board77

Let's say you were eating at a restaurant, you order a nice meal and your lovely noodle dish with spinach, mushrooms, bacon and tomatoe sauce arrives.... Imagine that it tastes quite good, you are hungry so you dig in...

Now, just as you are going for your third bite, you notice.. it looks like they have black olives in there as well, mmmmm you like olives so that's okay... but upon closer inspection... you see that it is NOT a black olive at all, it seems to have legs...

It is a beetle....

... the dilemma, what do you do?


Do you make a fuss, scream, faint.... loose it on the spot?
Do you call the waiter over, and he screams and fusses and calls out the cook and by then everyone in the restaurant is staring and wondering what's going on at your table?
Do you mention it in passing to the waiter, stating they should really check their spinach better when serving it, showing him why, because you just KNOW someone out there might try to sue them for it if it happened to them?
Or do you simply remove it from the plate, wrap it away so you don't have to be reminded, finish the meal and when the waiter asks how everything was, you casually remark that you prefer the bugs to be a tad crispier?

HHmmmm?

I'd bring it to the attention of the waiter. If he screams and faints, so be it, but I'd point out that I ordered my noodle without mushrooms, spinach and beetles. For me, a hair is tolerable: take it off the plate and continue, but a bug is not.

What’s the problem? Bugs add extra protein!

If it’s still moving though ...

Seriously, I would calmly point it out to the waiter and expect some sort of compensation and apology. If none were forthcoming I would consider contacting the local health department.

I’ve never worked in a restaurant before, but I know enough to know that every restaurant has problems with bugs and rodents. I’ve decided I’m better off not knowing what goes on in the kitchen. But I do make a point to check the sanitation grade when I go into a new restaurant. Anything less than an A and I check my food before eating it!

A friend of mine found a drill bit in his pad thai once. Trying to increase the iron content, I guess.

Depends on the type of beetle, and how fresh it was. If it was still kicking, then you could always use a garlic press to squeeze the juice on to your meal. Or perhaps shell the little beast and dip it in a nice dijon sauce.

Seriously, I would have immediately let the manager know what was going on. And I think you are somewhat obliged to bring it to light. The rest of the patrons deserve unbeetled food and perhaps this would put them on their toes. I have no idea if this was a pure coincidence or accident, or whether it is an indication of the cleanliness of their establishment.
Regardless of the outcome, I would have drawn attention to the manager and then left the restaurant tout de suite, never to return.
I just would have been icked out.

What kind of drill bit? They could have been trying out a new steel diet.

I probably would have started to scream out of pure instinct at having a beetle in my food. But if I had for some reason been able to contain myself, I would have called the waiter over and alerted him of what was going on. Most likely the waiter would have apologized profusely and in horror and given you the meal for free, or at the very least brought you a new plate. And the manager should probably know of the situation as well, so perhaps on your way out you could ask to talk to him/her. Most likely I'd never visit that restaurant again. Or any restaurant for awhile. Much safer to make your own meals. At least then you know exactly how well-done you like your beetles.

The 'ick' factor was definitely there


Yes... and another dilemma,
... fresh produce vs. frozen ingredients....

... the little fellow was definitely no longer of this world- mostly intact though... (including the visible little barbs on his legs- which, incidentally were FAR too delicate and small to be useful in picking the teeth clean of greens.... ).

The spinach (most likely the source of entrance) probably was not fresh, but of the frozen variety... and therefor it could likely be that entry level was NOT the restaurant at all but the processing plant...

On a farm, from one's own garden, one deals with bugs in the raspberries, flour, or sugar, worms in the broccoli or cauliflower (at least they float up upon boiling), snails in the lettuce... but one does wash lettuce carefully, .... however spinach, when boiled becomes rather limp and rolls so extra protien might be 'hidden' nicely.

We have eaten at this restaurant several times, never had such an incident before. Too bad... since I had just mentioned to my husband how much I like Italian food....
.... time to find a new restaurant.

Tinwe- perhaps the fine print on the menu read 'A little bit of seasoning added'

So what did you do?

I'd definitely quietly tell the manager and request a new plate, and hopefully not have to pay for the meal at all. This is what usually happens when I point out bugs in restaurant food.

