I'm always afraid that they'll do something WORSE to it, if I send it back!!

The only time I send something back is if the dish is cold.

I think sending food back, that you simply don't like, is pretentiously unnecessary.

it really does depend on how bad it was. i'm always afraid of having people spit in my food or do worse - but when you can't even eat your meal and you're paying for it - there are limits to what a person should deal with.

I only send it back if there is something wrong with it or not the way I ordered. But if I just don't like the taste, that is my prob.

I agree with Tkoblondee. I have never sent anything back..

Of course, I will. I pay it so I have the rights to send it back!

If it's burnt or too salty or anything that I'm unable (not unwilling) to eat, I will send it back, politely of course.

I've done it but only twice- once when the eggs (in a breakfast sandwich) were so overcooked the whole thing tasted burnt with every bite. The other time I had clearly ordered something (a burger of some type) with no cheese- it came out covered in it, and I looked at it when the guy set it down and told him as politely as possible, "I'm sorry, I said no cheese"- he took it back to the kitchen and when it came back out he had patently scraped the cheese off (most) of it... That I took to the manager.

But I have to admit that both times were at diner-chain restaurants, not exactly 3-star cuisine, so I guess you get what you get.

I don't really have a choice. I have Celiac Disease so if it's prepared wrong, I have to send it back. I carry info cards with me for the staff and explain it to the waiter/waitress. It's hard because sometimes people think I'm just being picky. If they cop an attitude or deliberately get it wrong (not accidental), then I don't go back.

i have only sent it a dish back because it was cold.

I'm too afraid someone would hock a loogie into my food if I sent it back.

i just am worried that it will take forever and everyone will be done eating by the time it gets back.

as a paying customer (and former professional cook) I always send my food back if it tastes wrong (too salty/cold/burnt/etc) or if my order is wrong.
But I usually don't bother if it's something minor like, I asked for medium rare and they made it medium.

I voted maybe, but I think i am going to start sending it back when it isn't good either. I think watching all these cooking shows is rubbing off on me, because now i expect quality everywhere i go...for the most part...you can't expect too much from applebees or ruby tuesdays, etc.

If I ask beforehand if it contains mushrooms/peppers/olives (DO NOT LIKE), and I am assured that it does not, and the dish shows up with those ingredients, I do. If I'm paying $20+ for an entree, there's no way I'm eating that. That's why I asked. And THEN, the waitress gets pissed at me?

No.

(And I used to be a waitress. I know.)

Depends on how bad it is. I will totally send it back if there is something unsanitary or if it is just bad. I haven't had that happen too many times though.

I will send something bad if there is something wrong with it - if it's burnt, cold, has a hair in it, or isn't as I ordered it. I mean, if I specify no mushrooms and it comes with mushrooms, you bet your ass I'm sending it back.

But if I just don't care for the food, I won't send it back. Last month, I ordered duck in a cherry glaze at a restaurant. The glaze was much too thick and sweet and I didn't like it. But that's what I'd ordered, and they made it correctly, so I just let it go.

I saw the movie, Waiting. I think that's enough said. Plus my dad used to work at a restaurant and said most of that stuff in the movie is true.

Maybe, majority of the time I just deal with it unless it is really, really bad

I once had a pork chop that was cold in the center. Yeah.... I sent that back!

I will send it back, and usually it comes back fine (not every place is like the movie Waiting, and yes i have worked in restaurants both upscale and down) If someone who is with me has a problem with thier meal and is agonizing about sending it back "should I? should i not?" i tell them, do it now not later, and if you keep it i dont want to hear another word about it.

I would not send it back just because of the taste but if I had ordered a steak rare and it came out well done then yes. I am always scared when I send it back because I am scared they are going to spit in it or something so I try to usually just deal with it.

For me it depends WHERE I'm eating... some places I don't think you can have too high of standards... like eating at Chili's or something. BUT if I'm at a good resturant where the expectations are high then yes, if they make a mistake... whether it be temperature, how it's cooked or even the taste I send it back. I know I sound like a snob, but I'm paying for the food right?

Wait, I think the first sentence in my last comment doesn't quite make sense... what I meant to say is when you eat at lower end places you can't expect too much... especially a chain restaurant.

It really depends on how bad and where I am eating. If it is a restaurant I believe truly cares about the quality of food and service and I just can't eat it I will. I try and never make a big deal of it as in the grand scheme of things messing up my order isn't that big. People make mistakes.

I've sent a dish back just once: because the waiter mixed uo the order. We had ordered Szechuan chicken but we were given beef. We told the waiter to change it and he did so graciously.

i don't bother unless its mooing at me or has bugs or something, if its that bad, i just hit a drive-thru on the way home.

I've only sent a dish back when it has something in it I specifically asked not be included, like cheese or nuts or something because I'm highly allergic. Otherwise, I usually just eat it.

