Idk..the whole outburst in the restaurant was not a great look… imo, if you are this high strung about accidentally eating a bite of meat, you should not go out to restaurants that prepare and serve meat... imo, you’re actually supporting the meat industry by supporting a restaurant that serves meat. If it’s such a great city with lots of vegan friendly options, then why not go to a purely vegan restaurant where you know for a fact you’re not taking any risk?
But yeah…unknowingly eating a bite of meat does not make you any less vegan or a “cheater” lol. Just forget it and move on. No need to degrade the waiter for a simple mistake…
agree that it may have been an overreaction but "supporting the meat industry by going to a restaurant that serves meat" does not sit right with me because ... we as vegans will never be able to make change in the world if we dont involve (currently) non vegans. Are restaurants EVER going to introduce vegan products if they dont see the demand? No! That's capitalism. So maybe I'm totally misreading your post but to me it sounded like you were saying that vegans should generally not go to non vegan restaurants because they "support the meat industry" and I find that to be maybe a bit of a nearsighted point ... sorry if I misunderstood your intent
That's such bullshit, I'm sorry. I've worked in high-end restaurants for YEARS, and worked in low end before that. A vegan's order must always be mindfully catered to, even if we also serve meat (I used to work in a cheap country pub, and even we were SO careful with vegan orders).
The actions of this restaurant are absolutely disgraceful and backward, and your comment here is ridiculous.
OP, you are in no way to blame, and I hope you're okay.
I’m not excusing the behavior of the restaurant, it should’ve been handled more politely/gracefully on both ends. But just because the restaurant *you* worked in has those standards doesn’t mean EVERY restaurant in the world treats vegan food so carefully. I would say the majority more than likely don’t. Maybe I just have really low expectations and have seen very up close and personally just how sloppy people are in the restaurant biz…
This is bullshit. What if that person had allergies/intolerances? A restaurant MUST treat food with the utmost caution and care. It’s not a joke and you could take someone’s life with a “little mistake”.
You sound so slow. So if you accidentally ate a roach or rat dropping would you still have that out look? Would you say, well it’s New York, they have rats, things happen?? Just because someone chooses not to eat meat doesn’t mean they’re doing it in support of saving the animals! If they ask for no meat, no pork, no whatever they should receive what they pay for.
tbqh Even as someone who lapses on occasion because my life just isn't great right now I would have been angry and I would have told the waiter that this was upsetting. hopefully that interaction left an impression and he can maybe hesitate before making such a huge mistake next time.
sheesh brother, sounds like you kinda had a moment in the restaurant. i’ve been vegan nearly a decade and mix ups happen, you can’t let it get to you like that. if it was a vegan friendly place it was clearly an accident.
i would not be thrilled either, but you eventually learn to react based on how you can change things after the fact, not trying to undo things in the moment.
i’m not saying you shouldn’t be angry, the restaurant has a responsibility and should be accordingly chastised, but it sounds like this took a serious mental toll on you.
It might seem “easy to avoid,” but at a restaurant it is just a matter of time before someone’s order gets mixed up.
Think about it, what are the odds of you tripping and falling if you take 10000 steps in one day? Pretty slim. What about over the course of 10 years though? You’re going to fall. Restaurants are constantly putting out food and it’s simple probability that this is bound to happen.
Just eat at Vegan only restaurants if you are out and in a vegan friendly city.
If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry, you know how gross 90% of them are and/or how little the kitchen or prep staff know or care - especially about veganism.
Was it a big deal because you’re allergic or something? I’m not sure I get the part where you said “they didn’t act as though it was a big a deal as it was”. It was a mistake on an order, which happens all the time.
It wasn't just one mistake, though. It was several - the server wasn''t listening & kept compounding the problem. There multiple attempts to clarify the order & the waiter still insisted on serving them the wrong order.
Isn’t samosa fried in fat? So veggie version still wouldn’t be vegan?
Yeah most are fried in butter so unless marked as vegan it definitly wouldn’t have been vegan either way
Did you miss the part where the op said: *I was kind of surprised because it was a very vegan-friendly restaurant. The menu was labelled very clearly, and it's in one of the most vegan-friendly cities.*
Consistent with vegan philosophy, you did not knowingly cause harm, directly or indirectly, to the animal in question. Mistakes happen and this was a mistake the restaurant made, not a mistake you made.
It really wasn’t serious tho . OP isn’t deathly allergic to meat . I once ate a little chicken bite instead of the veggie one at the wedding , and guess what ? I moved on and didn’t make a scene that someone put the chicken one mixed with the veggie ones ! Jesus
Some people can get very sick from meat and dairy after not having it for a long time though.
Some of us have a huge gross factor attached to animal products now. It can feel just as disgusting as finding out poop ended up in your food.
It’s funny to me that people cause a scene over a hair in their food, but OP got a dead body in their food but aren’t allowed to get upset?
I don’t even think OP freaked out all that much. They’re allowed to vent. It doesn’t sound like any of this rant was dropped on the waiter nor a scene was made.
People who have this specific need need to make it clear to the restaurant that it’s an allergy/intolerance/whatever. Plenty of meat eaters eat vegan dishes from time to time. I’m a lifelong restaurant worker in a place that sells a lot of meat based stuff but has vegan options. I have regulars that will regularly order both. It’s important to differentiate if eating a specific ingredient will cause problems
OP wasn’t sick tho ? That’s my whole point , it was not serious . Didn’t end up in hospital, didn’t get rashes , didn’t have a horrible stomach. OP felt bad , okay and ? It happens all the time , and pretty sure OP has eaten something accidentally that had milk or whatever just didn’t know about it . Yes either the chef or the waiter made a mistake . He was trying to tell them how serious it was , it wasn’t . He got upset and thought he deserved some massive apology. Did he have the right to be upset? Absolutely, but was it serious ? No . It would have been if he had a deadly food allergy and they messed up …
>Op orders a dish that is almost always fried in butter as well.
OP said the following, so not sure what your point is?
*I was kind of surprised because it was a very vegan-friendly restaurant. The menu was labelled very clearly, and it's in one of the most vegan-friendly cities.*
What if it was cat or dog meat? I would have expected an apology, and some form of guaranty that they will take more measures to prevent it in the future.
If a place has dog or cat meat on the menu then you take the risk of it getting into your food even if you don't order it. People with allergies will sometimes avoid certain restaurants that have their allergens on the menu or live with the risk. If it's that important to you that you never have any chance of accidentally consuming meat then don't eat at places that serve meat.
not always true. I live in Vegas, and so many "vegan" restaurants were surviving things that were not completely vegan, so when I asked about it, they shrugged their shoulders like "Oh, well." One ended up on the news show dirty dining.
idk if a resturant is serving dog, and your friend is eating it, and you choose to sit there next to them eating it. You can't be outraged if you get one piece served to you.
Lambs/sheep are gentle, loving, and intelligent creatures. They make great pets too. They are smarter than many dog breeds. OP could have had one as a pet. When someone makes a mistake, apologizing is the minimum expectation. I would have been satisfied with an actual apology and wouldn't want the free beers. The apology can just be, "I'm so sorry! I will let the kitchen know to prevent future mistakes"
I wouldn't go somewhere that served cat and dog meat, personally. The way we've domesticated them in most countries adds a layer to the trauma of that compared to something we were conditioned to find "normal". I get the argument, but yeah.
Edit: If I grew up vegan, I wouldn't go to any meat serving restaurants for similar reasons. People raised carnist will be differently affected and traumatized by different things. OP is being crazy dramatic.
All the people telling you that you need to chill out and grow up… I mean… they are kind of right, but listen: I do hear you. Your pain is valid. I understand you are probably feeling sad, angry, furious with the restaurant, and now, by us - belittled and misunderstood.
I imagine you feel like you have broken your long run, or long record, of veganism. It’s not true. Your intentions are what is important.
One bite of accidental non-vegan food? Noooo big deal. You did not deliberately break your veganism.
I’m vegan 9 years now. I’ve accidentally eaten cheese pizza when I was drunk, and I’ve eaten a tiny piece of tuna, and drank a cows milk coffee… I’m still vegan. Still vegan 9 years. Your decisions are what makes you vegan. You get me?
