Caesar Salad - To do or not to do. That is the question
 

Cost me a couple of bucks earlier today but the benefit is that I get to tell the whole TOTV world about it. For background, a couple of weeks ago I ordered a 1/2 Caesar Salad at Palmer Legends. When I requested Anchovies on it the Server advised me that there was an additional charge of $.99. I said no problem. End of story, first part.

Today Cane Garden, a Villages owned Restaurant. I ordered a 1/2 Caesar Salad, menu price $3.99. Since Cane Garden is the only place I've ever been that tops Caesar Salad with Bacon, I requested no Bacon. Then I ask the server if I could get some Anchovies on it. Answer, " no problem".

Ate my lunch which was actually OK except that there was way too much dressing on the Caesar Salad. When the bill arrived it included an additional charge of $1.99 for Anchovies, all 4 of them. Since I knew you guys would ask, I sought out the Manager, a Gal named Laurie or Lauren or something like that. I was very polite as I explained the cost of the 4 Anchovies added to my bill was 1/2 the price of the salad. I further explained that I thought it would be proper for the server to advise that there was an additional charge for the Anchovies. In a not too pleasant tone I was advised by her that any item ordered at any restaurant that is not noted on the menu comes at additional cost. I explained that that was not true, even at her restaurant where their is no additional charge for a lemon in a coke of Mayo on a Burger. Her body language displayed her displeasure with me as I walked away, paid my bill with a 20% tip and decided to tell the world about this BS. I'm sure some of you will disagree with me about this, but then again, some of you always do. Those of you who don't try to find fault will benefit from the awareness that Cane Garden Management does this sort of stuff without requiring any prior warning from their servers.

Yup! That's sneaky and over-priced.
BTW, The Villages no longer owns Cane Garden Restaurant.

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Deltaguy, I agree that the server should have told you there would be an extra charge. And the manager should have been more understanding; she has a bad attitude. Too bad the owner doesn't know how she treats costomers. She should be fired if that's her standard way of reacting to complaints.

You should have asked if there was an extra charge for the anchovies.

At Luigino's in Spanish Springs, I once ordered a Caesar Salad with anchovies. I did not ask if there was an extra charge. The runner brought the Caesar Salad and there were no anchovies - but I still got charged $2.50 for them. The server went to the manager when I questioned him when the check came. The manager only agreed to take $1.25 off the check. I questioned the server about that when he came back with the manager's reply. The server (huffing) said that was the answer and to take it out of his tip if it was so important to me. I sure did.

I have not been back to Luigino's restaurant since that time. However, I do like their outdoor bar where it is Happy Hour from 11 am until closing. Lexi is an excellent bartender - and quite easy on the eyes, too!

wow isn't a whole tin the same price

I always thought Caesar Salad was normally served with anchovies. Kind of standard operating procedure. That's why I always make a point to tell the waiter to keep the dead fish.

Amazing, considering anchovies are the standard in a true Caesar salad. And a tin or little glass jar of anchovies costs little. Plus they store well, so this should not be a financial drain on a restaurant. Geeze. So if they are not the standard on the salad, the restaurant should definitely tell you there's an extra charge. And if they fail to do that, the proper thing for the resto to do is forgive the charge. Their bad.

If there's a way to contact the owner, I'd do it, if only to let him know how rude the manager is.

You should have asked if there was an extra charge for the anchovies.
You should have asked if there was an extra charge for the anchovies.

Hindsight is 20-20 vision. Not my responsibility to ask.

By the way, I also think Luigino's stinks but I wouldn't frequent their bar even for cheap HH drinks.

You should have gotten credit for the bacon that paid for the anchovies--like that would ever happen.

Just eat it all gone the way it is put on your plate and they will give you a balloon. ;)

agree you should have been informed of additional charge. not nice Cane Garden !!

When I go out to eat I always ask questions. I assume nothing. I am the consumer so I always ask.

Not that it matters but I do not believe a "real" Caesar salad contains anchovy fillets BUT "real" Caesar dressing starts with pulverized anchovy fillets!:icon_hungry:

Yes you are correct

I'm confused. Are you saying that the salad itself contains anchovy fillets plus the dressing contains pulerized anchovies?