3

3/12/2009 3:12:54 PM

We were in vermont, which has been my 3rd home for a while. it has been "standard practice" there too in my experience. This thread has dragged on for too long without anyone fulfilling the point of the thread, which is to list places that have that practice so at the very least people can be aware of it. Another reason this annoyed me is that I don't like ice in my soda as it makes it taste watery, and i requested it this way, but they all came out wrong. I brushed it off since i wasnt at a diet coke tasting, but if i have to pay per drink, I'd prefer not to reward the waitress for laziness.

Mawle, why do I have to spell out for you the reasons someone might not want to drink alcohol?

a) lent

b) allergy

c) designated driver

d) diet

e) substance abuse problem

f) dining with teetotaling family members who would be offended

I am not saying that all of these apply to me, and far from it, but choosing not to drink alcohol doesn't make someone a rube. That is highly rude of someone in the service industry to imply. Especially given how casual TOO many people are about driving after alcoholic beverage consumption. and I looked at the drink menu, the place didn't even have a damn pelligrino so the non-alcoholic beverage choices were limited. You know what is highly offensive with the taste of quality food? Unfiltered tap water with excess sulphur (burlington) or other dissolved minerals (raleigh). Yeah.



mawle should put his place at #1 on the list. I'd hate to accidentally give someone so rude and judgemental about their clientele my patronage.



[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 3:38 PM. Reason : ]

3/12/2009 3:19:46 PM

Quote :

"Still though, if you're gonna spend $80 on really ANYTHING, why bitch about $10 more?? Seriously"

seriously?

3/12/2009 3:23:36 PM

yeah, its no wonder with attitudes like that that the national savings rate has been in the negatives during this decade.

3/12/2009 3:25:12 PM

Was it $10 more ore $5 more. Serious question. Sounds like the OP was bitching about getting charged for the two extra drinks. If only two...then he was going to pay $5 anyway. So its really only $5 extra. If I'm wrong on that...then nevermind.

And I don't know if this has already been mentioned since I've only scammed the thread...but was this a busy bar?? Because restaurants that make a lot of mixed drinks lose a of "soda" on mixed drinks...rum/cokes, bourbon/cokes, bourbon/ginger, vodka/sprite, vodka tonic...I think you get the idea. I worked at a bar where we might sell 5 or 6 real "just cokes" a night. So we were never able to get back our costs for "sodas" through just charging them. So that might be a reason that this place does that.

3/12/2009 3:32:34 PM

Quote :

"If they just fill up your glass, you assume its free refills "

You (and eberyone else) can assume all you want.

Since it's your wallet, it's your ultimately your responsibility as to what comes out of it.
So if you're really concerned about paying per glass of soda, ask. It's the only way to know for certain whether refills are free or not.

3/12/2009 3:35:14 PM

so I better ask to make sure they dont charge to sit down. or use their fork, or use the bathroom, hope I dont want a spoon, that might cost something.

In Raleigh NC if they bring you a glass of coke, and refill it for you, people would assume its a free refill, you KNOW that its true

3/12/2009 3:39:08 PM

Quote :

"so I better ask to make sure they dont charge to sit down. or use their fork, or use the bathroom, hope I dont want a spoon, that might cost something. "

A more than slight difference, and you know it.

Quote :

" In Raleigh NC if they bring you a glass of coke, and refill it for you, people would assume its a free refill, you KNOW that its true"

I'm not disputing this.
I'm saying that if it matters to you, instead of assuming, make sure.

3/12/2009 3:41:17 PM

i don't really want to keep rehashing that particular restaurant, but it was crowded and the glasses were small as well, like 9 or 10 ounces and most of that was ice. So, i think 2.50 for that is pretty excessive. I know a lot of bars do that so when I asked for restaurants that had this practice, I did specify non-bar.

since nobody has actually fulfilled the purpose of this thread, I'm assuming it is dead. Feel free to continue lambasting me for my preference to not give the money we work hard for away on things you can get for free at plenty of upscale, quality places in the north, south, or canada.

3/12/2009 3:42:00 PM

I haven't contributed to the list because
1) I mostly drink water
2) I don't keep track of who does this, and who doesn't

3/12/2009 3:43:02 PM

I'd like to see someone make a stink when they say their bill after seeing they were charged for every beer, thinking they just paid for the first one and the rest were free

That would be fun to watch

3/12/2009 3:44:31 PM

Quote :

"I'm not disputing this. I'm saying that if it matters to you, instead of assuming, make sure."