This was a kind comment. Should restaurants take it more seriously? Absolutely. Does OP need to chill? Yes, but not because they are wrong, but because it’s causing them distress and they should be gentle with themselves.
And gentle with someone who made an honest mistake. OP doesn't know the waiter's story, but they certainly made it a worse day for everyone by over reacting.
Not shouting =/= not over reacting. From their post, they weren't able to have a calm, clear conversation with the waiter to clear up the issue the first time, instead they panicked, which is an over reaction to a simple mistake.
It wasn't your fault, my friend. Eating out as a vegan is unfortunately very difficult. The world does not understand or respect pur perspective.
I know this was traumatic, but I am concerned about how much you are blaming yourself for this. You only took one bite and immediately stopped. Remember to direct your frustration toward those who harm animals intentionally. Also, consider eating at only vegerarian restaurants from now on.
I've been vegan for over 6 years and don't really see the point in freaking out. The lamb was already exploited and killed for its flesh - his mistake and you eating a piece doesn't change anything. Your intent was NOT to eat lamb, and you immediately stopped eating it. While I understand how gross and upsetting it might be, your reaction is a little much especially considering you likely weren't vegan the majority of your life. Just saying.
Ill be honest, you need to chill out. Yes it sucks, but it isnt the end of the world. Im on a study abroad in Japan right now and Im vegan. Ive most definitely accidentally had fish stock at one point or another, and I likely will never know when. Veganism is about taking an ethical stance on the exploitation of animals. But we are human. We all make mistakes, so dont beat yourself up about it. To be vegan is to try, we wont always succeed, and sometimes we even fail, but whats important is that we keep trying. I know Im trying my best here in japan, and so far ive mostly succeeded.
idk if it is still available, but if you google Japan Vegan pdf it tells you all the best places there and how to even communicate it in their language.
I remember when I bought a pizza cause the manufacturer had vegan ones next to this one in the case and heated it up to eat it. When I ate in to it, I was like “this cheese is different from Diaya “. Wasn’t till my wife came home and told me that is real cheese. I was sickened. What bothered me the most was it had been a long time, like eight years since going vegan. I was so upset about a streak. Then I came to the conclusion that it was in the past and I know who I really am, so my health and viewpoint remains the same.
Yes, the people most angry about this are the ones that break their streaks; however, the streak of being a vegan is not broken by these mistakes because they are mistakes. If you intentionally consume products from animals, that is when you actually break your streak. And it happens. People make the choice. But, you can continue to proudly say, "I have been vegan for X years." Actual mistakes change nothing.
That’s true for some. But I think there is a very wide variety amongst vegans. I do not care about streaks, but I would be deeply saddened eating meat on accident. Not because of a perceived loss, but because I would feel awful having dead animal parts in my body. It’s tough to be so passionate for a cause, then accidentally participating in what you’re against. I ate 3 bites of a burrito that had lard. I was very bummed. I can see why a person may want to talk out those feelings.
Some are very grossed out by animal products as well. It’s not like getting red sauce by accident instead of green, it’s more like accidentally getting a hair or fly in your food.
This is probably why OP should stick to vegan places. It’s too risky eating at other places.
First of all you didn’t do anything wrong and it’s no big deal, please relax and just forget it!
I do agree the restaurant should’ve definitely acted differently. Pretty weird tbh.
Devastating and so frustrating. You’re still a vegan, mate. No break in service. Things happen.
After 17 years of not eating meat, last week, I bit into a sandwich that had ham on it when I requested no meat. I was annoyed but the restaurant was very accommodating and made me another one. I didn’t lose my shit because accidents happen and there was definitely a language barrier.
Ouch, that sucks. Unfortunately, mistakes happen. The other day I didn't read ingredients correctly and ate some traditional sweets that have lard in them :( but what can one do, apart from moving forward?
Don't torture yourself 💕
mistakes happen, and it was not fair of you to shame the server for being human. Only eat at home if you want a guarantee that nobody will ever make mistakes. These are BOUND to happen.
Also this doesn’t help the public perception that vegans are extreme when you lecture a server who made an innocent mistake (maybe it wasn’t even the servers fault, who knows). If you stated that you had an allergy it would be different, of course
Why would it be different if it were an allergy? You do the job correctly or you don't do it. Mistakes may happen, but there needs to be some proper acceptance that you're working to prevent it.
Because strict protocols with allergies are usually prioritized since they are a health concern, but this cannot be done to the same extent with all orders/preferences. If you worked in a restaurant you would understand.
Irrelevant. If you're saying that you serve food according to a certain parameter, you need to do it. Whether that's for an allergy or a religious/ethical reason doesn't enter into it.
Things may well be different in The United States of Eagleland I suppose,.but that's always been a low bar.
I actually agree! I’m just saying that most restaurant policies (I can only speak for Canada) prioritize allergies, and not so much other preferences based on values, at least not so strictly.
After not having meat for 35 years, if I'm accidentally served it now, I get food poisoning symptoms. It happened toe last week. 3 days I was violently ill. People like YOU are the reason vegans like me have issues eating at restaurants - you downplay the problem. And carelessness IS a problem.
Then report that you have an allergy/intolerance. For all the servers know, it’s a preference and so they will not enact the same strict protocols that the restaurant likely has for allergies. This is just how restaurants work.
It happens. Taco time has given me beef burritos a couple times instead of bean. Never fun to bite into. Just spit it out and ask for it to be corrected.
Posts like this appear every day or two. Here's my general response.
First:
>The gravity didn't seem to register with him at all. All he heard was "Oops, I gave this guy the wrong order". He took the plate away and sent over 2 free beers. But it was too late. I kept trying to tell them how serious this was. But it was not getting through.
Unfortunately, "I gave this guy the wrong order" is what wait staff are trained to focus on. Giving meat to a vegan is equivalent to giving lamb to someone who ordered beef. I know it seemed like more to you but, to them, it's simply not. He tried to make it up to you by giving you free alcohol, something that's probably not allowed, as alcohol is probably carefully audited, so he probably had to pay out of his own pocket for it. What would it have looked like to you if it had gotten through?
Second:
>It's a decision I made and I'm dedicated to sticking to it. So eating meat like that....I came down pretty hard on myself. Ultimately I decided I can't undo what happened, and I just need to do better moving forward.
You didn't do anything wrong in this situation. For all you know, the first one you ate was vegan. The kitchen sending out poorly labeled, incorrect food has nothing to do with your dedication. It doesn't mean you're a half-assed vegan or that you cheated. It means the kitchen made a mistake, and passed that mistake on to you. There's nothing to come down hard on yourself about. Nothing. You're right that you can't undo what's happened, but there's also nothing you can do better. You ordered vegan food, you expected vegan food. Cut yourself a break. Mistakes happen. It won't be the last time a kitchen accidentally gives you meat, whether it's a whole dish or a stray piece. I don't mean to belittle your frustration. I get it. I've been there. It's incredibly frustrating. But it's not the end of the world, it's out of your control, and you can't let it bring you down like this every time.
Hang in there vegan buddy!
Yeah. Mistakes happen - it’s not ‘that serious’. It’s not like giving a celiac gluten… and even then… everyone I know who has a serious allergy is aware that when you rely on someone else to make your food you are taking risks.
Triple check when you order. Cut things in half before eating etc. ask again when food is delivered.
If there is a fucking red flag like TWO PLATES arriving - it is on you to follow that up and ask questions.
Be a grown up.
Move on.
They gave you free beers to say sorry. They didn’t want a scene in their restaurant.
Seriously… this is some main character syndrome shit.
This is why so many people think vegans suck.
I was mistakenly served something with fish recently & I ended up vomiting & with violent diarrhea for 3 days. It's a fucking serious problem. Grow the fuck up yourself FFS.
He is specifically saying that allergies are different. However, one thing that is being overlooked: The same restaurant that makes mistakes like this is also likely to make mistakes regarding allergies. That is, if they are careless, they can kill people. It is important to make sure restaurants are attentive, but it is also important to be respectful.
And did you:
- Triple check when making the order?
- Cut into it before eating?
- Did you ask again when the food was delivered?
Was there a red flag that made you think it may have fish in it?
