AITA for embarrassing my friends by correcting my drink order?

A 22-year-old woman who doesn’t drink but enjoys piña coladas ordered a virgin piña koala at a restaurant. When the wrong drink was served, she expressed disappointment, wanting the drink she ordered. Her friends argued that she should just be grateful for the effort made by the staff, calling her entitled.

Despite their objections, she corrected the server, resulting in her friends feeling embarrassed. Afterward, she reflected on whether she was wrong for wanting to clarify her order. read the original story below…

‘ AITA for embarrassing my friends by correcting my drink order?’

I (22F) don’t drink for personal reasons, but I love the taste of piña coladas. I recently went out to eat at Outback Steakhouse with two friends and saw “piña Koala” on the menu. It was described as a cocktail version of a piña colada with a koala on it. When the server came, I asked if they could possibly make a virgin piña koala, and she said she’d ask the bar.

A few minutes later, someone from the bar came over and said “Here’s a virgin version of the drink” and put it on the table. It was *not* a Piña Koala. This was a tall pink drink with a koala rubber duck on it (I later figured out this was their other “Koala” theme drink). She had already left before I could process that I got the wrong drink.

I looked at it again and said aloud to my friends “This isn’t a piña colada…” One of my friends responded with “It’s okay, at least you got a drink.” I shook my head and expressed that I ordered a piña colada and that’s what I was expecting. My other friend shook *their* head in response saying “They went through the pain of making the drink virgin for you.

Just be grateful.” I said that I was going to correct them because it wasn’t what I ordered. My friends went back and forth with me for a while insisting that it would be completely rude and unnecessary of me to correct them. They even suggested I just try the drink and only correct them if the drink was “awful.”

I’ll admit I did try a sip of the drink and it was good in its own right, but I wanted a piña colada. They kept reiterating how the bar went through the “trouble” of going out of their way to make a virgin drink for me so I should just be happy they even did that. Finally, the server arrived and I corrected my order, ignoring my friends.

The server was very kind and apologized and had the bar make me a virgin piña Koala. My friends were so annoyed and irritated with me the whole night. They insisted I was being a “Karen” and should have just stayed quiet. They said I embarrassed them with my entitlement. I just continued to ignore them.

The end of the night was awkward and I’ve been thinking about this incident for a few days now. I normally struggle to correct my orders so being able to do so was a big step for me, but I still wonder if my friends were right and I should have been grateful to receive anything. AITA?

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

East_Parking8340 −  NTA. It’s not entitlement, is getting what you ordered. Making a virgin drink is no more complex than making one with alcohol in it – it’s all about liquids and proportions.

I guarantee you that if they had ordered steak and got a bowl of soup (or if they ordered a Dyson from Amazon and got and aliExpress special) they’d have said something fairly robust about it.

I really wonder whether someone changed your order to include one with alcohol and you ruined their ‘prank’ – if you didn’t know how it was meant to taste you would find it harder to know if it was virgin. There’s too much emotion involved for it to be solely about sorting out an incorrect order. As long as you didn’t shriek like a teakettle you’re good.. Prost !

[Reddit User] −  Asking politely for what you actually ordered isn’t being a Karen. Your friends are wrong. NTA

philautos −  Yes, you acted e**itled — because you WERE e**itled to get what you ordered. That’s why it’s called an order and not a wish upon a star. Of course, people, including servers, do sometimes make mistakes, and part of not being an AH is not being n**ty about it.

But that doesn’t mean you have to take whatever they give you. It means you address the matter politely, and they in turn politely fix the problem. And it seems like that’s exactly what you and the server did. NTA. Your friends are — and especially so if they know what you’re struggling with.

MerelyWhelmed1 −  “The pain of making a virgin drink.” Yes, because it’s so much work to not include an ingredient as they prepare a beverage. NTA.

Ducky818 −  NTA. You ordered something, they said they could accommodate it, and you should expect that. If they couldn’t make it, they should have said so. Accepting the wrong order is a decision someone makes but it is not required. And it seems you were nice about it with the server.

I want what I order and I expect that if the place expects me to pay for it. I’m betting if your friends received something (food, drink, clothing, etc.) other than what they ordered, they would demand it be corrected. They are afraid of a big confrontation. They will learn to nicely stand up for themselves as they mature.

AussieKoala-2795 −  NTA for correcting the drink mix up but god help the people on the next table who had to listen to this awful back and forth with your friends.
And as an Australian WTF are there pink koalas on drinks?

Koalas are n**ty little creatures that bite and smell and are high all the time on eucalyptus leaves. They don’t drink alcohol but have been known to pee on unsuspecting tourists.

roterzwerg −  Jesus your mates sound pathetic. Good for you for having the confidence to ask for it to be corrected. There is no issue in having it remade as long as you’re polite about it, which it sounds like you are, and making something virgin in no way makes it more complex to make.

In fact since they’re skipping a step, I’d argue it was easier (I’m no bartender, but i also enjoy a virgin mary and just means not adding vodka, it doesnt change the ratios of everything else, so I’d assume its the same for other drinks).

Also sounds like they have issues with you not drinking; i dont drink either, and that was always met with veiled contempt. I think they feel like its a challenge to them. Anyway NTA, your mates on the other hand are.

ParsimoniousSalad −  NTA. What business is it of your friends to try to “defend” the restaurant? They got the drink order wrong, you politely corrected it, they remade it. Done deal, no drama required. Your friends need something else to pick at.

KingsRansom79 −  NTA. Your friends sound very immature. People make mistakes with orders all the time. It’s completely normal to let them know and allow them to correct it. You did so in a respectful manner. I’m a bartender. I want people to tell me when something isn’t right or they don’t like it. We want people to leave happy…and come back.

StAlvis −  NTA. My other friend shook their head in response saying “They went through the pain of making the drink virgin for you. Just be grateful.”. This was not *a favor*.. It is their *job* to mix drinks.. And they *still* did it wrong.

The server was very kind and apologized. Yeah, no big deal. My friends were so annoyed and irritated with me the whole night. They insisted I was being a “Karen” and should have just stayed quiet.. Your friends need some backbone.

It’s essential to communicate your preferences, especially when ordering food or drinks. What do you think? Share your thoughts below!