Using Spanish To Complain About Thai

(I take a friend, her daughter, and her daughter’s friend to a Thai restaurant that friends and family have loved to go to for many years. I haven’t been there in many months, but I promise my friend great food. Unfortunately, I am very disappointed with my meal and she is with hers. The girls order from the kids menu, and I think they got better food than we did. I am really feeling bad about this and I’m not sure what to say. My friend and the girls are very obviously Hispanic, and a busboy, even more Hispanic looking, comes up to the table. He starts talking to my friend, and the following conversation ensues, loudly and in Spanish.)

Busboy: “How was your meal?”

Friend: “Not really so good.”

Busboy: “I’m not surprised. The place has really gone downhill recently. You should really try [Competing Thai Restaurant nearby].”

Friend: “Thanks. Maybe we will.”

Busboy: “I’m not going to stay here much longer. They don’t treat staff very well.”

(I was a bit taken aback by the bluntness of the conversation, and glanced around. It seemed I was the only non-Hispanic in the room who knew what they were saying. Since I look as gringo as they come, the busboy might have either figured I didn’t know Spanish or that my Latina friend trusted me enough. Either way, the conversation made me chuckle later, and I figured that the restaurant would figure out their own mistakes when the books began to run in the red.)