By Anonymous - 05/07/2015 19:20 - United States - Silverdale

Today, I went to a restaurant and asked for vegetarian options. They told me, "We have a chicken Caesar salad, will that work?" FML
I agree, your life sucks 24 298
You deserved it 6 997

Same thing different taste

Top comments

Hey at least they didn't offer you a salad with meat in it...oh wait...

Comments

Comment moderated for rule-breaking.

Show it anyway

It's not their job to have food you want. They offer a menu and if you don't like it, be responsible and ask if you can have something but if they can take something out the item.

Well sometimes places can't cater for everybody, sometimes budget comes into play and they serve meals that make them money. Salads and other vegetarian meals don't exactly make huge amounts of profit. So it's not really inconsiderate they are simply people trying to make a living too.

voncrane 23

What kind of person doesn't know that restaurants cater to specific clientele. Self-entitled much?

I dunno.. there are very few restaurants I've been to which don't have vegetarian options. Maybe not a whole separate menu, but options for soups, sides, etc. and often if you just ask they can switch things up for you; "could I possibly have extra cashew nuts instead of chicken in my pad thai?" My friends navigate their vegetarianism this way.

The FML here isn't that they don't have a vegetarian menu. If you are there with a group of people that specifically want to go there you can usually ask for a plate of potatoes and a green salad. What irritates me to no end is, that a lot of places can't seem to understand what vegetarianism means. If I had a dollar for every time I was offered chicken, soup with chicken or beef broth, fish or crustaceans or to "just pick the meat of" when I asked for a vegetarian option, I'd be able to go on a lengthy cruise. For everyone still confused: - Pescarian: Doesn't eat red meat and chicken, does eat fish, eggs, milk and honey - Vegetarian: Doesn't eat meat or "dead animal product" of any kind (including red meat, fish, chicken and gelatin), does usually eat eggs, milk and honey. - Vegan: Doesn't eat any animal product at all which means vegetarian minus eggs, honey and milk (which of course means: doesn't eat anything fried with butter!) - Frutarian: Does only eat fruit that left the tree without human intervention. Does probably only survive because beans fall down too. Probably lives in windy areas in moderate climate. Will not eat in restaurants, because humane plant treatment regimen isn't followed anywhere but their own garden. This list probably isn't complete either, but should have all the major variations of deviating nutrition concepts.

Badkarma4u 17

The kind that has a menu. It's not the restaraunts responsibility to cater to your life choices. I dont go to Red Lobster and bitch that they dont have tacos.

#40, I work in a steak restaurant so I've only heard of two of those things, I guess you learn something new every day

#46, for all I know vegetarian and vegan are the most common types you'll be confronted with (pescarians usually don't have a problem finding a standard item on the menu, so they don't often have to ask the wait staff). As long as you know what those two mean, I think you're good.

I've heard of raw vegan where they only eat fresh vegetables and fruit.

trenteg11 13

But what's the point of not eating these foods? Just to say that you're a *insert title here*? Most people seem to eat that way for the novelty of it; it's not as if they're allergic. It's extremely selfish to assume that all resturants everywhere are going to be able to meet whatever requirements you desire. If you're the one choosing to eat that way, you should seek out resturants that will accommodate to you.

Not everyone is an entitled prick like that. I'm a vegetarian because I get extremely sick if I try to eat meat or fish. Not an allergy, just an inability to digest those things. However, I don't do something stupid like go to a steakhouse and demand that they have a vegetarian option for me. People mistakenly believe that being a vegetarian or a vegan is a choice ( it isn't always a choice ), that it's to somehow be "cool", or that everyone who is vegetarian/vegan is a "carnivore-hating, super religious, hippie and/or hipster, PETA freak". The reality is that most of us don't give a single f*ck if people eat meat, aren't necessarily religious ( I'm not ).. and hippies belong in the 60's, hipsters can stay in Portland, and screw PETA. I don't care what other people eat, as long as they kill the animal humanely ( but PETA can f*ck off, they're hypocrites who kill 100% of the animals they "save" ). Humans are omnivores, after all, but that doesn't mean that we can all consume animals.

"Pescatarian" and the other stuff is bullshit made up so that people can feel special about being picky. There's actually a reason behind being vegetarian or vegan ( not consuming meat/fish/seafood/etc ), not just "I choose not to eat any meat except fish", or whatever. It does nothing but cause animosity and confusion, because then people think, "Oh, you're a ""vegetarian"" but eat fish? All vegetarians must eat fish too!" There's enough trouble with people assuming that vegetarians and vegans eat fish/seafood, making us sick in the process by not telling us it's in our food. Not being able to consume meat/fish/seafood is NOT a choice, it's simply a fact of one's body/genetics/specific bacteria and whatever. If you eat fish, then you're a carnivore, not a vegetarian, end of story. If you eat beef, you're a carnivore, not a vegetarian, end of story. You don't have to eat all meat/fish/seafood to be a carnivore, you just have to eat any of them at all. Stop spreading confusion for the sake of people's egos and wannabe hipster-ism.

I know, I just hate when I go into a seafood restaurant and they only have seafood options. Don't they know they should cater to people like me who don't eat seafood? It's not like I could have looked at the menu before hand or chosen to go to a place that has options I can eat

There's a big difference between being lactose intolerant and being a "pescatarian". You didn't choose to be lactose intolerant ( I am too, btw, but very mildly ). I'm totally on your side when it comes to putting allergens and etc on the menu, stating if food has meat or fish/seafood, gluten, etc. The people who actually have intolerance or allergies to anything get taken as mere whiners or "picky eaters" like vegetarians, because of the pricks who choose to change their diet without actually needing to -cough-hipsters-cough-.

