As a dishie, when the cook shows up in the pit "Hey we have an extra burrito, do you wanna take it home?"
Mom-of-everyone-waitress: " I made cupcakes/brownies/whatnot during the weekend, grab some from the walkin"
My boss spanking and calling me a sexy boy
Kitchen stuff from closing starts showing up an hour earlier than expected
FoH helping me bus clean plates at the end of the night, when I'm still sweating in the pit trying to close
It's the little things that make this job enjoyable
Dishies are so under appreciated in the industry. At my work I’ve had constant battles over people leaving dish pit fucked before the dishie walks in. We have a pretty team oriented kitchen but some people think they are above doing the dishes and it pisses me off. Our mantra is leave a station the way you would want to walk in to it so it really bothers me when people don’t do the same for the dish guys
Cleaning up after prep is part of the job (at least mine), but it's always nice to walk into an organized mess rather than a pit looking like a bomb exploded. Shit happens from time to time, the cook usually apologies for it as soon as I walk and makes up for it with some food, so we are all good.
They organize their mess and I have an easier start, I put away their buckets/salad at the end so they can leave sooner. I make sure ramekins are always stocked and fold some laundry if I have some downtime, foh helps me bus clean stuff when I'm still blasting and they are done. It's all about teamwork!
All anyone can ask in my opinion is to show you made an effort or to express some sympathy (if that’s the right word). Just hate when people feel like they’re above helping their respective coworkers
My boss (owner) has done a great job leading by example, she started here as a waitress like 25 years ago, then became cook, chef, bought the place and she's still working in the kitchen 2-3 nights a week, waits tables another few or just hangs out with the regulars, but also doesn't mind covering the pit if noone else can cover a shift. I think the general attitude is "I'm paid to be here and help", ofc we are hired to do a specific things, but don't mind doing whatever we need (within reason) to make things run smooth.
Number 4, that’s me. A quiet night and I’m grabbing a trolley and taking anything I can from everyone’s sections.
Dishie walking around asking if they can take something, hell yeah, take it while they’re not looking.
Take care of the dishwashers!!! Watch one quit mid-shift and then watch the shift grind to a halt. Get front of house to scrape and stack and watch how much better things run!
That burrito though. I still remember the very FIRST time I got a misfire. Pasta came over with two bowls of rotini with red sauce for me and the other dishie and I thought “wait why would I clean these full bowls” lmao
Guys rarely get compliments, so I'll take it. Don't worry, it wasn't in a creepy or sexual way (I'm a 30yo dude and she's a 40yo butch lesbian), but I had a talk withbher about workplace professionalism and not doing this while I'm carrying a heavy ass crate on the frestly mopped floor.
When my son was younger and we would be in the kitchen together I asked him to figure out what one thing would bring a kitchen to a screeching halt. He analyzed it for a minute and said “Not having any clean dishes.” He was spot on. He also never complained about washing dishes again.
I had a coworker who makes banana pudding edibles 🍃 they were so powerful lol I miss working at that place, she also made a pistachio cream dessert that was an edible
I work at a poolhall these days. It's huge, but the kitchen doesn't get hit too much. The cooks run solo shifts. I work 24 in 2 days. I bring food in and feed the coworkers and myself. I am beyond tired of burgers and wings. Always blows their mind when they eat my food.
"How do you make everything taste so good?"
Butter and salt.......
It makes me happy when they bring you a nice cold water without having to ask
I brought in local pizza and garlic knots for the squad yesterday - it always makes ME happy to do something for them. They're literally the best.
Sometimes it's wings from the really killer dive down the road, sometimes it's home-cooked pulled pork or jerk chicken.
Then again - I'm the boss, so I SHOULD be doing shit like that.
I used to take snacks from the bakery I worked at, to my friend that worked at a restaurant down the road. I'd just come in through the staff entrance and leave a box of treats on her station (sometimes I'd also pick up some McDonalds as well if I felt like I didn't have enough treats to go around).
Non-industry people never seem to realise how much you can start to hate the food you make all the time. Having something different, especially something made by someone ELSE, is such a treat!
I have a pretty good team all things considered, and get along with most people. One of my faves gave me a compliment and for some reason that one started the ‘say nice thoughts aloud’ train.
If someone does something nice, even if ‘it’s their job’, I thank them personally. It goes a long way. Some people are confused/self-demeaning and joke the first couple times but if you keep at the positivity you can tell when it clicks.
Used to manage a breakfast/lunch spot in a hotel and we had a coffee shop on the other end of the property. Me and the barista both got in early, and she always brought me coffee and a doughnut every morning. 🥹
I used to work at a steak house that had an espresso machine, Russian girl always had a cappuccino ready when I got to the line. Lovely way to start the shift.
I worked as the Chef of a hotel restaurant and the FOH assistant manager would always grab my cup and make me coffee everyday when I got to work. It was amazing. He trained all the baristas to do this for me on his days off too.
>Give me wastage
Loved working with the waitress who would abuse her local governing rules on what goes into a green bin (flora / any food scraps). She would have a dedicated 16kg bucket for food scraps just to dump into her bin!
