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Me venting right here...

2K views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  *AHIMSA* 
#1 ·
So I was at a restaurant with some family yesterday, and as I order my veggie burger I ask, "is it vegan?' and of course the waitress says "Whats vegan." I know its not the most popular thing, being vegan, but all waiters should be required to know what is vegan and what isn't. Almost every time I go out to eat, the person has to ask the manager, or often when the manager doesn't even know, they just bring out one of the big papers with the ingredients. I'm sure I'm not the only one this happens too.
 
#2 ·
Actually no I don't expect the wait staff to know what the word vegan means since most omnis don't even know what the word means.


Vegans make up a small percentage of the population so I never assume anyone knows the meaning of the word. Actually I get shocked if they do know what it means! Honestly unless I am in an area that has a very large vegan population I never ask if any dish is vegan. I find it easier to ask specifically what dishes do not contain meat products, dairy, cheese, eggs, milk.

I'm cool with them not knowing and having to go back to either ask , double check , look up the ingredients or all three. The more verification the better imo.


I am not sure what exactly the requirements are for waiters/waitress when it comes to having extensive knowledge of the ingredient list of their menu items but since most places serve several different dishes I wouldn't expect them to know every detail of all of them. (There are several people here that work in the restaurant field so I'm sure they'd be able to give more information on that.)
 
#3 ·
Anyplace I ever worked in a food establishment or in food related jobs, we were required to know common allergens and what they were, suitable veg options and general information about the products or foods offered. It makes sense really.
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dormouse View Post

It's probably safer anyway to ask a more specific question. After all, many peoples' definition of vegetarian includes fish, maybe even chicken! I never ask "Is this vegetarian?" I try to ask "What does that have in it/on it?"
Yes, this is best, especially when we do live in a world where even educated people with PhD's fool themselves and anyone who will listen into believing they are "vegetarians" when they are simply selective omnivores.
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamLayish View Post

So I was at a restaurant with some family yesterday, and as I order my veggie burger I ask, "is it vegan?' and of course the waitress says "Whats vegan." I know its not the most popular thing, being vegan, but all waiters should be required to know what is vegan and what isn't. Almost every time I go out to eat, the person has to ask the manager, or often when the manager doesn't even know, they just bring out one of the big papers with the ingredients. I'm sure I'm not the only one this happens too.
I never assume they truely know what vegetarian or vegan means and just think of it as a great way of educating them.
 
#11 ·
I usually start off with "vegetarian" (which everyone knows) and then ask about dairy and eggs.

I've actually been pleasantly surprised a couple times, though---I ordered Nachos at a bar without the cheese/sour cream (they also came with beans, pico de gaillo, and gaucomole) and they waitress said "vegan style?" Also, at Taco Time I got a veggie soft taco with no cheese/ranch and they handed it to me and said "Here's your vegan soft taco"
 
#12 ·
NEVER use the word vegan. I used to do that and would wind up with fish on my plate. People don't even know what is vegetarian, so how would they know what is vegan? Be very specific.
 
#14 ·
I was in a family sit down restaurant, and knowing that vegan isn't a popular word in such restaurants, I decided to tell the waitress that I was allergic to dairy and eggs, and if she would kindly check to see if there was any in the veggie burger I was ordering. She went off into the kitchen and returned announcing the buns were not dairy and egg free, so she said she would put the burger on whole wheat toasted bread that doesn't have either. I thought that was very nice that not only did she tell me what wasn't vegan, she gave me an option on top of that. It turned out to be very delicious! Although when I was served, there was this little dipping cup full of a creamy-looking sauce, which I ignored in case it wasn't vegan, then she quickly returned and removed it from me, saying "Sorry, this has dairy in it." I find at restaurants they care more about allergies than diets. Technically I do have a dairy allergy since going vegan, so it's not a complete lie!
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dramaqueen753 View Post

What's in the bun?
Probably dairy and/or eggs and, possibly, animal fats. That's the case with most buns I've seen at the store. The only store-bought buns I can find in my area that are actually vegan are those Ezekiel buns (which I hate), so I figure restaurant buns probably have the same problem.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by saramaus View Post

I was in a family sit down restaurant, and knowing that vegan isn't a popular word in such restaurants, I decided to tell the waitress that I was allergic to dairy and eggs, and if she would kindly check to see if there was any in the veggie burger I was ordering. She went off into the kitchen and returned announcing the buns were not dairy and egg free, so she said she would put the burger on whole wheat toasted bread that doesn't have either. I thought that was very nice that not only did she tell me what wasn't vegan, she gave me an option on top of that. It turned out to be very delicious! Although when I was served, there was this little dipping cup full of a creamy-looking sauce, which I ignored in case it wasn't vegan, then she quickly returned and removed it from me, saying "Sorry, this has dairy in it." I find at restaurants they care more about allergies than diets. Technically I do have a dairy allergy since going vegan, so it's not a complete lie!
Lol, yes
If you tell the wait staff that you have allergies, them as well as the cooks are legally responsible to ensure your meal is safe for you to consume. If you tell someone you don't like mushrooms, they'll just scrape the mushrooms off your plate. If you tell them you're allergic, they'll use different pans/cooking utensils... they may even wash their hands
Lol. I rarely eat out anymore. I spent too long working in a kitchen and prefer to prepare my own food.
 
#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs. T View Post

Probably dairy and/or eggs and, possibly, animal fats. That's the case with most buns I've seen at the store. The only store-bought buns I can find in my area that are actually vegan are those Ezekiel buns (which I hate), so I figure restaurant buns probably have the same problem.
Suckers...
It's the other way around up here
You have a hard time finding a loaf of bread that does have animal products in it. Honey in some, and a DHA specialty loaf. That's about it
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by saramaus View Post

I was in a family sit down restaurant, and knowing that vegan isn't a popular word in such restaurants, I decided to tell the waitress that I was allergic to dairy and eggs, and if she would kindly check to see if there was any in the veggie burger I was ordering. She went off into the kitchen and returned announcing the buns were not dairy and egg free, so she said she would put the burger on whole wheat toasted bread that doesn't have either. I thought that was very nice that not only did she tell me what wasn't vegan, she gave me an option on top of that. It turned out to be very delicious! Although when I was served, there was this little dipping cup full of a creamy-looking sauce, which I ignored in case it wasn't vegan, then she quickly returned and removed it from me, saying "Sorry, this has dairy in it." I find at restaurants they care more about allergies than diets. Technically I do have a dairy allergy since going vegan, so it's not a complete lie!
This is awesome! :)

I've been a waitress at a couple places before and all we were required to know was the menu.
 
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