Current Events > Americans, can you explain something to me

(+) Yeah! (+)

You go to a restaurant and the item on the menu says "Item A - contains B, C and D"

Why is it you go "Can I have A, but instead of A can it be Z, and instead of B and C can it be Q, % and ()? Also can it contain extra D?"

Why are you like this, Americans?

---

am i having a stroke

---

People everywhere in the world do this shit

---

viewmaster_pi posted...

am i having a stroke

The waitress is having a stroke, trying to accommodate your weird order

Followed by a panic attack as she realises she's about to be shouted at by the chef

---

sauceje posted...

People everywhere in the world do this shit

But nobody does it like Americans, nobody

---

"I want this thing, but I don't like the two things that come on it"

---

This topic is silly, so, Americans. I have a real question about you.

Do you actually pour butter on your popcorn? And if so, what's wrong with you?

---

DeadBankerDream posted...

This topic is silly, so, Americans. I have a real question about you.

Do you actually pour butter on your popcorn? And if so, what's wrong with you?

No way.
I used to all the time as a kiddo, but not nowadays.
I was actually offended one time after I made some popcorn from the kernels and my buddy asked "should we put butter on it?"

---

GranolaPanic posted...

Some people like to modify orders to suite their tastes. Not really a hard concept.

I would like the carbonara, but instead of guanciale can I have tomatoes and also no cheese?

Americans, what are you doing

---

It's called giving you money to do what I want, got it?

---

Since when is there cheese in carbonara?

---

Turbam posted...

"I want this thing, but I don't like the two things that come on it"

Nah, it looks to be more like: "I'd like Thing A that has F and G, but make it a Thing Z with Y and J instead of F and G, and add some C."

---

HairyQueen posted...

It's called giving you money to do what I want, got it?

Keep your money

DeadBankerDream posted...

Since when is there cheese in carbonara?

Since always

---

It speaks volumes that the people who are unwilling to tip are also the ones who complain that waitresses don't do enough

---

DeadBankerDream posted...

This topic is silly, so, Americans. I have a real question about you.

Do you actually pour butter on your popcorn? And if so, what's wrong with you?

popcorn with butter is pretty common here.

is it rare where you are?

---

g0ldie posted...

is it rare where you are?

I've literally never seen it or heard about it. I think I first learned about it from some American sitcom or tv show. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen.

---

I hear some Americans put butter in their coffee. You guys are still wild cowboys in the year 2021

---

What's carbonara? Is that haggis or something?

---

pinky0926 posted...

Keep your money

Excuse me..? Let me speak to your manager.

---

DeadBankerDream posted...

I've literally never seen it or heard about it. I think I first learned about it from some American sitcom or tv show. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen.

I've seen more and more people order without butter, but I think it's something I just took for granted since it's pretty much the default popcorn you get at fairs and movie theaters.

didn't realize that others might consider it to be gross, lol.

pinky0926 posted...

I hear some Americans put butter in their coffee. You guys are still wild cowboys in the year 2021

I've heard of some people doing this, but I don't think it's common.

---

What's the problem? Give the people what they want instead of having them take only one thing and throw away the rest. You prefer to just let it get thrown away?

---

Simp posted...

What's the problem? Give the people what they want instead of having them take only one thing and throw away the rest. You prefer to just let it get thrown away?

Food waste in the restaurant industry is a whole different problem, but since you asked, maybe just...order something else that suits what you want to eat?

In this hypothetical shitpost scenario where I am the chef and manager of a restaurant, I don't want to be reading your 1 star google review that my on-request tomato and cheesless carbonara was dogshit. You're preaching to the choir buddy


---

pinky0926 posted...

Food waste in the restaurant industry is a whole different problem, but since you asked, maybe just...order something else that suits what you want to eat?

In this hypothetical shitpost scenario where I am the chef and manager of a restaurant, I don't want to be reading your 1 star google review that my on-request tomato and cheesless carbonara was dogshit. You're preaching to the choir buddy

Some people are picky and weird like that. I am a cook and manager of a restaurant, and I would rather have people feel accommodated and get exactly what they want than get something that's sort of close to what they want. They will tend to enjoy it more, and leave with a more positive impression of the restaurant given their desires were personally catered to.

---

pinky0926 posted...

I hear some Americans put butter in their coffee. You guys are still wild cowboys in the year 2021

Colombians put lemon juice in their coffee if that makes you feel any better.

Anyways, on topic. If you're at a mid to higher end place in the US you really cant make substitutions because they wont let you. Unless it's an allergy thing and if so they'll probably just point you to another item.
---

Oh yeah well in other countries I'll be like, "I'll have a large glass of water please" and I'll get like a NyQuil cup of lukewarm water with no ice.

Then I have to be like, "uh, yeah, more water please."

---

Simp posted...

