I would do the same as you, except I would demand that they cover the entire meal. That's disgusting, and then she sticks her hand in your food???? They should cover the entire meal, in my opinion.

I have discussed issues with my meals with restaurant managers for a whole lot less distasteful issues.

I'm with most everyone else so far. Except my bigger concern would be sanitary. Not only is the slug a problem, having the server's ungloved, who knows when it was washed and how much money they'd handled since in my food, is uncalled for. Depending on the manager's reaction, I'd even be inclined to get in touch with the Board of Health. If critters are making it into my salad, and people are willing to reach into my food in front of me, who knows what else is going on? I doubt I'd be back, that's for sure.

Oh yes, definitely speak with the manager. I'd expect the manager to take care of a good portion of my meal--and replace the salad, of course.
Really, the biggest problem in my eyes is the waitress' attitude. I'd request another server for the rest of my meal.
on the bright side, if the slug was alive, at least the salad must have been from organic greens?

I've been in a similar situation -- but it didn't directly involve my food. At a restaurant, a mouse ran across my foot, then hid in a crack near our table. I freaked out, and the rest of my table leaned over to get a better look. A waitress came by and asked us what was up, we told her -- and she shrugged! "Yeah, they live in the ceiling. We've got squirrels up there too." And she walked off. I went on and on about how we should tell a manager and get our meal for free... but I'm all talk. I just went home and called my sister in law, who happens to be with the state health inspection department.

Anyway, moral of my story - I would probably talk about how I should get my meal for free, but then be too shy to bring it up. Although if it was actually IN my food... eek. I don't know.

I, too, would ask for the manager. Not only was it a slug in the salad, but them the waitress put her hand in it!

I would ask for the manager but I would laugh. She had the nerve to look straight, like nothing was wrong and didn't laugh. I would defin would get the meal comp. But I really don't know if I would want anything else.

First i would throw up! then i would ask for the manager and then leave. I would not be eating anything from that restaurant. I can't believe she didn't take the whole salad and get a new one. that is so gross!

I would be pissed! I woudl talk to the manager and explain the situation and just wlak out!
They aren't getting my service!

i would ask for the manager - and possibly leave. this is gross!

I've worked in the restaurant industry. A LOT of you are overreacting.

If that had happened in my restaurant, I'd have been mortally embaressed and have a) apologized profusely to the customer and b) brought the dish to the kitchen and alerted the manager. Good call on those of you who said you'd like to speak to the manager. The waitress was entirely out of line, but saying that you'd walk out, or refuse to eat anything there is completely overreacting. I'm sure at some point some of you have washed lettuce and missed a bug.

Most importantly, it's wrong to assume that the waitress' reaction is indicative of the entire establishment. I've had (not the same, but similar) experiences happen to me, and I've handled it well (see above), but received little to no tip. I hate, hate, HATE it when people assume that because their meal was bad, because the manager was ornery, or because they were dissatisfied with something else (wait times, maybe) that they leave a poor tip. We're trying to make a living too, and trying our damn best. Why punish us?

In this case, yes, she was out of line. I only hope that those of you that said you would speak to the manager would do so nicely and without raising your voice.

After I finished puking I would talk to the manager and leave. No way I would feel okay eating after something like that.

I would definitely ask to see the manager and then I would possibly leave. Not because of the slug itself, yes, it is disgusting, but what worries me the most is having the waiter actually touch my food. That makes me assume the waiter and possibly the kitchen staff aren't properly trained... If she's touching my food right in front of me with no gloves (not to say not at all worried about the slug), then who know what the staff is doing in the kitchen, where I can't see them?? I worked in the food industry too and I would having actually been fired for doing what the waiter in the story did...

Yum I'm with you. And I would NEVER eat there again.

I don't think I could eat there again. Everytime I would go in I would think of this incident.

I would do that same, but I would want everyone's meal to be covered not just mine, that is too much!

i would definitely call the manager over, and ask him to cover the whole meal, and reprimand the waitress. a slug is bad enough but her bare hand in your salad, ewww.

I'd speak to the manager and then leave. I certainly wouldn't eat anything else there, even if they were covering the meal.

I would refuse to pay the bill and leave to go somewhere else. disgusting.

