Restaurants To Avoid

[wineguy999]

And that is why waiters hate foreigners. Maybe I missed the part in the story where the waiter did something wrong before you determined you were not tipping him?

...and noted is the story is that they insisted on speaking to the management IN ENGLISH. I can well imagine the words in the mind of that manager on the way to the table.

Also notable in the story: Original poster is apparently vegetarian...in a parrilla.

 

[pitipur]

I've always said that everyone should wait tables at some point in their lives to see inside the inner workings of a restaurant, and how so often the waiter or waitress becomes an innocent victim that gets penalized when they themselves have done nothing wrong. Granted, it is a bit strange that he asked for the tip, but he shouldn't have had to IMO.

 

[teschowv]

Respectfully, one bad experience at a restaurant isn't enough to put it on the blacklist. I ate there last month and the food / service was excellent. Pricey and very touristy, but excellent.

Interestingly, when my girlfriend posted her trip advisor review, she found more than one negative review over the past several weeks... wonder if they're getting too big for their britches. In any case, I agree with your other comments: Generally great food (minus the nails), touristy, pricey.

 

[teschowv]

...and noted is the story is that they insisted on speaking to the management IN ENGLISH. I can well imagine the words in the mind of that manager on the way to the table.

Also notable in the story: Original poster is apparently vegetarian...in a parrilla.

Yea yea, vegetarian, I know... dumb way to be in Argentina. But then, the nail didn't come in MY salad, it came in my girlfriend's.

The English was so that we could express ourselves respectfully instead of losing our cool. We knew from previous experience that the restaurant caters to foreigners, and that's why we asked. I didn't want to lay into the waiter because -- despite the fact that he was ultimately the front line and responsible for final checking plates (I've waited tables myself, and have always done this) -- I recognized that the problem was beyond HIM (waiters don't make the call on comping something).

We spoke calmly and respectfully to the manager. In a North American context, I would have made a HUGE scene, letting everyone in the restaurant know they should check their meals before biting down on a rusty nail... here I simply asked a series of questions, and suggested that they at the very least waive the cubierto. I mean, the comped salad, well, REALLY people?!

 

[Joe]

Sounds like the place is pretty good - just be sure your tetanus vaccinations are up to date.

 

[teschowv]

I've always said that everyone should wait tables at some point in their lives to see inside the inner workings of a restaurant, and how so often the waiter or waitress becomes an innocent victim that gets penalized when they themselves have done nothing wrong. Granted, it is a bit strange that he asked for the tip, but he shouldn't have had to IMO.

Yes, pitipur, point taken. And indeed I *have* waited tables. That's why I was so shocked. As a front line worker, I've always seen myself as the face of an establishment, and therefore, responsible for what ends up on the table in front of guests. It's my job to ensure that all plates are ready to consume. If I discovered a nail in the salad (it couldn't have been too deeply hidden, as my girlfriend bit down on it the first bite or so!), I'd take the plate back to the kitchen BEFORE the customer eats it and potentially shreds her mouth open!!! After all, while I didn't insert the nail in the salad, I'm the one responsible for helping to maintain the restaurant's reputation.

 

[teschowv]

I don't really get it. You got a nail in the salad and stayed and kept eating??
Not really surprising the management didn't know what to do, I bet no one ever stayed and kept eating after such a thing.

Yea, okay, this one I agree with. To be honest, I think we were a bit stunned... and we had kids with us... alone, we would have left. With kids, who were already probably past their "best before" time, we just wanted to feed them an get it over with. Bad planning perhaps, coupled with an unlucky experience.

 

[pauper]

Nails? Luxury. We used to beg for nails at Cabrera - and a side of kick in the head, but we rarely got more than a little carpenter's wood glue in the salad dressing and some barely concealed hostility. Now a family of four can have a three course meal and go home with enough building materials to assemble quite a spacious and comfortable quincho.

And you try and tell the young people of today that...

 

[Ceviche]

Teschowv,

All said and done..basis your reasons above. Fully sympathy to you for what you went through. I am sure, you have no reason to lie.

But your heading "restaurants to avoid" screams of extreme criticism for one of the finest restaurants in the city. Most of the long terms expats have been there and Have our opinion about it. Its not that we would stop going there, just cos of your warning "restaurant to avoid".

If I was in your place, I would head my thread as "An uncanny experience at La cabrera" describing everything as it happened. and ending it with "Go figure".

 

[Montauk_Project]

We once got an entire meal comped, and for less than this (a rude waiter, we ordered chicken with garlic but it came without and then were told "they don´t put garlic on chicken", food took too long and then a film crew came and set up lights next to us, without even asking).
In the moment, NOT at the end of the meal, we asked to speak with the manager and said we were very upset for the following reasons and did not want to pay for the meal. The manager, suprising us, said we were right and comped the meal and offered anything we wanted on the house--we didn´t take advantage of that offer, we just finished our meal and left, and left a tip, even though the waiter WAS the problem. (I was with my Argentine husband so you can assume that rude was rude by standards here).
If a nail is in your meal, you should stop the presses and leave or ask for the meal to be comped at that moment. When you assume that you will be comped or that they should take off the cubierto charge that is when you run into trouble, because that is what you thought in your head that was correct, and the restaurant owner in his head thinks he did more than enough. And by staying you show that is not a big deal.