Should uneaten bread from a table at a restaurant be topped up and placed on another table?

Question

I recently dined at a very well known restaurant in Manhatten NY.
During lunch I observed the bread basket being returned to the bread cutter with uneaten bread in it. It was added too and placed on other tables.
I was disgusted and refused to eat any bread, but my dining partner didn't see a problem with it.
I'd be interested to hear what others think.

Answer 1

I've reported far less concerns to the Health Dept. Immediately contact your city/county/state Health Dept. They will get you to the right person/people. They WILL investigate. What you have there is unsanitary conditions, if someone at the previous table had "contact hepatitis", and that bread is moved to your table, not only will it possibly infect anyone touching that bread at your table, it probably already infected the busser in the back who was transfering the bread and is now touching MANY MORE bread baskets.

GOOD NEWS... when they are this blatantly reckless with their sanitation practices, there's probably far worse going on behind the scenes... why is this good news, because you got to witness a place that you should "never go back to ever again ! ! !" Be more worried about the hidden habits at other restaurants... it's better to know it's not a safe place to eat versus wondering if it's safe. By the way, after hours, if you find off-shift waiters at a bar, ask THEM about the best sanitary places to eat... I assure you, they'll know.

Answer 2

Unsanitary to say the least! All I can imagine is this "Someone SNEEZING, not covering their mouth, and spraying on yours or my bread! That makes me sick just thinking of it! Second to that would be scratching a dirty head full of dandruff, and then picking up just ONE PIECE of bread....deciding not to eat it, and putting it back in the basket. So very sorry for the bad thoughts, but I think it's fair to think that this could happen. Ugh...so sorry. Besides, I believe it is illegal to reserve food that hasn't been touched by a previous person/s that ordered in A RESTAURANT, or at least a "health department issue". I now want to post a new question involving the previous sentence.

Answer 3

That is horrendous! NO it should NOT be "reused" at all! That has to be some kind of health code violation. I'd definately call the health dept. and let them know. If this is a "well known" restaurant, then they should know better. All for the sake of making a few more dollars... sheesh!

Answer 4

Hmm, yeah, you don't know if those other customers washed their hands between the last time they went to the bathroom and when they put their hands in the bread basket. It's a shame to waste bread, but maybe there are other ways to avoid that like not putting out quite so much bread at once.

Answer 5

No, once it's been on someone else's table, they could have touched it, sniffed it, picked it up and put it back down, broken off a small piece, sneezed on it, licked it....etc.



No way should food that has been served to another table be re-served.



Health codes should also prevent this.



If they didn't drink from their water glass, would they just leave that there too, and reuse it?



Yuck!

Answer 6

No that is disgusting, think of the germs, sneezes, coughs all over the bread and the hands that would of touched, not to mention it being stale also. I would have complained and you are entirely right, why would they do such a thing. I wouldn't fill the bread basket that much and would allow requests for more instead.

Answer 7

i understand the point of not wanting to waste food, especially with so many starving people in the world, but i have to agree with you, thats just really nasty, there is no telling what was passed onto that bread. if they don't want to throw it away, then save it as scraps for neighborhood animals. i used to work at a fast food restaurant and all the leftover stuff was put in a bin, and a local farmer came and got it, to feed to his pigs.

Answer 8

My friend worked at a restaurant that did that...I did not eat there after I found that out.

All the restaurants that I worked at did not allow that...no matter what. I saw someone accidentally sit down a plate of food at the wrong table..the customer didn't touch it but it was tossed out anyway and the food was remade because it touched the wrong table

Answer 9

Eww. What if somebody with germs on their hands from coughing or sneezing, picked up that piece of bread, decided they didn't want it, then put it back in the basket. Then that piece of bread gets passed to the next person. Ewww! I'm wirth you - I would be grossed out.

Answer 10

I agree with you 100% I would be appauled and disgusted! Just because the bread wasn't eaten, doesn't mean it wasn't touched. There is no excuse for any decent restaurant to have to salvage bread, what's next, re-using the garnish?

Answer 11

its a health department violation that could have them shut down on the spot and require the entire staff to be retrained under federal food handling standards.



the same standards also restrict them from doing this with things like butter packets and unused condiment containers.

Answer 12

that is so nasty, think of the people that has touched and sneezed, or even dropped the bread. how many tables has it already been thru, before you get it at yours. that is just plain...WRONG!! don't ever.ever.ever eat there again. turn them into the health dept. by the way, what is their sanitation grade?

Answer 13

i used to manage a restaraunt and i would have fired someone if i saw that, just cause it wasn't eaten doesn't mean it wasn't touched or handled, for safety you must throw that away to prevent spreading of germs or worse. Last thing you need of you own a rest. is getting sued if someone were to catch something from that.

Answer 14

thats nasty. you never know what the person that had the bread before did too it. i would have told your dining partner the risks. also i would contact the better buisness bearu and let them know so they can get the word out to others. if its a chain restaurant i would contact the corporate office.

Answer 15

That's a health code violation. Any food that has been served to one table cannot be served to another.

Answer 16

It isn't a problem if no-one has touched it.

But how can the restauranter know that?

Most places, it's against the health rules.

Answer 17

No it shouldnt but in my 20+ years at various places it happens.

Answer 18

That is disgusting! i would be furious! Just think, they could have touched the bread, and who knows where their hands have been, and then it is going right out to another table, gross!

Answer 19

If they don't want to even put out fresh bread, imagine what else they reuse at that restaurant, illlk!

Answer 20

well, if the other people touched the bread yea, thats nasty, well...actually i dont think its acceptable at all because its not like the waiter watched them the whole time and they could have touched it or something, not that they would do anything nasty but...you never know, its just like the whole "dont eat peanuts at a bar" rule......if you're paying for bread you should at least get "unused" bread..lol



i dont think i would eat it either....i would request new bread...

Answer 21

Definitely not, there's a health hazard waiting to happen. Its not hygienic really.

Answer 22

Actually I do believe you can't do that. Once something is served to a guest, unless it in it's own packaging, you can not reserve it to another guest. It's against saftey regulations. I do believe that is how it works.

Answer 23

nooooooo way, that is why i always to something to the bread/rolls that i leave behind so no one else gets it, i suggest that every one do so also.

Answer 24

NEVER. I WOULD NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN!



I meant to shout that. Any food moved from one table to another is wrong. You should report this to the health inspectors.

Answer 25

I have a feeling the health department would say ewwwwwww

Answer 26

You are right. Did the previous diner sneeze on it , pick it up and then decide not to eat it. I wouldn't eat there!!!

Answer 27

That's VERY unsanitary! If they're going to do it, they should at least do it so customers are not able to see it happening . . .



I probably wouldn't eat any more bread either!

Answer 28

Sure. why not? Until someone eats it, it's still bread!

Answer 29

thats a violation and is as bad as scraping food from others plates back into the pot. i would report them and NOT go there again....

Answer 30

ewww

If they're going to do that, then they'd be better off asking diners if they'd like complimentary bread.

Answer 31

That is gross. I don't think they should do this. Call the health dept. on them.

Answer 32

Yuck, absolutely not -s

Answer 33

bad,,real bad!!!! call health dept. on them !!!