I've sent food back for being unsanitary (hair, paint chips, etc.) but never for something that's just "not to my liking". There's a steak house my family used to go to where they ask us to cut into the steak to make sure it's how we want it done before they leave the table. They have voluntarily taken my steak back when they know it's too done, but that's just good service and not me being a jackass.

Paint chips? really? I have not sent back food in the past for not having it cooked properly and really regretted it. Recently I had to send a steak back because I think it mooed a few times. I like it on the rare side, but this was purple! I didn't care much for the sauce on the steak either, but I wouldn't send it back for taste. i also sent back sushi today because I am allergic to seafood and can't have it on the same plate as the fish. I love vegetarian sushi! They were really nice and was sitting at the bar so I know I got fresh Enari.

Only if it's really heinous or has something gross in it, and I always try to be extra nice to the server, making it clear that I'm not blaming her or trying to cause trouble. Having worked in restaurants, I know it's not good to be an ass to your server when you have to send food back to the kitchen.

I'm a little perplexed there was a "only if it's unsanitary" and "no, never" option...so people do eat food where they found something unsanitary?? I'd never do that. I think it depends on the restaurant...at Texas Roadhouse I ordered a steak medium and it came to me extremely well done and really tough, but it's a 13 dollar steak and the place was packed so I just ate it. But when I'm at a more upscale place and my steak costs 30+ bucks, they had better get it right! My motto is you get what you paid for.

I've only ever sent back things with hairs in them or were totally the wrong order, though, because I'm not picky and have had good luck, but if I'm paying out the nose at a place that is supposed to be upscale, they'd better do a good job...and they have for me (the few times I can afford it!).

I only send food back when it is cold or if I find something unsanitary in it. I went to Wendy's by my house before, and ordered french fries. When I was getting my first fry, I found a pubic hair in my food! I went back and asked to see the manager and the cook. I told them the situation, I was mad, but I wasn't swearing or yelling at them. When the cook started laughing at me (because he's the one who did it), honestly, I completely lost it. Maybe it wasn't a good thing to do, but I punched him. I hope he learned his lesson, I will never go back there.

I have done it and will continue to if food isn't cooked properly or comes out cold. I order my son's burgers well done and if it comes out medium I send it back. I have had a few instances where it came out very pink. And, there have been times when we have waited 30-45 minutes for our meals and they have come out cold. I definitely sent it back. If we were running short on time I asked for it to go. With prices these days I expect my food to be cooked properly.

I refuse to go to "chain" restaurants. I think they are overpriced and BAD BAD BAD. That said, if I am paying 30 bucks for a meal and it sucks, I WILL send it back. Even if it is cooked perfectly, if I don't like the flavor, I can guarentee that it is better that I love it rather then hate it and give them bad worth of mouth.. (this is coming from a former restaurant manager and a former waitree)

I have never sent anything back. If it's undercooked that's one thing. But if you simply don't like it, it's not a reason to send it back. so wasteful.

I once sent a steak back...I ordered it medium and it was as tough as shoe leather! Sadly, the new steak wasn't much better, and I was miserable because everyone else was eating and I was starving! Never ordered steak there again, though everything else I've ever had there was amazing! I wouldn't send something back just because I didn't like the taste, sometimes it happens and it's not the kitchen's fault.

i sent my food cuz it was cold,or if its undercook,not what i ordered.

I agree with millarci - Waiting...terrifying rest. patrons since it's release.

I would usually avoid sending a dish back on all accounts but i am a vegetarian and if there is meat on it i have to send it back. It happens far more than you would even believe.

If it is a dish I haven't tried before and I find I don't like it, I just accept it, and deal with it. If I place a specail order without something and it comes with it or the dish is improperly cooked, I will politely and pleasantly send it back. Also, due to surgery, there are certain foods I cannot tolerate and will be absolutely miserable if I eat them. I really try to be reasonable and very nice about it when ordering or sending back, but in the long run, my health and physical well-being are more important to me.

I typically only send things back if I find something unsanitary (like the band-aid I found in my deep fried pickles) or if what I ordered is absolutely prepared wrong (i.e., I always order my steaks bleu - rare as they can make it, and if it comes out still mooing, I'm okay with it), so if it's over cooked, badly like well done, then I'll politely ask for it to be prepared as ordered. Same goes for chicken that is undercooked, etc. Those types of things.

If its relatively minor, cooked medium or medium rare vs. bleu, then I'll cope. I'm not THAT picky (unless we're at a very high end restaurant, that's a different story). Comes with cheese and I ordered no cheese, I just pick off what I can and let it go.

I've seen people be so $hitty in restaurants and how they send food back. I think for the most part the reason combined with the attitude of the patron when sending food back directly correlates to how the food is treated when out of your presence. If you're an a$$, then quite honestly, you get what you deserve.