Texas Roadhouse Rant...

[hoosierdoc]

Funny how most of us missed that comment last week

 

[long coat]

Funny how most of us missed that comment last week

I was surprised also. Now full disclosure.
The $ was NOT submerged in butter. The $ ended up on a plate that had a little on it, just what ran off some rolls. After I seen what happened, I did leave it there because I knew it would rinse off and be fine. The $ was not the entire tables bill.

 

[thunderchicken]

A few weeks ago my dad, brother and I went to an Applebee's and had horrible service. Brought out the side dishes in advance of our steaks and the server says our kitchen staff is running behind so as soon as the steaks are ready they'll be out but have this for now. Almost in unison we said then take this back and bring some fresh sides with the steaks. I've never work in a restaurant but I do tip well for quality service and appreciate that service. However if you can't get it together enough to bring out a lousy steak and the sides that come with it together don't bring it to me until you can. Once they finally brought out the steaks I swear they had to be horse meat. Tough, under cooked, and full of gristle. We all left more than half on the plate and the server advised us the manager wasn't available. So we politely left and will never go back

 

[Timjoebillybob]

10% is my bad tip.

they earn money to live on. I expect to pay at least 20%, so 10% is a savings. A lot of the problems are not their fault directly

and I would never make a huge mess on a table like that. Extraordinarily infantile and candy-ass to do something like that

10% is my "bad" tip usually. Normal is 15%, great service 20% or more. I have left nothing but a note, or let the waiter/waitress know directly why they aren't getting diddly, along with the manager. And yes I know a lot of the problems are not their fault, which is why I don't fault them for a lot of problems. I also have never left a mess and agree that it is infantile.

What I wonder is why the "expected" tip percentage has risen like it has. I remember when 5% was considered normal/good, then it went to 7%, then 10% then 15%, now 20% is the new normal. Not even mentioning about why it should be based on a percentage to begin with. I've went to a local restaurant with the family and spent $20 for dinner, went to the same restaurant with the family and spent $60+. Same amount of work for the server, why should one receive 3x the amount for the same work at the same place?

I would never pay 10% for bad service. Why reward someone for not doing their job? I'm not in the "everybody gets a trophy" class. I always pay 20% for good service, sometimes more for exceptional service. But if the place isn't busy, and I sit there 10 or 15 minutes with no attention, watch how infantile I can get.
Their manager doesn't know if they get a 10% tip, they need to be aware of what kind of workers they have.

I agree.

Maybe you look like bad tippers....or Canadians.

Sorry. That's redundant.

That can come back to bite them in the ass. When my Mom was in the hospital, my wife, kids, and I went out for dinner with a bunch of my nieces and nephews. They sat at one table my wife, youngest kid and I sat at another. We got decent service, my nieces/nephews crap, same waitress and the table was literally right next to ours. We left a decent tip, although my wife didn't want to because of how she treated them. I told her we had good service so we should tip for it. She didn't get crap from the other table. What the waitress didn't know was that several of the other table we're/had been servers. The person paying the bill/tip for the other table had supported her family while her husband was going to college to become a pharmacist by working as a server and gradually working up to general manager. She found out when it was time to pay the bill. She lost one heck of a tip that day.

 

[JettaKnight]

Tip inflation!

Episode 283: Why Do We Tip? : Planet Money : NPR

The Tipping Point - BackStory with the American History Guys

 

[CHCRandy]

From the looks and sounds of it, be glad you just got bad service. Texas Roadhouse in Avon had someone find maggots in the salad. The manager comp'd the meal but told the lady they have been having problems with that happening
I never have liked TR, other than the rolls....and I can't justify going in there just for rolls.

 

[long coat]

From the looks and sounds of it, be glad you just got bad service. Texas Roadhouse in Avon had someone find maggots in the salad. The manager comp'd the meal but told the lady they have been having problems with that happening
I never have liked TR, other than the rolls....and I can't justify going in there just for rolls.

Does you have anymore info on this, we eat there sometimes.

 

[CTS]

Have you ever heard of paragraphs? They're wonderful.

I think Texas roadhouse is just a slight step up from Applebees. The only time I go there is when I'm with a large group and we inevitably have to be split apart. The music is also too loud to talk to the person across the table from you. If I want a steak it's definitely not my go-to place.

 

[Vigilant]

Applebee's. Once they finally brought out the steaks I swear they had to be horse meat. Tough, under cooked, and full of gristle. We all left more than half on the plate and the server advised us the manager wasn't available. So we politely left and will never go back

Applebees man, you got the best they had! That place barely makes "restaurant", it's good for beers, nachos, and if you're "lucky", a one night stand with the skanky waitress!