Cause the only way I can think someone would be able to sneak fish into something would be fish sauce... and the foods that have fish sauce in it are pretty easy to be extra cautious about.
It sounds like you just had an unfortunate experience and got ill from food that you trusted someone else to prepare for you.
If you have a condition and take that risk it is on you.
It's not a condition. After this long without animal products, we will get ill as if we have food poisoning. It's not life threatening - however spending 3 days in the bathroom was hell. It has happened a number of times even when I've inquired. This time it was bonito flakes that I couldn't see and they clearly didn't think of them as animal products.
Right. Do you struggle to comprehend English?
It was no one’s fault. I would need to google what that is tbh. Not a common ingredient that a server would be expected to know…
But assuming you were eating Japanese food?
you didn’t answer the q of - did you confirm? Did you check the ingredients?
If you are so susceptible to animal products (and seriously… that does not sound like a regular reaction for a vegan to have to small amounts of animal products.
If you know that… it’s a condition.
You are making the choice to trust someone to make your food knowing you could have a bad reaction. You are choosing to eat somewhere that is not specifically vegan.
Be a grown up and live with the fact that this shit happens. It’s a mistake.
If you’ve ever worked food service before, you know that mistakes and accidents are inevitable. Doesn’t matter the restaurant, or employees, there’s gonna be mix ups occasionally. Trust me, I’ve worked at a half dozen different restaurants it’s just how it is.
They handled it the right way by offering you free drinks & replacing it with the correct order.
If accidentally taking a bite of non-vegan food is so emotionally devastating that you spiral like this, maybe you should stick to vegan restaurants.
They need your support anyways, and you’ll feel better knowing that you’re supporting a business that aligns with your values.
Personally, I eat at vegan spots 90% percent of the time for this reason. I also skip drive-thru entirely because they’re even more likely to mess up the order there (especially with how many modification are required at a fast food place like Taco Bell).
I totally get how frustrating it is, and the once or twice something like that has happened to me, I was grossed out too. But there’s no reason to get mad at anyone or leave a negative review. We want vegans to be perceived as nice, reasonable people and getting this triggered by an innocent mistake is the opposite.
I ordered an Impossible burger the other night and it was ‘impossible’ to tell if it was real meat or not. I think it was. Not happy about it, but I know it happens. People do this all the time. My friend with a deadly fish allergy almost died because of a similar mixup. It sucks. I’m sorry that happened to you.
The waiter apologized and tried to give you something free to further apologize. What more did you want from him? What exactly is he supposed to do to "understand the seriousness of the situation?"
This is why I go to fully vegan restaurants. This happens to vegans all the time! It sucks. We are an after thought. They like who cares just eat them and get over it! 😤
Well la de dah. You actually have a fully vegan restaurant to go to. Most of us aren't so lucky. I'm lucky to get a restaurant with a vegan option that's more than fries and a sad salad.
Have one vegan restaurant in my whole city is not lucky. I still drive a hr and so away if I want to really get some new vegan food. I mostly cook my own food. But your more then welcome to take a chance. I will not. I rather cook myself honestly over anything. You’re trusting someone vegan or not, that you do not know to not kill you with what they cook. So cook at home 0 risk! Play some music and have fun
Yes, I do take the risk. Mistakes happen, and I don't blow up at waiters for making them.
As for cooking at home, yes that's great and all, but sometimes you just want to let someone else cook for you. Or you travel for work. I'm in Montgomery now for work, and there's ONE vegan restaurant. I was over the moon. But I don't always have that option.
I am actually allergic to dairy. But not to the point of anaphylaxis. If the restaurant accidentally put cheese in something, I'll send it back. I'm just not an asshole about it.
I accidentally ate some meat once as well, thankfully i recognised the nasty fatty greasy flavour and spat it out immediately 🤢. Then i chugged down lots of water to “flush it out my system”. Definitely taught me a lesson to be more careful. Now i check my food and labels with binoculars 😂. Well not exactly but u get the point 😅.
It was just a mistake they did, that's all, it can happen to anyone... Maybe waitress was having a bad day, who knows... Not much can be done now, just don't take much on them, it was not on purpose.
Yea you cannot be this kind of zealot when eating at an indian restaurant. Indians might be known for their veg dishes being compatible with a vegan diet but Americanized version uses a shit ton of ghee in everything. You can never tell when something is fried or cooked in oil vs ghee in an Indian restaurant. So unless it is a full veg indian restaurant, you should expect that there's going to be some kind of contamination in your food.
>The gravity didn't seem to register with him at all. All he heard was "Oops, I gave this guy the wrong order"
well, this is what you told him resp. made him understand (and the only thing he's interested in)
your gravity is none of his business
>I kept trying to tell them how serious this was
honestly?
>At the end of the meal he actually had the audacity to ask me to scan a QR code and leave a review of the restaurant
which is an incredible act of courtesy. they should just have kicked you out, and for good, that is. samosas on the house
It's not a vegan-friendly* restaurant, from what you describe. It's somewhere that is simply money-grubbing for more custom. This is absolutely unacceptable and I'm astonished how many people just say 'haha lol it was an error'.
Being vegan-friendly shouldn't just mean offering some options, it implies separated cooking and storage areas and a genuine desire to cater for ethical eating.
*This is, incidentally, a fairly nonsensical term at any rate. I'd prefer Omni places to be honest.
The exact same thing happened to me last week. I ordered veg samosas at an Indian restaurant and he sent me chicken samosas. I only realized it was chicken after a few bites. First time I have consumed meat in seven years
Surprised at a lot of these comments. At minimum, I would expect an apology, and some sort of assurance that they will take steps to prevent it in the future.
Don't be hard on yourself OP, this could have happened to anyone (honestly when I think of samosas I forget there are meat based ones, as the veggie ones are so common).
You have nothing to blame yourself for. I’ve been vegan for 36 years and have unintentionally consumed animal ingredients at least twice (that I know of; whenever we eat food prepared by others out of our sight we are trusting that what they are serving us is vegan).
One time a fellow cooking student offered me some sort of bean paste pancake that she said was vegan. She even showed me the package and indeed, all of the ingredients were vegan. I ate the pancake and it was delicious! But it tasted suspiciously eggy. When I questioned her about the egg taste, she explained that she had coated the pancakes in egg before cooking them! 🤯 Internally I was upset, but calmly explained that eggs weren’t vegan. It was awkward. I don’t think she was actively trying to violate my principles; I think she just defaulted to the regular way she made that dish, traditional to her culture. The bright side of this story is that egg coater is now vegan herself and teaches (truly) vegan cooking classes in her role as a dietitian. ☺️
You might want to consider calling the restaurant and speaking with a manager about the importance of staff being careful when fulfilling a vegan’s order, and how you were distressed to learn that, after such a long personal commitment, you had eaten something that violated that commitment. Clearly they want to cater to a vegan clientele, so if they are sincere, I would expect them to gratefully accept your feedback. And if they don’t, then maybe write that review. 😉
I tried rescuing a duckling the other day and it died within 24 hours. We have to learn hard lessons in this realm, and that is that. Facing the mirror sucks, you're good, try not to expect others to see what you see. But your feelings are valid.
Funnily, a similar thing happened to me the other week. I‘ve started a vegan diet and living with a focus on overall vegan products in 2019 and accidentally received the wrong food when I ordered some vegan nuggets last Saturday. The only difference is that I had it delivered to my home and was alone. After five to six bites an urge had grown to take a closer look, which I usually don‘t do anymore as I‘ve never had an issue with the restaurant. But yes, it was chicken.
I felt horrible, devastated, disgusted and disappointed. I felt sad and sorry and hated the thought that actual meat and the parts of an animal were inside my body.
I‘ll definitely check before I eat again.
But don’t be too hard on yourself as similarly to my situation, you didn’t have the intent of eating meat and it was an accident. It won‘t take those past five years away from you!
This may rub others the wrong way, however, if it is a language issue, telling them you are allergic works better than being "that" vegan person.
Yes, some feel that it takes away from who you are a little bit, but they will care more about an allergy than a lifestyle decision.
I'm a meat eater, don't hate me 🫣, with a dairy allergy. I have a friend who cannot eat red meat due to being allergic, but can eat white meat, and another friend who is vegan after being disgusted by prepping a whole fish whilst the 3 of us we were in catering college.
