AITA for asking for a manager after our waiter was rude to us about a raw burger ?

A couple went to a local Chili’s, and when they received their burger sliders, one of them was raw inside. The boyfriend politely informed the waiter about the issue, but the waiter responded rudely, saying that’s how the burgers are cooked unless ordered well done.

The waiter also made a dismissive remark about the burger being “half-eaten” already. Feeling uncomfortable with the interaction, the boyfriend asked to speak to a manager about how they were treated. read the original story below…

‘ AITA for asking for a manager after our waiter was rude to us about a raw burger ?’

So me and my gf went out to eat last night at a local chilis (Monrovia, CA). We have been here before and it’s cool, nothing special but also not bad. So we go in and and we get seated in the bar area so we can have some appetizers and drinks on the happy hour menu. Our waiter was good at first.

He had brought out everything we requested in a fairly decent time and the food seemed to be correct when it arrived. However, when my gf bit into one of the burger sliders we ordered, she noticed that it was raw on the inside.. Like RAW .

So I tried to nicely notify our waiter about it and to see if we could do something about it (replacement/refund). Then this guy responds back with the most rude tone and basically says that’s how the burgers come unless you order them well done.

We have been there before and the burgers were not like that. And also, why wouldn’t he ask us how we would like to have it cooked then? In addition he said that, “Maybe if you hadn’t eaten half of it I could’ve done something then.” Bro it’s a slider, she took one bite and it was already halfway gone.

So after he said that we were kinda puzzled and just said ok. But after a while I asked to talk a manager and I told her how our waiter made us feel weird.
Idk, AITA and making it a big deal?

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

ForwardPlenty −  NTA. No reason for the waiter to be snarky. The right thing is to whisk the plate away and have it remade on the fly. The kitchen also benefits from the feedback that things are underdone, and even if it is questionable, it is worth the cost of a slider to make that customer happy.

All part of the overhead. Fixing issues is literally why we have waiters, otherwise we would simply have order takers and things would be delivered in a bag. Even then if it is done incorrectly you can get it remade.

smileypotatoeseater −  NTA, raw meat can quite literally make you sick. if gordon ramsay was there he wouldve done worse to the waiter and chef, and frankly he would be right to do so

BlueGreen_1956 −  Maybe NTA. But now you have information.. You can now do the sensible thing.. Never go back there again.

[Reddit User] −  Dude NTA. I was a server for years and years, and then I was a government lawyer, and then briefly a server again while I started my own law firm. I am very sensitive about treating service workers with respect and kindness. That server was totally inappropriate, and for no good reason.

The only appropriate response they should have given was “I’m sorry, let me bring it back to the kitchen!” It’s not even a comment on the server, it’s the cooks’ fault. Also, sliders aren’t cooked like full-sized burgers and steaks. They don’t have a temperature. I’ve never been asked how I want tiny-ass sliders prepared. What a weird question.

MyraGoddess7 −  NTA. A raw burger is a legitimate concern, and the waiter’s rude response was unprofessional. Asking for a manager to address both the food issue and the way you were treated was completely reasonable.

HollieMajestic −  NTA. Bro, a raw burger isn’t a preference, it’s a health code violation. If the waiter didn’t even ask how you wanted it cooked and then hit you with that attitude? That’s on him. Saying something after \*one bite\* isn’t weird—it’s basic feedback, and it’s literally his job to handle it professionally.

Asking for a manager wasn’t “making it a big deal,” it was making sure the situation was addressed without someone being passive-aggressive about it. You’re paying for cooked food, not steak tartare in slider form. Chili’s ain’t a Michelin-starred spot where they can get away with that kind of energy. You handled it fine!

EDJardin −  NTA. You brought up a legitimate issue with the food. The waiter should have asked what temperature you wanted the burgers in the first place, and failing that step, should have taken the plate and put in a new corrected order for you.

(Also, I have never once been to a restaurant where the burgers are served raw by default, and I order burgers at any restaurant that serves them. This right here makes you especially not TA, but the waiter definitely is for trying to gaslight you into thinking YOU were wrong, and not HIM.)

Jimmy_LoMein −  Health inspector here. This waiter is a bozo. A consumer advisory on the menu allows the restaurant to serve undercooked (“cooked to order”) proteins IF the customer requests it be cooked that way.

Without the advisory or if the customer doesn’t request it undercooked, it has to be fully cooked to 155 degrees F. That’s the default. Call the Health Department.

Gunnvor91 −  NTA. Ground beef should always be cooked through. I know it is normal in the States to be able to order burgers that way, but it is unhygienic.
Lack of hygiene aside, even if it were a steak that was not cooked enough, you are allowed to ask the kitchen to cook it more.

I am a microbiologist now, but I used to be a waitress in Canada (cooking ground beef all the way through is mandatory in restaurants). I would have apologized and taken it to the chef to get them to cook it through, regardless of the risk of food borne illness.

You’re paying for it, you can have it cooked through. He was being a shithead for no good reason.

Imaginary_Winter2434 −  Health safety component here. S**ew service this is a health hazard. They may be able to serve a medium burger if ordered as such with “consuming undercooked meat is a health hazard” warning standard on most menus.

But default for ground meat should be well done, medium-well bare minimum. If the store standard is less than this notify corporate it is a major liability for them. If a food borne disease is traced back to this it’s a big liability for a major chain. Did the manager take the undercooked burger seriously?

It’s understandable to want to address poor service, especially when you’re treated rudely. Was the boyfriend right to ask for a manager, or did he overreact? What would you have done in this situation? Share your thoughts below!