If you were born before 1975, you most likely will remember the old Burger King jingle, “Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us, all is that we ask you let us serve it your way.” That was a simpler time, when “H.R. Pufnstuf” was on the tube and we associated the word “Tang” with the tasty artificial orange beverage astronauts drank in space. I long for those days.



Well, I am here to tell you that some times special orders are difficult for us in the restaurant game. It may not bother those in the fast food or the corporate casual dining genres where everything comes pre-made and pre-packaged. They just say, “Sorry, no, we can’t.” Removing an ingredient is darn near impossible for them. Even in higher end restaurants certain parts of a dish (sauces, e.g.) are pre-made daily in order to save time. And for those of us who are fortunate to work in places where the menu is well crafted, we still believe there is an art to food preparation.



A fine dining establishment is not a sub shop. It is one thing if you have a food allergy for example to nuts, garlic and onions. My heart goes out to those people because they have to miss out on so many wonderful dishes. Many times a customer will make a special request in order for the dish to be more appealing to their tastes. While this can be honored at times, it can be quite difficult to accommodate during the busy hours of lunch and dinner.



Here is a good example of a special request: the chef creates a lovely seafood risotto with ingredients that included Arborio rice, scallops, prawns, fresh basil, onions, garlic, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese. It also comes with a nice mixed field greens salad and rustic bread. Sounds yummy, eh? This is how the customer orders it: “Yes, I would like the seafood risotto special, but can I have more prawns than scallops? I hate basil so can I have fresh oregano? I am a vegetarian, so can you use vegetable broth instead of chicken, and in the house salad can I have romaine lettuce instead of mixed greens? Thanks!” While this request is not impossible, it is definitely over the top and difficult to accommodate when busy.



Special requests not only can affect the chef who has to take extra time on your order, but it can trickle down to the other customers who have to wait longer for their meal, thus putting pressure on the server who has to keep everyone happy while they stew. The chef has taken the time to choose these ingredients and prepare them skillfully into a culinary work of art. Who are we to question their choices?



When I have a customer that tries to tailor their menu selection, I try to get to the root of the matter and convince them to try it the way it should be eaten with the promise if they don’t like it, we will make it their way. It works about 90 percent of the time, and the beauty is, that customer has stepped out of his comfort zone and hopefully will continue to do so. Baby steps.



I am fortunate to have been given the gift of being a descent cook. Personally, I would rather create a great meal at home than go out to eat. When I do go out to dine, I would rather avoid my dislikes rather than have them removed. And here’s a thought, why not walk on the wild side and try something new? Life is too short and there are too many wonderful experiences to enjoy for us to limit ourselves to only a few. Take a chance and broaden your horizons. You might like it.



Eat out Tacoma. We need your love.



Sandee Glib has worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for more than 12 years as a server, bartender, cook and owner. Her opinions are expressly her own and she is always right.