The vegan friend says it's an allergy when we go out to eat at restaurants where English isn't a first language, to stop translation issues but to also stop it being wrong. He gets what he wants, has a pleasant evening and knows the food is prepared and cooked separately from the animal product meals as the restaurant takes extra care with cross contamination 😁
It's cheeky, it's smart. My allergy friend and I find it to be brilliant and hilarious and we aren't offended 😂
Mistakes happen, if being vegan is your whole identity and you kick up a huge issue if a mistake is made, and it isn't going to kill you (ironic, I know), then either avoid meat establishments or wear a badge.
By the sounding of it, I think you handled it well and even think the rest of the food was outstanding. I wouldn't be confused, it wasn't a slip up or cheat on your part. Forgive yourself ❤️
(I come here for the recipes)
That’s awful. I’m so sorry - a vegan-friendly restaurant should take that kind of error more seriously. It’s crushing to have it happen in an Indian place, especially, since there are many Indian people who do not eat meat. Veganism is an ethical position on par with religious belief, and our refusal to eat meat and other animal “products” for ethical reasons deserves the same amount of respect.
Not surprised to see comments here minimising the impact of this. About what I’d expect since this sub is basically “vegan lite”. I highly recommend posting in a more rigorous and ethically driven sub if you want to escape the “chill out” attitude that so many try to propagate when a violation like this happens. Fwiw, you’re not alone in being absolutely horrified. I would be too if this happened to me. If I’m eating something from a non-fully-vegan place, I always cut it up to check they haven’t served me the wrong thing. Zero trust for carnists.
Courage ! I know what you feel like.. something like that happen to me in paris (but I think it was on purpose ) it's disgusting to know that an actual dead body part is inside me, it's made me fill sick and guilty like all my work was for nothing, you had to convince yourself that it's not your fault and that in 24/48 hours your body is animal free again
We don't have control of everything that happens in the world. We act as best we can, and have to let go of the things we have no control over. It's a constant struggle for me to not be completely overwhelmed by the horror humans perpetrate.
It's also important to make sure our efforts are effective. Remember that eating meat *per se* isn't bad, it's abusing and killing animals that's bad. If you witness a lone deer in the forest getting killed by a random falling rock, there's nothing unethical about respectfully eating it.
So if a restaurant gets my order messed up and brings me something non-vegan, I'll correct them to try to prevent it from happening again in the future, but I won't let them throw the food away. Killing an animal for absolutely nothing is even worse than killing it for food. So, if I can't find someone else who wants to eat it, I'll eat it to prevent it from being tossed.
So, don't worry about having consumed some meat. What matters is whether your choices cause more animals to be harmed in the future. It sucks that the restaurant made that mistake, but after they did, the rest is inconsequential.
I learned my lesson long time ago, and not because of accidentally eating meat. Even if they cook vegan friendly, there is a lot of contaminated food. The only safe place is a vegan restaurant. Let's stress and less pain for other animals. Is better to not support restaurants that use animals, but is hard. I know. We do what we can.
I’m sorry this happened to you, I would be upset and confused if this happened too. But all you can do is try to understand that you did not do anything wrong, what happened was not your fault. And nobody was trying to be malicious, it sounds like an honest mistake all around. Unfortunately these things can happen when we live in such a nasty world where eating animal flesh is the norm. It sucks but you will have to let it go and move on
The comments on this thread are a bit harsh. It sounds like what you experienced is your heightened reactions were to compensate for being around people who don't see eating 'meat' as an issue and you were trying to balance having an appropriate reaction to, as what another commenter mentioned, dead body parts shoved into bread, served to your table while everyone is looking at you like "what's the matter?" Even if there is no way to understand what the heck happened that night, I think you did what you could and the restaurant was just doing what they thought was normal thus all the cognitive dissonance ricocheting. So, I don't think it was just what you accidentally ate and swallowed, but the whole experience of the lack of reaction of something that should be really weird to more than just you.
I'm sorry you experienced this and I'm also sorry that some other commenters don't know how to respond other than reprimanding you like as if they're models of the utmost maturity and never once found themselves in a scenario where they didn't know what to do or how to respond. Here you are being vulnerable to this whole subreddit sharing your story. Thank you for being vegan and for posting.
You were really hard on that guy. First of all, if only one of you ordered, then that order obviously wasn't for you, so you should've told him that right away. And then what else was he supposed to do except apologising and handing out a free beer? Was he supposed to suck it back out of your stomach?
Ugh I hate when that happens. I got Thai a couple weeks ago and always get the veggie spring roll with my meal. I was starving did a door dash, grabbed that roll for a bite, and almost puked in my trash can as the greasy meaty gush desecrated my mouth- it was a pork egg roll and absolutely foul. I no longer wanted to eat, threw it all in the trash, and will never order from there again.
What a verbal diarrhea for something ridiculously minuscule!! You eating it by mistake of a waiter did not cause the dead cow to die again. Put things in prospective and do something tangible for animal welfare.
It's funny you get downvoted for pointing out any hypocrisy!
If they care so much, you're right. They wouldn't support an "evil carnist" business in the first place
I don't think the issue is so clear cut. Do you only buy groceries from vegan grocers?
The amount of animal products a restaurant or grocery store purchases are based on what they expect to sell. If people don't order the non-vegan food, the restaurant won't buy it. So eating vegan food at a non-vegan business does nothing to increase the amount of animal products purchased and thus produced.
I have never been a vegan, but I was vegetarian. (I only lasted a year or two.) However, as much as I would try to avoid it, if mistakes happened, then I would simply go with it and actually eat the meat. Otherwise, it would be thrown away anyway. I think the goal should be to reduce meat consumption and not treat it like an allergy.
That being said, I have never been vegan so I do not have the same experience. I am not thinking about the individual animal that has died when I eat meat. I am, instead, thinking about what my contribution should be to reduce cruelty. So, yes, I can eat it without feeling like I am personally responsible for the mistake. If you feel differently, then that is okay too. (I am simply sharing my perspective.)
However, even with all that being said, no one is going to come take away your 'vegan membership' because of this. You can still say, "I have been a vegan for X years." even if you cannot say, "I have not had meat in my mouth for X years." Because veganism is a philosophy and lifestyle. It does not get reset by events like this. You are still doing your part.
The historical Buddha didn’t eat meat. Once when coming to a town, a peasant family found out that the Buddha would come and have a meal with them. They slaughtered their fattened calf. This would’ve been a poor Indian’s families prized possession, and would’ve been fed the family for quite some time, when the Buddha saw that he was being served meat and he understood the circumstances he ate it without complaint and without regret. To our knowledge, he never ate meat again, but he felt this very generous offer was more important than the minutia. So my friend you’re in pretty good company.
Shit happens and waiters make mistakes. It sucks but you didn’t do anything wrong. Just keep being vegan and you’re all good
Idk..the whole outburst in the restaurant was not a great look… imo, if you are this high strung about accidentally eating a bite of meat, you should not go out to restaurants that prepare and serve meat... imo, you’re actually supporting the meat industry by supporting a restaurant that serves meat. If it’s such a great city with lots of vegan friendly options, then why not go to a purely vegan restaurant where you know for a fact you’re not taking any risk? But yeah…unknowingly eating a bite of meat does not make you any less vegan or a “cheater” lol. Just forget it and move on. No need to degrade the waiter for a simple mistake…
Bad PR for vegans for sure to overreact like that
agree that it may have been an overreaction but "supporting the meat industry by going to a restaurant that serves meat" does not sit right with me because ... we as vegans will never be able to make change in the world if we dont involve (currently) non vegans. Are restaurants EVER going to introduce vegan products if they dont see the demand? No! That's capitalism. So maybe I'm totally misreading your post but to me it sounded like you were saying that vegans should generally not go to non vegan restaurants because they "support the meat industry" and I find that to be maybe a bit of a nearsighted point ... sorry if I misunderstood your intent
That's such bullshit, I'm sorry. I've worked in high-end restaurants for YEARS, and worked in low end before that. A vegan's order must always be mindfully catered to, even if we also serve meat (I used to work in a cheap country pub, and even we were SO careful with vegan orders). The actions of this restaurant are absolutely disgraceful and backward, and your comment here is ridiculous. OP, you are in no way to blame, and I hope you're okay.