Some people are picky and weird like that. I am a cook and manager of a restaurant, and I would rather have people feel accommodated and get exactly what they want than get something that's sort of close to what they want. They will tend to enjoy it more, and leave with a more positive impression of the restaurant given their desires were personally catered to.

Do you allow any requests or do you have limitations on that?

---

Phantom36 posted...

Oh yeah well in other countries I'll be like, "I'll have a large glass of water please" and I'll get like a NyQuil cup of lukewarm water with no ice.

Then I have to be like, "uh, yeah, more water please."

This one is absolutely correct. I have to wonder what the point of asking for a glass of water is if it's barely enough fluid to keep a small plan alive for a couple of days.

---

pinky0926 posted...

Do you allow any requests or do you have limitations on that?

Any that can reasonably be fulfilled. Idk, I don't really get anything terribly weird like you're suggesting. Price differences must be reflected and in the restaurant's favor, but as long as I can do it without compromising too much time (and negatively affecting other people) I will. Tbh I actually kinda like it because it keeps things interesting in a fairly dull occupation. Though that opinion would be in the minority in terms of the people I've worked with, I think.

---

yeah, god forbid people have different tastes. how dare they??

DeadBankerDream posted...

This topic is silly, so, Americans. I have a real question about you.

Do you actually pour butter on your popcorn? And if so, what's wrong with you?

Fuck no.
We use butter salt.



---

idk I work in a small and low-scale place, which might inform my opinion, but you're serving the people. Making them happy is your priority, and in return they give you their money. Pretty straightforward. This mindset of telling the people what they should want rather than giving them what they do want just seems silly to me.

---

DocDelicious posted...

Fuck no.
We use butter salt.

WTF?! That looks like it's from the 50s.

---

pinky0926 posted...

I hear some Americans put butter in their coffee. You guys are still wild cowboys in the year 2021

What the fuck never heard of that shit...

---

Learned and schooled individualism to the border of solipsism.

---

The customer is always right.

Whether you agree with this or not, it's what has been set as the standard. People think they can alter an order to suit their tastes and for the most part, they'll be right. It doesn't occur to them that their order may be difficult to accommodate because they're used to being accommodated.

I dunno how it is for other people but it's difficult for me to find a food place that will have what you want if you are looking for a certain taste. The big chains edge out the smaller ones and thus menus are the same everywhere. And even when it's not a chain restaurant, everyone seems to just copy each other menu wise, if you want variety, it's easier to just try altering the order.

Course I don't do this myself, I'll just take it home and disassemble the food.

---

"The customer is always right."

No they fucking aren't

---

pikachupwnage posted...

No they fucking aren't

Said places that went out of business

---

Having lived my whole life in the US, I have never made or heard someone make the convoluted order TC is suggesting.

---

Calculus is hard
---

pinky0926 posted...

Food waste in the restaurant industry is a whole different problem, but since you asked, maybe just...order something else that suits what you want to eat?

Sometimes you end up in a place with friends or family that just doesn't have anything you want to eat, or where the things you might want to eat have stuff you don't like. Not everywhere has huge menus with tons of options

---

Im sure they love me. I always want less stuff but willing to pay the same price.

Not positive but I think burger king pioneered the idea with their have it your way campaign

---

sauceje posted...

Sometimes you end up in a place with friends or family that just doesn't have anything you want to eat, or where the things you might want to eat have certain ingredients you don't like. Not everywhere has huge menus with tons of options

Then get a salad


---

If I wanted a tomato on my burger I'd tell them along with other stuff. Since I don't eat sliced tomatoes I ask for it not to be on it. Wasting food is bad.

---

pikachupwnage posted...

"The customer is always right."

No they fucking aren't

I addressed that after. It doesn't matter if you think so. It's simply the culture that's been put in place.

---

BeantownHero posted...

Then get a salad

Eww no

---

I love when Americans refuse to look their own entitlement in the eye. This is a great topic.

---

pinky0926 posted...

"Can I have A, but instead of A can it be Z

I feel like this is wrong. If someone is ordering A, then they're ordering A. It's more common to ask for substitutions for specific ingredients in a dish, not for a substitution of the entire dish. And even then, it's not very common (in my anecdotal experience) for people to ask for substitutions. Maybe they'll ask for no croutons on a salad, or to leave the salad dressing on the side. Something like that. Even this doesn't occur too often.
---

TheOnionKnight posted...

I feel like this is wrong. If someone is ordering A, then they're ordering A. It's more common to ask for substitutions for specific ingredients in a dish, not for a substitution of the entire dish. And even then, it's not very common (in my anecdotal experience) for people to ask for substitutions. Maybe they'll ask for no croutons on a salad, or to leave the salad dressing on the side. Something like that. Even this doesn't occur too often.

Worst I do is ask to remove a side order and just double up on the other side.

I order out a lot at work and i dont like coleslaw and somehow the slaw always leaks over into the fries ruining the fries for me. So i ask for no slaw. Most times they assume I want another side of fries to replace it and thats cool with me

---