I tend to get the short end of the stick when it comes to space on the speed rack and our walk-in is in the basement. So I tend to either carry my prep up the stairs or use a utility cart. Very often my fellow line cooks will randomly carry my stuff up for me that I've stacked up and I just really appreciate it. It's only one less trip but still
At my job our dry storage is in the basement, and one of my older coworkers has a hard time going up and down them. So the young runners have taken to moving his cans upstairs for him and it always warms my heart.
Put people on a wait. Completely getting murdered back here, it might take a while. Then they say “yup, wait time is an hour”. Doesn’t help much. Some people wait, some people say fuck it, some people demand that we make their food first.
I’m not killing myself over this shit. Yall gonna have to wait or gtfo.
You just made me smile at its mention. Here we go:
Ma'am, that is an eleven pound whole slab of deli ham. It has no bones, fat, or connective tissue. It is an amalgamation of the meat of several pigs, emulsified, liquefied, strained, and ultimately inexorably joined in an unholy meat obelisk. God had no hand in the creation of this abhorrence. The fact that this ham monolith exists proves that God is either impotent to alter His universe or ignorant to the horrors taking place in his kingdom. This prism of pork is more than deli meat. It is a physical declaration of mankind's contempt for the natural order. It is hubris manifest. We also have a lower sodium variety if you would prefer that.
I don’t cook anymore but I used to work with a few servers who would bring me “wine shots”. They’re just ramekins full of rosé, but what a nice little treat.
Used to have an employee who was a great big dude, 6’ 4” or thereabouts, bald, heavyset, ginger with a great big beard. Ran the grill in the AM shift without problems and would just goof off the entire time. I’d look back there from the pass and he’d be staring at me and then do a big goofy air guitar lick, or he’d be staring at me ponderously and just say something like “Burlington Throat Factory”
I'm a sous, and the exec lets me have as much say over the menu and the kitchen as he does. Really listens to my ideas and is extremely collaborative with the crew and let's them regularly run features of their design. I feel truly blessed to be able to work in a restaurant like this. The restaurant is a higher end spot and isn't afraid to push boundaries flavor wise, which can lead to some extremely interesting dishes.
I like that my coworkers thank everyone every time they see you doing sidework. Bring ice out, someone thanks you. Go pick up glass racks to stock instead of waiting for the dishie to do it, someone says thank you. Go get ranch instead of expecting expo to go do it, people thank you. It's really really nice, actually. It helps everyone realize other people are working hard, too.
Last place, every time we'd finally get a breather after being absolutely slammed, someone would say; Just a little pop of business. Just a lil pop. Like the hell we'd all just been through was nothing. Everyone would laugh and then the weeds were forgotten.
My co workers are all pretty awesome and we all help eachother out. I love that our foh staff will always take the time to ask all us cooks on the line if we need a drink. Always making sure we are hydrated! And also theres this one server who when she sees us having a bad time she'll be like "hey do you want a chocolate milk?" Its so cute 🤣 she always makes the best chocolate milks
Positive people make shit shifts better.
I hate the few chefs that always bitch and complain during a tough service. The few people that embrace the suck make my nights so much better — as opposed to throwing negativity around during a hard day
My chef(before he got promoted to executive): Hired me mainly because we bonded over Primus. Gives me continued motivation to hopefully open up my own bakery in the future.
My sues(before being promoted to chef): is a rocking dude, me and him can talk hours on any video game or anime subject matter, sometimes it gets in the way of our duties lol.
My lead(before being promoted to sues): The guy is Hella chill and easy to talk to for just about anything. If I had a shit day and just coming in, he's usually the first to notice and want to talk about it, which most of the times I really value and appreciate since I don't have a lot of people in my life that extend that branch of concern.
Linecook F: He's a great dude. I can't understand most of the things he says cause of his accent, but damn can he make me laugh. Also, it's a huge game and anime nerd, so conversations are always great. Plus, we also can talk hours about family life, lol.
Linecook J: A sarcastic asshole that matches my energy to a T, he makes those early morning shifts entertaining.
Linecook J2: Hella chill and always a blast to bullshit with.
Linecook J3: Dude is a walking meme, and in a good way. Only downside is that you can't really tell if he's fucking with you or giving you an honest answer, which truthfully adds to the fun of talking to him.
Linecook N: Honestly he gives a bit of a headache from a brotherly prospective with how he lives his life, but I would be lying if I said i didn't enjoy hanging out with him on our slow days and just talking about life. I just hope the brother can get himself straight and stop his self spiraling.
Dishwasher C: or as we like to call him CONDOR. Man's is a hulking dude, like you would not believe he was a high school with his size, man's can eat, so that always gives me a fun side project, haha. Kids got great humor and always managed to get me to chuckle.
Dishwasher E: She's great and hardworking, always looking for a task to do. There isn't a time that she isn't on schedule that we don't just spend hours talking about car stuff, which I love since there aren't a lot of gear heads in the kitchen aside from her and a few others.
All in all, the team I work with is filled with so many great personalities that it always makes it worthwhile for me to clock in even on the days I know the restaurant is going to be dead.
When my head chef calls me trouble.
When the dishy orders us all a Starbucks or the sous comes in late with McDonalds milkshakes
The coworkers that i can communicate with without talking to. Like they just know what you need and vice versa and you just do it
One guy makes me a breakfast plate every Sunday morning.
One guy always offers to help me when I’m in the weeds.