Yes, it's happened more than once. I try to look at it as a sign that the food has obviously not had massive doses of insecticide, and is thus healthier... and if I get replacement food for free it's really cool.

Good spin, Maria! Can't say I go there with you, but . . .

Of course I'd tell the waiter. And of course there should be a replacement plate and your meal struck from the bill. But you know what? I don't think I could eat it anyway, and I'm not overly squeamish. The bugs in the food I grow myself are one thing, but the bugs in a city kitchen? Uh uh. Ick.

I've worked in a couple of commercial kitchens. If I was working in it, it was clean, but let me tell you that one place, when I started . . . well, there were absolute drifts of mouse poop on one high shelf. I once put my arm in a box of chocolate sprinkles in that same restaurant, the box was in a cooler and a damned mouse ran up my arm. This was AFTER I'd cleaned the place up. So I quit.

Accidents happen. But so what? A lot of accidents are due to carelessness, maybe you pointing out the bug will sharpen them up.

Worse than bugs or hair are waiters and cooks who don't wash their hands. There should be a handwashing station in the kitchen or a staff washroom; if they have to use the public washrooms, this is a bad sign. If a restaurant doesn't have clean washrooms, don't eat there. It's the first thing I do when we go to a restaurant new to us, I check out the biffys. Dirty biffy and I'm outa there.

You have an obligation, I think, to report the bug. And to expect action.

Yeah, I'd tell the waiter and expect a fresh plate and no charge.

*chuckles* Ever see Mouse Hunt?

I haven't been a situation like this before.
One time I got hair in my soup, since waiters/waitresses don't wear hairnets I assumed it was really an accident but BUGS! I think that is it for me.

Call me insitive but BUGS I wouldn't tolerate. My first instinct would be call the waiter and have the manager actually see the bug on my plate. I wouldn't ask for new plate cause how would I know if their kitchen is actually clean. I won't pay the meal though, I'll leave the place and call the "health inspectors" immediately. I'm not going to sue the restuarant or write a letter to the editor though, I just want to make sure that what happened to me doesn't happen to other patrons.

I know the restuarant business is a tough one, bottom line is, this is food we are talking about. Safety should be a priority. You can't just say "Oh, it was an accident" when you really can't tell if it was. You don't know probably there is a lot of reports about this restuarant already and your call will pursuade the health inspectors to actually come in.

I was in a Chinese Restuarant once, where my wife and I actually saw a bread fall off the table and on to the floor and the waitress put it back together with the other breads. We lost our appettite, paid our bill and left the restuarant. My wfe calls the restuarant "To whom it may concern place" when our friends tell us they want to go there and we go, no thanks. The food is actually good, it just that after that incident that's it.

Like I said, I’ve never worked in a restaurant, but I’ve heard stories, and if half of them are true then the fact is, if you eat out regularly, you’ve probably had this happen to you, more than once, and didn’t even realize it. Which is why I’m happier not knowing what goes on in the kitchen.

I do eat out quite a bit, lunch everyday during the week in fact, but I have my regular places that I’m familiar with and trust. Most of them know me by name and even know what I’m going to order most of the time. But, I have vetted most of the places around me, and like Vison I don’t go to the places that have dirty bathrooms, or surly snooty wait staff. I do understand that everyone has bad days though, so I’m willing to forgive one or two small mistakes.

Some things, however, are beyond reproach. I went to one restaurant once and ordered a hamburger. This was shortly after the health department had passed a rule saying hamburgers must be cooked to a minimum of medium well, with no pink left inside. Out of curiosity I asked for mine to be medium rare and the waiter didn’t refuse. When I bit into it I discovered that it was uncooked in the middle. As in RAW. I nearly gagged. I politely called the waiter over and informed him that medium rare does not mean uncooked. He took the plate, huffed away and came back a few minutes later with the same burger that had been popped in the microwave for a few minutes. I was disgusted. To add insult to injury they did not apologize, did not offer my meal for free, did not offer any coupon or gift certificate. In fact they seemed offended that had made them look bad. Not only did I never go back, but I made a point to tell everyone I knew what an awful place it was.

TheEllipticalDisillusion wrote:

What kind of drill bit? They could have been trying out a new steel diet.