If something is standard procedure you dont have to ask everytime.

I hope this theater plays the entire movie and not just half, I better ask!, it "matters" to me if I see the whole movie, but I wouldnt assume I would have to ask that.

I hope my food wasn't dropped on the floor, I better ask to make sure!

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 3:51 PM. Reason : d]

3/12/2009 3:47:30 PM

I only pay for alcoholic beverages... unless they charge for water.

3/12/2009 3:49:15 PM

hahahha good point sIr^^

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 3:49 PM. Reason : lol]

3/12/2009 3:49:32 PM

Quote :

"If something is standard procedure you dont have to ask everytime. "

If it matters enough to you, you'll ask, SOP or not.

Quote :

"I hope this theater plays the entire movie and not just half, I better ask! I hope my food wasn't dropped on the floor, I better ask to make sure!"

Slight difference:
1) you're paying for a movie. Not part, and expecting the rest for free. Unless the menu says the price is for unlimited refills, anything beyond the first glass is a courtesy.
2) Now you're getting into health dept issues. And if that's something you're not comfortable just making assumptions about, eat at home.

Make some better comparisons.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 3:52 PM. Reason : sdfgv]

3/12/2009 3:52:03 PM

Quote :

"you're paying for a movie. Not part, and expecting the rest for free. Unless the menu says the price is for unlimited refills, anything beyond the first glass is a courtesy"

no, I am paying for beverages during the course of my meal... not a predefined amount of liquid. if that was the case it would say "12 oz coke - $2.00", and if that was the case then I would be fine with paying $2 for every 12 oz serving, but it doesnt say that at most restuarants, So no, its not a courtesy.

"you get to use this fork for 1 minute... after that, its a courtesy"

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 3:55 PM. Reason : d]

3/12/2009 3:54:53 PM

^^ also he didn't make comparisons, he used examples.

3/12/2009 3:55:58 PM

If ambrosia ran a restraunt, she'd ration out 6 squares of TP per dump and charge for any more than that

3/12/2009 3:57:41 PM

Okay.

My point still stands, no matter what kind of example you want to give: if it matters enough to you, you'll be proactive and verify, instead of only assuming.

3/12/2009 3:58:09 PM

I run rap


Tell MCs to watch their backs

3/12/2009 4:00:40 PM

dur dur dur. that was the point of this thread. to verify in advance.

3/12/2009 4:01:09 PM

Things change.

I might happen to remember that 6 months ago, a restaurant didn't charge by the refill. If they do now, that information is of no use to you.

I'm not being an ass to you, btw.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 4:06 PM. Reason : asdf]

3/12/2009 4:05:59 PM

hahahah


argue ANYTHING

3/12/2009 4:06:37 PM

Quote :

"seriously? "

Seriously.

3/12/2009 4:15:07 PM

Quote :

"what? pretty much every person I have ever met drinks some sort of soda (diet) with every single meal... here in the last few months I have noticed a lot of people just getting water but for the most part its still diet coke"

I never said that grown-ups drinking soda with a meal was uncommon. I think that it's childish, unhealthy, and in bad taste -- it interferes with the savory flavors in the meal. Like I said, would you munch on sweet jelly beans while eating a steak? or fish? or veggies? or cheese? Sweet candy-liquid doesn't go with the taste of most food -- in my opinion. Perhaps some of your parents let you drink the crap so much as a kid that your taste buds are permanently fucked. I mean, some of you are a little too defensive over this. I merely suggested that soda was a bad choice in the context of full meals, and both my sexuality and political ideology were questioned....

Quote :

"I only pay for alcoholic beverages... unless they charge for water."

I usually assume that water is free, but sometimes it's not -- so if the menu's not clear, I'll often ask. If they do charge for water, I almost never buy it. I am generally opposed to paying for water. Fuck that noise. I should add that unlike most people, I am perfectly fine with having absolutely no drink at all with a meal. One of the reasons I hardly ever eat fast food is because all the combos include a drink, which I never wanted in the first place. If there were ever a "drinkless combo meal," I'd be the type that would always get that.

