'Hotcakes, hold the syrup, substitute tartar sauce': 25+ Outlandish food substitutions that customers insisted chefs cook for them

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 18, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

Not to yuck these peoples' yums, but why would they choose these food combos? The ones included below are truly odd — and chefs and waiters were the ones telling on their customers. 

The r/KitchenConfidential community answered the question, "What are the grossest substitutions you've been asked to make?" Interestingly, the OP suggested that they were unhappy with a customer substituting mustard instead of apple butter on a sandwich with sourdough bread, cheese, and bacon. Tons of commenters scolded the OP, saying that the combo sounds really good, actually. As with many different cultures across the globe, the food that tastes amazing to one person will be completely repulsive to another. 

Waiters and chefs have definitely seen some wild substitutions and quirky requests that would raise eyebrows most places. For one example, some person wanted their eggs burnt to a crisp. Another wanted to sub in fried chicken on her Reuben sandwich (no, she did not enjoy the taste). As long as you like the taste and pay for your meal (and tip!) you may as well get your food exactly the way you enjoy it. The waitstaff might judge you, but they just haven't tried it your way yet. 

Next, this Grandpa tried to warn his neighbor that his new building project was going to bring some heavy fines… but instead he got told, "You're new here, I've been here 10 years."

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  • 01
    Happy - 'Chocolate sauce on mashed potatoes instead of gravy... [He] ate it all. I judge him'
    via 燕珊 张 nikizhang1995 on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - What are the grossest substitutions you've been asked to make? I have a bacon apple grilled cheese on sourdough, it's sourdough, apple butter(which the owner added to the sandwich when she wrote the menu, I think the sweetness from the apple is the right balance and it doesn't need more sugar), cheddar, bacon and Granny Smith apple slices, I had someone sub the apple butter for mustard. I struggled to make the sandwich and not just fully imagine the flavors I was putting together.
    via u/mildlyst*ned
  • 03
    Font - 2 Sweetleaf42m This one time I was was working at a breakfast/lunch place. One day a lady came in and asked for a tuna melt on cinnamon French toast Gop 453 Reply Share mildlystoned OP. Holy sl that's upsetting.
    via u/Sweetleaf42m
  • 04
    Font - FlamingWhisk Chocolate sauce on mashed potatoes instead of gravy. For a 50+ grown as man. Ate it all. I judge him
    via u/FlamingWhisk
  • 05
    Smile - ThatPunkDude Chicken Caesar salad- subbed a chopped up HOTDOG for chicken
    via u/ThatPunkDude
  • 06
    Font - ninnypogger I think my favorite/most ridiculous was a Caesar salad, no dressing, no cheese, no croutons. I sold some woman a $16 bowl of romaine
    via u/ninnypogger
  • 07
    Font - Fumb-Mother Ducker. On a street food stall the other day (we sell wraps and salad boxes) a dude asked me for just a salad box filled with meat. Just any meat. (we had Harissa Chicken and Lamb Sausages) and paid £20 for it. Then he came back half an hour later and asked for another.
    via u/Fumb-Mother Ducker
  • 08
    Font - D ranting_chef 20+ Years One of my all time favorites is when someone asked for a side mayonnaise for her lemon tart instead of the normal sauce. The sauce we normally plated with was a lemon curd with whipped cream folded in to order, just a small amount swirled in the center of the plate before the lemon meringue tart was torched and placed on top. The worse part was we didn't have a really nice mayonnaise, just the Imperial from Sysco because they were out of Hellman's that week.
    via u/ranting_chef
  • 09
    Font - grittytoddlers 90 No really a sub - but a rare tuna steak sandwich with 2 slices of American cheese....it damaged me in a way that is unrepairable. I can only imagine there was ketchup/ranch involved.
    via u/grittytoddlers90
  • 10
    Font - bushmanofthekalahary. I was asked to burn eggs on purpose once during brunch. He ended up sending them back because they weren't brown enough.
    via u/bushmanofthekalahary
  • 11
    Font - jessiyjazzy123 I used to have a guy that requested a burnt English muffin everyday. A regular. I would send it through the toaster at the slowest speed three times... It came out crunchy black and I was the only server he would let take his order. I miss him actually, hope you're doing well Ed!
