ottawa foodies

I was out for dinner last night (won't say where, not really relevant and I go there often) and my husband ordered the strip loin steak. When it came out, it clearly was not a strip loin, but a top sirloin. Should we have said something? The steak tasted fine, I just don't like when restaurants misrepresent foods on a menu. Similarly, I was at a place that advertised lobster newburg, which happened to come out with crawfish tails instead of lobster.

As it's not a real complaint, should you say something when the food arrives and there has been no disclaimer when it's served that there is a substitution?

Just curious.

Apologies if this has been previously discussed. :-)

I would have definitely called them on the strip loin - for one strip loin is a more expensive cut that top sirloin.

Definitely call them on it on both, since you were served an inferior and cheaper product than what was advertised.

A common offense is 'home fries' when they're clearly frozen, and 'grilled' when it's fried or oven-cooked. I recently got served a lasagna al forno that for sure never saw the inside of oven.

Both your steak and lobster issues were worth asking the waiter about - you may be more knowledgeable than he/she about the items and may need to speak to the chef and/or owner who should be more aware. If they are subbing different products without advising you that is a big no-no in my books. I would be suspicious of their motives as it may have happened twice - it could be a variation of the "bait and switch" technique.

I could care less about what random pretend 'seasonal' vegetables come on the side, but if the menu says 'x' and i get 'y' without a head's up, I am like the wrath of a hungry god of ancient times, only in a nicer shirt. Steak? Lobster? SWITCHED???? ...unleash hell.

Or at least politely inquire wtf.

It is reasonable to be upset with that kind of switcheroo, and I would have definitely said something. I also might expect that a server in such a restaurant might not know the difference between the strip loin and the sirloin, and/or might not care. A friend was once presented with undercooked shrimp at a restaurant, and when she raised the issue, the server informed her "Oh, we serve our shrimp al dente here"