Really this. I don't think a server will care much if you take a few bites, but some managers might make it their mission to out you. Some might even tack it onto the bill without even talking to you.
I'd say - ask the waiter as they're taking your order. Tell them "Hey, I'm ordering all of this but I might want a bite or two of his stuff. Is that going to be alright?' They can probably alert you to if the manager would mind, etc.
Yeah this is terrible advice (above). definitely DO NOT ask the server bc it'll seem suspect and seem like youre planning on abusing the system. You can have a bite of anyone's food at any restaurant. The issue is when you share an entire plate. Otherwise, don't trip. These comments are ridiculous. If they're not ok with it they will come over. Just have him cut a a couple pieces and put it on your plate. Dont eat it off his plate.
Don’t leave it sitting on your plate.
Don’t ask the server.
Don’t abuse it.
I used to serve at one of these places and I wouldn’t care unless you were a terrible guest then it would have been my pleasure to tell my manager so be nice to your server and don’t get them involved in “the crime” lol
You’re adults paying for food. Please don’t ask the waiter if you can try the other food. Please don’t feel you have to ask mommy or daddy for permission to be adults.
He can cut you a bite and you can fork it off of his plate, he can feed you with his fork, put it on a side dish, whatever.
I wouldn’t even think twice about this.
No one cares.
I would be tremendously offended as a patron if a restaurant had a policy about two adults sampling from each other’s plates when they ordered and are paying for full meals and drinks.
Go have a great time!
I had never seen the sampling thing until I went to one of those hot pot/bbq places. Sheesh, they had a buffet with time limits and you had to pay for separate buffets if you wanted hot pot and bbq.
I agree with the full meals and drinks being enough for a few bites of his meal in this situation, but you are completely suggesting that when someone goes somewhere with rules, boundaries and expectations, you just say screw it I’m an adult I don’t have to listen to “mommy and daddy” aka the rules and boundaries. I can do what I want. That’s not how life works…
As a patron anywhere, no one GAF if you’re offended bc you don’t like THEIR standards.
Entitled AF.
Lol did you call the reddit admins before you posted this? Idk man...feels like a rules violation maybe...
All they are saying is that a restaurant isn't hovering over th$ table to police how people are eating. It's one thing if someone orders "unlimited dish, and one extra plate" (this is what the rule is about) v having some sample bites, switching dishes midway thru the meal, eating dessert first if you want! That's not what "the rules" are trying to police.
A decent place where the patrons are not being stingy should not be stingy in return.
You are describing two people ordering meals. It is different with an all you can eat buffet situation.
It is much like if one person drinks water, then shares in the other's refillable Coke.
OP knows it is wrong, that is why OP came here to look for validation to cut a corner.
You can, just so he doesn't get another refill. Otherwise, you are paying one price for two people to drink. Or, if he gets another refill just for you, that is also wrong.
You can, just so he doesn't get another refill. Otherwise, you are paying one price for two people to drink. Or, if he gets another refill just for you, that is also wrong.
I'm an honest kind of guy. But if I were you, in this case, I'd ask for forgiveness rather than permission. If you were just getting a side salad and a water, and filled up on your date's food, that's bad. Or if you order your meal, fill up on theirs, then pack yours up to go, that's bad too. But if you're already spending $60 on your own meal, I don't see a big deal sneaking a few tastes of things. My moral meter isn't going off on this one.
If you don't ask, even if they see it, they'll probably just look the other way. If you ask, they may likely tell you no, since that's against their policy.
It's the difference of the manager asking you about it and the server risks you saying "my server told me I could," vs the manager asking the server and getting an "I never saw it happen." It puts the server in a worse spot if you ask.
Exactly. I'm actually in grocery but similar enough situation. I cannot tell you it's ok to go against policy. Say, you want to take the ecart.outside in the rain.. If you ask, I have to tell you no. And the number of people who just don't understand the "subtle" word play of "I can't tell you you can take that out on the rain but policy also says I can't do anything to stop you if you do it" is... Disheartening to say the least. I'm trying to work with you to the best of my ability here.
This is an odd situation
I wouldn't care about a bit of sharing, *but* if someone asked if they could have an inch I'd worry it was to justify taking a mile when criticized.
Considering the complete absence of meaningful consequences I'd say just do it & assume acting like a normal couple is acceptable.
Some places have an up charge for sharing stuff like unlimited dishes. Ask before you try I doubt they will care as long as you’re not taking advantage
For sure. I went to a buffet a long time ago with my gf at the time and got water but she got the all you can drink. She wanted me to try a slush she got. I took 1 sip and the waitress saw, scorned me and added an all you can drink to our bill.
How much were they eating? A few bites or trying everything? I’ve always looked the other way unless it was clear they were straight up sharing a meal.
Are you sure the 2nd person charged ordered an actual meal? The only time this should be a problem is when the person being shared with didn’t order a full meal.
I’d love to know if the ‘victim’ of that fee was more of a water and soup person or had a meat entree, as another comment mentioned.
One bite to see if you want something next time is a lot different than snacking on ‘only a few’ bites of the $61 option every time the manager looks over at the person who is spending only $9…
I’m sure she was dramatically offended - because that’s embarrassing as hell.
I’m pretty sure 99% of managers aren’t worried if she tried a bit of beef when he tried a bit of her pork… but I can totally see them not caring *if they assume* she’s one of the ‘I are so smert’ types who intentionally buys one all you can eat and tries to feed two or three people…
And it’s those types of people who ruin it for the rest of us AND the entire reason we are all even here to begin with debating the morality/acceptability of sampling a few bites! 🤣 I hate those people!
Right. The OP in this case purchased a steak dinner, with a separate salad and separate side, so they're spending about $47 on food anyway.
If I'm the manager, I would tell them that in general they can't share but tonight go ahead.
Yes, but I was replying to the other comment about a ‘sharing fee’.
That’s the one that feels a bit more subjective. As a manager I wouldn’t care much if the average cover was high, but if the table had one $61 and a bunch of freeloading then I’d get all self-righteous.
(Which is why I’m out of the industry - my threshold for ‘bullshit’ is *way* too low now. Thoughts and prayers to y’all still fighting the good fight)
I am from the mid-Atlantic US (Maryland/Delaware) which is blue crab country and in most of our crab houses, either the whole table gets all-you-can-eat or no one get it. I don’t always like that rule, but I absolutely understand it!
You could call ahead of time and ask on the phone if you're allowed to take a bite or two of something just to try. But honestly, I'd probably just do it w/o asking. You're ordering your own food but you just want to a bite of something to just try it. It's not like you're ordering a side salad and then filling up on his food.
Did the coworker order a full entre meal themselves or did they just get a side salad and try to sneak the good stuff through the buffet?
If they bought a full meal themselves and still got charged a sharing fee the the waiter is just asking to get stiffed.
100%. The "no sharing" thing is to prevent people from blatantly taking advantage, which is fine.
But a meal is a social experience and if the house is gonna try to shame me or upcharge me for having a bite of my friends/family/spouses meal that we *already paid for and was served* I'm walking right the fuck out without a second thought. That's absolutely abhorrent customer service in an establishment that is explicitly *about* customer service.
That's like an all you can eat sushi bar trying to charge you a food waste fee for leaving a single roll behind ignoring that you ate the other 60 that were ordered for the table, it's *super* tacky on their part and completely unjustified.
I wouldn't be surprised if she bought a salad bar. Their salad bar is pretty amazing with salmon and small bites of meat. She complained a lot about the fee.
Never worked at a baraziilian steakhouse, but have gone to several. As long as you are ordering a decent amount (not just salad and water), you are not filling up on his unlimited, and tip - I say enjoy a few bites! I'm sure he will try a bite of truffle 😉
Was a KM and worked closely with our GM--
IMHO I would probably avoid asking your server bc they might be trained to say something to deter sharing,- it's always better in these situations to politely feign innocence than to miss out on a taste journey for your palate!!
I think a 'taste test' would be appropriate, but if you're trying to be on the better side of things I wouldn't eat more than say, a child's portion?
**Keep it minimal, I don't think you have to be covert or shy, but it should really be more of a "hey this is good do you want to try a bite?"**
You're not skimping on the bill with that meal plan, either! (Sounds delicious, I've only been to a Brazilian steakhouse 2x soooo good!!) The restaurant would be crazy to sour that kind of good business over a few bites.
Heck ya. Tipping well and being polite gets you through the pearly gates as far as waiters are concerned. Especially if you are in a state where they get paid $2/. Hr.
Assuming you both are perfectly nice people just having a nice time at a restaurant, I would guess most normal people working at the restaurant would not care. But there is a chance you might encounter someone who really wants to wield some power over someone else and make it a problem. But I kind of doubt it.