#93, so everybody who is a vegetarian without medical reason is a hipster? Or does that only go for pescarians? I have been a vegetarian for 20 years now. Before that time my mother mainly controlled my diet and that included meat once or twice a month. When I realized that I was essentially eating a dead animal carcass and that the only thing keeping it from rotting and stinking like any old roadkill is refrigeration which only slows the process down and doesn't stop it completely, I was so disgusted that I was getting sick just putting the fork up to my mouth. That's when I refused to eat any meat at all. I'm sure in the meantime my body wouldn't be able to digest meat anymore, but back then it could. Does that make me a hipster? Was I a hipster trendsetter 20 years back?

the thing is it depends on how you ask the question, let's say you go like: is there something without meat they sometime assume that you are Muslim and can still eat chicken (not all but a lot of Muslim eat chicken even if it's not considered halal) so they just automatically go like well we have this that only has chicken

Wow, 65 made so much sense and then 66 was so full of bullshit lol. Hard to believe they're comments for the same person. For the record, I'm a pescetarian. I used to be a vegetarian, as did my whole family, but we gradually shifted to pescetarianism as it was just simpler for going to other kid's houses, parties, eating out, etc. Essentially I am just a bad vegetarian but you know what? I'm a human, I'm not perfect. I will probably go back to being properly veggie at some point but for now I'm gonna live my life, do what I'm comfortable with and try my best. According to my values, I may not be as good as a vegetarian but at least I'm not as 'bad' as someone who eats every meat and for every meal. Either way, I never make a big deal about it or force my opinions on others, so what does it matter to you? How does it make me a hipster if I never mention it to anyone other than when absolutely necessary?

Hey at least they didn't offer you a salad with meat in it...oh wait...

When I'm cooking I always make sure there is vegetarian options. They can make do or they can **** off.

hunterluv1 20

Also, I believe a lot of ceasar dressings are prepared with anchovies.

tantanpanda 26

although, how hard was it for OP to simply read the ingredients listed under the desired dish? This is america, where the ingredients are listed on the menu. Do you REALLY have to ask the waiter if there are vegetarian options when you can find out from the menu? Is it that hard? If there isn't anything without meat, you're at the wrong restaurant. I hate seafood and I'm not going to go to a sushi restaurant and expect them to accommodate me. The waiter sounds ignorant but OP has just as much fault for not reading the menu and/or not choosing the right dining option.

FYI, sushi does not always contain raw fish. Sashimi is the preparation of raw fish/seafood, sushi is specifically seasoned rice with nori ( seaweed ). It can have fish, but it does not have to have any at all. I just had sushi yesterday, which had exactly no fish anywhere.

Not every ******* restaurant has to cater to your ******* needs man. It's your job to check if they have your veggie options beforehand, not theirs.

The fact that someone can work at a place that sells food and ask that question concerns me significantly.

sonasonic 34

I guess they should be more specific in their hiring criteria, like graduating from high school.

ColonelCusswords 24

For reals tho vegetarians are a minority, shit like this is gonna happen. He probably confused fish with chicken. **** the waiters life

Does fish look like a ******* vegetable to you?

Some eat fish. After a little research, it seems as though it's quite common in non-US countries for vegetarian dishes to include it.

RedPillSucks 31

fish and ******* vegetables... oh the visuals

#28 Vegetarians do not eat fish, they actually have another word for that which I never remember though cx Most people doesn't know this, and therefore they say that some vegetarians eat fish, but I know someone like this and she actually told me that. Not criticising you, just thought it would be a nice thing to learn ^^

No, "vegetarians who eat fish" are called pescarians. Vegetarians eat neither chicken nor fish.

Too many words to say "I'm stubborn and have a terrible palette". I can't keep up.

No, people add fish/seafood because they assume incorrectly that vegetarians can eat them. That's not the case. Vegetarian diets do not include fish or seafood. It's added to many Asian countries' dishes and NOT disclosed as ingredients - that doesn't mean that it's somehow vegetarian. Some people grow up thinking they're vegetarian because of this, but really they've been consuming fish or seafood their whole lives. They aren't actually vegetarian, and this causes more confusion.

ColonelCusswords 24

You people need to come down off that "Im smarter than you", high. This comment has enough replies

ColonelCusswords 24

Kinda proves my point about us normal people not knowing wtf vegetarians eat

that's incredibly unprofessional. if you can get an actual vegetarian meal somewhere else, leave. but file a complaint before that, no vegetarian customer should have to tolerate such sort of service. a chicken salad when you asked for veg, seriously? you're gonna find a more enjoyable (and probably tastier) meal somewhere else, OP.

Why file a complaint? Just because they didn't have a vegetarian option and the waiter tried their best to accommodate date Op?

Yeah, I hate those people. Make life harder for all real vegetarians.

I find it unprofessional offering chicken too, but I don't agree with filing a complaint. It would have been another thing if s/he actually ordered a veg-salad and got one with chicken

wow some restaurants didn't go out of their way to cater to the needs of my life choices I want to file a complaint. you know #7 is thinking like that they gives a lot of people a negative opinion of vegetarians and vegans.

You don't win friends with salad.

Never found a friend with haggis either :(

Once it's a salad, it's vegetarian. Surely everybody knows this.

crackajak 15

YDI, for being a vegetarian, I bet you have a "gluten allergy" too... Coming from a chef, I hope you ate the chicken and caught salmonella

Dude, the hell is up with you? It's a life choice that doesn't hurt you. Also, if OP asks for something on the menu and gets rid of the meat, it costs more.