Mexican Food

Dear Diary,

There are many different types of restaurants out there. A person can simply travel to their local mall and have food from any region in the world within one parking lot. No need to buy a plane ticket to Japan to have sushi, or sail to Italy to have lasagna with garlic bread.

As I have said earlier, I have worked in many types of restaurants. I’ve served: Pasta, Salad, Pizza, Burgers, Sushi, Fish, Steaks, Ribs, Shrimp, Chicken, Soups, Cornbread, everything. From fine dining to casual bars; from Italy to Japan; I have done it all. But no matter what type of restaurant you visit, and no matter what the décor is, and no matter what the menu has on it, you are eating Mexican Food.

And I mean authentic Mexican Food, right from the border! These guys still have salt water in their ears! I jest. But on a more serious note, I don’t know why it’s usually only Mexican Employees in the back cooking up a storm. Maybe it’s because no one else will do such hard labor for the pay it comes with. Who knows? I don’t even know how much a “Back of the House” employee makes. Maybe it is worth it, and we just don’t know it!

Now, I’m not a racist or anything (I discriminate against everyone, regardless of your race), I’m just stating the facts. Another fact is: I always have a problem with at least one person on the kitchen staff. Maybe it’s the communication problem. There is a huge language barrier, which I can’t stand and have no tolerance for. I think it is so funny when a fellow server tells the kitchen staff that their food was made wrong and asks them to fix it. Then all they do is stand there and look confused; like a monkey scratching his head.

How can someone not get upset? My job as a server is to take my table’s order and “ring” it into the computer accurately. Then the computer “sends” the order to the kitchen for them to make; via little white tickets which says the food item and the various modifications for each one. For example: a Cheeseburger with NO Onions. So you can understand how I might get upset when you throw the burger at me covered in onions. Sometimes, yes, I will admit, I may “ring” in the order incorrectly, but if that’s the case, I won’t get too upset.

So if the “amigos” in the kitchen make the order wrong, now, it’s going to take longer for them to re-make it. Usually a guest at a restaurant doesn’t understand this concept; but your server doesn’t make your food. And if something goes wrong, it’s going to take some time to fix. Oh, and by the way, look around; you aren’t the only people in the restaurant. But of course, if there is a “problema” in the kitchen, and the food takes too long, then there goes my tip.

I love it when the managers tell me I need to be “nicer” and “not yell” at them, like it’s my fault they don’t speak English too well, and I should be the one to be more understanding. I need to understand? Then they themselves bring in a translator to communicate with them. Yea, “Irony, Party of 1, your table is now ready.”

Now, it’s not all the guys from Costa-Guata-Mexi-Rico that are bad. I mean, there are a few who are cool. They always make me laugh! Mexicans are funny! Plus, I’ve learned a lot of Spanish working in restaurants over the years. My high school Spanish teacher would be very proud. “Necesito mas papas por favor!”

So the next time you are dinning out at your local Burger Joint for some good ol’ Mexican Cuisine, and you notice that your entrées may be taking a little longer, or you see there are onions on your “hamburguesa” remember, it may not be your server’s fault. So don’t punish them for trying to learn a second language. If you understand, you just might get, “servicio con una sonrisa!”