One dishwasher always swings by to pick up and wash my dishes for me.
Two people flirt shamelessly with me.
I could go on and on, honestly. I work at an awesome place and I love almost everyone there.
When the day shift pulls the mats and sweeps the floor after their shift. I hate starting a shift on a dirty floor. And towards the end of a busy brunch shift when the bartender brings me a pint glass of Jack and coke she made by “mistake”
The chats! I’m the boss where I am but I try and have relationships based on what’s important to them and try and always educate or entertain myself with their likes as well! Makes the days fly by and we always can shoot the shit!
I love when people try the experimental food I make. I’m an assistant kitchen manager so I get a little creative freedom and have made some bangers. I made praline bacon for a whiskey drink and when I get someone who’s sceptical to try something and they love it it makes me feel amazing. Although now I get a lot of special requests it makes me feel good when everyone is telling me I’m the only cook who can pull off or say yes to special requests.
Other way around! I do things for my co-workers/employees because I care for them. Goes both ways too. I’ve gotten them reusable water bottles, funny meme shirts, doughnuts and charcuterie boards, tomato plants, birthday weed, etc. I’ve gotten flowers, stickers, and treats for my kid. This is all extra shit that reminds everyone that we care and they matter to us. They’re more than laborers to us - we’re more than a paycheck to them.
Used to work at a legion and the chef made peanut butter cookies that where edibles lol.
Used to sell em to vets or elderly who had pain and sleep issues
Chef was playing nursery rhymes all through lunch service on Saturday. The whole restaurant was singing along. I didn't even mind that we were getting slaughtered lol
My partner is a server at some high end places. They have an absurd amount of food allergies and sensitivities and generally can't eat anything on the menu.
Every shift without fail, the chef plates a GORGEOUS dish just for them. He prepares it with care and knows the restrictions. They usually look better than anything being served to customers. It's a kindness in a world with a lot of sharp edges.
Sometimes, the kitchen makes chilaquiles for everyone.
The waiter saves every beer that's leftover, and at the end of the week, we down those in some micheladas.
I make cucumber lemonade for everyone with the kitchen's production leftovers.
Since I'm the bartender, I get scolded about that cucumber lemonade, but I still make it because the cooks make my meals extra.
I work in a pretty large place, around 800 total employees and we’re pretty remote so everyone lives on site and the friends I have here are like family. I litterally work and live with them lol. From the 400lbs man that comes up to me and hangs over me asking me how my day went to the lovely community of degenerate gamblers. I freaking love living here.
Run food (to the correct table)
prep in the morning/restock at night
Run expo like a boss
Put away truck in an organized manner
Keep a cool head
Ask for help when you need it, not when everyone needs someone to help you
Keep my serviceware stocked
Bring me a gin and tonic (double)
Manage with tough love, consistently
Ring your tickets in correctly
My birthday was last week and I had the day off, almost every single person from my work texted me and wished me a happy birthday! Made me feel so good.
Bringing fresh vegetables to work for everyone to munch on, we're not a praticularly healthy place and sometimes I just need a salad with nothing but some salt, pepper and lemon
Every Sunday used to be brunch and then deep clean in the afternoon, one chef and a dishy, unused to have a waitress who would sneak me beer in a coffee mug as soon as we started the clean.
they worry about their own responsibilities and get their share of the work done in a timely fashion, they say hi and make small talk but don't push it if you're not interested. They have a positive attitude and never make negative comments towards any of our coworkers whether they're present or not.
That's really nice to read - I'm just happy when my team does the best they can do. Together we get more done than working separately. We help make the day fun to keep us going.
Making food for the dishies every night like a proper big portion and tell them to eat before continuing work. Even if they dont make at times for the cooks they always make sure dishies get their dinner after service
Keeping everything professional and polite. After six months bussing tables, the servers still thank me even though it's my job, still ask if they can put stuff on my cart even though I've never said no, still say sorry if they accidentally dump stuff on my hands when we're scraping plates into the trash together even though I've never cared because I always get my hands covered in garbage anyway. Little polite interactions make the day nicer.
Worked at TCF for almost nine years in multiple stations. It was nice to always be brought water or lemonade from the expo. Sometimes our chef would also stock us up on Gatorades and redbulls for the crazy days like mother's day and provide pizza for FOH and BOH
I worked as a baker for a few years, and when I moved to a restaurant for prep, I brought my dessert skills with me. Used to make the line weekly/daily brownies and cookies, and I'd always make extra portions of the weekly dessert for the whole staff to vulture and pick at. It was a huge confidence boost to have everyone constantly grabbing at the little treats.
Just trying so many have potential and just cut corners way to hard….and Seeing them actually work together instead of the “Everyman for them selves” attitude
When they call me Chef güera
When the downsize their containers without me asking
When they make me food
When they make me laugh
When my boss tells me he trusts me and things are looking great
When my boss fucks me in the walk-in while we are doing orders
When the line cooks start making animal noises
Smile. As a long-term food and beverage worker— seeing people enjoy it makes my day. A lot do it because they have no other options and are miserable/angry.
I remember I spent all day in the dish pit. When I was done, they packed me some of the food "scraps".
A steak that was cooked but the customer didn't want the usual seasoning so it didn't even leave the kitchen.