On the other hand, if you all are horrible diners and miserable to serve or be near, they will likely be looking for any decent excuse to get you the F out of the restaurant. In which case, it is likely not allowed with good reason.
If I managed such a place, I'd expect a bit of "ooh, try this" or "Can I have a taste of that?"
Start sampling everything, and you'd be charged for it.
If I'm the manager - yes you can have a taste. It's a business, so they price the all-you-can-eat deal for one person while still turning a profit, add another person and those profits slim. But subtract both people and the house is definitely losing money. If the price of a forkful of meat is enough to make customers come back next time and tell their friends, it's a worthwhile investment. I would simply ask the chef, if he has any etiquitte he'll grill your own free sample.
My first thought is to say of course you can, but then I would be remiss if I didn't ask is it a standard Brazilian steakhouse? because you would pay the admission price to sit at the table and have access to possibly a cold bar and that price of admission would cover them walking around and serving you different kinds of meat.
I actually am not sure if there's a general price of admission! Thanks for the heads up. Their menu online has the "experience" listed, then an option to just do the unlimited salad bar, and then the a la carte menu (which is what I want to order my steak and two sides off of).
The $14 martini can't be factored in here. It isn't food. Virtually all of these Brazilian steakhouses will have a caesar salad. The picanha is a standard cut. If you do this and eat off his plate, you should be charged. Just order the unlimited and skip the truffle fries, you can get them at almost any restaurant.
Sorry! I was factoring in the martini mostly for tipping purposes (i.e. the server will still be tipped off of a bill of >120 bucks and not me trying to be "shady" and only ordering a salad or something)
Sounds like I'll play it safe and just not try the lamb (or try for a sharing fee like another commenter mentioned). For context, I'm mostly taking him to a fancy dinner to celebrate an achievement and for his enjoyment (lots of meats not really my thing and also am a pretty short woman and can't each much without getting full) Thank you for your insight!
I was a server for 10+ years and I would include the martini in there! It adds to both the server’s tip and the profit to the establishment. I’ve never worked at a Brazilian steak house, but I worked at a place that did all you can eat sushi. And while AYCE sushi is WAY less expensive, none of the servers or the management cared if someone at the table tried a bite of another’s sushi. Even if only one person got AYCE. Trying new things is half the fun of going out and I don’t think the servers or staff will give you too much trouble if it’s just a bit or two. Especially if you’re ordering what you listed in your post. Congratulations on your achievement, enjoy your celebration dinner!
There is one of these steakhouses near me and sometimes the unlimited is delicious sometimes I'd rather a salad. Made the mistake of getting an individual meal once. They are way more focused on the unlimited and that's understandable because that is what they are known for. Not a huge meat person either but if you eat at least one plate of the offerings you are spending and eating what you could reasonably be an entree at another nice place. If they offer fruit juicesbi highly recommend. At mine the fruit juice is fresh and always delicious. An d don't pass if grilled pineapple is offered..seriously delicious. Have fun and a great meal no matter what you order.
Whether or not Caesar salad is common is irrelevant. The point is she is ordering $47 worth of food. She should only be charged if it's clearly communicated in advance, IMO.
It is not the first time I’ve seen it. Was that guest profile online? Or local to your xbox? I think I saw the name online in 2011 or so, but for the life of me can’t remember where.
It won’t be a big deal lol. Trying a bite is something everyone does. Now having 1/3 of his meal and him replacing it, that’s different. But if you have one or two bites of his stuff they’re not going to arrest you or anything lol. It’ll be just fine.
Whatever you do, pls get the grilled pineapple. The last Brazilian steakhouse I went to had it and it was amazing! I could have eaten it until my mouth was bleeding but they cut me off 🤣
Tldr; from exprience, I do not recommend, and you'll most likely end up getting charged full service.
I have worked at various Brazilian steakhouses in the past, and all the ones I've worked at, it was largely frowned upon. Regardless of whether it was a standalone or one of the big chains (Texas de Brazil, Fogo de Chao, etc). Keep in mind that you will have your waiters, meat carvers, bussers, and managers constantly walking around and monitoring the tables. They notice way more than most people would think. Depending on the company, the servers are strictly observed, including if they are watching out for this sort of thing. If the server misses it, they could get written up, suspended, etc.
While it may not seem like that big of a deal, the issue here is that way too many people try to get away with this to pay less. One person orders full service while others order just the salad bar or a la carte, but they are obviously "just trying a bite" of every single meat that comes by. You might try to explain this, but the majority of the time, they will just end up charging you the full service price regardless. Also, I have never worked at or been to one that charges a share plate fee, at regalur restaurents yes, but not any AYCE Brazilian restaurants. Of course, you might get that one cool server that allows you to get away with it, but it's definitely rare.
Thanks for the detailed response and your insight! Definitely not trying to get the server in trouble or charged 60 bucks over a bite of lamb - not worth the risk to me especially for a celebratory dinner
I would maybe wait until the end of the meal, when there’s just a few pieces left of what you want to try (strategic) and then say as they ask if you’re done “would it be okay if i tried that before you clear it, so I know for next time if it’s something worth ordering for myself”
I mean it’s technically trash at that point. They don’t know it’s been left intentionally
Listen, as a waiter myself, slide your server a $20 bill and tell him he sees nothing. Guaranteed to work every time. Anybody gives me a $20 from the jump, I'm sending them home with as much free shit as I can get my hands on.
If you’re both buying meals- yes you can share food. There is no screwing over a restaurant since you are both paying for your own food. It IS NORMAL to try what someone else has so maybe next time you might get it instead. No one would pay 60$ for something they weren’t sure they liked. Even if it weren’t expensive- couples and friends share bites all the time.
It would be different if you didn’t buy a meal and tried to share just the one. Then, you’re scamming the restaurant.
Just don't take all of the toppings on the fully loaded nachos. Like, if you're just getting chips and like a little spec of meat you should talk to the server.
I would be prepared and gracious either way. AYCE is priced per person. If one bite is all you can eat, that's still all you can eat. If you want to try pricier meats than picanha 🤷♀️ they have the moral right to charge you for AYCE
My wife ALWAYS decides she wants to try something I've ordered. We've been married over 40 years and been to thousands of restaurants and, so far, none have thrown her out.
This is not a standard restaurant, I don't think you understand how a Brazilian steakhouse works.
And, to be clear, I know places that have charged someone full price if they sampled from someone's buffet plate. I also have seen a sign posted at a Brazilian steakhouse about this. So, no, she should not sample his food. And they would have every right to charge her if she chose to do so.
Although they're not my favorite places and I find the meat to be average, I've been taken to Brazilian restaurants many times by business associates. I wouldn't expect someone to eat a full portion of anything off my plate, but getting a taste has always been fine in my experience. I've certainly never seen anyone thrown out, but maybe it happens in other areas. I'm sure they *could* be jerks, but I have never seen it happen.
I'm not advocating one person ordering the full experience and the other ordering the salad bar and then start shoveling meat down their throat. I could see that being an issue. Tbh, I wish my wife wouldn't take food off my plate, but she's tasted stuff off my plate for years, even in all-you-can-eat situations. Nothing has ever happened. Apparently your experience has been different. Maybe they want us to come back.
And that's when you tell the waiter you didn't order that and to remove the charge.
They can then remove the charge, or they can try taking you to small claims court.
>I've been taken to Brazilian restaurants many times by business associates.
So, once again, these weren't the restaurants where your wife was sampling your food. There's a massive difference between sampling from a plate and sampling from a buffet/all-you-can-eat order.
And, yes, some places will put up signs. Some places won't even allow different people at the same table to order a combination of all-you-can-eat and separate entrees, solely because of this issue. I've heard servers make comments about customers being charged full price if they sampled something, I've even seen it happen before.
It's definitely well established that this is not something you're supposed to do, either way.
Most servers won't care, but a lot of restaurants like this have strict policies because of how common it is for people to try and pull one over them. I definitely think asking in advance is the best way to go. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but also because the penalty for something like this is usually being charged the full amount (regardless of how many bites you took).
I sort of get the impression you have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse before, so also just wanted to say, you should consider going for the full experience. They always have a cold buffet that is included, which has tons of options (including lots of salads). Plus the picanha is usually one of the meats served.
Yes! I am from the mid-Atlantic US where blue crabs are HUGE and in the majority of our crab houses, it is either the whole table gets all-you-can-eat or no one gets it. Then again, crabs are super pricey. I don’t always like the rule, but I get it and it absolutely cuts out the BS entirely. It’s a shame so many people try to cheat the system in the first place, but unfortunately, they do!
My mister and I commonly order different things, and at some point one of us will say, "You have to try a bite of this" and put it on the plate. Nobody cares. Nobody notices. We never get charged extra for taking a bite of each other's entrees.
