Question about sending back food

I ordered a Hot Brown for lunch at a well known locally owned restaurant today. When the server brought it out, it was orange!?! Would I have been wrong to send it back? (I ate it, even though it wasn't 'my' idea of a Hot Brown. The turkey tasted like school lunch turkey roll - another issue altogether.)

Thanks for your thoughts!

I have no problem sending food back that is:

1. Spoiled or off in some way that makes it unedible or unsafe

2. Cooked incorrectly...ie. I ordered rare and it's well done

I don't generally send back food that is not to my liking if it's "the way they do it" and it's just not my thing. In that case I generally in a nice way let the wait staff know my feelings.

I ordered a Hot Brown for lunch at a well known locally owned restaurant today. When the server brought it out, it was orange!?! Would I have been wrong to send it back? (I ate it, even though it wasn't 'my' idea of a Hot Brown. The turkey tasted like school lunch turkey roll - another issue altogether.)

Thanks for your thoughts!

Michele, I guess I probably would have tried it, even though it was not what I expected. Once you determined the turkey was low quality, you should have asked to see the manager and explained that it was not what you had expected, but you gave it a shot. You were not satisfied and could you get something else. It would be totally acceptable.

In general if an item is not as expected I will tell the waitstaff politely my concerns. Nine times out of 10 they will ask if I'd like something else to replace it which I usually accept. This way they are the one suggesting a replacement.

Of course if there's something obviously wrong with the item, overcooked or whenever I'll just be straightforward and ask for it to be replaced (usually with the same item).

A lot of places top their hot brown with a dash of paprika for color. That might explain the orange. The poor quality turkey is another matter.

I ordered a Hot Brown for lunch at a well known locally owned restaurant today. When the server brought it out, it was orange!?! Would I have been wrong to send it back? (I ate it, even though it wasn't 'my' idea of a Hot Brown. The turkey tasted like school lunch turkey roll - another issue altogether.)

Thanks for your thoughts!

Could you name the place, please?

Could also depend on the cheese blend for the mornay sauce. I've seen it done with cheddar before and that caused the sauce to be orange (and a bit too oily for my taste)

The rules for sending back are pretty much what Mark said as far as I am concerned.

Anoosh used to put Cayan pepper in his adding color too.

It was Cunningham's. Pretty sure it was the cheesey sauce they used. Just not what I'm accustomed to. As I said I did go ahead and eat it, but wouldn't have it again. Should have gone for the fish sandwich, I guess.


MissChele

Cheese costs have skyrocketed so much in the past few months. I think some places are pushing the envelope as to where and how they can save costs. There's just some dishes where you can't skimp and get away with it.

I had considered starting a similar post but thought I should utilize an existing post if possible. I recently had a mixed experience at a Louisville Original where I was served an outstanding salad followed by an entree which contained two pieces of bone-in chicken. One piece was cooked and one was raw. Is it typical for a restaurant to take something which has been cut or torn into and cook it further, then re-serve?

Are you saying they recooked the raw chicken you sent back and then reserved it to you?

Leah, that's exactly what I'm saying happened. It was a piece of chicken that had been cut and torn which they returned to the kitchen, cooked further, and re-served to me torn/cut side up.

Name names please.

Most places I've worked at do that, particularly with steaks. If you cut it and it's not what you want, it makes sense to throw it back on the grill for a second.