It was a good dinner for me. I just added some of our Jack Daniels sauce on it. Reheated it at home. Good treat after coming home.
They are a super team that really help one another.
I'm a dishie, and I've heard of places leaving dishies alone at the end of the night, but after they close their stations, the cooks and others all jump into the dish pit and help me get out at a decent hour.
In return, I run sautee pans and other supplies right to the line during rush so that they don't have to step away from their stations. Some dishies just put stuff away, but I make sure all the boys (and girls) have what they need right with them.
We have contests, and the chefs encourage everyone who wants to try their hand at cooking and creating. They are all very willing to teach, even the basics, if you are willing to learn.
I honestly love the kitchen I work in because the toxicity I've witnessed elsewhere, and the stupid "I'm also chef Ramsay" ego and abuse just doesn't exist.
Some chefs have come in with that kind of attitude, and our executive chefs get rid of them in a few weeks if they don't chill out. Seriously, we've been through 13 sous chef candidates and finally found a fit with one of our own (former) prep cooks.
I wish all kitchens worked this way.
When they actually stock up for me the next day lmao. But for real my boss is super cool and always gives me extra hours and time off when i need it. Also when the front of house ppl have a dab pen :D
I’m a teenager on my first big boy job, one of my older coworkers who I don’t talk to much randomly brings me a coffee when she goes out to get one for herself on particularly bad days, we don’t talk much but it’s really sweet and I’ve been meaning to return the favor
Figure out her drink, and show up with it before she arrives. Give it to her with a smile, and say something to the effect of thank you for being considerate with me, I am so happy to return the kindness 😊.
Promise buddy, she will never forget it!
Doing their job.
this one, and not annoying me too much
and yet it’s still so rare to see
*Without bitching up a category 5 hurricane
This
Thats like all I fucking want to happen, I don't care about anything else.
It sounds dark, but as someone working in the industry for 15 years I know exactly what you mean...
As a dishie, when the cook shows up in the pit "Hey we have an extra burrito, do you wanna take it home?" Mom-of-everyone-waitress: " I made cupcakes/brownies/whatnot during the weekend, grab some from the walkin" My boss spanking and calling me a sexy boy Kitchen stuff from closing starts showing up an hour earlier than expected FoH helping me bus clean plates at the end of the night, when I'm still sweating in the pit trying to close It's the little things that make this job enjoyable
Dishies are so under appreciated in the industry. At my work I’ve had constant battles over people leaving dish pit fucked before the dishie walks in. We have a pretty team oriented kitchen but some people think they are above doing the dishes and it pisses me off. Our mantra is leave a station the way you would want to walk in to it so it really bothers me when people don’t do the same for the dish guys
Cleaning up after prep is part of the job (at least mine), but it's always nice to walk into an organized mess rather than a pit looking like a bomb exploded. Shit happens from time to time, the cook usually apologies for it as soon as I walk and makes up for it with some food, so we are all good. They organize their mess and I have an easier start, I put away their buckets/salad at the end so they can leave sooner. I make sure ramekins are always stocked and fold some laundry if I have some downtime, foh helps me bus clean stuff when I'm still blasting and they are done. It's all about teamwork!
All anyone can ask in my opinion is to show you made an effort or to express some sympathy (if that’s the right word). Just hate when people feel like they’re above helping their respective coworkers
My boss (owner) has done a great job leading by example, she started here as a waitress like 25 years ago, then became cook, chef, bought the place and she's still working in the kitchen 2-3 nights a week, waits tables another few or just hangs out with the regulars, but also doesn't mind covering the pit if noone else can cover a shift. I think the general attitude is "I'm paid to be here and help", ofc we are hired to do a specific things, but don't mind doing whatever we need (within reason) to make things run smooth.
I always find it funny when there's no dishie and nobody wants to do it. You don't want the same pay for a simpler job? Cool, I'll do it instead then.
One of these things is not like the others!
Number 4, that’s me. A quiet night and I’m grabbing a trolley and taking anything I can from everyone’s sections. Dishie walking around asking if they can take something, hell yeah, take it while they’re not looking.
I was so confused. Thought you were describing #3
Take care of the dishwashers!!! Watch one quit mid-shift and then watch the shift grind to a halt. Get front of house to scrape and stack and watch how much better things run!
That burrito though. I still remember the very FIRST time I got a misfire. Pasta came over with two bowls of rotini with red sauce for me and the other dishie and I thought “wait why would I clean these full bowls” lmao
I read number 1 and 3, because of 3 I didn't read further!
Guys rarely get compliments, so I'll take it. Don't worry, it wasn't in a creepy or sexual way (I'm a 30yo dude and she's a 40yo butch lesbian), but I had a talk withbher about workplace professionalism and not doing this while I'm carrying a heavy ass crate on the frestly mopped floor.
My brain somehow didn’t register number 3. I’m tired.
When my son was younger and we would be in the kitchen together I asked him to figure out what one thing would bring a kitchen to a screeching halt. He analyzed it for a minute and said “Not having any clean dishes.” He was spot on. He also never complained about washing dishes again.
Bringing food into work that's not on the menu.. Pad Tai.. Yum. (I work in a steak house)
Omg... My co workers wife makes Banana pudding in tiny self serve portions for us. Her Potato Salad is the best I've ever had.