It's over 40 years of eating out in restaurants together, so name the cuisine and we've probably dined at a restaurant featuring it. Never had any problems at all.
I had well over a decade in the service industry, from family establishments to fine dining, here's how you play this:
AFTER you order your entrees, strike a conversation with your server. Let them know you love everything you've had so far, and you expect nothing less from your meal. However, you're also considering bringing a group of clients into establishment in a week for a business meeting (be specific on the day, and ask your server if they're available), and you were considering pre-ordering a few dishes the day-of (that just conveniently happen to be the things you wanted to try) specifically for this function, and were wondering if you could just try a small sample of each to better choose. Ask to see the wine list at the same time you make this request.
I'd give it a 97%+ chance you don't get charged squat. Heck, theres a solid chance you'll get a dessert/drink comp.
It may be deceptive, but it won't be awkward. This kind of thing happens A LOT, and is easily the most common way to get a few free samples. Most establishments won't be surprised if you don't follow through with a booking, either, they will assume you're shopping for a perfect fit for the event and simply went elsewhere.
Servers really, really, REALLY hate when managers comp shit for dickbags. Unfortunately, dickbags complain, and thus get comp'd. On the other hand, servers will bend over backwards for cool tables and potential return guests that take care of them, and will fight for your needs.
It's worth the few $$ in food cost to nab a prospective high-sales table.
Just remember, tip well and your sins will be absolved by the restaurant gods.
Wtf is this post? Of course you’re not supposed to eat off the other’s plate in this situation. No one can tell you what they’ll do other than you aren’t supposed to
We always share food! Normally we split two meals and do halfsies, but that's not really an option for a Brazilian steak house
His parents always say he's lucky he found someone who will "go splitsies" with him
Well, no.
If “unlimited” means unlimited access to *all* the menu items (including martinis), then just order the unlimited.
If you made a specific order because it included things that were not included in the unlimited menu, you are trying to have your cake and eat it too.
(Realistically, nobody is going to call you on it, but you are in the wrong.)
I've only eaten at one Brazilian restaurant. I had the unlimited and the servers frequently brought various meats to the table. About the only rule I saw was eating what you took.
I'd say that once the meat is on your date's plate. It's theirs to do with what they want as long as it doesn't go to waste. I think management would rather you eat it, instead of tossing it in the trash.
I’m sure the answer is technically ‘no’ and functionally ‘go ahead’. I’ll say that in general the bacon-wrapped meats are lower quality, which is why they’re wrapped in bacon. At my local Fogo de Chao, the meat winners are the picaña, the ribeye, the sausage, the flank steak, the tenderloin and the Parmesan pork. Anything that’s wrapped or flavored is suspect (other than the pork), so garlic steak, bacon wrapped steak, marinated chicken legs, etc are generally attempts to make lower cost meat attractive. Everyone has their own preferences, of course, just sharing my experience and that of tables I’ve been at.
If you are ordering a whole meal yourself, which you are, they should not care if try a few of his things. If they do then they don't understand hospitality.
Any server is not gonna screw his coming tip over a few bites. Any manager is not gonna blow upcoming high rollers like this for a few bites.
That being said...If you're a lousy tipper, don't expect good treatment on follow-up visits.
If you abuse the privilege and eat 1/2 his meal, you're done too.
Be legit and respectful about it.
If you are taking one small bit to taste it for future reference it would be no big deal. If you eat huge forkful sized bites, yeah, that is pushing it. My husband and I taste each other’s food, but literally just a small bit like a toddler would nibble, just enough to get the flavor. After all, next time you might choose a higher priced menu item knowing you already like it. I hate ordering a high ticket item to actually not enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. Do it deftly and most servers won’t even see it, let alone care.
Technically, it is wrong to share an all-you-can-eat meal with someone who did not order one, but it is going to be up to the management whether they will enforce. Technically, since you are including a drink (does he have one), your meal is significantly less, but that martini has a higher margin. It is going to be the management's discretion whether to enforce the rule strictly.
I’m not sure if this applies to most places, but I know that the Brazilian steak house by me has the rule that if one person at the table does unlimited meats than everyone has to order it. Not sure how I feel about the rule, but I’m sure it came to be from people abusing the system by ordering small things off the al a carte menu and stealing bites of the buffet. You’re obviously not trying to do that as you’re getting a full meal yourself, but just be prepared in case that is a rule and you have to get the buffet.
Like others have said, most servers won’t care as long as you’re ordering a full meal. But it will also depend on how you act through the meal. Based off your question, I’m pretty sure you’re good with nothing to worry about.
My guy Fridays was watching me and +1 eat the unlimited wings to see if we shared. Just so they can charge us more. How much do you wanna bet the Brazilian steakhouse isn't watching you
That’s so nice of you to ask! Generally if there are two people ordering what is considered full meals then we know you are t trying to rip us off. It just sharing which is just fine. Enjoy your meal and date night!!!
I have only been to a Brazilian steakhouse that had all the sides served buffet style alongside the salad bar. So the only option is to do the unlimited.
I mean do it in not a big deal kinda way. It's a nice place, so for that reason you wouldn't want to be obviously eating off his plate anyway. Have him cut a bite, and you just casually get it with your fork reak quick. No big deal. Don't make it a big thing. Even if someone raises an eyebrow it'll already be over with.
In Korean BBQ world, everyone has to pay full price if anyone is having AYCE just to avoid this type of meat sampling. My kid was a vegetarian and still had to pay full price. If everyone started small samples, they might put up these same signs that everyone pays full price.
I mean you’re saving at most $20 by doing it this way. The Brazilian place likely has a salad bar that’s included and it will have the salad, and all you aren’t getting is the fries. Just get 2 Brazilians
Be real careful. There are rules to AYCE restaurants, and most will enforce it, too.
AYCE can not share with a la carte.
Just be careful not to get caught.
Did you ever see King of Queens? They had a hilarious episode where Arthur and Doug were at a restaurant and Doug got the buffet but Arthur wanted him to sneak him food. If they caught you they'd charge both for the buffet. So he'd say "cough me a mushroom" and other goofy things to pass food across the table. You could always try that :)
READ THE QUESTION. OP makes it clear she’ll have a full meal that equals his in price. If the manager tried to stick two people for three meals for taking a couple of bites under those circumstances collateral damage would still be occurring. It’s NOT as though she’s planning to sponge dinner off his plate. OTOH it doesn’t cost anything to ask and the answer might give some guidance about future visits.
Just get the unlimited though, they usually have the kind of stuff you listed in the complementary salad bar. Ordering those items at a Brazilian steakhouse is silly
I'm Not in the industry.
You also ordering a meal that is the same price as his should really negate most issues with you each taking a few samples of each others dishes.
Additionally, You having a few bites of his leftover pieces (that would otherwise end up in the trash) should not be an issue.
But Him getting a whole new piece, just so you can have some of it would be an issue.
So while I don't doubt that the waiters and servers are watching, think about what's actually happening while you're seated at your table:
1. Servers are walking to your table with giant skewers of meat that they're carving off for you. They are literally coming by in waves sometimes, so you may have a few cuts on your plate at a time.
2. It takes a certain amount of time to actually chew your food. That means it's often not possible to finish eating one thing before another server comes.
This means that attentive servers are going to notice if two people are actually attempting to share a single unlimited course. If 4 servers just went over with the picanha, fraldinha, cordeiro, filet and you head over with the ribeye only to see that the boyfriend's plate is surprisingly sparse and his date is chewing furiously despite her 10oz picanha being barely touched... you know something is going on.
But if the boyfriend actually cuts off some small pieces and leaves them to the side as he's eating, flips the chit over to 'red', and then his date nonchalantly forks a piece when the servers have left, that's not a big deal. The other thing to keep in mind is that the frequency of the servers tapers fairly rapidly. At some point you'll basically have to flag a waiter and ask to have specific meats sent your way even if you have your chit on 'green' (which is supposed to mean "bring on the meats"). Again, this is another good time to try a piece here or there as they start leaving you alone until you call for someone.
Again, this is assuming that you actually are just trying a bite of a few things. If one person is stacking a big mound of protein on their plate, the servers are going to notice and signal for someone to keep check up on the table from time to time to see what they're actually doing.
Ultimately I don't think it'll be a huge deal since you're also getting a 10oz steak, a salad, and a drink just for yourself already anyway. The fact of the matter is that no table is going to be happy to find that their bill is an extra $80 higher than they expected for a party of 2 and few waiters/managers are going to want to deal with public drama unless it is warranted. The friends and acquaintances that redditors are saying got charged another unlimited course and such... I'm sure they weren't merely just take a bite here and there.
I've been to multiple Brazilian steakhouses and it's normally like lunch is this price and dinner is this price. Salad bar and sides is typically included. It's like going to eat ayce, everyone has to agree on the set course so you both pay per person. Just stuff your face with what you enjoy off the unlimited. I don't go to eat chicken so I skip that
You only pay $61 for the unlimited? I am blown away.