Gross, gross, gross. Manager, leave, never to return. Improperly trained staff and negligent kitchen staff.

I agree with NiceDriveway - I would definitely talk to the manager and not only expect my dish to be replaced but removed from my bill - not because of the slug but because of the waitresses attitude!
But I would eat there again and I wouldn't puke - lettuce grows in the ground, bugs happen.

I wouldn't be finishing the rest of my meal there, thank you very much.

After I vomited all over the server's shoes (It's just a little honk, no?) I'd demand to speak to the manager about both the slug and the server's inappropriate lettuce fondle. If that kind of behavior is tolerated in the front of the house, what you will find in the kitchen is often ten times as offensive. I would then refuse to pay any portion of the bill, would certainly not continue on with the meal, and would never return again. Word of mouth is pretty powerful in this type of situation.

I'll eat anything, so I'd eat the slug.

Just kidding!! But seriously, the slug is bad, but like lisabarn said, bugs happen. I would have asked for a new salad and expected that they compensated drinks or something. The real awful thing here is the waitress's attitude and the fact that she stuck her possibly filthy hand into the food. Service like that is unacceptable, slug or not. I'd definitely had talked to the manager.

Yum, you are so right on! (as ususal) It is really all about the server's attitude. A good manager will always make a bad situation right.

I always ask for the manager. One time the waitress proclaimed, "I am the manager. There's really no problem here.". It was chicken that was very raw inside and I had eaten some. I just walked over to the hostess and she got the manager for me.

Its easy to overreact in such a scenario because we don't expect to see slugs in salad. However, we shouldn't be so surprised given the ever increasing reliance on organically grown fruits and vegetables by restaurateurs. "Certified organic" means no pesticides, which increases the chances of seeing little critters like the slug in FitSugar's salad. That may occur even where greens are thoroughly rinsed. I think Alton Brown touched on this on an episode of Good Eats a few seasons ago. I am curious about the waitress' way of handling the situation, though. I would have asked for a new salad only after she stuck her hand in my meal.

gross!! i would definitely demand that my salad be replaced. and if the restaurant understood good customer service, they'd send the manager over without me asking. and the manager had better be ready to apologize and offer my meal for free or i wouldn't even consider returning. the server's nonchalant attitude will definitely receive a complaint from me too.

oh, yeah, i don't even eat chicken at restaurants anymore becuase of a bad case of food poisening i got form an Olive Garden...don't order the stuffed chicken if it is late or snowing outside!

I'd ask for a new salad. And then be paranoid that they'd hand the same salad back to me.

As for the slug, yuck, but it happens. I've pulled bugs off of foods I've gotten from my CSA box (a veggie share from a local organic farm). It's just part of nature.

First of all, don't put your hand in my phucking meal. Second of all, let me see the manager. Third of all, I ain't paying for slugs-r-us! Overreacting? Fourth of all, now watch the back of my head and my azz as I walk outta this restaurant...never to return! And, ewwwwwwwwwl!!!!!

I was a waitress, yes waitress, for several years and the servers are only as good as the manager and the establishment. I'd complain than I'd leave. This happened to me in Santa Cruz a nice worm in my salad. Have never gone back. It's just a matter of not paying attention to what you are doing. Do any of you have worms, slugs, bugs in your salad at home? I think not. The server's hand in my salad to pluck out the slug would have gotten her slugged by me. She's not my mom.

uh just a little fyi to all of you who are all up in arms about the server touching the food...i work in a restaurant and any time u order fries or anything else that has to be added to the plate we are touching your food, and yes there are handwashing rules but lets face it people...if you're that much of a germophobe you're better off preparing your own food...and don't even think about the way they handle food at fastfood joints..

When I find bugs or hair in my food at a restaurant, I just ask for a replacement. I am always really paranoid eating it, though.

I would probably freak out and leave. I'm not all that grossed out by bugs and I'm not even grossed out by the idea that a slug may have BEEN in the food, but I expect my food to be thoroughly cleaned before eating it. Not only did the waitress not react properly, but this shows that the kitchen staff isn't properly handling and cleaning the food. I'd refuse to eat anything there.

I would have spoken to the manager and explained that I would not be paying for the slug salad and that their restaurant was losing my business because of the attitude of the waitress.