Is it rude to return something at a restaurant?

[JPK]

It is not so much what you say - but how you say it. Always mind your manners.

 

[Nraman]

They charged me for both meals, I paid and i tipped on everything so don't worry about that!!
Service was good, food not so much, Even the second meal.

I would have asked them to remove the charge for the sandwich. If they did I would pay for the rest and I would tip, otherwise I would not tip a single penny.
I recently had a rack of lamb in a restaurant, it came practically uncooked, I could swear it was alive. I called the waiter and asked him if it was cooked properly, he said no, they screwed up.
He took it back and when he returned it, it was way too well done and worthless. I told the waiter that I don't want it and to bring me the check. He insisted that I don't pay, I left a good tip and walked out.

 

[vvvvvvv]

In that case, yes, I would have sent it back and I would not have paid for it.


Otherwise for me, it depends on the level of the restaurant and possibly what mood I'm in.

Personally, I like a blue rare steak (you know, horns still on it). If I'm at a place like Chili's, Outback, Texas Roadhouse, etc. (low to mid-priced steaks), I'm pretty tolerant of overcooking up to the lower end of medium rare, and that covers 99% of those kinds of restaurants that seem paranoid to serve you something rare or below. But if I'm at Cattlemen's, Mahogany, Red Rock Canyon Grill, Red Prime, or any place where I'm expecting to pay $40+ for my meal or if their "specialty" is steaks I will send it back. If it's busy, I'll be tolerant of rare, but if it hits medium rare it's going back no matter how swamped you are.

But I'm always nice to the wait staff, and if it's not one of those rare "pooled tips" places I'll give him/her extra for taking care of me. Just like I'll gladly tip extra if I need to be somewhere fast and the waitress/waiter ensures that (and I've even tipped cooks before for getting the meal out faster than normal and perfect).

 

[Mos Eisley]

My son and I ate at a breakfast place in Dallas. We both ordered the Steak & Eggs. My steak was very tough and difficult to eat but hey, it's breakfast, I'm not sending a breakfast sirloin back. My son's steak was a whole other story, he couldn't even cut the danged thing much less eat it. I told the waitress and explained he didn't want another one either. She said she'd see what she could do. She came back and said her manager said there was nothing they could do and had to charge me for the meal. A meal that was INEDIBLE! I complained but since he was with me didn't create a scene like I might by myself. I paid and promptly 1-starred them on Yelp and every other website I could find them on. Very bad way of doing business.

 

[Werewolf]

I won't ever send anything back. I just won't eat it. No way am I letting my food leave my sight after a complaint. Mistakes on my food are usually because I tell them to hold or substitute something and it's not done correctly. IMO, that is an issue with the waiter/waitress and is reflected in their tip. But I'm typically a great tipper so when I'm pissed I still tip ~15%.

Ahhhh... the ole rewarding failure gambit. Works everytime1