Unfiltered Story #342759

I was at a small barbecue restaurant – so small that you ordered your food at the window and either took it home or sat at one of the 4 or 5 tables on the deck. I was chatting with the owner while my take out order was being assembled in the back. When the telephone rang, he reached out his arm to answer it. The caller had heard they served some of the best barbecue around and had a few questions:
– How late was the restaurant open?
– Did she need to make reservations?
Her next comment made it clear she had no idea what “barbecue” means: “When we order our food, can you make it fresh?”
“Ma’am? I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
“When we place our order, can you start cooking it after we order, so we get a fresh meal? We don’t want to eat whatever’s left from the day before.”
I was fascinated because, although he was visibly shaking with laughter, he managed to keep his voice steady while he went into a thorough, but succinct, description of how barbecue is made.
“No, that’s not what I want. I want you to make it, fresh, after we’ve told you what we want.”
“Ma’am, I’m afraid that’s just not possible. We can serve the food that’s already been prepared, but if you want us to ‘cook it to order’, you’ll have to come back and pick it up the next day.”
After telling him he obviously didn’t know what he was doing and threatening to report him to the health department, she hung up.