19-year-old dishwasher chemically scrubs a luau pig roaster, gets his goldbricking superior in trouble when the chef finds out: ‘You said make it shine like new!’

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jan 17, 2026 9:00 AM EST

A teenage dishwasher gets told to scrub a luau pork roaster until it shines like new, realizing too late that his effective technique was actually ruining the kitchenware.

Unfortunately for the chef, nobody in janitorial services understood that cooking irons get seasoned after years of use and, like a 100-year-old cast-iron pan passed on from your dear ol' granny, some of those ancient flavors can't be recreated. Alas, when the teen chemically scrubbed the kitchenware to attempt to appease his superior's demands, it ended up being his manager who was in some hot water with the higher-ups. 

Turns out, luau cookware is not only hard to come by, but takes years to season properly, and that can all be undone in an instant with some industrial detergent, a dash of determination, and a ton of dishwasher elbow grease. Lucky for this young employee, responsibility didn't fall on him when his goldbricking boss told him to get to work. 

Advertisement
  • Man working in the kitchen in a restaurant.
    via kali9

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • One of my first jobs out of high school was as a dishwasher. I was 17 and knew nothing of the catering industry, but I had a can-do attitude and an acute aversion to kitchen sludge. No stranger to washing dishes at home, I was shocked to learn that catering equipment was far different. Blasting myself with boiling water jet streams and getting industrial soaps under my nails was enough to make me realize that dishwashing was not for the faint of heart, nor did I actually have a grasp on what I was actually doing. 

    Without guidance, no newbie worker understands what to do for their job title, and when you don't fully understand a new industry yet, there are nuances that can easily slip through the cracks. When this dishboy was told to scrub an enormous pig roaster until it shone, he followed through with his exact orders, without ever really realizing that he was irrevocably destroying the cooking surface. Lo and behold, a big lesson was learned that day, mostly from management, when the chef saw the kind of scrubbing action taking place in the back kitchen. He wasn't mad at the dishwasher, of course, because it wasn't his fault, thus turning his entire fury and rage towards the one man who should have known better. 

  • "Really seals in the flavor..."

    This story is from many years ago from when I was 19-20.1 used to work for a Resort... the same resort 3 separate times in many different job roles so prepare for other stories. This was my second time working there when I did dishwashing. I kind of got the job accidentally which is another story entirely. ANYWAYS!
    via Linda_Lissen
  • They held a Hawaiian Luau event which involved renting a custom built whole pig spit roast that fit 2 pigs. As a seasoned adult who has now enjoyed a lifetime of good barbeque, this thing was beautiful. As someone who thought they were an adult.... this thing was a large inconvenience and a waste of money.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • Roasted pork at a luau.
    via saravuth-photohut
  • I didn't get to participate in any of the food... but I did get to see the dishes. Me and my coworker went out in the loading dock to take a break as one of the chefs rolled up with a golf cart towing the Big ol Pig Cooker. There are two types of chefs at this resort, the cool ones... and the type who was currently driving the golf cart.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • He lights up a cigarette and looks at the two of us. Points at me and says "Clean it" I walk up and take my first look inside. It looks like it's been through absolute hell.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • "This is more that a shift worth of cleaning... I don't know even know where to start."
    via Linda_Lissen
  • "Well, they'll be here in 3 hours to pick it up. So you better start now and when they get here, it better shine like new" "How do you even clean something like this?"
    via Linda_Lissen
  • "I don't care, just make it shine" I know I'm being setup for failure but I knuckle down. If I work my ass off but fail in the process I'll be in less trouble than if I just don't try at all.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • Professional kitchen looking spotless and clean.
    via Maria Kray
  • I brought out the big guns. I went to the supply closet and got a brand new un-used floor scrub brush, all the heavy chemicals and the garden hose. I spray the whole thing down in 4 cans of the heaviest degreaser we have, let it sit, and then literally stand inside and scrubbed.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • After an hour of scrubbing I rinse to see the progress. Not much. I go to maintenance and grab a paint scraper and some scotch pads out of their supply. Another round of heavy chemicals and I start scraping.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • Really making progress now. I work into a system. Chemicals, scrape, scrub, rinse, chemicals, scrap, scrub, rinse.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • Dishwasher doing his job in the kitchen.
    via alvarostock

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I am on my knees in this thing chipping away at the crap and I heard the dock door open. It's one of the office guys, the chef, and someone else. "...right out here, he better have it clean for ya"
    via Linda_Lissen
  • It's at this point I look up. The Chef sees me obviously not done and has an evil grin. The office guy looks indifferent. The stranger.... Enraged Horror.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • He comes running up and starts a tirade. I blank on what he says as my mind goes into survival mode. Usually people I see this angry are one really small thing away from physical violence.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • I don't remember the exact argument but I do remember the guy being mad about how I was cleaning it with "You scrubbed off the flavor" and how it was
    via Linda_Lissen
  • "seasoned" which meant nothing to me at that point in my life. The chef chimed in with "Why would you do this, don't you have any common sense?"
    via Linda_Lissen
  • My mind comes back into focus and I say "You said you didn't care how I cleaned it but to make it shine like new"
    via Linda_Lissen
  • There was a moment of silence and then he starts back at me telling me that I was done here and HR would have my butt for this... like losing this job would ruin my life.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • The other dishwasher, like a knight with a moist dishtowel over one shoulder, appears in the door way. "Dude you literally told him to make it shine like new, I was standing right here"
    via Linda_Lissen
  • They made me stop where I was and rinse it off.... We lost our deposit. I never got in trouble. Chef got his butt reamed. Things never got better there... but I felt vindicated. I am still good friends with that other dishwasher.
    via Linda_Lissen
  • Tourist enjoying a luau
    via Stephanie

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • BeastInDarkness I definitely read through most of this thinking you were cleaning the golf cart.
    via BeastInDarkness
  • OP Linda Lissen Oh that would have been great
    via Linda_Lissen
  • Nothingofintrest19 More trying to complete a task than malicious but I like it.
    via Nothingofintrest19

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

dishwasher employee manager goldbricking resort Horrible Bosses
Scroll Down For The Next Article