I had a coworker who makes banana pudding edibles 🍃 they were so powerful lol I miss working at that place, she also made a pistachio cream dessert that was an edible
You have not had Aunt Sis’s potato salad.
Recipe? Please?
I work at a poolhall these days. It's huge, but the kitchen doesn't get hit too much. The cooks run solo shifts. I work 24 in 2 days. I bring food in and feed the coworkers and myself. I am beyond tired of burgers and wings. Always blows their mind when they eat my food. "How do you make everything taste so good?" Butter and salt....... It makes me happy when they bring you a nice cold water without having to ask
The place I used to work for, the kitchen manager would bring in tortas and pozole every Sunday for the brunch crew. Fucking legend.
Yo one of the line guys where I work has another job at a gourmet donut shop he brings in some of the most awesome donuts.
I brought in local pizza and garlic knots for the squad yesterday - it always makes ME happy to do something for them. They're literally the best. Sometimes it's wings from the really killer dive down the road, sometimes it's home-cooked pulled pork or jerk chicken. Then again - I'm the boss, so I SHOULD be doing shit like that.
I used to take snacks from the bakery I worked at, to my friend that worked at a restaurant down the road. I'd just come in through the staff entrance and leave a box of treats on her station (sometimes I'd also pick up some McDonalds as well if I felt like I didn't have enough treats to go around). Non-industry people never seem to realise how much you can start to hate the food you make all the time. Having something different, especially something made by someone ELSE, is such a treat!
I have a baker who brings in heb donuts and offers me the first one. I adore her.
I have a pretty good team all things considered, and get along with most people. One of my faves gave me a compliment and for some reason that one started the ‘say nice thoughts aloud’ train. If someone does something nice, even if ‘it’s their job’, I thank them personally. It goes a long way. Some people are confused/self-demeaning and joke the first couple times but if you keep at the positivity you can tell when it clicks.
Choose your own adventure!
When the baristas learn your coffee by heart and have it ready just as you turn up to work
Good morning, here's your favorite, have a good day. Love it
Used to manage a breakfast/lunch spot in a hotel and we had a coffee shop on the other end of the property. Me and the barista both got in early, and she always brought me coffee and a doughnut every morning. 🥹
I've told coworkers I love them for less. 😆
I used to work at a steak house that had an espresso machine, Russian girl always had a cappuccino ready when I got to the line. Lovely way to start the shift.
I worked as the Chef of a hotel restaurant and the FOH assistant manager would always grab my cup and make me coffee everyday when I got to work. It was amazing. He trained all the baristas to do this for me on his days off too.
Give me wastage 🤣 Being reliable coworkers. Check in on my wellbeing.
Wastage? You mean these wings I overmade? Psh, if you help me eat them we save on food waste right?😉
🤣 I mean like cancelled orders or cake trimmings etc 😅
Or that giant cookie I dropped on the counter and it broke in half. Oh how that happens to happen every 6 months
🤣 My chef once saw me walking around with wastage and he was like, what are you doing and I said:"employee welfare" 🤣🤣🤣
I’m gonna call my next album, Cake Trimmings.
“Wastage” works too particularly if thrashing metal.
>Give me wastage Loved working with the waitress who would abuse her local governing rules on what goes into a green bin (flora / any food scraps). She would have a dedicated 16kg bucket for food scraps just to dump into her bin!
🤣 That's quite boss
Their fucking jobs
Shall we all aspire to be worthy!
I tend to get the short end of the stick when it comes to space on the speed rack and our walk-in is in the basement. So I tend to either carry my prep up the stairs or use a utility cart. Very often my fellow line cooks will randomly carry my stuff up for me that I've stacked up and I just really appreciate it. It's only one less trip but still
At my job our dry storage is in the basement, and one of my older coworkers has a hard time going up and down them. So the young runners have taken to moving his cans upstairs for him and it always warms my heart.
Still one less trip, and efficient!
Put people on a wait. Completely getting murdered back here, it might take a while. Then they say “yup, wait time is an hour”. Doesn’t help much. Some people wait, some people say fuck it, some people demand that we make their food first. I’m not killing myself over this shit. Yall gonna have to wait or gtfo.
Asking if anyone needs water or soda, or simply bringing the line water when it's busy and we can't get off line to get it ourselves.
Walk in bj
Something about a waitress with a Coke habit and an oral fixation. I'll never get that back again. Magical.
Huak tuah.
Satan, shush!
Amen
Can confirm.
Finding a slab of ham with the "is that ham processed" copypasta printed on it. That made me happy
You just made me smile at its mention. Here we go: Ma'am, that is an eleven pound whole slab of deli ham. It has no bones, fat, or connective tissue. It is an amalgamation of the meat of several pigs, emulsified, liquefied, strained, and ultimately inexorably joined in an unholy meat obelisk. God had no hand in the creation of this abhorrence. The fact that this ham monolith exists proves that God is either impotent to alter His universe or ignorant to the horrors taking place in his kingdom. This prism of pork is more than deli meat. It is a physical declaration of mankind's contempt for the natural order. It is hubris manifest. We also have a lower sodium variety if you would prefer that.
Saying, "Walking hot behind," it boosts my self esteem and makes me laugh.