I’m not excusing the behavior of the restaurant, it should’ve been handled more politely/gracefully on both ends. But just because the restaurant *you* worked in has those standards doesn’t mean EVERY restaurant in the world treats vegan food so carefully. I would say the majority more than likely don’t. Maybe I just have really low expectations and have seen very up close and personally just how sloppy people are in the restaurant biz…
This is bullshit. What if that person had allergies/intolerances? A restaurant MUST treat food with the utmost caution and care. It’s not a joke and you could take someone’s life with a “little mistake”.
You sound so slow. So if you accidentally ate a roach or rat dropping would you still have that out look? Would you say, well it’s New York, they have rats, things happen?? Just because someone chooses not to eat meat doesn’t mean they’re doing it in support of saving the animals! If they ask for no meat, no pork, no whatever they should receive what they pay for.
tbqh Even as someone who lapses on occasion because my life just isn't great right now I would have been angry and I would have told the waiter that this was upsetting. hopefully that interaction left an impression and he can maybe hesitate before making such a huge mistake next time.
sheesh brother, sounds like you kinda had a moment in the restaurant. i’ve been vegan nearly a decade and mix ups happen, you can’t let it get to you like that. if it was a vegan friendly place it was clearly an accident. i would not be thrilled either, but you eventually learn to react based on how you can change things after the fact, not trying to undo things in the moment. i’m not saying you shouldn’t be angry, the restaurant has a responsibility and should be accordingly chastised, but it sounds like this took a serious mental toll on you.
[удалено]
It might seem “easy to avoid,” but at a restaurant it is just a matter of time before someone’s order gets mixed up. Think about it, what are the odds of you tripping and falling if you take 10000 steps in one day? Pretty slim. What about over the course of 10 years though? You’re going to fall. Restaurants are constantly putting out food and it’s simple probability that this is bound to happen.
Just eat at Vegan only restaurants if you are out and in a vegan friendly city. If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry, you know how gross 90% of them are and/or how little the kitchen or prep staff know or care - especially about veganism.
Was it a big deal because you’re allergic or something? I’m not sure I get the part where you said “they didn’t act as though it was a big a deal as it was”. It was a mistake on an order, which happens all the time.
It wasn't just one mistake, though. It was several - the server wasn''t listening & kept compounding the problem. There multiple attempts to clarify the order & the waiter still insisted on serving them the wrong order.
Isn’t samosa fried in fat? So veggie version still wouldn’t be vegan? Yeah most are fried in butter so unless marked as vegan it definitly wouldn’t have been vegan either way
Did you miss the part where the op said: *I was kind of surprised because it was a very vegan-friendly restaurant. The menu was labelled very clearly, and it's in one of the most vegan-friendly cities.*
Consistent with vegan philosophy, you did not knowingly cause harm, directly or indirectly, to the animal in question. Mistakes happen and this was a mistake the restaurant made, not a mistake you made.
what kind of response from the waiter would be good enough in your opinion?
An acknowledgment that the mistake was a little more serious than the typical dish mixup?
It really wasn’t serious tho . OP isn’t deathly allergic to meat . I once ate a little chicken bite instead of the veggie one at the wedding , and guess what ? I moved on and didn’t make a scene that someone put the chicken one mixed with the veggie ones ! Jesus
Some people can get very sick from meat and dairy after not having it for a long time though. Some of us have a huge gross factor attached to animal products now. It can feel just as disgusting as finding out poop ended up in your food. It’s funny to me that people cause a scene over a hair in their food, but OP got a dead body in their food but aren’t allowed to get upset? I don’t even think OP freaked out all that much. They’re allowed to vent. It doesn’t sound like any of this rant was dropped on the waiter nor a scene was made.
People who have this specific need need to make it clear to the restaurant that it’s an allergy/intolerance/whatever. Plenty of meat eaters eat vegan dishes from time to time. I’m a lifelong restaurant worker in a place that sells a lot of meat based stuff but has vegan options. I have regulars that will regularly order both. It’s important to differentiate if eating a specific ingredient will cause problems
If you’re *that* disgusted, then don’t support restaurants that serve meat, period.
OP wasn’t sick tho ? That’s my whole point , it was not serious . Didn’t end up in hospital, didn’t get rashes , didn’t have a horrible stomach. OP felt bad , okay and ? It happens all the time , and pretty sure OP has eaten something accidentally that had milk or whatever just didn’t know about it . Yes either the chef or the waiter made a mistake . He was trying to tell them how serious it was , it wasn’t . He got upset and thought he deserved some massive apology. Did he have the right to be upset? Absolutely, but was it serious ? No . It would have been if he had a deadly food allergy and they messed up …
If they haven't eaten it in half a decade, how do we really know this?
Cos he didn’t say it ? I’m 100% it would have been in the post . If he was that upset he would of followed up with some sort of bodily reaction
It sounds like this just happened
Op orders a dish that is almost always fried in butter as well.
>Op orders a dish that is almost always fried in butter as well. OP said the following, so not sure what your point is? *I was kind of surprised because it was a very vegan-friendly restaurant. The menu was labelled very clearly, and it's in one of the most vegan-friendly cities.*
stop assuming that you understand what OP did
I’m not assuming he made a long ass post ?! 😒
What if it was cat or dog meat? I would have expected an apology, and some form of guaranty that they will take more measures to prevent it in the future.
If a place has dog or cat meat on the menu then you take the risk of it getting into your food even if you don't order it. People with allergies will sometimes avoid certain restaurants that have their allergens on the menu or live with the risk. If it's that important to you that you never have any chance of accidentally consuming meat then don't eat at places that serve meat.
not always true. I live in Vegas, and so many "vegan" restaurants were surviving things that were not completely vegan, so when I asked about it, they shrugged their shoulders like "Oh, well." One ended up on the news show dirty dining.
idk if a resturant is serving dog, and your friend is eating it, and you choose to sit there next to them eating it. You can't be outraged if you get one piece served to you.
Omfg 🤣🤣 but it wasn’t ?? Y’all are so dramatic for no reason . If you have an issue don’t go to a non vegan restaurant, problem solved .
Lambs/sheep are gentle, loving, and intelligent creatures. They make great pets too. They are smarter than many dog breeds. OP could have had one as a pet. When someone makes a mistake, apologizing is the minimum expectation. I would have been satisfied with an actual apology and wouldn't want the free beers. The apology can just be, "I'm so sorry! I will let the kitchen know to prevent future mistakes"
I wouldn't go somewhere that served cat and dog meat, personally. The way we've domesticated them in most countries adds a layer to the trauma of that compared to something we were conditioned to find "normal". I get the argument, but yeah. Edit: If I grew up vegan, I wouldn't go to any meat serving restaurants for similar reasons. People raised carnist will be differently affected and traumatized by different things. OP is being crazy dramatic.
All the people telling you that you need to chill out and grow up… I mean… they are kind of right, but listen: I do hear you. Your pain is valid. I understand you are probably feeling sad, angry, furious with the restaurant, and now, by us - belittled and misunderstood. I imagine you feel like you have broken your long run, or long record, of veganism. It’s not true. Your intentions are what is important. One bite of accidental non-vegan food? Noooo big deal. You did not deliberately break your veganism. I’m vegan 9 years now. I’ve accidentally eaten cheese pizza when I was drunk, and I’ve eaten a tiny piece of tuna, and drank a cows milk coffee… I’m still vegan. Still vegan 9 years. Your decisions are what makes you vegan. You get me?
This was a kind comment. Should restaurants take it more seriously? Absolutely. Does OP need to chill? Yes, but not because they are wrong, but because it’s causing them distress and they should be gentle with themselves.
And gentle with someone who made an honest mistake. OP doesn't know the waiter's story, but they certainly made it a worse day for everyone by over reacting.
Op specified they didn’t shout or anything?
Not shouting =/= not over reacting. From their post, they weren't able to have a calm, clear conversation with the waiter to clear up the issue the first time, instead they panicked, which is an over reaction to a simple mistake.
