Restaurants Switching Foods

[Barbara L]

WCNC investigation into fish switch gets results | Local News | News for Charlotte, North Carolina | WCNC.com | 6NEWS Extra - The Investigators I wonder how many other restaurants are doing this. I'm sure there are other things they switch too. I know that we bought what was labeled in a local restaurant's menu as Key Lime Pie--we bought the whole pie and took it home. It was just lime meringue pie. It was ok, but it sure wasn't key lime pie. A local restaurant lists their beef chimichangas as having beef tips, but they have ground beef. When I pointed that out to the owner, he said they always use ground beef. I showed him on the menu where it said beef tips. He didn't seem to understand what I meant. I explained that beef tips are chunks of beef and that they should change their menu. I doubt they have.

Barbara

 

[Maverick2272]

Happens here a lot. We usually refuse to pay unless they provide exactly what is listed on the menu. A couple even said they would call the police. I told them feel free, they can't make me pay for what i didn't get. They would just drop it and we would leave without paying or eating.
We make note of restaurants like these, never go back, and tell everyone else about them as well. But I guess they get enough new people coming in they just don't care.

On a different tangent, the local Jewel grocery stores do something similar. They advertise that they take competitors coupons, but when you present them they refuse to take them. Appeal to the manager and they refuse as well. They also have a guarantee that if you are rung up at a different price than what is on the shelf, they will give you the item for free. We have gone to customer service several times over errors, but they refuse to enforce the guarantee.
Ick, one of many reasons we no longer shop there, haven't for several years. I guess the figure most people won't bother to sue over a couple of bucks and despite them being the most expensive grocery store in the area still do a thriving business.

 

[Barbara L]

...On a different tangent, the local Jewel grocery stores do something similar. They advertise that they take competitors coupons, but when you present them they refuse to take them. Appeal to the manager and they refuse as well. They also have a guarantee that if you are rung up at a different price than what is on the shelf, they will give you the item for free. We have gone to customer service several times over errors, but they refuse to enforce the guarantee...

I don't know if it would do any good, but you could also complain to the newspaper that puts out their ads. You could also write a letter to the editor of the newspaper. James used to work for a newspaper, and I know they rely a lot on grocery store ads. Also, have you written to their corporate headquarters?

Barbara

 

[Ask-A-Butcher]

We've had a BIG problem with restaurants in Florida serving the wrong fish to consumers. On purpose!!

More here...
Grouper Gate!

 

[Barbara L]

We've had a BIG problem with restaurants in Florida serving the wrong fish to consumers. On purpose!!

More here...
Grouper Gate!

Evidently a lot of places lie about having grouper. The link I posted in my first post was about restaurants in Charlotte saying they are serving grouper, but really serving catfish and other fish. One restaurant has been cited twice for this. If Florida and Charlotte are doing it, you can bet a lot of other places are too.

Barbara

 

[Bilby]

Happens worldwide I'm afraid.

 

[Andy M.]

Have you ever been served fake scallops cut out of skate wing? Perfect little round disks they expect you to believe are scallops.

 

[wysiwyg]

To all,
Based on my experience, the best bet is to warn the restaurant or market, etc. that you will contact the office of your State Attorney General when you have these kind of issues.
This worked wonders for me the few times I had disputes with merchants.
Just make sure you DO file a complaint stating facts and providing the evidence and send a copy of your complaint to the affected party. Things get resolved really fast, generally before the Attorney's office gets involved. The BBB is also a good alternative.

 

[LadyCook61]

To all,
Based on my experience, the best bet is to warn the restaurant or market, etc. that you will contact the office of your State Attorney General when you have these kind of issues.
This worked wonders for me the few times I had disputes with merchants.
Just make sure you DO file a complaint stating facts and providing the evidence and send a copy of your complaint to the affected party. Things get resolved really fast, generally before the Attorney's office gets involved. The BBB is also a good alternative.

Good advice. I don't eat out much but it is good to know where to go for help if needed.

 

[Bilby]

Have you ever been served fake scallops cut out of skate wing? Perfect little round disks they expect you to believe are scallops.

yes!! but the texture is different!

 

[larry_stewart]

Many times Ill get a chinese dish that says shitake mushrooms, and they are just plain old white mushrooms which is kind of annoying, since the flavor is completely different, and it is usually the mushroom type that attracts me to the dish.

 

[suziquzie]

We've had alot of news stories about that here also...
A regional favorite lakefish here is Walleye (type of perch I think?). I can't remember what they are replacing it with that is cheaper, but I think one of them was flown in from Japan or somewhere else across an ocean! That is neither local OR fresh!

OK I did an investigation. Walleye is a pike, they are replacing it with Zander which comes from Eastern Europe. (Still not local)
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[licia]

This makes me feel better about our local seafood restaurant. Dh really likes grouper and always asks for it, but for a while they've told him they don't have it and suggest a similar fish.

 

[iswhaticrave]

Larry-

100% agree with you. I've always been a big mushroom guy and when they switch it up, it saddens me. Then the waiter never understands why I don't want that dish anymore!