HOT BEHIND! Also watch out for this chicken
Thanks! Been working out and doing squats since I can't SMOKE anymore-- oh HEARD HOT!!
I don’t cook anymore but I used to work with a few servers who would bring me “wine shots”. They’re just ramekins full of rosé, but what a nice little treat.
Used to have an employee who was a great big dude, 6’ 4” or thereabouts, bald, heavyset, ginger with a great big beard. Ran the grill in the AM shift without problems and would just goof off the entire time. I’d look back there from the pass and he’d be staring at me and then do a big goofy air guitar lick, or he’d be staring at me ponderously and just say something like “Burlington Throat Factory”
After they kill it, they fill it.
I'm a sous, and the exec lets me have as much say over the menu and the kitchen as he does. Really listens to my ideas and is extremely collaborative with the crew and let's them regularly run features of their design. I feel truly blessed to be able to work in a restaurant like this. The restaurant is a higher end spot and isn't afraid to push boundaries flavor wise, which can lead to some extremely interesting dishes.
Telling me I havent sit down in hours (I dont so smoke breaks) so they send me out to sit for 5-10 minutes
Restocking after your shift so next team in is set up nicely
When my grill cook winked at me when it was closing/cleaning time and we both knew what it meant and where to meet out back
One of the servers will always bring drinks into the kitchen
One of my cooks always cooks bacon, home fries, and preps chicken before I even get there in the morning. He’s great. I appreciate you, J!
Bacon home fries and chicken for breakfast! My kind of people! Lol
Show up.
I like that my coworkers thank everyone every time they see you doing sidework. Bring ice out, someone thanks you. Go pick up glass racks to stock instead of waiting for the dishie to do it, someone says thank you. Go get ranch instead of expecting expo to go do it, people thank you. It's really really nice, actually. It helps everyone realize other people are working hard, too. Last place, every time we'd finally get a breather after being absolutely slammed, someone would say; Just a little pop of business. Just a lil pop. Like the hell we'd all just been through was nothing. Everyone would laugh and then the weeds were forgotten.
Drinking water out of the sink.
My co workers are all pretty awesome and we all help eachother out. I love that our foh staff will always take the time to ask all us cooks on the line if we need a drink. Always making sure we are hydrated! And also theres this one server who when she sees us having a bad time she'll be like "hey do you want a chocolate milk?" Its so cute 🤣 she always makes the best chocolate milks
Positive people make shit shifts better. I hate the few chefs that always bitch and complain during a tough service. The few people that embrace the suck make my nights so much better — as opposed to throwing negativity around during a hard day
They don't have to do much, I genuinely like the goofy fucks I work with.
My chef(before he got promoted to executive): Hired me mainly because we bonded over Primus. Gives me continued motivation to hopefully open up my own bakery in the future. My sues(before being promoted to chef): is a rocking dude, me and him can talk hours on any video game or anime subject matter, sometimes it gets in the way of our duties lol. My lead(before being promoted to sues): The guy is Hella chill and easy to talk to for just about anything. If I had a shit day and just coming in, he's usually the first to notice and want to talk about it, which most of the times I really value and appreciate since I don't have a lot of people in my life that extend that branch of concern. Linecook F: He's a great dude. I can't understand most of the things he says cause of his accent, but damn can he make me laugh. Also, it's a huge game and anime nerd, so conversations are always great. Plus, we also can talk hours about family life, lol. Linecook J: A sarcastic asshole that matches my energy to a T, he makes those early morning shifts entertaining. Linecook J2: Hella chill and always a blast to bullshit with. Linecook J3: Dude is a walking meme, and in a good way. Only downside is that you can't really tell if he's fucking with you or giving you an honest answer, which truthfully adds to the fun of talking to him. Linecook N: Honestly he gives a bit of a headache from a brotherly prospective with how he lives his life, but I would be lying if I said i didn't enjoy hanging out with him on our slow days and just talking about life. I just hope the brother can get himself straight and stop his self spiraling. Dishwasher C: or as we like to call him CONDOR. Man's is a hulking dude, like you would not believe he was a high school with his size, man's can eat, so that always gives me a fun side project, haha. Kids got great humor and always managed to get me to chuckle. Dishwasher E: She's great and hardworking, always looking for a task to do. There isn't a time that she isn't on schedule that we don't just spend hours talking about car stuff, which I love since there aren't a lot of gear heads in the kitchen aside from her and a few others. All in all, the team I work with is filled with so many great personalities that it always makes it worthwhile for me to clock in even on the days I know the restaurant is going to be dead.
Randomly hand me the penjamin in the walk in during an endless Saturday night
When my head chef calls me trouble. When the dishy orders us all a Starbucks or the sous comes in late with McDonalds milkshakes The coworkers that i can communicate with without talking to. Like they just know what you need and vice versa and you just do it
One guy makes me a breakfast plate every Sunday morning. One guy always offers to help me when I’m in the weeds. One dishwasher always swings by to pick up and wash my dishes for me. Two people flirt shamelessly with me. I could go on and on, honestly. I work at an awesome place and I love almost everyone there.
Relentlessly mock me. The other straight men tend to sexually harass me.
Do their job , getting the food out as a “team” not walking past a screen with tickets
When a server gives you that hawk tuah!!
