to double check ingredients and substitutions. Frankly, this is basic food allergy management and personal responsibility. Signed, food allergy mom G Reply 4 12 3 ...
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  • 14
    Font - _Beeje_ · 12h l'd say ESH. If you are the person with the allergy you need to let people handling your food aware. They won't know your food history. They suck because they shouldn't have made you pay for a remade meal.that's just silly in my opinion. G Reply 1 5 3
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  • 15
    Font - lorienne22 · 18h Partassipant [2] YTA. I thought it was pretty well standard/common knowledge that if you have food allergies, you must tell the establishment first to ensure they can accommodate your needs. Cross contamination happens the kitchen regardless of the ingredients. YTA all day long if you think this is their fault. G Reply 4 84 3
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  • 16
    Font - Downtown-Adeptness-5 · 12h ESH. The restaurant handled that poorly, and making you pay for a second burned meal was petty, but you need to disclose allergies, especially if they are 'deadly'. As repeatedly mentioned, cross-contamination is a thing, and no restaurant wants to be liable for undisclosed allergies. G Reply ...
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  • 17
    Font - businessbee89 · 12h ESH. The reason I say this is because they should have absolutely remade your food free of charge. At the same time, if I am highly allergic to anything, I am double checking to make sure it isn't on the item. It's not a matter of not liking it but life and death. G Reply ...
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