I Spy ...
Restaurant Tricks
Previous-
Keith Srakocic
Customers Spot Cutbacks
As part of our recent feature on how restaurants are responding to the "seeming" recession with cost-cutting tricks, we asked AOL users to share examples of what they've seen.
Click through our gallery to see the money-saving maneuvers they reported: some sneaky, some forthright and some just plain disgusting. Keep in mind that these are individual claims of personal experiences and may or may not be reflective of the actual policy at any of the restaurants mentioned.
First Up: Shrinking Bread BasketMore Related Links:
-
Tom Strattman, AP
Shrinking Bread Basket
AOL User SusieG143 Says:
"A couple days ago, I went to an Olive Garden with my fiance. When we were having dinner I asked if they could bring us another basket of bread. The waitress brought the bread basket to the table and when I looked there were only two breadsticks in the bread basket. Before they would serve five at a time."
Next: Charging for CondimentsMore Related Links:
-
Charging for Condiments
AOL User Stpsgrg1 Claims:
"... they advertise a sandwich piled high with toppings and when you ask for more than the four of each condiment they place on a footlong then you get charged for it. They already trimmed the amount of meat they put on each sandwich. I'm a meat girl so three pieces of thin roast beef on my sandwich doesn't cut it."
Next: No Charge, So They SayMore Related Links:
-
No Charge, So They Say
AOL User MUBMUB1 Claims:
"The menu at Mel's Diner in Cape Coral, Fla. specifically says "No charge for Egg Beaters." However, whenever it's ordered, the "computer" automatically includes a surcharge for it. I've told their management several times ... I think that they think they will make more money if people don't realize they get banged for that surcharge by not carefully checking their bill against the menu price."
Next: Diminishing DumplingsMore Related Links:
-
Diminishing Dumplings
AOL User Fundsage Claims:
"I went to a chinese restaurant in Gaithersburg, Md. called ChopStix. I ordered the fried dumplings appetizer, which I've ordered many times in the past. This time I noticed that there were only five dumplings. Last time I was there, a couple months ago, there were six at the same price."
Next: Fake SteakMore Related Links:
-
Getty Images
Fake Steak, Chicken
AOL User TFG1HARLEY Claims:
"Restaurants have been using what I call fake chicken and steaks for years. These products are reconstituted meats that have been ground down and mixed with water and other by-products and then pressure assembled to look like real steak. They don't even attempt to make the chicken look like natural parts anymore. Their favorite chicken dishes are "grilled salads" or include chicken cooked in some method that makes the meat unidentifiable."
Next: Veal SwitcherooMore Related Links:
-
MCT
Veal Switcheroo
AOL User Gerry924 Claims:
"When ordering veal parm or veal cutlet at a restaurant or diner, I have found on quite a few occasions that it was actually pork. Veal should be grey or light brown when cooked. When you see the fried cutlet is white upon slicing it, you've been swindled."
Next: Just-Like-New SushiMore Related Links:
-
Just-Like-New Sushi
AOL User LFGTLO Claims:
"(You may) notice the taste of disinfectant at sushi bars on fish that is older than it should be, and then is palmed off on customers. Rather than chuck older cuts of fish, this is a common practice even in some of your favorite sushi bars. They only do it on certain fish and they do it hoping to get away with it!"
Next: Outback CutbacksMore Related Links:
-
Marianna Day Massey, ZUMA Press
Outback Cutbacks
AOL User Cgerhard3 Claims:
"My family and I recently visited Outback Steakhouse, and noticed that they've cut back on their portions. There was no change in my filet because it is sold by the weight; however, I did notice one side was filled with fat (about 1 oz). I never noticed fat on my filet before. I believe that in the past, they would normally trim it off. Also, my daughter had the kiddie ribs, and she only got four. There used to be six. They're stretching one slab into three kids meals instead of two."
Next: Fake Mimosas at BrunchMore Related Links:
-
Fake Mimosas at Brunch
AOL User shareonestudents Claims:
"My husband and I went to our favorite Italian restaurant for Sunday brunch. They offered unlimited champagne and/or mimosas. My husband noticed the manager behind the back bar was mixing seltzer water with an egg and a little champagne and OJ and then serving them to people as mimosas. I'm not much of a drinker and don't care for the taste of alcohol and usually order mimosas to help ease the flavor. When he told me what (he saw), I was in disbelief, and watched very carefully and saw him do it myself.
Next: From Trash to TableMore Related Links:
-
Cassandra Shie, AOL
From Trash to Table
AOL User Mizzerychic2 Claims:
"I worked for this restaurant forever. We had a manager that was so obsessed with food costs that he would actually dig through the garbage at night to retrieve creamers and crackers that had been thrown away. He would then rinse them off and put them back to be re-served. When he didn't want to do it, he would make the cooks do it. It was disgusting and always made me sick. But of course, the general manager said nothing to him, because it saved them money.
Next: Tricks of the TradeMore Related Links:
-
Tricks of the Trade
AOL User Barterbabe30 Claims:
"I've worked in different types of restaurants and even on a casino ship. I've seen a lot of different tricks to save money. For instance some places will buy generic condiments and fill name brands containers to make it look like they are using the good stuff. I used to work for this one lady in a private diner that told her customers she bought all of her pies from the Amish and charged a pretty penny for a slice. It was frozen crap and she threatened her employees that if anyone told we would be fired."