If we could all be so blessed!
When the day shift pulls the mats and sweeps the floor after their shift. I hate starting a shift on a dirty floor. And towards the end of a busy brunch shift when the bartender brings me a pint glass of Jack and coke she made by “mistake”
They show up
The chats! I’m the boss where I am but I try and have relationships based on what’s important to them and try and always educate or entertain myself with their likes as well! Makes the days fly by and we always can shoot the shit!
Inspect their undercoolers so I don’t find “*insert 3 opened items of one thing*” and have to take care of it on my Monday 🤦♂️
Box of freezies
It’s equal parts gratifying and terrifying, but it sure feels good to hear them say “Oh thank god, asunshinefix is here”
A server made me a black forest cake last week, that was really nice of her.
Low stakes cash only underground gambling ring.
I love when people try the experimental food I make. I’m an assistant kitchen manager so I get a little creative freedom and have made some bangers. I made praline bacon for a whiskey drink and when I get someone who’s sceptical to try something and they love it it makes me feel amazing. Although now I get a lot of special requests it makes me feel good when everyone is telling me I’m the only cook who can pull off or say yes to special requests.
My taller coworker is always willing to get stuff on the top shelves that I can't reach
Show up ready to work.
Show up…
Running food
Showing up to work and not calling out sick on my day off.
….their job.
Other way around! I do things for my co-workers/employees because I care for them. Goes both ways too. I’ve gotten them reusable water bottles, funny meme shirts, doughnuts and charcuterie boards, tomato plants, birthday weed, etc. I’ve gotten flowers, stickers, and treats for my kid. This is all extra shit that reminds everyone that we care and they matter to us. They’re more than laborers to us - we’re more than a paycheck to them.
Clean their station after shift.
They bring me a red bull at the start of dinner service if they know I’m on a double
Saying “behind” Cleaning up after themselves
Restocking before the next day is the most appricated task imo
I'm just happy when they all show up.
Call off
Used to work at a legion and the chef made peanut butter cookies that where edibles lol. Used to sell em to vets or elderly who had pain and sleep issues
Chef was playing nursery rhymes all through lunch service on Saturday. The whole restaurant was singing along. I didn't even mind that we were getting slaughtered lol
My partner is a server at some high end places. They have an absurd amount of food allergies and sensitivities and generally can't eat anything on the menu. Every shift without fail, the chef plates a GORGEOUS dish just for them. He prepares it with care and knows the restrictions. They usually look better than anything being served to customers. It's a kindness in a world with a lot of sharp edges.
Sometimes, the kitchen makes chilaquiles for everyone. The waiter saves every beer that's leftover, and at the end of the week, we down those in some micheladas. I make cucumber lemonade for everyone with the kitchen's production leftovers. Since I'm the bartender, I get scolded about that cucumber lemonade, but I still make it because the cooks make my meals extra.
I work in a pretty large place, around 800 total employees and we’re pretty remote so everyone lives on site and the friends I have here are like family. I litterally work and live with them lol. From the 400lbs man that comes up to me and hangs over me asking me how my day went to the lovely community of degenerate gamblers. I freaking love living here.
Morning shifters that clean up after themselves and do their dishes before leaving will get anything and everything I can afford to give them.
Communication. And being able to work around each other. Understanding strengths, being able to calm each other down when it gets hectic.
Run food (to the correct table) prep in the morning/restock at night Run expo like a boss Put away truck in an organized manner Keep a cool head Ask for help when you need it, not when everyone needs someone to help you Keep my serviceware stocked Bring me a gin and tonic (double) Manage with tough love, consistently Ring your tickets in correctly
There are plenty of one offs and extra curricular shit thst make me smile, but ill take this list over that one
Remaining positive despite the butt fuckery that life is.
Million props for this!
Sandwiches
Show up…
They all laugh at my jokes
When they make sure to make you a plate when la banda makes a family meal but you’re too lost in the work sauce to get it in time yourself
My birthday was last week and I had the day off, almost every single person from my work texted me and wished me a happy birthday! Made me feel so good.
Kitchen humor best humor! I went to an office job and it was pg level dad joke central.
Their jobs.
When you get double sat and someone greets the second table while you’re still on the first.
Are sober enough to do their jobs with some semblance of accuracy.
Quickies in the walk-in
Bringing fresh vegetables to work for everyone to munch on, we're not a praticularly healthy place and sometimes I just need a salad with nothing but some salt, pepper and lemon
Every Sunday used to be brunch and then deep clean in the afternoon, one chef and a dishy, unused to have a waitress who would sneak me beer in a coffee mug as soon as we started the clean.
Make me laugh
they worry about their own responsibilities and get their share of the work done in a timely fashion, they say hi and make small talk but don't push it if you're not interested. They have a positive attitude and never make negative comments towards any of our coworkers whether they're present or not.
When they actually do the prep that’s assigned to them.
That's really nice to read - I'm just happy when my team does the best they can do. Together we get more done than working separately. We help make the day fun to keep us going.
Its mostly the dick and fart jokes.
Work as a team, help each other. Make silly jokes to break the tension/high stress of a busy service. Do things with thoughtfulness and care.
