When Eater SF reported this week that Valencia Street Yucatecan restaurant Mi Lindo Yucatan is officially donezo, one memory came flooding back.
One Cinco de Mayo about five or so years ago, me and a couple friends and a girl I was dating decided to start our night with dinner here. We arrived early, were the first group seated, placed our order.
After a while, we realized we’d been waiting a while, but we were having a good time and kept waiting. After an hour, we started to grow grumpy, particularly after we noticed that the tables around us — groups that had been seated well after us — were getting their entrees, and we were still foodless.
At this point, we inquired as to our food’s whereabouts. Server made a holy-smokes face, ran back to the kitchen, and returned to tell us she’d forgotten to put our order in, but that it was in now and would be out shortly. She was very apologetic, but we talked it over and decided we had places to be and would wait no further.
We got up to leave, and when we were halfway out the door the owner or manager or something runs up on us, pleading, “Please, please, we are all very sorry; please stay and your dinner will be free of charge.”
Perhaps out of pride or something we said thanks but no thanks and exited. One of us even relayed the story to another group now on its way in, convincing them to rethink their dinner plans as well.
Now I feel bad. Had we stayed and paid our tab or at least not made a scene, might MLY still be in business today?
But seriously, in this economy it does seem dumb to have turned down a free meal. Did we do the right thing?