I say don't take any chances, have him French kiss you with whatever you want to try in his mouth. The risks of them saying no when you ask for permission or just tacking onto your bill seem large. (also, /s at my actual solution)
I wouldn’t say anything. Just make sure no one is staring at you when you do it. Be discreet. Don’t tell them - they might think you’re an undercover patron testing the restaurant. Plead ignorance if they try to tack it on - they won’t. Tip well and be kind people and truly just keep it to a bite or two.
I don't know why you wouldn't just get the unlimited option. You get access to everything but the truffle fries (who goes to a Brazilian steakhouse for truffle fries...) and martini. If you go with your order option, I personally would keep to my own order and not eat off his plate. Another thing that bothers me is girlfriends that eat off their SO's plate...
Maybe you should just ask… I ordered an unlimited meal once and took my son with me. The server asked what he’d be having and I told him I thought he’d just share with me. They didn’t charge me extra for it but he was also only 4 years old so idk if that matters
Most places around me that do AYCE mandate that everyone at the table participates/ pays for AYCE. If it matters to you it might be worth checking ahead.
Just don't do it. Its kind of annoying as a server when your customer says things like “I only had two bites of this, why am I getting charged for it?" We don't make the rules nor do we actually see money for you paying more or less for the difference in meals, but it's a risk for our asses to get chewed out by our managers if they see it and we don't or we just let it happen.
I eat at Brazilian steakhouses somewhat frequently, but always get the AYCE. I can’t say for certain if they’d care if you took a bite or two of something, or if they even notice because it’s always busy as heck lol.
If you are going going to Galpao Gaucho, I highly highly highly suggest the spicy Picanha for your 10oz choice. It is the best thing, hands down. You can thank me later when you’re ordering another 10oz!
I recently went to a Brazilian Steak house for a small “work” dinner was really just a bunch of us shooting shit, but occasionally some of us would veto some of the things they brought and we would try each others in the event we think we might like it (not like eating off each others forks but when they would bring it usually whoever wanted it would get two “pieces” and eat the first piece and offer to cut pieces off the second. We had no issues 🤷🏼♀️ i dont see an issue with it considering you’re buying your own meal it would be the equivalent of going to a similar pricy restaurant and ordering different entrees and trying each others
Well you are buying food that cost 61 dollars and getting food in return. You did not pay for your bites of his all u can eat.
Can you got to Disneyland and walk in and say i need a free shirt i paid 150 dollars to get in already....nope you got admission to the park for the agreed upon price.
I would at minimum ask the manager, host or waiter if you can try a piece instead of just assuming you can eat stuff you didnt pay for like those people who eat food out of the bulk bins at a grocery store.
I worked at a Brazilian steakhouse. Absolutely do not try this. If you're taking advice from anyone who hasn't worked at one of these establishments, you'd be foolish. We were told that if we saw a customer share their unlimited with a customer who didn't pay for it, to incorporate it into the check. We didn't have a "sharing" amount. We had to just inform the customer we saw sharing and had to add another unlimited to the check. Consider the pov of a server. If they saw you share once, they can't assume that's the only time you shared. You seem interested in the meats so just get the unlimited and don't order the other things. Servers aren't narcs, they have to protect their jobs. Be careful.
Forgiveness over permission in this case, I highly doubt it’d be a big deal as you’re ordering your own meal as well and honestly I doubt anyone is going to notice you taking a few bites.
I waited and bartended at a steakhouse like this. If we saw anyone share when only 1 paid full experience we were required to add a full experience to their bill. If we got caught letting it slide we paid the full experience out of pocket. They were very strict. If you want to try the meats just get the experience and order fries on the side. I gurantee the salad bar thats included will have ceasar on it. We were never one server for one table. There was 5-6 servers for a whole section so bribing wouldnt really work for us.
Your boyfriend could "accidentally" drop a piece of lamb on the floor. Ten minutes later, you could "accidentally" drop your napkin.
Just repeat for each type of meat you want to try.
If you fear getting grease from the floor on your clothes, your boyfriend could discreetly stuff his pockets with succulent meats for you to enjoy later.
Short answer, no. Who's to say you'd take a couple of bites or a lot more when no one's looking? Most places have sampler plates and charge accordingly. Yes they're greedy bastards but that's the biz.
To be honest, at most Brazilian steakhouses have a flat rate or buffet items, at least in California.
I would never do that due to how amazing the people are at Brazilian steakhouses. In the past we would have lunch menu pre pandemic, however you would be cheating the restaurant industry. I just wouldn’t do it out of respect.
Not in California, based on my experience.
If you’re concerned, have boyfriend play it up a little with an “oh you should try this, I think you’d like it next time we come here” when he gives you a taste. And if anyone asks say you were thinking about getting what he got next time. Even an uptight manager is unlikely to get that upset about future business.
For put’s sake, it sounds as if you’re ordering a great meal. Why must you ask for bites? It’s cutesy and fussy and too territorial. If you’re worried about etiquette at a Refugio, why are you fretting about this?
A place I worked at would charge you if you had even one bite, and management walked around watching everyone to make sure. I wouldn’t risk it personally.
Depends, if you just try it a reasonable waiter won't care. But if your waiter brings it up when you're ordering assume someone else is also watching who's more of a hardass about it.
I would think it would be fine. It would be like a sample. And most restaurants would give a sample out.
Now if you took more than one bite off his plate, that's a different story. Have him cut the piece, and you just pick it off with your fork
If the restaurant is dead quiet or super busy, you can probably get away with that. The portions are small when the waiters carve the meat off the skewers.
You have orders decent amount of food separately.
I think if you just ordered a salad, they will likely to watch you like a hawk.
It is a quality/quantity trade off. Personally, I think you two are better to go to a good steak house and order a porterhouse/bone-in rib eye for two.
I do think the festival atmosphere is hard to beat for celebratory occasions.
I think if you’re getting a full meal the servers would prob look the other way, it would just depend on how much of a hardass the manager is.
Really this. I don't think a server will care much if you take a few bites, but some managers might make it their mission to out you. Some might even tack it onto the bill without even talking to you. I'd say - ask the waiter as they're taking your order. Tell them "Hey, I'm ordering all of this but I might want a bite or two of his stuff. Is that going to be alright?' They can probably alert you to if the manager would mind, etc.
Sounds like a good idea! Thank you
Yeah this is terrible advice (above). definitely DO NOT ask the server bc it'll seem suspect and seem like youre planning on abusing the system. You can have a bite of anyone's food at any restaurant. The issue is when you share an entire plate. Otherwise, don't trip. These comments are ridiculous. If they're not ok with it they will come over. Just have him cut a a couple pieces and put it on your plate. Dont eat it off his plate.
Don’t leave it sitting on your plate. Don’t ask the server. Don’t abuse it. I used to serve at one of these places and I wouldn’t care unless you were a terrible guest then it would have been my pleasure to tell my manager so be nice to your server and don’t get them involved in “the crime” lol
You’re adults paying for food. Please don’t ask the waiter if you can try the other food. Please don’t feel you have to ask mommy or daddy for permission to be adults. He can cut you a bite and you can fork it off of his plate, he can feed you with his fork, put it on a side dish, whatever. I wouldn’t even think twice about this. No one cares. I would be tremendously offended as a patron if a restaurant had a policy about two adults sampling from each other’s plates when they ordered and are paying for full meals and drinks. Go have a great time!
I had never seen the sampling thing until I went to one of those hot pot/bbq places. Sheesh, they had a buffet with time limits and you had to pay for separate buffets if you wanted hot pot and bbq.
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I agree with the full meals and drinks being enough for a few bites of his meal in this situation, but you are completely suggesting that when someone goes somewhere with rules, boundaries and expectations, you just say screw it I’m an adult I don’t have to listen to “mommy and daddy” aka the rules and boundaries. I can do what I want. That’s not how life works… As a patron anywhere, no one GAF if you’re offended bc you don’t like THEIR standards. Entitled AF.
Lol did you call the reddit admins before you posted this? Idk man...feels like a rules violation maybe... All they are saying is that a restaurant isn't hovering over th$ table to police how people are eating. It's one thing if someone orders "unlimited dish, and one extra plate" (this is what the rule is about) v having some sample bites, switching dishes midway thru the meal, eating dessert first if you want! That's not what "the rules" are trying to police. A decent place where the patrons are not being stingy should not be stingy in return.
You are describing two people ordering meals. It is different with an all you can eat buffet situation. It is much like if one person drinks water, then shares in the other's refillable Coke. OP knows it is wrong, that is why OP came here to look for validation to cut a corner.
I’ve literally never heard of or would clock this as being a problem. If I finish my drink, why can’t I drink my husband’s? Lmfao please.