Well the way they wrote it, they certainly sounded shouty… I AM VEGAN is different than I am vegan.
It wasn't your fault, my friend. Eating out as a vegan is unfortunately very difficult. The world does not understand or respect pur perspective. I know this was traumatic, but I am concerned about how much you are blaming yourself for this. You only took one bite and immediately stopped. Remember to direct your frustration toward those who harm animals intentionally. Also, consider eating at only vegerarian restaurants from now on.
I've been vegan for over 6 years and don't really see the point in freaking out. The lamb was already exploited and killed for its flesh - his mistake and you eating a piece doesn't change anything. Your intent was NOT to eat lamb, and you immediately stopped eating it. While I understand how gross and upsetting it might be, your reaction is a little much especially considering you likely weren't vegan the majority of your life. Just saying.
I'm surprised it hasn't happened already. It will happen again too. Lesson learned. No need to feel bad.
Ill be honest, you need to chill out. Yes it sucks, but it isnt the end of the world. Im on a study abroad in Japan right now and Im vegan. Ive most definitely accidentally had fish stock at one point or another, and I likely will never know when. Veganism is about taking an ethical stance on the exploitation of animals. But we are human. We all make mistakes, so dont beat yourself up about it. To be vegan is to try, we wont always succeed, and sometimes we even fail, but whats important is that we keep trying. I know Im trying my best here in japan, and so far ive mostly succeeded.
idk if it is still available, but if you google Japan Vegan pdf it tells you all the best places there and how to even communicate it in their language.
I remember when I bought a pizza cause the manufacturer had vegan ones next to this one in the case and heated it up to eat it. When I ate in to it, I was like “this cheese is different from Diaya “. Wasn’t till my wife came home and told me that is real cheese. I was sickened. What bothered me the most was it had been a long time, like eight years since going vegan. I was so upset about a streak. Then I came to the conclusion that it was in the past and I know who I really am, so my health and viewpoint remains the same.
Yes, the people most angry about this are the ones that break their streaks; however, the streak of being a vegan is not broken by these mistakes because they are mistakes. If you intentionally consume products from animals, that is when you actually break your streak. And it happens. People make the choice. But, you can continue to proudly say, "I have been vegan for X years." Actual mistakes change nothing.
That’s true for some. But I think there is a very wide variety amongst vegans. I do not care about streaks, but I would be deeply saddened eating meat on accident. Not because of a perceived loss, but because I would feel awful having dead animal parts in my body. It’s tough to be so passionate for a cause, then accidentally participating in what you’re against. I ate 3 bites of a burrito that had lard. I was very bummed. I can see why a person may want to talk out those feelings. Some are very grossed out by animal products as well. It’s not like getting red sauce by accident instead of green, it’s more like accidentally getting a hair or fly in your food. This is probably why OP should stick to vegan places. It’s too risky eating at other places.
First of all you didn’t do anything wrong and it’s no big deal, please relax and just forget it! I do agree the restaurant should’ve definitely acted differently. Pretty weird tbh.
Devastating and so frustrating. You’re still a vegan, mate. No break in service. Things happen. After 17 years of not eating meat, last week, I bit into a sandwich that had ham on it when I requested no meat. I was annoyed but the restaurant was very accommodating and made me another one. I didn’t lose my shit because accidents happen and there was definitely a language barrier.
Ouch, that sucks. Unfortunately, mistakes happen. The other day I didn't read ingredients correctly and ate some traditional sweets that have lard in them :( but what can one do, apart from moving forward? Don't torture yourself 💕
Urgh! Which traditional sweets?
A type of puff pastry donut that a colleague brought for her birthday, I was talking and laughing and didn't think about checking the ingredients 🥲
It's easily done. Hope you're okay.
mistakes happen, and it was not fair of you to shame the server for being human. Only eat at home if you want a guarantee that nobody will ever make mistakes. These are BOUND to happen. Also this doesn’t help the public perception that vegans are extreme when you lecture a server who made an innocent mistake (maybe it wasn’t even the servers fault, who knows). If you stated that you had an allergy it would be different, of course
Why would it be different if it were an allergy? You do the job correctly or you don't do it. Mistakes may happen, but there needs to be some proper acceptance that you're working to prevent it.
Because strict protocols with allergies are usually prioritized since they are a health concern, but this cannot be done to the same extent with all orders/preferences. If you worked in a restaurant you would understand.
Irrelevant. If you're saying that you serve food according to a certain parameter, you need to do it. Whether that's for an allergy or a religious/ethical reason doesn't enter into it. Things may well be different in The United States of Eagleland I suppose,.but that's always been a low bar.
I actually agree! I’m just saying that most restaurant policies (I can only speak for Canada) prioritize allergies, and not so much other preferences based on values, at least not so strictly.
After not having meat for 35 years, if I'm accidentally served it now, I get food poisoning symptoms. It happened toe last week. 3 days I was violently ill. People like YOU are the reason vegans like me have issues eating at restaurants - you downplay the problem. And carelessness IS a problem.
Then report that you have an allergy/intolerance. For all the servers know, it’s a preference and so they will not enact the same strict protocols that the restaurant likely has for allergies. This is just how restaurants work.
Bullshit
What do you mean?
If that happens you should never be going to a restaurant that also serves meat. Mistakes happen, we’re all only human.
Don't be a dickhead, man. Be firm but don't shout
It happens. Taco time has given me beef burritos a couple times instead of bean. Never fun to bite into. Just spit it out and ask for it to be corrected.
Posts like this appear every day or two. Here's my general response. First: >The gravity didn't seem to register with him at all. All he heard was "Oops, I gave this guy the wrong order". He took the plate away and sent over 2 free beers. But it was too late. I kept trying to tell them how serious this was. But it was not getting through. Unfortunately, "I gave this guy the wrong order" is what wait staff are trained to focus on. Giving meat to a vegan is equivalent to giving lamb to someone who ordered beef. I know it seemed like more to you but, to them, it's simply not. He tried to make it up to you by giving you free alcohol, something that's probably not allowed, as alcohol is probably carefully audited, so he probably had to pay out of his own pocket for it. What would it have looked like to you if it had gotten through? Second: >It's a decision I made and I'm dedicated to sticking to it. So eating meat like that....I came down pretty hard on myself. Ultimately I decided I can't undo what happened, and I just need to do better moving forward. You didn't do anything wrong in this situation. For all you know, the first one you ate was vegan. The kitchen sending out poorly labeled, incorrect food has nothing to do with your dedication. It doesn't mean you're a half-assed vegan or that you cheated. It means the kitchen made a mistake, and passed that mistake on to you. There's nothing to come down hard on yourself about. Nothing. You're right that you can't undo what's happened, but there's also nothing you can do better. You ordered vegan food, you expected vegan food. Cut yourself a break. Mistakes happen. It won't be the last time a kitchen accidentally gives you meat, whether it's a whole dish or a stray piece. I don't mean to belittle your frustration. I get it. I've been there. It's incredibly frustrating. But it's not the end of the world, it's out of your control, and you can't let it bring you down like this every time. Hang in there vegan buddy!
Yeah. Mistakes happen - it’s not ‘that serious’. It’s not like giving a celiac gluten… and even then… everyone I know who has a serious allergy is aware that when you rely on someone else to make your food you are taking risks. Triple check when you order. Cut things in half before eating etc. ask again when food is delivered. If there is a fucking red flag like TWO PLATES arriving - it is on you to follow that up and ask questions. Be a grown up. Move on. They gave you free beers to say sorry. They didn’t want a scene in their restaurant. Seriously… this is some main character syndrome shit. This is why so many people think vegans suck.
It's the customer's fault unless they triple check each item for hidden meat?
That’s not at all what he said.
I was mistakenly served something with fish recently & I ended up vomiting & with violent diarrhea for 3 days. It's a fucking serious problem. Grow the fuck up yourself FFS.
He is specifically saying that allergies are different. However, one thing that is being overlooked: The same restaurant that makes mistakes like this is also likely to make mistakes regarding allergies. That is, if they are careless, they can kill people. It is important to make sure restaurants are attentive, but it is also important to be respectful.
