A while ago I wrote an article about why people’s lack of knowledge about a restaurant’s food might lead to ignorant reviews and inaccurate ratings. However, that was about unfamiliar food. In general, the average customer knows what most food should taste like, and there are some common instances when the food we are served is simply underwhelming.

I’m not talking about instances of hair in food or orders being mistaken. Those are problems for which most restaurants will apologise. I’m talking about how some restaurants prepare certain foods, and their interpretation of their menu, which can often seem ludicrous. If you bring up complaints about these methods, some restaurants will put it off by saying “that’s just how we make it here”, while you very well know that you’re being cheated. Here are some things we really wish restaurants would stop doing.

Soggy Burgers

A lot of people like their burgers slathered in mayo and cheese sauce. Some of them think that the trade-off for this is that the burger will be soggy. That is not necessarily true though. If the burger is constructed properly, and the bun is actually toasted well, a burger will not usually be soggy, especially from the first few bites. The burger bun is supposed to be a vessel for all those yummy encased flavours. It is not supposed to get lost in a sea of sauce.

The Cheese Band-Aid

Some restaurants, especially certain pizza places, use cheese as a one-size-fits-all miracle product. Unless the flavours in the food have been balanced with the right spices and herbs, and an adequate amount of other toppings have been placed on the dish, cheese does nothing to save the taste of a dish. There will always be people who will flock to a restaurant that advertises with stretchy cheese, but unless the dish actually delivers on flavours besides cheese, customers are unlikely to go back.

Lastly, if cheese is to be used as a Band-Aid, the customers at least deserve quality cheese, not white flavourless, hockey puck cheese that makes for good photos but tastes like barely salted rubber.   

Pretentious Drinks

There are so many restaurants that still serve 20 taka soft drink in a fancy glass, under a fancy name, with a slice of lemon hanging off the side, and ask for 150 taka. On top of that, the beverage will also be diluted and iced as well.

Then there are the “Blue Lagoons”. It is 2019 folks, are we still falling for that? It’s literally lemonade with a few drops of blue dye in it. People who order these drinks for the photos are the reason we can’t have good things in life.

Cheap Chips with Expensive Sandwiches

When someone orders a 400 taka gourmet beef steak sandwich that comes with a side of chips, they expect thick cut, perfectly golden French fries, plus accompanying condiments, to be served alongside the majestic sandwich. Not pepper flavoured agun-er-gola chips that someone got for 12 taka from the corner store. Sometimes you can literally see the packet behind the counter.

Restaurants that try to get away with these things really need to stop. Customers just deserve better.

Rabita Saleh is a perfectionist/workaholic. Email feedback to this generally boring person at rabitasaleh13@gmail.com