Woman says she was shamed by a restaurant server for ordering a soup and a salad

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases

Get our food and drink newsletter for free

A woman has sparked a debate about restaurant etiquette after claiming that her server shamed her for ordering a soup and a salad.

In a viral video posted to TikTok, user @ashleymkenney shared footage of her recent solo dining experience. The woman, who goes by Ash on the platform, filmed the food she’d ordered – a soup and a half eaten salad – on her table, placed next to her beverage and some complimentary bread.

However, it appeared that the runner who had brought her the food was confused by the size of her order, considering Ash was dining alone.

“Imagine you get a soup and salad and the food runner says, ‘These are both for you? You’re going to finish them both?’” she wrote over the video. “What do I say when she brings me out my 16oz steak…”

In her caption, the TikToker clarified that the restaurant worker was “very sweet” and seemingly didn’t realise how her comment had come across. “To be clear, she was very sweet. I don’t think she meant anything bad by it, but it did not translate well lol,” Ash captioned the post, adding: “And I didn’t even order the bread, they just bring it over!”

Since it was posted earlier this week, the woman’s video has received 258k views on TikTok. In the comments section, many people in the comments section took the opportunity to share some of the shocking comments they’ve received from restaurant staff.

“I had a tomato bisque and grilled cheese. The waiter came back and said, ‘WOW! You ate it all. You must have been hungry!’” one woman commented under the video. “Used to be my favorite restaurant. Haven’t been since.”

“When I was 13 I ate all the food on my plate at a restaurant and the waitress was like, ‘You really ate all that?? I could never eat that much,’” another person revealed. “HUH??”

Others agreed that no one should comment on how much food someone eats, especially in a restaurant, like one person who said: “I really feel like it should be an unspoken rule in any sort of restaurant to not comment on how much someone is eating. It’s so strange!”

Nevertheless, fellow food service workers assured Ash that not all people in the restaurant industry make negative remarks about a customer’s order.

“I work at Olive Garden and we have unlimited soup and salad and one time I had a man eat seven bowls of soup,” said one restaurant worker. “Girl, you’re good.”

“Oof. I’m a server and I specifically don’t make any comments on people’s choices or sizes or anything,” another maintained. “Not nice.”

“I’m so sorry,” a third person said. “As a server, I would literally never say anything but enjoy.”

Most recently, another woman sparked a viral debate on TikTok when she questioned why adults can’t order off the children’s menu at a restaurant. “Is it illegal to order off the kid’s menu as an adult?” asked Vanessa von Schwarz in a video posted on 16 March.

In the video, she explained she was on a trip to Japan and ordered room service, which came from the children’s menu. But when someone came to her room to drop off her pizza, she said the hotel employee immediately questioned where the child was. “I’m in Japan right now, and I just ordered room service,” she said. “And the girl who brought it to my room, opens the door and she’s like, ‘Where’s the kid?’”

Schwarz asked: “Is it really bad if I order some chicken nuggets and, like, a pizza? Like, a kid’s pizza and french fries?” She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, and attempted to show her exasperation. “Let me enjoy my kids’ meal in peace!” she added.

The TikToker further expressed her feelings in the caption, writing: “I feel judged.”