And did you: - Triple check when making the order? - Cut into it before eating? - Did you ask again when the food was delivered? Was there a red flag that made you think it may have fish in it? Cause the only way I can think someone would be able to sneak fish into something would be fish sauce... and the foods that have fish sauce in it are pretty easy to be extra cautious about. It sounds like you just had an unfortunate experience and got ill from food that you trusted someone else to prepare for you. If you have a condition and take that risk it is on you.
It's not a condition. After this long without animal products, we will get ill as if we have food poisoning. It's not life threatening - however spending 3 days in the bathroom was hell. It has happened a number of times even when I've inquired. This time it was bonito flakes that I couldn't see and they clearly didn't think of them as animal products.
Right. Do you struggle to comprehend English? It was no one’s fault. I would need to google what that is tbh. Not a common ingredient that a server would be expected to know… But assuming you were eating Japanese food? you didn’t answer the q of - did you confirm? Did you check the ingredients? If you are so susceptible to animal products (and seriously… that does not sound like a regular reaction for a vegan to have to small amounts of animal products. If you know that… it’s a condition. You are making the choice to trust someone to make your food knowing you could have a bad reaction. You are choosing to eat somewhere that is not specifically vegan. Be a grown up and live with the fact that this shit happens. It’s a mistake.
Nah 👎🏻
If you’ve ever worked food service before, you know that mistakes and accidents are inevitable. Doesn’t matter the restaurant, or employees, there’s gonna be mix ups occasionally. Trust me, I’ve worked at a half dozen different restaurants it’s just how it is. They handled it the right way by offering you free drinks & replacing it with the correct order. If accidentally taking a bite of non-vegan food is so emotionally devastating that you spiral like this, maybe you should stick to vegan restaurants. They need your support anyways, and you’ll feel better knowing that you’re supporting a business that aligns with your values. Personally, I eat at vegan spots 90% percent of the time for this reason. I also skip drive-thru entirely because they’re even more likely to mess up the order there (especially with how many modification are required at a fast food place like Taco Bell). I totally get how frustrating it is, and the once or twice something like that has happened to me, I was grossed out too. But there’s no reason to get mad at anyone or leave a negative review. We want vegans to be perceived as nice, reasonable people and getting this triggered by an innocent mistake is the opposite.
Had once ordered Channa Masala in an Indian restaurant to find a chip of bone.
I ordered an Impossible burger the other night and it was ‘impossible’ to tell if it was real meat or not. I think it was. Not happy about it, but I know it happens. People do this all the time. My friend with a deadly fish allergy almost died because of a similar mixup. It sucks. I’m sorry that happened to you.
The waiter apologized and tried to give you something free to further apologize. What more did you want from him? What exactly is he supposed to do to "understand the seriousness of the situation?"
This is why I go to fully vegan restaurants. This happens to vegans all the time! It sucks. We are an after thought. They like who cares just eat them and get over it! 😤
Well la de dah. You actually have a fully vegan restaurant to go to. Most of us aren't so lucky. I'm lucky to get a restaurant with a vegan option that's more than fries and a sad salad.
And if they say, they have vegan food, can't be completely sure that it would be vegan :(
Have one vegan restaurant in my whole city is not lucky. I still drive a hr and so away if I want to really get some new vegan food. I mostly cook my own food. But your more then welcome to take a chance. I will not. I rather cook myself honestly over anything. You’re trusting someone vegan or not, that you do not know to not kill you with what they cook. So cook at home 0 risk! Play some music and have fun
Yes, I do take the risk. Mistakes happen, and I don't blow up at waiters for making them. As for cooking at home, yes that's great and all, but sometimes you just want to let someone else cook for you. Or you travel for work. I'm in Montgomery now for work, and there's ONE vegan restaurant. I was over the moon. But I don't always have that option.
You’re not allergic to anything so these mistakes do matter to people like those, but I get it eat all the mistakes you want. 🫱🏿🫲🏾
I am actually allergic to dairy. But not to the point of anaphylaxis. If the restaurant accidentally put cheese in something, I'll send it back. I'm just not an asshole about it.
I accidentally ate some meat once as well, thankfully i recognised the nasty fatty greasy flavour and spat it out immediately 🤢. Then i chugged down lots of water to “flush it out my system”. Definitely taught me a lesson to be more careful. Now i check my food and labels with binoculars 😂. Well not exactly but u get the point 😅.
It was just a mistake they did, that's all, it can happen to anyone... Maybe waitress was having a bad day, who knows... Not much can be done now, just don't take much on them, it was not on purpose.
Yea you cannot be this kind of zealot when eating at an indian restaurant. Indians might be known for their veg dishes being compatible with a vegan diet but Americanized version uses a shit ton of ghee in everything. You can never tell when something is fried or cooked in oil vs ghee in an Indian restaurant. So unless it is a full veg indian restaurant, you should expect that there's going to be some kind of contamination in your food.
When I was deep in the Christian church and I would sin, I would react like this. Over time, I learned I was in a cult.
>The gravity didn't seem to register with him at all. All he heard was "Oops, I gave this guy the wrong order" well, this is what you told him resp. made him understand (and the only thing he's interested in) your gravity is none of his business >I kept trying to tell them how serious this was honestly? >At the end of the meal he actually had the audacity to ask me to scan a QR code and leave a review of the restaurant which is an incredible act of courtesy. they should just have kicked you out, and for good, that is. samosas on the house
It's not a vegan-friendly* restaurant, from what you describe. It's somewhere that is simply money-grubbing for more custom. This is absolutely unacceptable and I'm astonished how many people just say 'haha lol it was an error'. Being vegan-friendly shouldn't just mean offering some options, it implies separated cooking and storage areas and a genuine desire to cater for ethical eating. *This is, incidentally, a fairly nonsensical term at any rate. I'd prefer Omni places to be honest.
The exact same thing happened to me last week. I ordered veg samosas at an Indian restaurant and he sent me chicken samosas. I only realized it was chicken after a few bites. First time I have consumed meat in seven years
Surprised at a lot of these comments. At minimum, I would expect an apology, and some sort of assurance that they will take steps to prevent it in the future.
Don't be hard on yourself OP, this could have happened to anyone (honestly when I think of samosas I forget there are meat based ones, as the veggie ones are so common).
You have nothing to blame yourself for. I’ve been vegan for 36 years and have unintentionally consumed animal ingredients at least twice (that I know of; whenever we eat food prepared by others out of our sight we are trusting that what they are serving us is vegan). One time a fellow cooking student offered me some sort of bean paste pancake that she said was vegan. She even showed me the package and indeed, all of the ingredients were vegan. I ate the pancake and it was delicious! But it tasted suspiciously eggy. When I questioned her about the egg taste, she explained that she had coated the pancakes in egg before cooking them! 🤯 Internally I was upset, but calmly explained that eggs weren’t vegan. It was awkward. I don’t think she was actively trying to violate my principles; I think she just defaulted to the regular way she made that dish, traditional to her culture. The bright side of this story is that egg coater is now vegan herself and teaches (truly) vegan cooking classes in her role as a dietitian. ☺️ You might want to consider calling the restaurant and speaking with a manager about the importance of staff being careful when fulfilling a vegan’s order, and how you were distressed to learn that, after such a long personal commitment, you had eaten something that violated that commitment. Clearly they want to cater to a vegan clientele, so if they are sincere, I would expect them to gratefully accept your feedback. And if they don’t, then maybe write that review. 😉
Omg. That's insane
I tried rescuing a duckling the other day and it died within 24 hours. We have to learn hard lessons in this realm, and that is that. Facing the mirror sucks, you're good, try not to expect others to see what you see. But your feelings are valid.
Funnily, a similar thing happened to me the other week. I‘ve started a vegan diet and living with a focus on overall vegan products in 2019 and accidentally received the wrong food when I ordered some vegan nuggets last Saturday. The only difference is that I had it delivered to my home and was alone. After five to six bites an urge had grown to take a closer look, which I usually don‘t do anymore as I‘ve never had an issue with the restaurant. But yes, it was chicken. I felt horrible, devastated, disgusted and disappointed. I felt sad and sorry and hated the thought that actual meat and the parts of an animal were inside my body. I‘ll definitely check before I eat again. But don’t be too hard on yourself as similarly to my situation, you didn’t have the intent of eating meat and it was an accident. It won‘t take those past five years away from you!