Quote :

"if it matters enough to you, you'll be proactive and verify, instead of only assuming."

truth

3/12/2009 4:49:04 PM

maybe it interferes if you are eating $$$$$ steak every meal. but if i have a mcdonald's hamburger, i don't think a sprite is interfering with the savory flavors in the meal.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 5:22 PM. Reason : it is probably HELPING if anything haha]

3/12/2009 5:21:52 PM

Quote :

"mcdonald's hamburger... sprite .... is probably HELPING if anything haha"

lol

3/12/2009 5:29:35 PM

Quote :

"At Waraji, they charge $2.75 for tea."

they can charge whatever they want - i love the sushi there

3/12/2009 5:38:41 PM

Quote :

"THANK YOUUUU!!!!!! Nor should you be bitching about $10 after you just were WILLING to spend $80 on food."

how is this even a point. For starters, 80 for a dinner for two is unreasonable. Second of all what does it mater if it was $3 or $10 more? It is his money to do what he wishes. Just because your willing to spend money on a product doesn't mean you should be at ease for something you dont believe you received or something you thought to be included.

3/12/2009 6:03:23 PM

all I'll say is....

I've seen 'no free refills' signs posted in restaurants
I've seen 'free refills' signs posted in restaurants

that's enough (for me) to establish in my mind that it's not standard practice...

3/12/2009 7:36:36 PM

Quote :

""what? pretty much every person I have ever met drinks some sort of soda (diet) with every single meal... here in the last few months I have noticed a lot of people just getting water but for the most part its still diet coke" I never said that grown-ups drinking soda with a meal was uncommon. I think that it's childish, unhealthy, and in bad taste -- it interferes with the savory flavors in the meal. Like I said, would you munch on sweet jelly beans while eating a steak? or fish? or veggies? or cheese? Sweet candy-liquid doesn't go with the taste of most food -- in my opinion. Perhaps some of your parents let you drink the crap so much as a kid that your taste buds are permanently fucked. I mean, some of you are a little too defensive over this. I merely suggested that soda was a bad choice in the context of full meals, and both my sexuality and political ideology were questioned...."

hahahaha

this is the gayest thing I've heard all day.

3/12/2009 7:59:08 PM

Whoa, this thread exploded

Next time you're in Vermont, there is a restaurant in Middlebury that's owned by a guy from Durham. They actually have pretty good Carolina BBQ there. Assuming it's still open.

3/12/2009 8:22:33 PM

you're tellin me

3/12/2009 8:34:15 PM

Quote :

"hahahaha this is the gayest thing I've heard all day."

eh it's not really gay. it's just a weak ass troll attempt

3/12/2009 8:43:53 PM

Quote :

"koto, a northern chain i think."

Wait, was it that shithole Japanese steakhouse place in Burlington? If so, I can't even believe that place is still open. I remember going back in 2002 and thinking it was a ripoff.

Quote :

"For starters, 80 for a dinner for two is unreasonable."

No it's not. If the food is expertly prepared and uses high quality ingredients, $80 is not unreasonable. Now if you're spending $80 on food for two at Chili's, there might be a problem.

3/12/2009 8:49:44 PM

Quote :

"choosing not to drink alcohol doesn't make someone a rube"

Quote :

"RUBE: 1 : an awkward unsophisticated person : rustic 2 : a naive or inexperienced person"

I don't get this leap, whether you or someone else said it first. i don't think you people know what a rube is.

[Edited on March 12, 2009 at 8:59 PM. Reason : also, I DON'T COTTON TO RUBES]

3/12/2009 8:58:11 PM

if its $80 for a japanese steakhouse, that seems past the point of steep...i have no problem paying $80 for a sullivans meal (for 2) though

3/12/2009 8:59:07 PM

Quote :

"For starters, 80 for a dinner for two is unreasonable"

how the fuck did i screw that up. I was trying to say it ISN'T unreasonable

3/13/2009 12:05:43 AM

^^^ It makes sense in the context of who they were responding to.

^ hahahaha

3/13/2009 12:12:27 AM

Okay... I never said that there was something wrong with you because you didn't choose to consume alcoholic beverages. I said that if you are spending $80 on food, you should at least be willing to drop $10 on beverages.

I DID say that i didn't understand people who spend $80 on food and drink diet coke. I say this because there is virtually NO $40 meal that i could pair with diet coke as the beverage. If i am going to pay $40 for food, i might have ONE glass of wine that could be paired with the food at least. It's my outlook as someone that appreciates flavors and the way that they interact. Sodas normally dull the flavors of the food you are eating. So I truly do have a problem with drinking them with a $40 meal. My profession is flavor. The extent of what i can do as a chef is to make the best, most flavorful food possible, and if someone is willing to sully that with sodas, then so be it. It is their meal that they are ruining.

