# "I have good news and some bad news,"



## 46L (Jan 8, 2009)

said the returning waiter a few minutes after taking my dinner order. "The bad news is we are out of the porterhouse. The good news is we have the bone-in strip special available tonight for ($xx.xx), or would you like to choose something else of the menu?"

I am still waiting for the "good news" considering:
1. if I wanted the strip, I would have ordered it in the first place;
2. the price quoted for the strip was higher than the porterhouse.

Why not at least offer the replacement option at the same price as the item originally ordered? 

It was not the price difference but the lack of trying to take a corrective measure that would leave the customer feeling good about the experience. 

At least the wine was good.


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## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

How can you be out of steak in Texas? Here in Maine we're_ never_ out of lobster.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

How about...

"Do you have an 8oz filet??"

"Yes."

"Do you have a 12oz NY srtip??"

"Yes"

"Do you have a bone??"

"Yes"

"OK, bring back my porterhouse!!"


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

WouldaShoulda said:


> How about...
> 
> "Do you have an 8oz filet??"
> 
> ...


:icon_smile_big: Nice.

It is entirely unacceptable for a steakhouse to be out of any particular cut. If they are somehow, clearly some corrective action is required on their part. I can get bad service at any number of "casual dining" steakhouse knock offs. Good steak and good service are the primary reasons I pay ~$150/head to go to a nice steakhouse.


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

My wife took me to a decent steakhouse for dinner (Flemming's, if anyone cares.) We went on Sunday specifically for the prime rib special, which, about two minutes after taking our orders, the waiter said they were out of. I thought it was a bit odd, since the restaurant was dead at 6PM. He gave us the largest cut of ribeye they had for the same price, and threw in desert for free. I couldn't complain.


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## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

smujd said:


> :icon_smile_big: Nice.
> 
> It is entirely unacceptable for a steakhouse to be out of any particular cut. If they are somehow, clearly some corrective action is required on their part. I can get bad service at any number of "casual dining" steakhouse knock offs. Good steak and good service are the primary reasons I pay ~$150/head to go to a nice steakhouse.


Stuff happens, and personally I much prefer it when restaurants simply tell me they're out of an item, rather than try and half-ass the situation.

On one occasion, at the Kona Inn in Kailua, I ordered my usual dinner when I'm there (thai soup, salad, ribs). When the ribs came they were pure fat and had no taste whatsoever, other than that of slightly rancid grease. It's one of the few times I've ever complained to a restaurant manager, and he told me their supplier had some kind of problem and could not deliver ribs that day, so he panicked and went to Costco(!) for the night's supply. He allowed me to reorder something else, and comped my dinner, but still I would have preferred not being subjected to that in the first place.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

I can top that.

I went to Steak & Shake one recent night. I order a burger and a shake...

"Sorry, we're outta milkshakes!"

What the ? *Steak & Shake*, and you're out of milkshakes. I mean, come on. I don't want to hear any excuses on this one.


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