'[They] were just abhorrent': Raucous family of Karens makes server cry at restaurant, kind customers come to her defense

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 5, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

There is nothing worse than watching an unruly customer take their unnecessary frustrations out on an innocent server, as if it's part of their job to deal with abhorrent individuals. In short, it shouldn't be, and nine times out of ten, if you're a bystander in this situation, you can do more than stay out of the fray. 

Here, we have a kind Midwestern family who went out to a nice dinner at a local steakhouse. Their meal was practically ruined as a result of the family of Karens nearby, who made a scene and chastised their server at every turn. The server kept apologies to the kind family and even gave the kids free ice cream. By the time the cruel family made the server cry, the Redditor and their siblings knew it was time to intervene and come to her defense. 

Keep scrolling below to see what happened when the mean kids nearby learned that the Redditor's family got free ice cream. For more stories like this, check out this post about an HOA's unpopular new policy.

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  • 01
    "The server had enough"
    via Luca Bravo
  • 02
    This story happened a very long time ago, when I too was a child. For context, my mom was at that time a working single mother, and we lived in a different state.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 03
    My brother and I often were around other family members because my mom had to work so much and so it wasn't uncommon for my aunt, uncle, mom, and grandparents to be with us.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 04
    This particular day was special. I don't remember exactly why, but we had gone out to a niceish steak house. It was a chain restaurant. Well, this chain
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 05
    restaurant was fairly empty apart from this family that was across from us. There was a mom, dad, and 3 kids that were just abhorrent.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 06
    The dad was screaming fighting with the mom, the mom was constantly fighting with the poor waitress, the toddler in the booster was screaming, and the 2 older kids were running around like they were headless. It was horrible to watch.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 07
    Now my brother, aunt, uncle, mother and I are all at this restaurant watching this family treat the staff like absolute hot garbage.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 08
    We happen to get the same server, and ALL of us make an effort to be sweet to this poor server. Even as a kid (probably around 6-8) I remember she was actively wiping tears every time she came from trying to serve
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 09
    the family. We politely try to eat our meal while giving death glare Midwest style disapproval of this family. Here's where it gets crazy.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 10
    The server had enough of theshe'd been handed and the kids from O. After telling the family several times to collect their kids and the parents refusing,
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 11
    she brought backup. Now the manager was trying to talk to them and was getting frustrated.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 12
    Eventually it escalated and the father started threatening the server and the manager.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 13
    The server came up to the table and apologized profusely, thanking us multiple times for being a good table. She then turned
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 14
    to my brother and I, and thanked us for being good kids and sitting still for the dinner. With the parents and kids still screaming and yelling at the manager, the server brings ice cream to both my brother and I, on the house. Both of us thank her, and my brother (being
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 15
    the older he was) made sure to get the attention of the other kids with me and him eating ice cream. The two kids see us and start yelling at my brother and I, screaming and crying that they didn't get ice cream.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 16
    They yell at the waitress and their parents for ice cream. Now the other family is demanding to get ice cream because they did for us. The manager basically tells them to off, and calls police to make sure they left the restaurant.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 17
    Finally after the demon family left, the manager came over and gave us the entire meal for free, and a gift card. It was a very nice gesture. My family made sure to tip the server a very good amount of money and we all took turns apologizing for them and making sure the manager and server were both okay.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04
  • 18
    Now 10+ years later I still think about the look those brats had when we both had ice cream and they didn't, and the added bonus of the parents fear when they saw the cops to them to the parking lot.
    via u/misquoted_unicorn04

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karens entitled parents petty revenge restaurant server life karens in the wild entitled reddit thread Reddit tales from your server karen entitled people
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