 

[SMiller]

This thread ruined me, had a horrible meal last night at the same Texas Roadhouse that we always have perfect service and meals from, thanks OP...

 

[CHCRandy]

Does you have anymore info on this, we eat there sometimes.

My daughter just showed me photos and the message and it was someone on Facebook..........I thought of this post when she mentioned it.

 

[MrsGungho]

Funny how most of us missed that comment last week

I missed it a week ago, just saw it when it popped back up to the top.

Both my daughters worked as servers for a few years. One while she went through college and started her family, the other until she became manager at the place she was working. It's hard work, sometimes thankless. Some people you just can't make happy, some have reasons to complain. Some leave a $1 tip no matter how much the bill and how good the service, one left a $50 tip on a $20 ticket. I've heard all the stories, good and bad. Where my daughters are now, how serving got them through it all, I know they were good at their job. I tend to tip a bit more now because I know more of how it works. I understand if you have 2 or 3 tables sat at once in your section, it may take a little bit more time to get service. Demanding customers, less time for me, a 10 top and lots of drinks, less time for me. Not because the server is spending more time with those customers, because it TAKES more time for those customers. If a server is busy with other tables and hustling, I tend to not take that out on them, or out of their tip. If I see them standing around talking, that does come out of the tip.
Whether the tip was "in" butter or just "on" butter, it was still ****ty. talking and explaining why they didn't get a good tip is the better way to handle it.
We are the boss while we sit at the table. if we don't speak up, they may not know what went wrong, thus they can't fix it.

 

[femurphy77]

We go to a tropically themed southside restaurant on occasion when we get tired of the cold and gray skies as an "attitude adjustment", it helps. . a little. Anyhow we show up one fine summer day and they seat us on the patio and tell us our server will be with us shortly. After we had sat there far too long to receive our menu and have our drink order taken I break out the timer function on the phone and set it on the table. At the 15 minute mark the GF is starting to get noticeably upset about the lack of service so I tell her to calm down and look at it from a different approach. I'm looking at it from the humorous side and I want to see how long we can sit there unnoticed. Now by my saying "unnoticed" doesn't mean that they've tucked us away out of sight, no we are on the main traffic route and every server working the patio has to walk by us every time they come out to check on their tables etc. After over 20 timed minutes the GF is starting to emit smoke from her nostrils and steam from her ears so I agree that it's time to do something about the situation.

At this point I pick up my phone and call the restaurant and from my seat I can see the person I'm talking to on the phone. I told her that we were wanting to stop by for lunch and wanted to know what the wait time was so she told us it would be immediate seating. I then asked her how long before they would bring us our menu, drinks, meals etc. I could tell by the expression on her face that she thought at this point that I was ****ing with her which of course I was. I then explained to her that we had been seated at our table for upwards of 30-35 minutes and nobody had yet brought us our menus! At this point she starts to scan the restaurant so I describe myself to her and I smile and wave when she finally spots me.

It takes another 5 minutes before the server comes over for our drink orders and almost immediately after that the manager shows up. We had a long friendly discussion with the manager and long story short is that they comp'd our whole meal including bar tab and told us they would before we even ordered so needless to say they compensated us well for the mistake.

To be fair to them, we could have corrected this LONG before we did but the service in this establishment is notoriously bad at least when we are there but we like the décor and atmosphere so we deal with it. Some days it's pretty decent, other days it sucks

 

[JTScribe]

TR in Columbus is almost always slammed. I swear every other business that opens up is a fast food place, but there are not a ton of sit down places here. It would be a great investment, particularly on the east side of town. West side, you at least have a pretty good selection.

 

[rhino]

Texas Roadhouse in Lafayette is almost always good.

Texas Roadhouse on Michigan Rd near the Pyramids? I've been there three times. Bad each time. Won't go back.

 

[Buchhaas]

The Roadhouse in TH has always been great to me, almost to where you wish they'd leave you alone so you can eat.

 

[JettaKnight]

The Roadhouse in TH has always been great to me, almost to where you wish they'd leave you alone so you can eat.

...and I'd wish you leave us alone so I don't have to come back to threads just to read your inane posts while you're on your way to fifty.

 

[hog slayer]

Rules is rules, JettaKnight. There's folks here to police that and a thread to air your grievances

 

[femurphy77]

Rules is rules, JettaKnight. There's folks here to police that and a thread to air your grievances

But, but, but. . . .He's a "Site Supporter"!

I hope there's not a thread in a few days about Hog Slayer sleepin' with the fishes!

 

[bgcatty]

When I moved to Indy 12 years ago someone told me this about Indy restaurants: Friends don't let friends eat at chain restaurants! Best advice I ever got about Indy restaurants. Bon Appetit!