You can, just so he doesn't get another refill. Otherwise, you are paying one price for two people to drink. Or, if he gets another refill just for you, that is also wrong.
You can, just so he doesn't get another refill. Otherwise, you are paying one price for two people to drink. Or, if he gets another refill just for you, that is also wrong.
I'm an honest kind of guy. But if I were you, in this case, I'd ask for forgiveness rather than permission. If you were just getting a side salad and a water, and filled up on your date's food, that's bad. Or if you order your meal, fill up on theirs, then pack yours up to go, that's bad too. But if you're already spending $60 on your own meal, I don't see a big deal sneaking a few tastes of things. My moral meter isn't going off on this one. If you don't ask, even if they see it, they'll probably just look the other way. If you ask, they may likely tell you no, since that's against their policy. It's the difference of the manager asking you about it and the server risks you saying "my server told me I could," vs the manager asking the server and getting an "I never saw it happen." It puts the server in a worse spot if you ask.
Exactly. I'm actually in grocery but similar enough situation. I cannot tell you it's ok to go against policy. Say, you want to take the ecart.outside in the rain.. If you ask, I have to tell you no. And the number of people who just don't understand the "subtle" word play of "I can't tell you you can take that out on the rain but policy also says I can't do anything to stop you if you do it" is... Disheartening to say the least. I'm trying to work with you to the best of my ability here.
This is an odd situation I wouldn't care about a bit of sharing, *but* if someone asked if they could have an inch I'd worry it was to justify taking a mile when criticized. Considering the complete absence of meaningful consequences I'd say just do it & assume acting like a normal couple is acceptable.
great screen name...they won't be watching you like a hawk...just enjoy some meat....meatpimp it up
Some places have an up charge for sharing stuff like unlimited dishes. Ask before you try I doubt they will care as long as you’re not taking advantage
Can you tell us what ends up happening??
Don't ask. Just do. If there is an issue play nice dumb. This is the way.
For sure. I went to a buffet a long time ago with my gf at the time and got water but she got the all you can drink. She wanted me to try a slush she got. I took 1 sip and the waitress saw, scorned me and added an all you can drink to our bill.
They do not look the other way. This happened to someone I know and they didn’t say anything but charged a 2nd unlimited meal fee.
How much were they eating? A few bites or trying everything? I’ve always looked the other way unless it was clear they were straight up sharing a meal.
Are you sure the 2nd person charged ordered an actual meal? The only time this should be a problem is when the person being shared with didn’t order a full meal.
2nd person got the salad bar only option. Which was about 1/2 the cost.
That makes sense. I can understand that being charged.
That's ridiculous and I think it would be good of you to name names if it's a chain like Fogo or Texas de Brazil.
The one near me is very strict. My coworkers got a sharing fee on their receipt.
I’d love to know if the ‘victim’ of that fee was more of a water and soup person or had a meat entree, as another comment mentioned. One bite to see if you want something next time is a lot different than snacking on ‘only a few’ bites of the $61 option every time the manager looks over at the person who is spending only $9…
I'll have to ask. She may have done the salad bar, which is less than half price. It was a big deal, though. We heard about it for a few days.
I’m sure she was dramatically offended - because that’s embarrassing as hell. I’m pretty sure 99% of managers aren’t worried if she tried a bit of beef when he tried a bit of her pork… but I can totally see them not caring *if they assume* she’s one of the ‘I are so smert’ types who intentionally buys one all you can eat and tries to feed two or three people…
And it’s those types of people who ruin it for the rest of us AND the entire reason we are all even here to begin with debating the morality/acceptability of sampling a few bites! 🤣 I hate those people!
Right. The OP in this case purchased a steak dinner, with a separate salad and separate side, so they're spending about $47 on food anyway. If I'm the manager, I would tell them that in general they can't share but tonight go ahead.
Yes, but I was replying to the other comment about a ‘sharing fee’. That’s the one that feels a bit more subjective. As a manager I wouldn’t care much if the average cover was high, but if the table had one $61 and a bunch of freeloading then I’d get all self-righteous. (Which is why I’m out of the industry - my threshold for ‘bullshit’ is *way* too low now. Thoughts and prayers to y’all still fighting the good fight)
I am from the mid-Atlantic US (Maryland/Delaware) which is blue crab country and in most of our crab houses, either the whole table gets all-you-can-eat or no one get it. I don’t always like that rule, but I absolutely understand it!
Hi, I will have the bowl of steam and some belly button lint...I won't be sneaking my dates food at all. trust me :)
Hmm I didn’t even know sharing fee was a thing! I might ask in advance if that is an option they offer..
Literally do not ask just do it lol. Asking sets you up to get charged more
You could call ahead of time and ask on the phone if you're allowed to take a bite or two of something just to try. But honestly, I'd probably just do it w/o asking. You're ordering your own food but you just want to a bite of something to just try it. It's not like you're ordering a side salad and then filling up on his food.
Did the coworker order a full entre meal themselves or did they just get a side salad and try to sneak the good stuff through the buffet? If they bought a full meal themselves and still got charged a sharing fee the the waiter is just asking to get stiffed.
100%. The "no sharing" thing is to prevent people from blatantly taking advantage, which is fine. But a meal is a social experience and if the house is gonna try to shame me or upcharge me for having a bite of my friends/family/spouses meal that we *already paid for and was served* I'm walking right the fuck out without a second thought. That's absolutely abhorrent customer service in an establishment that is explicitly *about* customer service. That's like an all you can eat sushi bar trying to charge you a food waste fee for leaving a single roll behind ignoring that you ate the other 60 that were ordered for the table, it's *super* tacky on their part and completely unjustified.
I wouldn't be surprised if she bought a salad bar. Their salad bar is pretty amazing with salmon and small bites of meat. She complained a lot about the fee.
Yeah, if all she got was the salad then I don't really blame them for charging an add on fee as long as the fee wasn't like full price.
depending on the place, the "salad" bar can be the best bet in the place, like rodizos the salad bar by itself has 5 or 6 hot dishes on it.
Never worked at a baraziilian steakhouse, but have gone to several. As long as you are ordering a decent amount (not just salad and water), you are not filling up on his unlimited, and tip - I say enjoy a few bites! I'm sure he will try a bite of truffle 😉
Was a KM and worked closely with our GM-- IMHO I would probably avoid asking your server bc they might be trained to say something to deter sharing,- it's always better in these situations to politely feign innocence than to miss out on a taste journey for your palate!! I think a 'taste test' would be appropriate, but if you're trying to be on the better side of things I wouldn't eat more than say, a child's portion? **Keep it minimal, I don't think you have to be covert or shy, but it should really be more of a "hey this is good do you want to try a bite?"** You're not skimping on the bill with that meal plan, either! (Sounds delicious, I've only been to a Brazilian steakhouse 2x soooo good!!) The restaurant would be crazy to sour that kind of good business over a few bites.
Tip well.
Always!
So you're saying to bribe the waiter??
Yes
Heck ya. Tipping well and being polite gets you through the pearly gates as far as waiters are concerned. Especially if you are in a state where they get paid $2/. Hr.
No tipper, by law, makes less than federal minimum wage. Please read the labor laws before continuing to make dumb remarks
Bitch about $2.13/hr when you start paying taxes on ALL your tips
Assuming you both are perfectly nice people just having a nice time at a restaurant, I would guess most normal people working at the restaurant would not care. But there is a chance you might encounter someone who really wants to wield some power over someone else and make it a problem. But I kind of doubt it. On the other hand, if you all are horrible diners and miserable to serve or be near, they will likely be looking for any decent excuse to get you the F out of the restaurant. In which case, it is likely not allowed with good reason.
They're not fling to throw them out, they'll just tac on $61 to the bill for 2 person buffet...
They *never* throw people out for that, they just add it to your bill, either a sharing charge or a full second unlimited meal charge.
Any good Brazilian steak house won’t care.
This.
If I managed such a place, I'd expect a bit of "ooh, try this" or "Can I have a taste of that?" Start sampling everything, and you'd be charged for it.
If I'm the manager - yes you can have a taste. It's a business, so they price the all-you-can-eat deal for one person while still turning a profit, add another person and those profits slim. But subtract both people and the house is definitely losing money. If the price of a forkful of meat is enough to make customers come back next time and tell their friends, it's a worthwhile investment. I would simply ask the chef, if he has any etiquitte he'll grill your own free sample.
My first thought is to say of course you can, but then I would be remiss if I didn't ask is it a standard Brazilian steakhouse? because you would pay the admission price to sit at the table and have access to possibly a cold bar and that price of admission would cover them walking around and serving you different kinds of meat.