It was an old and rusty one. But, generally speaking I like to get my minerals from more natural sources.

It's all a question of when the beetle was added to the dish. From your story, he most likely was prepared allong with other ingredients and had a long history of being taken for a black olive. That happens. A quiet talk to the waiter, a quiet response, a new dish, maybe something extra like a drink or some $$$ off the bill, and everything's fine.

If the beetle jumped onto the dish shortly after preparation (unlikely from what you wrote) - then he has taken himself for Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, on an adventurous stint to leave a perilous kitchen he has happened to land in. That happens. Same procedure as above.

My brother once found a paper handkerchief in a Greek salad, disguised as Greek feta cheese. As the other food was quite good we didn't leave on the spot (what we should have done if we hadn't been sso hungry) but we never came back, not even to the successor after the joint closed down, and not even to the successor's successor.

What one 'should' do and what one 'does' are often dependent on the circumstances one is in.

I am not proud of what I did, but cannot change the past, only what I do in the future- I chose to do nothing.
The thought of compensation or another meal never came into the picture, the 'ick' factor was too great, I lost my appetite altogether. What I find interesting is the question I asked...

What would YOU do or have done??? Most of you answered this... some of you have had this same experience... some of you said what 'should' have been done... some have said they would 'warn' friends...
... which brings up another interesting point or 'dilemma'-

At what point does individual obligation, or obligation to one's self cross the line to 'social obligation'. Where does it stop and start... a hair, a bug, a drill bit, a paper napkin, the rubber heel of a tennis shoe? (My friend found this at the bottom of a bag of potatoe chips he was eating.... in this instance, would you follow it back to the company responsible for packaging?)... How far are you willing to go? And (forgive me if I continue add more elements ) what if you are in a place, a land where the 'standard' is not the same as your own (i.e.- sanitary regulations are not as strict, bugs seen and unseen can be found on produce if not carefully checked or washed with bleach)?

If I found a bug in my food...

I'd be shocked. I'm not sure I'd scream or just go catatonic for a few seconds - both are equally likely with me. Once I got over the initial shock I'd get a waiter pronto and explain the situation. I'd be talking really fast and my eyes would be really wide and anyone with me at the time would be trying very hard to get me to chill out because I'd be embarassing them. I would not consider the impact this action would have on the waiter's life, the restaurant's business, or my companion's embarassment levels until much later. I know myself well enough to say that. I wouldn't go hysterical and dramatic, but I wouldn't remain silent and calm about it either.

Unless, of course, the bug scurried off so fast I could convince myself I was hallucinating.

I encountered a live spider in my salad once. Only a little one, luckily, so I tipped it into a nearby plant (I was sitting outside) and kept eating. Quite frankly, I probably wouldn’t go to the effort of doing anything, although now that you all mention it I could probably get a free meal out of it.

Crystal seed, you almost qualify as English We hate making a scene in public and only do so with profuse apologies. No, I know it doesn't make sense. Those of us who do protest loudly are vaguely looked down upon as being argumentative and not nice to know. I sent a meal back last year at a posh restaurant. I ordered squid which I enjoy in far eastern food but what I got was like solid fishy rubber. As per stereotype I apologised abjectly for complaining and got a different dish. I think it is the only time I have ever done so.
There was a famous Victorian cartoon of a lowly curate breakfasting at the Bishop's palace. 'Is your egg bad? asks the bishop; ' Well Your Grace, it is quite good in parts' is the curate's reply. We still have the expression, a curate's egg, for something that is good in parts ( *mumble Peter Jackson mumble mumble*)
Perhaps I would have complained about the beetle if it was a vegetarian restaurant.

Tosh... I am, in fact, part English... Must have been 'that' part of me in charge that fateful day

Ah well, after all- in some countries, the bugs ARE the source of protien (African Fried grasshoppers and locusts, Austrailian Wichetty grubs, etc..)

Ewww!

After I had gotten over the initial shock, I would definitely have called the waiter over. I'm sure I would have been apologetic as well, but firm in demanding some sort of compensation. (IOW, there would've been no way in heck that I would've paid for that meal.)

And we would have left.

I'm sorry that happened to you!


Lali