    via u/jessiyjazzy123
  • 12
    Font - CMKBangBang I worked at a Port of Subs (west coast sub chain) and had a pregnant woman come through at least once a week for a meatball sub, add tuna salad. We all tried it one day and it wasn't as bad as it sounds, but it definitely wasn't good.
    via u/CMKBangBang
  • 13
    Font - Xeilkir Kitchen Manager Had someone replaced the fried chicken in some buffalo chicken tacos with beans. The only other ingredients were ranch and lettuce 16 Reply Share mildlystoned OP. That sounds wet.
    via u/Xeilkir
  • 14
    Font - Inferno22512 Technically not a substitution but one time I got a ticket that read Creme Brulee No caramel sauce Side Ranch Now, I have no proof that they put ranch on that creme brulee, but boy is that what the ticket implied
    via u/Inferno22512
  • 15
    Font - Otherwise one of the tickets I always hate seeing come through is that we have a spinach salad that has spinach, croutons, bacon and mushrooms tossed in a poppyseed dressing and topped with apples, mandarin oranges, and red onion. Once a week we get a couple that comes and substitutes our poppyseed dressing for our garlic blue cheese dressing add blue cheese crumbles and diced tomato. The salad, always, without fail looks horrid and putting the fruit on the cheese covered leaves always fe
    via u/Inferno22512
  • 16
    Font - Thrasher488 Fried chicken instead of corned beef on a Rueben. I said "I'll do it but she isn't getting a refund if she doesn't like it." She didn't like it.
    via u/Thrasher488
  • 17
    Font - chicoman2018 If our kitchen ran out of ground beef filler for the burritos, you would often see the shepherds pie mix thrown into the burritos. We called it "The Leprechano" Not the grossest but an amusing memory of a past life.
    via u/chicoman2018
  • 18
    Font - Gastonthebeast I worked at a smoothie place. A couple of people like the Acai smoothie with a scoop of peanut butter. It tastes like a really terrible peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
    via u/Gastonthebeast
  • 19
    Font - Tresonman Definitely a gluten free dairy free grilled cheese, we have the most disgusting vegan cheese ever, I had to steam it and spread it on the gluten free bread with a butterknife
    via u/Tresonman
  • 20
    Rectangle - ScumBunny Not a mod, but my ex- coworker used to make peanut butter and jelly on rye, with raw onion and pickled jalapeño.
    via u/ScumBunny
  • 21
    Font - Templar_Gus Battered shrimp no batter no flour. He wasn't celiac or anything, he just wanted raw shrimp thrown in the deep fryer
    via u/Templar_Gus
  • 22
    Font - HearthSaer Hotcakes, hold the syrup substitute tartar sauce
    via u/HearthSaer
  • 23
    Font - jimmybags50 Had a family bring in their own blender for a disabled family member...wanted me to blend up fish and chips. Tartar/slaw and all....it was horrible to watch all these ingredients turn into sludge, but hey...he drank it, so... respect.
    via u/jimmybags50
  • 24
    Smile - chefjac123 Bro wanted me to cook his smoked salmon. Idk just didn't sit right we me
    via u/chefjac123
  • 25
    Font - bonboneka I think this one is not so gross, more just peculiar to me. Once had an older couple order ramen, but they wanted bean sprouts instead of noodles. We were able to do it and they finished their bowls. I still wonder about them to this day.
    via u/bonboneka
  • 26
    Rectangle - RiceGaming101 i work at a BBQ joint and we have so many customers ask for either mayo or ranch on our brisket and pulled pork
    via u/RiceGaming101
  • 27
    Font - Vlacid Had a lady ask for a pizza with white sauce, provolone and watermelon. Totally sober looking 20 year sorority girl at a busy near campus pizza joint. We don't have watermelon on the menu anywhere.
    via u/Vlacid
  • 28
    Font - selfietuesday Five Years Customer asked for a Reuben, no kraut sub relish...gross
    via u/selfietuesday
  • 29
    Font - burnedflag I was 19 working in the airport food court. It was deli basically. Guy comes up and orders a Turkey sandwich on our cinnamon crunch bagel. I explain that it's basically a donut and he might want a different option. It's glazed and covered in cinnamon (Panera had the same ones at some point). "Okay" he says. He proceeds to load this pastry up with Turkey, cheese, mustard, Mayo, veggies, etc. I was repulsed. The airport had the weirdest and rudest customers anywhere I've worked.
    via u/burnedflag

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meals gross waiter restaurant chef food service combination gross food food dining weird substitute
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