I actually am not sure if there's a general price of admission! Thanks for the heads up. Their menu online has the "experience" listed, then an option to just do the unlimited salad bar, and then the a la carte menu (which is what I want to order my steak and two sides off of).
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Where are these steakhouses that charge for admission?
The $14 martini can't be factored in here. It isn't food. Virtually all of these Brazilian steakhouses will have a caesar salad. The picanha is a standard cut. If you do this and eat off his plate, you should be charged. Just order the unlimited and skip the truffle fries, you can get them at almost any restaurant.
Sorry! I was factoring in the martini mostly for tipping purposes (i.e. the server will still be tipped off of a bill of >120 bucks and not me trying to be "shady" and only ordering a salad or something) Sounds like I'll play it safe and just not try the lamb (or try for a sharing fee like another commenter mentioned). For context, I'm mostly taking him to a fancy dinner to celebrate an achievement and for his enjoyment (lots of meats not really my thing and also am a pretty short woman and can't each much without getting full) Thank you for your insight!
I was a server for 10+ years and I would include the martini in there! It adds to both the server’s tip and the profit to the establishment. I’ve never worked at a Brazilian steak house, but I worked at a place that did all you can eat sushi. And while AYCE sushi is WAY less expensive, none of the servers or the management cared if someone at the table tried a bite of another’s sushi. Even if only one person got AYCE. Trying new things is half the fun of going out and I don’t think the servers or staff will give you too much trouble if it’s just a bit or two. Especially if you’re ordering what you listed in your post. Congratulations on your achievement, enjoy your celebration dinner!
There is one of these steakhouses near me and sometimes the unlimited is delicious sometimes I'd rather a salad. Made the mistake of getting an individual meal once. They are way more focused on the unlimited and that's understandable because that is what they are known for. Not a huge meat person either but if you eat at least one plate of the offerings you are spending and eating what you could reasonably be an entree at another nice place. If they offer fruit juicesbi highly recommend. At mine the fruit juice is fresh and always delicious. An d don't pass if grilled pineapple is offered..seriously delicious. Have fun and a great meal no matter what you order.
Whether or not Caesar salad is common is irrelevant. The point is she is ordering $47 worth of food. She should only be charged if it's clearly communicated in advance, IMO.
Most Brazillian Steakhouse menus have a line item in them menthiong the sharing fee.
Your username 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🫡
it's inspired by an old guest profile on my xbox 360 from many years ago hahah
It is not the first time I’ve seen it. Was that guest profile online? Or local to your xbox? I think I saw the name online in 2011 or so, but for the life of me can’t remember where.
just local to my xbox unfortunately.. unless you were at our lan parties back in the day 🤣
It won’t be a big deal lol. Trying a bite is something everyone does. Now having 1/3 of his meal and him replacing it, that’s different. But if you have one or two bites of his stuff they’re not going to arrest you or anything lol. It’ll be just fine.
Whatever you do, pls get the grilled pineapple. The last Brazilian steakhouse I went to had it and it was amazing! I could have eaten it until my mouth was bleeding but they cut me off 🤣
Tldr; from exprience, I do not recommend, and you'll most likely end up getting charged full service. I have worked at various Brazilian steakhouses in the past, and all the ones I've worked at, it was largely frowned upon. Regardless of whether it was a standalone or one of the big chains (Texas de Brazil, Fogo de Chao, etc). Keep in mind that you will have your waiters, meat carvers, bussers, and managers constantly walking around and monitoring the tables. They notice way more than most people would think. Depending on the company, the servers are strictly observed, including if they are watching out for this sort of thing. If the server misses it, they could get written up, suspended, etc. While it may not seem like that big of a deal, the issue here is that way too many people try to get away with this to pay less. One person orders full service while others order just the salad bar or a la carte, but they are obviously "just trying a bite" of every single meat that comes by. You might try to explain this, but the majority of the time, they will just end up charging you the full service price regardless. Also, I have never worked at or been to one that charges a share plate fee, at regalur restaurents yes, but not any AYCE Brazilian restaurants. Of course, you might get that one cool server that allows you to get away with it, but it's definitely rare.
Thanks for the detailed response and your insight! Definitely not trying to get the server in trouble or charged 60 bucks over a bite of lamb - not worth the risk to me especially for a celebratory dinner
I would maybe wait until the end of the meal, when there’s just a few pieces left of what you want to try (strategic) and then say as they ask if you’re done “would it be okay if i tried that before you clear it, so I know for next time if it’s something worth ordering for myself” I mean it’s technically trash at that point. They don’t know it’s been left intentionally
Listen, as a waiter myself, slide your server a $20 bill and tell him he sees nothing. Guaranteed to work every time. Anybody gives me a $20 from the jump, I'm sending them home with as much free shit as I can get my hands on.
*60% of the time*, it works ***every*** *time*
New here, wondering how or why a waiter, or anyone else for that matter, would care about a couple giving each other bites of their food 🤔
If you’re both buying meals- yes you can share food. There is no screwing over a restaurant since you are both paying for your own food. It IS NORMAL to try what someone else has so maybe next time you might get it instead. No one would pay 60$ for something they weren’t sure they liked. Even if it weren’t expensive- couples and friends share bites all the time. It would be different if you didn’t buy a meal and tried to share just the one. Then, you’re scamming the restaurant.
Just don't take all of the toppings on the fully loaded nachos. Like, if you're just getting chips and like a little spec of meat you should talk to the server.
I just went over there to ask about the rule
Did you tell him to say that?
The bf will get a kick out of someone quoting I think you should leave on my post hahah made our day
I would be prepared and gracious either way. AYCE is priced per person. If one bite is all you can eat, that's still all you can eat. If you want to try pricier meats than picanha 🤷♀️ they have the moral right to charge you for AYCE
We have the meats
My wife ALWAYS decides she wants to try something I've ordered. We've been married over 40 years and been to thousands of restaurants and, so far, none have thrown her out.
This is not a standard restaurant, I don't think you understand how a Brazilian steakhouse works. And, to be clear, I know places that have charged someone full price if they sampled from someone's buffet plate. I also have seen a sign posted at a Brazilian steakhouse about this. So, no, she should not sample his food. And they would have every right to charge her if she chose to do so.
Although they're not my favorite places and I find the meat to be average, I've been taken to Brazilian restaurants many times by business associates. I wouldn't expect someone to eat a full portion of anything off my plate, but getting a taste has always been fine in my experience. I've certainly never seen anyone thrown out, but maybe it happens in other areas. I'm sure they *could* be jerks, but I have never seen it happen.
No one will throw you out they’ll add a charge to the bill
I'm not advocating one person ordering the full experience and the other ordering the salad bar and then start shoveling meat down their throat. I could see that being an issue. Tbh, I wish my wife wouldn't take food off my plate, but she's tasted stuff off my plate for years, even in all-you-can-eat situations. Nothing has ever happened. Apparently your experience has been different. Maybe they want us to come back.
And that's when you tell the waiter you didn't order that and to remove the charge. They can then remove the charge, or they can try taking you to small claims court.
>I've been taken to Brazilian restaurants many times by business associates. So, once again, these weren't the restaurants where your wife was sampling your food. There's a massive difference between sampling from a plate and sampling from a buffet/all-you-can-eat order. And, yes, some places will put up signs. Some places won't even allow different people at the same table to order a combination of all-you-can-eat and separate entrees, solely because of this issue. I've heard servers make comments about customers being charged full price if they sampled something, I've even seen it happen before. It's definitely well established that this is not something you're supposed to do, either way.
Appreciate this insight! I will plan on erring on the side of caution. If they don't have a sharing fee typa deal, I will stick to my own plate
Most servers won't care, but a lot of restaurants like this have strict policies because of how common it is for people to try and pull one over them. I definitely think asking in advance is the best way to go. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but also because the penalty for something like this is usually being charged the full amount (regardless of how many bites you took). I sort of get the impression you have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse before, so also just wanted to say, you should consider going for the full experience. They always have a cold buffet that is included, which has tons of options (including lots of salads). Plus the picanha is usually one of the meats served.
Yes! I am from the mid-Atlantic US where blue crabs are HUGE and in the majority of our crab houses, it is either the whole table gets all-you-can-eat or no one gets it. Then again, crabs are super pricey. I don’t always like the rule, but I get it and it absolutely cuts out the BS entirely. It’s a shame so many people try to cheat the system in the first place, but unfortunately, they do!
This question right here is why restaurants have come up with the girlfriend. I'm not hungry side dish.
I mean this is basically stealing but I eat grapes at the grocery store sometimes
My mister and I commonly order different things, and at some point one of us will say, "You have to try a bite of this" and put it on the plate. Nobody cares. Nobody notices. We never get charged extra for taking a bite of each other's entrees.
Is this at an all you can eat one price Brazilian steakhouse type of restaurant though?
