Annoying experience at Legal Seafoods

[Cachetes]

We ended up at Legal Seafoods in front of the aquarium with out of town guests this weekend. Regardless of the relative merits about the quality of the food (some dishes seemed fine [esp. the kids meal of marinated salmon, which my 3 year old gobbled up] some bland and boring [grilled shrimp]), I had a service experience that makes me wonder if I'll ever return to the restaurant or any of its branches.

We were asked before we even ordered if any of us had allergies. I offhandedly mentioned that I can't eat mollusks (rash on face and inside mouth if I do, mild wheezing). The server perked right up and had to plug it into some handheld device he had, and then stated that he needed to let the manager know. He then rushed off. Uh, ok.

When he returned, he started in on me about what exactly I can't eat and letting me know that mollusks are cooked in the fryolator. And this is not a simple, easy discussion, but he had to query me in depth. He then took the apps order, which was a crab dip and raw oysters for my husband. He asked "So you are not going to have the oysters, right?" I just said, "No, no I'm not." He left, and then returned a few minutes later to take our lunch order. Yet again, as I ordered my grilled shrimp and my husband ordered scallops, he launched in, ensuring that I would not eat the scallops. By this time, I just wanted to scream, "Yes, I know! I am almost 40, I can figure out what to eat and what not to eat!" When he returned with the oysters, he stated (yes, you guessed it), "These are only for him, right?" I simply said "Yes", hoping for his quick exit.

When our lunches arrived, everyone received their order except me. Then, not the waiter but the MANAGER appears, and in a flourish hand delivered my dish personally to ensure that it went to the proper person. I looked at my chest at that point to see if I had a crimson A attached there.

I understand that they have probably had problems in the past with people having reactions to food and then blaming it on the restaurant. But I also believe that making my food senstitivies a center of discussion at meals is rude and boring to the other diners, so I long ago learned to order quietly and discuss it with my companions only if they asked me about why I wasn't eating a certain dish. In the future, if I do end up at Legal, I'll definitely keep my mouth shut if they ask about allergies.

Has any one else had this experience there? I wasn't insulted or anything like that, but I did feel a bit put on the spot while I was there. Not a comfortable dining experience.

[kobuta]

Was their constant asking an annoyance, sure? It may be because of a recent incident, pending lawsuit, or just new training to the manager and staff, so they are still learning the appropriate way to handle this with customers.

From an opposite perspective, I have a co-worker who has a deadly allergy to all things seafood. And when she had a recent dinner event with friends (one was moving away), they stupidly chose Legal Seafoods (my coworker was too polite to make a fuss). She had to make sure the waitstaff understood that she couldn't even tolerate foods that had been on the same surface as other seafoods. They were perfectly accomodating (and a manager also came out to deliver her dish and assure that it had been prepared to her wishes) and of course, she survived the evening.

So heavy-handed? Yes, but there are some people who are that allergic, and I wouldn't doubt that customers who don't take the care to ask the right questions beforehand have probably taken just as heavy a hand to accuse them of neglect.

[BackBayGirl]

I don't think Cachetes perspective was that is was bad that they kept asking, it was just that they were doing so in a non-discreet manner. It's one thing to repeat to the customer over and over in a more discreet manner, but to announce to the entire table and to make a huge show out of it is a bit ridiculous. Like someone said in their post about Sel De La Terre...the way they handled that person's allergy was more discreet yet very sure to let the customer, waitstaff and chefs know without having everyone else in the restaurant hear about it.

[aadesmd]

Although I'm sure this probably ruined your meal, as it would have mine, the downside risk for the restaurant is huge. Since LSF was made aware of a food allergy, they have to treat it as if the result were anaphylactic shock, and possibly death. I think that they must have had a lawsuit recently, or this is demanded by their insurer.

In a hospital, patients are asked repeated what they are allergic to, and sometimes go without the preferred medication because they construe allergy to be the same as feeling nauseated, etc.

I don't blame the restaurant on this one. They are caught between hell and hell.

[AnnieP]

Yes, this thread is interesting. My teenage daughter has a fish allergy that was diagnosed several years ago. She has never had anaphylaxis, but certainly could. I understand both perspectives on this one, but she, at any age, would be mortified and leave if a restaurant treated her that way, regardless of the liability involved. Interestingly, the only time she has had problems since it was diagnosed was at Asian restaurants (cross-contamination w/cooking utensils and hidden fish sauce most likely culprits). However, this summer, at the Cape, twice she broke out in hives after eating hot dogs and pasta at Arnold's, presumably because they grill fish and hot dogs on the same grill. A good wake up call for us, as it's easy to become lax in between episodes. Ironically, Legal was one of her favorite places to eat when she was younger, as we used to get her the fish-shaped ravioli and salad from the kids' menu. Haven't been there in several years, and now that I've read this, probably won't be.

[yummy2184]

i agree. there is a fine line between being sensitive about allergies and sensitive about service. One would figure in this day and age if you had a serious enough allergy that cross contamination from the fryer might be a concern that the dinner would raise the concern...
but as a server in a restaurant that takes allergies seriously (not to the same annoyance level that Cachetes...) it can be frustrating to find out that someone is allergic to something that he or she can now taste but has been consuming in previous courses unaware.

while the server at legals sounded a little bit like an overprotective mother imagine the relief you would have felt had your allergy been literally life threatening and they handled it so carefully...

[SeaSide Tomato]

Jeepers, If they are that concerned, they could get another fryolater for non-seafood frying. Nice that they are concerned, but if you're going to be that concerned, act on it with extra fryolater.

[Bob Dobalina]

Blame their lawyers.

[pondrat]

Yes, in our litigious society they take the name "Legal" quite literally these days ! I've also seen the whole staff go into action with an EpiPen and hospital code red when an ordering accident was made...After that I better understand why they repeatedly ask the questions at the beginning...But sensitivity and privacy should be key.

Just reading restauranteur Danny Meyer's book "Setting the Table" focusing on the customer as the center of the universe...a must read for foodies and marketers alike. see: http://tinyurl.com/5h6t5j

[BackBayGirl]

Yep, actually a couple of weeks ago at the same location. I went in for lunch. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich (which sucked by the way) and was told that the fries were being fried in the same oil as shellfish. So I said, "well, if they can fry them separately, I would like to have fries, but if not, I can just get something else" So I basically got a soggy grilled chicken w/ a sad excuse for a tomato and lettuce, mayo-ey coleslaw and nothing else. It was expensive for such a poor excuse for lunch. My sister got a caesar salad and it was DRENCHED in dressing...it was totally white...you could see no green from the salad. Gross. And yes, they made a big thing about me having the allergy---not as over the top as they did w/ you. On one hand, I appreciate them checking, but as you say, you can always take someone aside and not make it a huge deal so everyone has to hear about it. I just think in general Legals has gone way downhill unfortunately. I won't be going back anytime soon. We were wishing we'd just brought our own sandwiches and had a picnic outside than to have eaten there.

[BostonZest]

it sounds as if it was very heavy handed. I'll contrast that on Saturday at Sel de la Terre, I asked for a slight change in a dish because of a food sensititivity. The bartender checked, told me the chef's suggestion, I agreed.

The staff member who delivered my plate did quietly confirm the change as he set the dish down. For that, I was grateful because I didn't have to wonder if I had exactly what I ordered. But, no fuss was made about it.