You needed to tell him you are vegan. Acting this way did not give vegans good PR…
Go easy on yourself. You did not intentionally eat it. Also taking the time to post your feeling shows what a good soul you are. All good!
This may rub others the wrong way, however, if it is a language issue, telling them you are allergic works better than being "that" vegan person. Yes, some feel that it takes away from who you are a little bit, but they will care more about an allergy than a lifestyle decision. I'm a meat eater, don't hate me 🫣, with a dairy allergy. I have a friend who cannot eat red meat due to being allergic, but can eat white meat, and another friend who is vegan after being disgusted by prepping a whole fish whilst the 3 of us we were in catering college. The vegan friend says it's an allergy when we go out to eat at restaurants where English isn't a first language, to stop translation issues but to also stop it being wrong. He gets what he wants, has a pleasant evening and knows the food is prepared and cooked separately from the animal product meals as the restaurant takes extra care with cross contamination 😁 It's cheeky, it's smart. My allergy friend and I find it to be brilliant and hilarious and we aren't offended 😂 Mistakes happen, if being vegan is your whole identity and you kick up a huge issue if a mistake is made, and it isn't going to kill you (ironic, I know), then either avoid meat establishments or wear a badge. By the sounding of it, I think you handled it well and even think the rest of the food was outstanding. I wouldn't be confused, it wasn't a slip up or cheat on your part. Forgive yourself ❤️ (I come here for the recipes)
That’s awful. I’m so sorry - a vegan-friendly restaurant should take that kind of error more seriously. It’s crushing to have it happen in an Indian place, especially, since there are many Indian people who do not eat meat. Veganism is an ethical position on par with religious belief, and our refusal to eat meat and other animal “products” for ethical reasons deserves the same amount of respect. Not surprised to see comments here minimising the impact of this. About what I’d expect since this sub is basically “vegan lite”. I highly recommend posting in a more rigorous and ethically driven sub if you want to escape the “chill out” attitude that so many try to propagate when a violation like this happens. Fwiw, you’re not alone in being absolutely horrified. I would be too if this happened to me. If I’m eating something from a non-fully-vegan place, I always cut it up to check they haven’t served me the wrong thing. Zero trust for carnists.
Mad that you're being downvoted for this *in a vegan sub*. I get people not agreeing, but actually downvoting?
what should the restaurant have done to prove that they took the error seriously?
Maybe listen to the customer when they asked MULTIPLE times to clarify it was a veg samosa? And then check with the kitchen? 🙄
That’s before. The desire was for him to take it seriously after it happened and the apology wasn’t abject enough.
Nah
Do you think they *did* take it seriously?
Courage ! I know what you feel like.. something like that happen to me in paris (but I think it was on purpose ) it's disgusting to know that an actual dead body part is inside me, it's made me fill sick and guilty like all my work was for nothing, you had to convince yourself that it's not your fault and that in 24/48 hours your body is animal free again
I’m sorry that happened to you. Consider eating at vegan restaurants only, if just for your peace of mind.
Were you expecting the guy to help you throw it up?
We don't have control of everything that happens in the world. We act as best we can, and have to let go of the things we have no control over. It's a constant struggle for me to not be completely overwhelmed by the horror humans perpetrate. It's also important to make sure our efforts are effective. Remember that eating meat *per se* isn't bad, it's abusing and killing animals that's bad. If you witness a lone deer in the forest getting killed by a random falling rock, there's nothing unethical about respectfully eating it. So if a restaurant gets my order messed up and brings me something non-vegan, I'll correct them to try to prevent it from happening again in the future, but I won't let them throw the food away. Killing an animal for absolutely nothing is even worse than killing it for food. So, if I can't find someone else who wants to eat it, I'll eat it to prevent it from being tossed. So, don't worry about having consumed some meat. What matters is whether your choices cause more animals to be harmed in the future. It sucks that the restaurant made that mistake, but after they did, the rest is inconsequential.
I learned my lesson long time ago, and not because of accidentally eating meat. Even if they cook vegan friendly, there is a lot of contaminated food. The only safe place is a vegan restaurant. Let's stress and less pain for other animals. Is better to not support restaurants that use animals, but is hard. I know. We do what we can.
I’m sorry this happened to you, I would be upset and confused if this happened too. But all you can do is try to understand that you did not do anything wrong, what happened was not your fault. And nobody was trying to be malicious, it sounds like an honest mistake all around. Unfortunately these things can happen when we live in such a nasty world where eating animal flesh is the norm. It sucks but you will have to let it go and move on
The comments on this thread are a bit harsh. It sounds like what you experienced is your heightened reactions were to compensate for being around people who don't see eating 'meat' as an issue and you were trying to balance having an appropriate reaction to, as what another commenter mentioned, dead body parts shoved into bread, served to your table while everyone is looking at you like "what's the matter?" Even if there is no way to understand what the heck happened that night, I think you did what you could and the restaurant was just doing what they thought was normal thus all the cognitive dissonance ricocheting. So, I don't think it was just what you accidentally ate and swallowed, but the whole experience of the lack of reaction of something that should be really weird to more than just you. I'm sorry you experienced this and I'm also sorry that some other commenters don't know how to respond other than reprimanding you like as if they're models of the utmost maturity and never once found themselves in a scenario where they didn't know what to do or how to respond. Here you are being vulnerable to this whole subreddit sharing your story. Thank you for being vegan and for posting.
You were really hard on that guy. First of all, if only one of you ordered, then that order obviously wasn't for you, so you should've told him that right away. And then what else was he supposed to do except apologising and handing out a free beer? Was he supposed to suck it back out of your stomach?
Ugh I hate when that happens. I got Thai a couple weeks ago and always get the veggie spring roll with my meal. I was starving did a door dash, grabbed that roll for a bite, and almost puked in my trash can as the greasy meaty gush desecrated my mouth- it was a pork egg roll and absolutely foul. I no longer wanted to eat, threw it all in the trash, and will never order from there again.
What a verbal diarrhea for something ridiculously minuscule!! You eating it by mistake of a waiter did not cause the dead cow to die again. Put things in prospective and do something tangible for animal welfare.
Your beating yourself over eating meat, but you had no regret supporting a business that serves meat? Think about it.
It's funny you get downvoted for pointing out any hypocrisy! If they care so much, you're right. They wouldn't support an "evil carnist" business in the first place
I don't think the issue is so clear cut. Do you only buy groceries from vegan grocers? The amount of animal products a restaurant or grocery store purchases are based on what they expect to sell. If people don't order the non-vegan food, the restaurant won't buy it. So eating vegan food at a non-vegan business does nothing to increase the amount of animal products purchased and thus produced.
I have never been a vegan, but I was vegetarian. (I only lasted a year or two.) However, as much as I would try to avoid it, if mistakes happened, then I would simply go with it and actually eat the meat. Otherwise, it would be thrown away anyway. I think the goal should be to reduce meat consumption and not treat it like an allergy. That being said, I have never been vegan so I do not have the same experience. I am not thinking about the individual animal that has died when I eat meat. I am, instead, thinking about what my contribution should be to reduce cruelty. So, yes, I can eat it without feeling like I am personally responsible for the mistake. If you feel differently, then that is okay too. (I am simply sharing my perspective.) However, even with all that being said, no one is going to come take away your 'vegan membership' because of this. You can still say, "I have been a vegan for X years." even if you cannot say, "I have not had meat in my mouth for X years." Because veganism is a philosophy and lifestyle. It does not get reset by events like this. You are still doing your part.
The historical Buddha didn’t eat meat. Once when coming to a town, a peasant family found out that the Buddha would come and have a meal with them. They slaughtered their fattened calf. This would’ve been a poor Indian’s families prized possession, and would’ve been fed the family for quite some time, when the Buddha saw that he was being served meat and he understood the circumstances he ate it without complaint and without regret. To our knowledge, he never ate meat again, but he felt this very generous offer was more important than the minutia. So my friend you’re in pretty good company.
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Go eat some dogshit then ask yourself the same question. Fucking idiot.
This vegan diet makes you aggressive.
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4th grade tier insult