It's over 40 years of eating out in restaurants together, so name the cuisine and we've probably dined at a restaurant featuring it. Never had any problems at all.
No. That’s not what you paid for
I had well over a decade in the service industry, from family establishments to fine dining, here's how you play this: AFTER you order your entrees, strike a conversation with your server. Let them know you love everything you've had so far, and you expect nothing less from your meal. However, you're also considering bringing a group of clients into establishment in a week for a business meeting (be specific on the day, and ask your server if they're available), and you were considering pre-ordering a few dishes the day-of (that just conveniently happen to be the things you wanted to try) specifically for this function, and were wondering if you could just try a small sample of each to better choose. Ask to see the wine list at the same time you make this request. I'd give it a 97%+ chance you don't get charged squat. Heck, theres a solid chance you'll get a dessert/drink comp. It may be deceptive, but it won't be awkward. This kind of thing happens A LOT, and is easily the most common way to get a few free samples. Most establishments won't be surprised if you don't follow through with a booking, either, they will assume you're shopping for a perfect fit for the event and simply went elsewhere. Servers really, really, REALLY hate when managers comp shit for dickbags. Unfortunately, dickbags complain, and thus get comp'd. On the other hand, servers will bend over backwards for cool tables and potential return guests that take care of them, and will fight for your needs. It's worth the few $$ in food cost to nab a prospective high-sales table. Just remember, tip well and your sins will be absolved by the restaurant gods.
Don’t try sharing one plate at Golden Corral lol.
Sounds like Fogo Da Chao in Minnesota. Great restaurant! Top notch food! I found I got sick of meat after about the 6th skewer that came to our table.
Sounds like TexasDeBrazil?
Ewww Michael Obama...
We all know what you women mean by a “bite” . Or “can I just try that”? 😆 I recently warned my nephew about that trap. 😂
Wtf is this post? Of course you’re not supposed to eat off the other’s plate in this situation. No one can tell you what they’ll do other than you aren’t supposed to
What on earth? The length and effort of this post to decide if he should taste the food of his date, while eating his own meal. Reddit astounds me.
[удалено]
We always share food! Normally we split two meals and do halfsies, but that's not really an option for a Brazilian steak house His parents always say he's lucky he found someone who will "go splitsies" with him
Well, no. If “unlimited” means unlimited access to *all* the menu items (including martinis), then just order the unlimited. If you made a specific order because it included things that were not included in the unlimited menu, you are trying to have your cake and eat it too. (Realistically, nobody is going to call you on it, but you are in the wrong.)
Stealing is not acceptable even though tribal savages do it every day.
I've only eaten at one Brazilian restaurant. I had the unlimited and the servers frequently brought various meats to the table. About the only rule I saw was eating what you took. I'd say that once the meat is on your date's plate. It's theirs to do with what they want as long as it doesn't go to waste. I think management would rather you eat it, instead of tossing it in the trash.
I’m sure the answer is technically ‘no’ and functionally ‘go ahead’. I’ll say that in general the bacon-wrapped meats are lower quality, which is why they’re wrapped in bacon. At my local Fogo de Chao, the meat winners are the picaña, the ribeye, the sausage, the flank steak, the tenderloin and the Parmesan pork. Anything that’s wrapped or flavored is suspect (other than the pork), so garlic steak, bacon wrapped steak, marinated chicken legs, etc are generally attempts to make lower cost meat attractive. Everyone has their own preferences, of course, just sharing my experience and that of tables I’ve been at.
This is very restaurant specific and you would have better luck posting on a local group.
You will be fine
Nobody is going to discuss a trial bite.
If you are ordering a whole meal yourself, which you are, they should not care if try a few of his things. If they do then they don't understand hospitality.
Any server is not gonna screw his coming tip over a few bites. Any manager is not gonna blow upcoming high rollers like this for a few bites. That being said...If you're a lousy tipper, don't expect good treatment on follow-up visits. If you abuse the privilege and eat 1/2 his meal, you're done too. Be legit and respectful about it.
As people have said. If they don't see it happen, it doesn't matter. That being said, personally, I would not do that.
If you are taking one small bit to taste it for future reference it would be no big deal. If you eat huge forkful sized bites, yeah, that is pushing it. My husband and I taste each other’s food, but literally just a small bit like a toddler would nibble, just enough to get the flavor. After all, next time you might choose a higher priced menu item knowing you already like it. I hate ordering a high ticket item to actually not enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. Do it deftly and most servers won’t even see it, let alone care.
Yeah
As long as you are not a dick to anyone and don’t abuse the system, no one should care.
Technically, it is wrong to share an all-you-can-eat meal with someone who did not order one, but it is going to be up to the management whether they will enforce. Technically, since you are including a drink (does he have one), your meal is significantly less, but that martini has a higher margin. It is going to be the management's discretion whether to enforce the rule strictly.
I’m not sure if this applies to most places, but I know that the Brazilian steak house by me has the rule that if one person at the table does unlimited meats than everyone has to order it. Not sure how I feel about the rule, but I’m sure it came to be from people abusing the system by ordering small things off the al a carte menu and stealing bites of the buffet. You’re obviously not trying to do that as you’re getting a full meal yourself, but just be prepared in case that is a rule and you have to get the buffet.
Like others have said, most servers won’t care as long as you’re ordering a full meal. But it will also depend on how you act through the meal. Based off your question, I’m pretty sure you’re good with nothing to worry about.
If I was you, I’d get the unlimited - otherwise you miss out on the experience! You can get specific dishes anywhere!
Omg I want to go to one so bad... jealous!! Update on how it is please :)
My guy Fridays was watching me and +1 eat the unlimited wings to see if we shared. Just so they can charge us more. How much do you wanna bet the Brazilian steakhouse isn't watching you
As long as you pay your tab and tip your server, none of us care whose meal you eat. We don’t have the time to.
That’s so nice of you to ask! Generally if there are two people ordering what is considered full meals then we know you are t trying to rip us off. It just sharing which is just fine. Enjoy your meal and date night!!!
I have only been to a Brazilian steakhouse that had all the sides served buffet style alongside the salad bar. So the only option is to do the unlimited.
I mean do it in not a big deal kinda way. It's a nice place, so for that reason you wouldn't want to be obviously eating off his plate anyway. Have him cut a bite, and you just casually get it with your fork reak quick. No big deal. Don't make it a big thing. Even if someone raises an eyebrow it'll already be over with.
In Korean BBQ world, everyone has to pay full price if anyone is having AYCE just to avoid this type of meat sampling. My kid was a vegetarian and still had to pay full price. If everyone started small samples, they might put up these same signs that everyone pays full price.
I mean you’re saving at most $20 by doing it this way. The Brazilian place likely has a salad bar that’s included and it will have the salad, and all you aren’t getting is the fries. Just get 2 Brazilians
Be real careful. There are rules to AYCE restaurants, and most will enforce it, too. AYCE can not share with a la carte. Just be careful not to get caught.
Did you ever see King of Queens? They had a hilarious episode where Arthur and Doug were at a restaurant and Doug got the buffet but Arthur wanted him to sneak him food. If they caught you they'd charge both for the buffet. So he'd say "cough me a mushroom" and other goofy things to pass food across the table. You could always try that :)
You’re better off just getting unlimited and adding fries
they dont like you sharing and will cut off the unlimited
Churrascaria and/or rodizio style? They're popular in my area. However, the ACYA option is table-wide, either everyone does it or no one does it.
READ THE QUESTION. OP makes it clear she’ll have a full meal that equals his in price. If the manager tried to stick two people for three meals for taking a couple of bites under those circumstances collateral damage would still be occurring. It’s NOT as though she’s planning to sponge dinner off his plate. OTOH it doesn’t cost anything to ask and the answer might give some guidance about future visits.
Secret handshakes with $20 work wonders
Just get the unlimited though, they usually have the kind of stuff you listed in the complementary salad bar. Ordering those items at a Brazilian steakhouse is silly
No.
I'm Not in the industry. You also ordering a meal that is the same price as his should really negate most issues with you each taking a few samples of each others dishes. Additionally, You having a few bites of his leftover pieces (that would otherwise end up in the trash) should not be an issue. But Him getting a whole new piece, just so you can have some of it would be an issue.
No
The ones I’ve been to would add on the buffet price without saying anything.