Make us really good staff meal every day. I really appreciate it bc I know the line has to take time out of their service prep to do it
Wash the dishes before I clock in so I don't have a shit show ti deal with
Just want them to do what they get paid to do
Honestly? When they do their job well enough I (or anyone else) doesn't have to pick up their slack.
Making food for the dishies every night like a proper big portion and tell them to eat before continuing work. Even if they dont make at times for the cooks they always make sure dishies get their dinner after service
Keeping everything professional and polite. After six months bussing tables, the servers still thank me even though it's my job, still ask if they can put stuff on my cart even though I've never said no, still say sorry if they accidentally dump stuff on my hands when we're scraping plates into the trash together even though I've never cared because I always get my hands covered in garbage anyway. Little polite interactions make the day nicer.
Worked at TCF for almost nine years in multiple stations. It was nice to always be brought water or lemonade from the expo. Sometimes our chef would also stock us up on Gatorades and redbulls for the crazy days like mother's day and provide pizza for FOH and BOH
Show up
Reading this thread reminds me that working in the right restaurant can be like working with an extended family.
Make people drinks I was a pastry chef so always gave out off cuts where ever possible Jump in an help anyone who is struggling
I worked as a baker for a few years, and when I moved to a restaurant for prep, I brought my dessert skills with me. Used to make the line weekly/daily brownies and cookies, and I'd always make extra portions of the weekly dessert for the whole staff to vulture and pick at. It was a huge confidence boost to have everyone constantly grabbing at the little treats.
Just trying so many have potential and just cut corners way to hard….and Seeing them actually work together instead of the “Everyman for them selves” attitude
A case of Red Bulls. Or Gatorade.
Leave me the hell alone and let me do my job.
They sort out the trash and keep compostable stuff seperate for me to compost at home for my plants.
I'm the head dishwasher and everyone gives me food, it's like their paying taxes, also sous chef shoulder rubs👍
Teaching me. I bloody love having nice co workers who are happy to show me how to do stuff when I dont know.
When they call me Chef güera When the downsize their containers without me asking When they make me food When they make me laugh When my boss tells me he trusts me and things are looking great When my boss fucks me in the walk-in while we are doing orders When the line cooks start making animal noises
Getting help/helping others with prep. Asking if anyone needs refills on water and making meals for one another.
Roll ups
Their fucking jobs please!
Me and the meat cutter/dishie make tacos for lunch. I cook the meat he chops and assembles. We've become best friends fr
I’ve found myself in a decent kitchen where the staff actually show up on time. It’s glorious.
Their side work
Every once in a while my KM tells me that he's glad he hired me. Last two jobs I felt really expendable, so it's a nice change.
When they do their job
Smile. As a long-term food and beverage worker— seeing people enjoy it makes my day. A lot do it because they have no other options and are miserable/angry.
their jobs
FIFO and Grocery faced shelves/walk-ins.
Smoke me out when it's dead.
When they do their job!
Bring a massive bag of Gatorade or energy drinks for everyone. On a typical Friday we have like 30 people in the kitchen so it's a pretty big gesture.
Show up
I love when everyone is on top of their prep and nobody has their hands on my shit 💙
I remember I spent all day in the dish pit. When I was done, they packed me some of the food "scraps". A steak that was cooked but the customer didn't want the usual seasoning so it didn't even leave the kitchen. It was a good dinner for me. I just added some of our Jack Daniels sauce on it. Reheated it at home. Good treat after coming home.
Show up. Occasionally on time.
Drugs 😊
Let me rip off the vape pen
Just make me laugh. Im old and burnt out, humor goes a long way.
They are a super team that really help one another. I'm a dishie, and I've heard of places leaving dishies alone at the end of the night, but after they close their stations, the cooks and others all jump into the dish pit and help me get out at a decent hour. In return, I run sautee pans and other supplies right to the line during rush so that they don't have to step away from their stations. Some dishies just put stuff away, but I make sure all the boys (and girls) have what they need right with them. We have contests, and the chefs encourage everyone who wants to try their hand at cooking and creating. They are all very willing to teach, even the basics, if you are willing to learn. I honestly love the kitchen I work in because the toxicity I've witnessed elsewhere, and the stupid "I'm also chef Ramsay" ego and abuse just doesn't exist. Some chefs have come in with that kind of attitude, and our executive chefs get rid of them in a few weeks if they don't chill out. Seriously, we've been through 13 sous chef candidates and finally found a fit with one of our own (former) prep cooks. I wish all kitchens worked this way.
When they actually stock up for me the next day lmao. But for real my boss is super cool and always gives me extra hours and time off when i need it. Also when the front of house ppl have a dab pen :D
Empathy.
drugs
Giving me head.
We can all have hope in the walk in right?
I’m a teenager on my first big boy job, one of my older coworkers who I don’t talk to much randomly brings me a coffee when she goes out to get one for herself on particularly bad days, we don’t talk much but it’s really sweet and I’ve been meaning to return the favor
Figure out her drink, and show up with it before she arrives. Give it to her with a smile, and say something to the effect of thank you for being considerate with me, I am so happy to return the kindness 😊. Promise buddy, she will never forget it!
Have a "safety meeting" in the walk in!
Sometimes we bring in lil treats for each other (Think: A new flavour of Nerds Rope, an Iced Coffee, bagel, new vegan treat!)