Customer gets mad at server for charging for a potato he ate and leaves a $5 tip on a $100 tab as a punishment with a note in the bill: ‘That potato charge hurt your tip.’

Author image for María Cetra
María Cetra • Writer
Jul 1, 2026 7:15 AM EDT

Tipping culture can be debatable, but being an ungrateful customer isn't.

Tipping culture can go out of hand sometimes, with their 20%, and even 30 and 40% nowadays. Also, the fact that now you even have to tip at auto service restaurants is incredible. All that is debatable and is just showing how underpaid server and gastronomy employees are, and how, instead of demanding better salaries, they demand better tips. All that is not only open for discussion but also understandable to not leave a tip —or at least not a super big one. But sometimes it is not really about the tip itself and more about how servers like to punish and have power over servers' finances just because they don't get free food at a restaurant.

Complaining because your food is not as expected is fine. If you asked for a medium rare steak and received one that is so cooked that you can't even cut it, not only understandable but expected for you to ask for a new one cooked as you asked before. The problem starts when customers think that every little thing can be complained about and comped. Complimenting food in general is a difficult subject because it is difficult to realize when it is actually needed, as most customers take advantage of that.

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  • 01
    I work at a steak house. It's not fancy- but it's not cheap. I had a table today of 3 Gentlemen, each ordering a different rendition of our 16oz Ribeye, cooked to order ranging from Rare, Medium Rare and Medium.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 02
    A dish served with salmon on a fine table at a restaurant.
    via Jay Wennington

    A dish served with salmon on a fine table at a restaurant. 

  • In the Reddit story, the server did comp the food that was not able to be eaten by the customer because it wasn’t cooked how he asked. But then she charged the food they ate, and that brought a problem to them. They started questioning that, even though they had already received a free steak. Also, to clarify, they were having issues with being charged $5 for a boiled potato that they ate. Not only did it start an uncomfortable discussion between the server and the customers, but it also made the tip of the server sum up to $5, which is basically the same as not receiving a tip at all. The fact that they even wrote “that potato charge hurt your tip” is incredibly disrespectful and just shows that they were going to tip around $10 for a bill that was $100 and should have been well over that.
     

  • 03
    Medium and Rare were enjoying their meal. the second time I checked on the table, Medium Rare explained to me that his cut was too fatty, too tough and he was not happy because Medium and Rare's steaks were melting in their mouths. "it's me off" he said. I apologized, grabbed another plate and asked that he put the steak on said plate so I can show the cooks and get him another one.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 04
    I go to the cooks, and as they grumbled because it's a 35+ dollar steak, they still made another 16oz MR steak for the gentleman, and we threw the original away. During this time, Medium Rare eats his veggies and Baked potato.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 05
    When it comes out, I take it to the table and Medium Rare pokes it with a toothpick and says it "looks better already". I walked away to help another table, and when I came back to ask if it was better. Medium laughed and said "He's not happy". Medium Rare asked for a box, while Rare took a bite of the new steak and shrugged, saying it tasted fine. Medium Rare said it "didn't even taste like Ribeye"
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 06
    I explained that if they took it home I couldn't do anything like a discount, but would love to offer pie or a cinnamon roll to compensate if they did take the steak. Medium said to leave the steak "Since Im paying”. I went to a manager and had them remove the steak completely. Since Medium Rare ate all of his potato we charged $4.99. When I first dropped the check, they asked if we did military discounts which effectively dropped their bill from over $100 (without the third steak) to about $94.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 07
    They flagged me down and said there's been a mistake, they didn't have a side of mashed potatoes. I explained that since the Baker and some veggies were eaten, my manager made the decision to charge for at least the potato. I had just accidentally put Mashed instead of baker.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 08
    I appreciate any and all tips. I don't mind percentage wise, because it adds up and I'm grateful regardless. Medium paid the tab, and left $5. Normally, I wouldn't have even blinked. What caught my attention, sprawled on the check was "that potato charge hurt your tip" I was baffled
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 09
    TI;Dr table got $35 dollar meal comped after making restaurant throw away 2 16oz steaks, got a 10% discount and then was upset they got charged for a $5 potato that they ate.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 10
    Visual representation of the interior of a restaurant.
    via shawnanggg

    Visual representation of the interior of a restaurant. 

  • 11
    centstwo They were never going to tip anyway.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 12
    ¡weararmani Some people are miserable
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 13
    Queasy_Aide5481 Had a table that ordered steak and scallops combo. Ate the scallops then complained about the steak. Took the steak and brought a new one which was also rejected and he didn't want another. When the bill came he complained about being charged for the scallops as he wanted the entire entree comped. Didn't happen, tip. Cheap people look for excuses to not tip and grift free food.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 14
    FrostylcePrincess Medium Rare complaining the rib eye was too fatty though...isn't that the whole point of ribeye?
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 15
    K_A_irony How does a ribeye not taste like a ribeye. That guy is a real piece of work. I always order my steaks medium rare. I am often "ok" with medium and rare (to a point). Because of this I almost never ever send a steak back, but if I do it is immediately after I cut into it and see the temperature is WAY wrong.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 16
    Dav_Sionnach As a manager, I think charging for the potato was petty. I am on board with "take the steak, pay for the steak". Medium Rare was a whiny baby. And Medium was also petty and cheap and the low tip wasn't about the potato.
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 17
    ShakeHour154 yall shouldve never comped the steak
    via Confident_Buffalo242
  • 18
    Front desk employees at a restaurant, model image.
    via Square

    Front desk employees at a restaurant, model image. 

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money problems entitled customers tales from your server tipping culture
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