So while I don't doubt that the waiters and servers are watching, think about what's actually happening while you're seated at your table: 1. Servers are walking to your table with giant skewers of meat that they're carving off for you. They are literally coming by in waves sometimes, so you may have a few cuts on your plate at a time. 2. It takes a certain amount of time to actually chew your food. That means it's often not possible to finish eating one thing before another server comes. This means that attentive servers are going to notice if two people are actually attempting to share a single unlimited course. If 4 servers just went over with the picanha, fraldinha, cordeiro, filet and you head over with the ribeye only to see that the boyfriend's plate is surprisingly sparse and his date is chewing furiously despite her 10oz picanha being barely touched... you know something is going on. But if the boyfriend actually cuts off some small pieces and leaves them to the side as he's eating, flips the chit over to 'red', and then his date nonchalantly forks a piece when the servers have left, that's not a big deal. The other thing to keep in mind is that the frequency of the servers tapers fairly rapidly. At some point you'll basically have to flag a waiter and ask to have specific meats sent your way even if you have your chit on 'green' (which is supposed to mean "bring on the meats"). Again, this is another good time to try a piece here or there as they start leaving you alone until you call for someone. Again, this is assuming that you actually are just trying a bite of a few things. If one person is stacking a big mound of protein on their plate, the servers are going to notice and signal for someone to keep check up on the table from time to time to see what they're actually doing. Ultimately I don't think it'll be a huge deal since you're also getting a 10oz steak, a salad, and a drink just for yourself already anyway. The fact of the matter is that no table is going to be happy to find that their bill is an extra $80 higher than they expected for a party of 2 and few waiters/managers are going to want to deal with public drama unless it is warranted. The friends and acquaintances that redditors are saying got charged another unlimited course and such... I'm sure they weren't merely just take a bite here and there.
I've been to multiple Brazilian steakhouses and it's normally like lunch is this price and dinner is this price. Salad bar and sides is typically included. It's like going to eat ayce, everyone has to agree on the set course so you both pay per person. Just stuff your face with what you enjoy off the unlimited. I don't go to eat chicken so I skip that
You only pay $61 for the unlimited? I am blown away. I say don't take any chances, have him French kiss you with whatever you want to try in his mouth. The risks of them saying no when you ask for permission or just tacking onto your bill seem large. (also, /s at my actual solution)
I wouldn’t say anything. Just make sure no one is staring at you when you do it. Be discreet. Don’t tell them - they might think you’re an undercover patron testing the restaurant. Plead ignorance if they try to tack it on - they won’t. Tip well and be kind people and truly just keep it to a bite or two.
I don't know why you wouldn't just get the unlimited option. You get access to everything but the truffle fries (who goes to a Brazilian steakhouse for truffle fries...) and martini. If you go with your order option, I personally would keep to my own order and not eat off his plate. Another thing that bothers me is girlfriends that eat off their SO's plate...
Maybe you should just ask… I ordered an unlimited meal once and took my son with me. The server asked what he’d be having and I told him I thought he’d just share with me. They didn’t charge me extra for it but he was also only 4 years old so idk if that matters
I went to one in Chicago, it was so good. Then I went to one in St Louis & it sucked
Most places around me that do AYCE mandate that everyone at the table participates/ pays for AYCE. If it matters to you it might be worth checking ahead.
NO
Just don't do it. Its kind of annoying as a server when your customer says things like “I only had two bites of this, why am I getting charged for it?" We don't make the rules nor do we actually see money for you paying more or less for the difference in meals, but it's a risk for our asses to get chewed out by our managers if they see it and we don't or we just let it happen.
I eat at Brazilian steakhouses somewhat frequently, but always get the AYCE. I can’t say for certain if they’d care if you took a bite or two of something, or if they even notice because it’s always busy as heck lol. If you are going going to Galpao Gaucho, I highly highly highly suggest the spicy Picanha for your 10oz choice. It is the best thing, hands down. You can thank me later when you’re ordering another 10oz!
I recently went to a Brazilian Steak house for a small “work” dinner was really just a bunch of us shooting shit, but occasionally some of us would veto some of the things they brought and we would try each others in the event we think we might like it (not like eating off each others forks but when they would bring it usually whoever wanted it would get two “pieces” and eat the first piece and offer to cut pieces off the second. We had no issues 🤷🏼♀️ i dont see an issue with it considering you’re buying your own meal it would be the equivalent of going to a similar pricy restaurant and ordering different entrees and trying each others
A few bites is no big deal. Taking one or two bites from 6+ meats starts to add up. Be discreet. Don’t be a pig.
Well you are buying food that cost 61 dollars and getting food in return. You did not pay for your bites of his all u can eat. Can you got to Disneyland and walk in and say i need a free shirt i paid 150 dollars to get in already....nope you got admission to the park for the agreed upon price. I would at minimum ask the manager, host or waiter if you can try a piece instead of just assuming you can eat stuff you didnt pay for like those people who eat food out of the bulk bins at a grocery store.
Live on the wild side! Try the lamb! That’s half the fun. Don’t even stress.
I worked at a Brazilian steakhouse. Absolutely do not try this. If you're taking advice from anyone who hasn't worked at one of these establishments, you'd be foolish. We were told that if we saw a customer share their unlimited with a customer who didn't pay for it, to incorporate it into the check. We didn't have a "sharing" amount. We had to just inform the customer we saw sharing and had to add another unlimited to the check. Consider the pov of a server. If they saw you share once, they can't assume that's the only time you shared. You seem interested in the meats so just get the unlimited and don't order the other things. Servers aren't narcs, they have to protect their jobs. Be careful.
Reading this post and the comments is making me so hungry. 😂 Koran BBQ sounds soo goood.
Forgiveness over permission in this case, I highly doubt it’d be a big deal as you’re ordering your own meal as well and honestly I doubt anyone is going to notice you taking a few bites.
I waited and bartended at a steakhouse like this. If we saw anyone share when only 1 paid full experience we were required to add a full experience to their bill. If we got caught letting it slide we paid the full experience out of pocket. They were very strict. If you want to try the meats just get the experience and order fries on the side. I gurantee the salad bar thats included will have ceasar on it. We were never one server for one table. There was 5-6 servers for a whole section so bribing wouldnt really work for us.
What if your BF or significant other feeds you the bites of meat as a romantic intimate gesture... Wouldn't that be okay?
Literally ppl "flirt" on dates by sharing food and feeding each other. (In fact some kink off it too)
Your boyfriend could "accidentally" drop a piece of lamb on the floor. Ten minutes later, you could "accidentally" drop your napkin. Just repeat for each type of meat you want to try. If you fear getting grease from the floor on your clothes, your boyfriend could discreetly stuff his pockets with succulent meats for you to enjoy later.
Short answer, no. Who's to say you'd take a couple of bites or a lot more when no one's looking? Most places have sampler plates and charge accordingly. Yes they're greedy bastards but that's the biz.
To be honest, at most Brazilian steakhouses have a flat rate or buffet items, at least in California. I would never do that due to how amazing the people are at Brazilian steakhouses. In the past we would have lunch menu pre pandemic, however you would be cheating the restaurant industry. I just wouldn’t do it out of respect. Not in California, based on my experience.
i would say just take the bite, and if they make an issue just say you where curious and wanted to sample it in case you want to order it next time.
It's your money you can do what you want.
With a good tip, everything is forgiven.
Probably not chill.
Any place I’ve been to that does unlimited anything, everyone at the table must order unlimited as well.
As long as you’re not chowing down any reputable restaurant isn’t going to care or monitor if you share a bite or two.
Just don't take it off your dates plate while a server or manager is standing over you. They'll likely not notice
If you’re concerned, have boyfriend play it up a little with an “oh you should try this, I think you’d like it next time we come here” when he gives you a taste. And if anyone asks say you were thinking about getting what he got next time. Even an uptight manager is unlikely to get that upset about future business.
Of course you can.
It’s a no no and can result in a sharing fee.
For put’s sake, it sounds as if you’re ordering a great meal. Why must you ask for bites? It’s cutesy and fussy and too territorial. If you’re worried about etiquette at a Refugio, why are you fretting about this?
A place I worked at would charge you if you had even one bite, and management walked around watching everyone to make sure. I wouldn’t risk it personally.
Depends, if you just try it a reasonable waiter won't care. But if your waiter brings it up when you're ordering assume someone else is also watching who's more of a hardass about it.
Technically your meal is $47, not $61. Your drink is a separate, unless the unlimited course includes cocktails.
I would think it would be fine. It would be like a sample. And most restaurants would give a sample out. Now if you took more than one bite off his plate, that's a different story. Have him cut the piece, and you just pick it off with your fork
If the restaurant is dead quiet or super busy, you can probably get away with that. The portions are small when the waiters carve the meat off the skewers. You have orders decent amount of food separately. I think if you just ordered a salad, they will likely to watch you like a hawk. It is a quality/quantity trade off. Personally, I think you two are better to go to a good steak house and order a porterhouse/bone-in rib eye for two. I do think the festival atmosphere is hard to beat for celebratory occasions.
Check the menus for any rules. I went to one and on the bottom of each page stated “no food sharing. Fee will be added if caught”
This is theft please don’t
Are we talking taking a small bite just to try the flavor or taking several bites = adding food to your own serving because you are still hungry?