Also, the restaurant i work at doesn't charge for refills, we have the lowest markup on wine and beer of any restaurant in raleigh that i know of, and we produce high quality, flavorful food for no more than $18.50. That is the price of the most expensive entree on our menu.

You can dislike me all you want, but i was simply stating that the cost of what you were consuming was equivocal to what you were paying, based on the idea that the establishment makes money.

I truly care about the customer. Without their enjoyment of my food, I have no reason to want to do what I do.

3/13/2009 2:28:24 AM

^ You come off sounding incredibly snobby.

Oh dear, I went to a restaurant and drank tea because I didn't want wine. There must be something amiss since I don't feel the need to spend money on drinks when I'm already spending money on food.

3/13/2009 2:50:45 AM

If they don't charge alot per soda, gayniggers will come in there and just chill out taking up a table drinking soda and ruin the atmosphere. If you talk to the manager about your bill, he will usually adjust it for you. You don't have to pay for your meal at all if you're not satisfied, btw. The only thing they can do is ban you, it's not illegal.

3/13/2009 3:42:48 AM

i only read the first page of this thread but i think a lot of the problem with people bitching about the cost of soda stems from the mindset; americans drink soda at a rate tantamount to that of water when soda was intended to be a savory treat. don't guzzle it like a pig and not only will you not be paying for refills but -- hey! -- you might drop a pound or two.

and i agree with mawle427...that $0.06 of syrup isn't all you're paying for with that glass of soda. the general public never seems to give complete consideration to all that goes into that ice-cold glass of fountain soda being available to you.

that said, if you order a glass of coke from me at my bar and i charge you for it it's because i think you're an asshole.

[Edited on March 13, 2009 at 4:45 AM. Reason : []

3/13/2009 4:37:31 AM

i've started asking for no ice in my drinks

3/13/2009 5:51:46 AM

At first I was like


But then I was like


But now I'm like


Seriously though, I'm with GJ. It's like bread baskets or corn chips and salsa, it's factored in to the price of the meal and with drinks you pay for them too. At some places I have to ask to not get a refill because if I didn't they'd bring me more before I was half-way done with the first one.

[Edited on March 13, 2009 at 7:27 AM. Reason : *]

3/13/2009 7:26:49 AM

Quote :

"If ambrosia ran a restraunt, she'd ration out 6 squares of TP per dump and charge for any more than that"

If ambrosia ran a restaurant I'd make sure to hound the waitstaff to death. Is the fork complimentary? Do you charge per napkin? Do you charge more for the soda if I order it with no ice? Do you charge more for the steak if I want it well done... since it spends more time on the stove? Do you charge per sugar pack I use? Do you start charging after the 30th question?

Then I'd leave before they brought out the food because they where sure to have done something to it.

Quote :

"all I'll say is.... I've seen 'no free refills' signs posted in restaurants I've seen 'free refills' signs posted in restaurants that's enough (for me) to establish in my mind that it's not standard practice..."

I don't think I've ever seen a sign, but I haven't looked. Anyway, I'll echo what's been said. For sodas: if they bring out a glass with soda in it it has always been free refill without fail. If they bring out an empty glass with a can it has always been a charge per 'refill' without fail.

Seems pretty easy, a standard practice if you will. Plus that practice cuts down on the whole problem of customers complaining about too much ice or any other thing they can dream up. You got charged for exactly 16oz.

If they don't do free refills then there is usually something in large, bold typeface right there on the menu. If the restaurants don't do that much then they are going to eventually have a pissed off customer on their hands, and at that point who cares who is wrong and who is right. You just lost business and those customers will probably ward off others.


[Edited on March 13, 2009 at 7:56 AM. Reason : -]

3/13/2009 7:52:48 AM

Quote :

"eh it's not really gay. it's just a weak ass troll attempt"

Troll attempt or not, he is right. It has absolutely no nutritional value, just empty calories. And it is clearly just carbonated sugar water. It's much like eating candy. Tastes good, but is not healthy.

To answer the thread topic, if you aren't sure if refills are free, its not hard to just ask.

3/13/2009 11:55:35 AM

Quote :

"So that is about $2.50 per gallon, or $.02 per ounce. Which is $0.24 per glass"

so since I've never seen a place charge less than $0.24 a glass (usually $0.99 -$ 2.50) how again exactly does the restaurant loose money on drinks? you would have to drink 4+ to even start cutting their profit...

3/13/2009 1:21:50 PM

I think if I drank 4 sodas in one meal I would puke

3/13/2009 11:17:25 PM

/3

3/13/2009 11:37:33 PM