Diners from Hell

Restaurateurs and chefs love and appreciate their customers— except some.

Chef	“I Hate Customers Who…”	“Why the Hatred Is Warranted”
Dave Haggerty Chef/Owner Café Mirage 531 N Main St, Port Chester (914) 937-3497	“Fake allergies. If you don’t want onions in your meal, just say you don’t want them instead of pretending to be allergic. Someone once said he was allergic to salt, which is pretty impossible.”	“Tell us straight out. It’s not a problem. Don’t make an issue out of it. That can be annoying.”
Joel Huchet Chef/Owner Jackie’s Bistro 434 White Plains Rd Eastchester (914) 337-8447	“Will say a well-known dish is prepared incorrectly. It happened with our coq au vin.”	“It is offensive. The way it’s prepared is not up for debate.”
Matthew Karp Chef/Co-Owner Plates 12 Myrtle Blvd Larchmont (914) 834-1244	“Are lead astray by their GPS and call in the middle of service—lost and late. Then they proceed to get angry at us when we can’t give them directions!”	“If they don’t know where they are exactly, how are we supposed to help them?”
Dan Maffucci Head Chef 12 Grapes 12 N Division St, Peekskill (914) 737-6624	“Harass my front staff—whether it’s snapping their fingers to get their attention or complaining about the menu. I’ve even seen some members of my team cry. They’re there doing a demanding job and then, on top of that, they have to deal with difficult guests.”	“Everyone makes mistakes now and then, but that doesn’t make it right for a customer to be rude or arrogant.”
Jimmy Resulbego Chef/Owner Il Sogno Ristorante 316 Boston Post Rd Port Chester (914) 937-7200	“Request a quiet table on a Saturday night. If you have a private room maybe, but in the dining room?”	“We try our best, but we cannot guarantee a certain level of quiet.”
Wayne Ye Sushi Chef Blue Asian Fusion Restaurant 15 E Main St, Mount Kisco (914) 666-3688	“Come in when it’s busy and try to make us hurry their specific orders.”	“We’re busy for everyone, not just them.”