Next: Cup of Soup = BowlMore Related Links:
-
Cup of Soup = Bowl
AOL User AuntPea1 Claims:
"I've worked in many restaurants and the fact is that every one I've worked in ... a cup of soup contained the same amount as a bowl. The shape of the dish just makes it look like more."
Next: Quite a PickleMore Related Links:
-
AP
Quite a Pickle
AOL User DNP5454 Claims:
"My aunt had a friend that owned a small sandwich shop. Her trick of the trade was serving sandwiches with chips and sliced pickles on the side. Get ready for the money saver! She would collect all the pickles off the plates people had discarded in the garbage, rinse them off then put them back into the pickle jar to spruce them back up to normal. Then once again, they'd be laid down on the next customer's plate."
Next: Seafood Product SubstitutionMore Related Links:
-
Seafood Product Substitution
AOL User BOBFISH Claims:
"Many restaurants are substituting Asian-type fish for wild-caught grouper and red snapper to increase their margin of profit at the expense of the unsuspecting consumer. A very unhealthy situation."
Next: Magic PlatesMore Related Links:
-
Magic Plates
AOL User Eliz Hooper Claims:
"(I've seen) plates that are higher in the middle so that it looks like you are getting the same amount of food."
Next: 10% SurchargeMore Related Links:
-
10% Surcharge on Bill
AOL User Taliesen T Claims:
"One of my favorite Italian restaurants has just added a 10% surcharge on the bill. The sign states that due to the rising cost of food they have to do this. They only raised their prices once in the last year, so this isn't too bad. I can't complain about the portions either since they give you a lot of food for each entree, enough so two people could share and get a decent portion."
Next: Now You See It ...More Related Links:
-
Chipotle.com
Now You See It ...
AOL User River98x Claims:
"(The) Chipotle Mexican Grill (that I visited) removed the prices from their overhead menu board, then raised all the prices. You don't know the prices went up until you get to the register. Also, they put more rice on the burrito than before. They pile on the rice first, leaving no room for REAL ingredients. Nobody ever said, 'The rice on these burritos is delicious!'"
Next: Buffet RipoffsMore Related Links:
-
Buffet Ripoffs
AOL User Lionesa Claims:
"Having worked in a few restaurants, I'd have to say (buffets) have some of the biggest ripoffs especially when it comes to their overpriced brunches. Not only is the food put out and used and then re-used the following day or to make a dish called the "Lunch Day" special, but sometimes it's put out, used, frozen, and put right back out the following Sunday. You think that's fresh chocolate mousse? It's really last week's chocolate pudding that they've added whip cream to."
Next: Salad Gets ChoppedMore Related Links:
-
AP
Robust Salad Is Now Skimpy
AOL User Jolicata66 Claims:
"(We) loved the Santa Fe Chopped Salad from Chevys in Calif. It USED to be a nice big salad, with a whole chopped chicken breast, half an avocado, a nice portion of crumbled bleu cheese, bacon, roasted corn salsa and roasted peppers. The ingredients would cover the romaine lettuce. Dressing was a nice sized portion. NOW, you have to search for everything but the lettuce. Maybe you'll get a tablespoon of chicken, and about as much of everything else, on half-romaine, half-iceburg lettuce."
Next: Carraba's CutbacksMore Related Links:
-
Carraba's Cut Backs
AOL User R Barbetti Claims:
"My girlfriends and I would go to Carraba's once a week and get apps, dinner, drinks and dessert. The bill usually ran about $350 before the $75 tip we would leave our server. We noticed the last two times we went that the minestrone soup was almost nothing but broth and the wine serving was cut in half. So for the last few months we have converted our weekly outing to a get together at someone's house."
Next: Where's the Beef?More Related Links:
-
MCT
Where's the Beef?
AOL User RPGUN202 Claims:
"Our favorite Mexican restaurant has cut back on the 1 pound beef fajitas. Now it is more likely 3/4 of pound. Before it used to be 1.25 pounds of meat, usually shared between two people. When you order a pound of meat do you get a pound of meat at your restaurant?"
Next: Watered Down CocktailMore Related Links:
-
Watered Down Cocktail
AOL User Tgva Claims:
"Keagan's Restaurant in Virginia Beach's new and trendy Town Center complex shakes their martinis in lots of crushed ice ... you got it ... watered down! When (I) asked to have it stirred and not shaken, the drink was so tiny, I asked if this was correct. BAD!"
Post: What Have You Seen?
(Featured user posts are excerpts from this board. Some posts may have been edited for space constraints or grammatical errors. These edits do not affect the content of the original post.)
Next: More Restaurant TricksMore Related Links:
-
More on AOL:
Sneaky Restaurant Tricks
Now that you've read about the experiences of fellow AOL users, check out the feature that started it all.
Click through our gallery as we show more ways that restaurants are trimming costs in troubled times.
Next Gallery: Sneaky Restaurant TricksMore in Money & Finance:
BUSINESS NEWS
INVESTING
- Stock Quotes
- Stock Charts
- Stock Ticker
- Portfolio
- Stock Screener
- Broker Center
- Mutual Fund Center
- ETF Center
- Money
- 24/7 Wall St.
PERSONAL FINANCE AT WALLETPOP
- Bargains
- Banking
- Budget
- Calculators
- College Finance
- Community
- Credit
- Deals
- Debt
- Economizer
- Food
- Home
- Fraud
- Insurance
- Interest Rates
- Loans
- Mortgages
- Real Estate
- Recalls
- Recession
- Retirement
- Saving
- Simplification
- Specials
- Taxes