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On Friday May 11, 2012 at approximately 1pm-2:30 pm I ate at the Tucker O'charleys
on Northlake Parkway and Crescent Blvd. The service was slow and the restaurant wasnt overly crowded for a lunch crowd.I ordered a bottomless soup, ceasar salad add tomatoes, with out the ceasar dressing, and ranch dressing on the side and tea.
I was presented my tea and rolls (yumm) nice and hot this time and didnt flatten and be gooey out you bite into them. Later the salad came which was very presentable in freshness and tomatoes added as requested.
I poured the dressing on the salad and commence to eating my salad. After swallowing my first bite..I thought the dressing being a little strong. I rinsed my mouth with tea and upon tasting the dressing from the cup ..to see if it was the dressing or the salad I noticed there to be a lump in the dressing...as if a crouton had been dropped by accident in the kitchen. When I picked it up to look closer...it was a hunk of what appeared to be cheese..as in blue cheese. Well, I knew right then it wasnt what I ordered and waited to get the attention of the waitress which became useless..so I got another waitress to address the waitress to my table. I continued waiting for some time..and as I was waiting...I noticed I began to itch..I thought that was strange. Then I noticed my heart rate to increase..it was then I felt something was wrong. I got up and went to the hostesses at the door and ask them if they could get the manager to my table. She asked was there a problem and I stated yes that I was served an incorrect salad dressing and couldnt get the waitress to the table..and was beginning to get nauseated and that I felt the dressing I had just eaten may be causing me to be sick as in maybe allergic to something. She said I should have been given you a special menu for my meal that offer opportunity to address allergies. I went to the table and she continued to get th manager. He came out...walking slowly..as in not a hurry..as he approached the table to address the situation.I told him I had been served the incorrect dressing and was feeling a bit sick and itchy.I asked if he had any benedryl in the restaurant..as I know some restaurants especially seafood restaurants keep it there in case there is a chance of an allergic reaction to food. Which gives time for medical assisttance to arrive to address a possible life threatening situation.
HE said that there was a target on the hill and they would have the benedryl and did I think I needed it..well yeah..that was what I asked for ...I said since they werent appearing interested in helping ..I guess I would have to leave and go get it. He said he would comp the meal and I left.Needless to say, by the time I got to the store..I was really feeling yucky...stinging all over..nauseated, though never vomiting. I got the benedryl and took it with water there in the store. I went and sat outside on the bench in the cool wind to relax and see if that would help the stinging. Then it was I noticed my tongue to feel thick. I called 911. Upon a while on the phone with them, an ambulance was dispatched. It took unusually a long time..and a firetruck came first. They assesed me and found that the redness was showing..and they continued in assessing my condition and my blood pressure was up.Well, anxiety could cause that right !
They thought I might be alright but gave the option for medical assistance. I really thought with them being there they would address if something popped up quickly while the benedryl took more effect.They did say that was the best thing I could do and asked me where did I eat..I responded with O"charleys behind the store...asked what I ate and I told them..they asked if I had every had any allergies to foods..I said no...then I told them that I was served the blue cheese dressing instead of Ranch and it began within minutes after swallowing the first mouth of the salad. He then asked was I allergic to blue cheese...I did not know I told him..but he then said it appears it could be what is the problem and since I had only eaten 2 rolls while waiting for food. THank GOD I had them in my stomach, , maybe, I thought.
While watching me they became a bit concerned with some issues that were cropping up medically which I wasnt aware of happening. Then the tech decided to not let me go home and called for assistance. IT seemed to take forever for the ambulance to get there..even the fire tech stated that. I started becoming more ill it appeared. THe tech kept asking questions that I assume I was answering...though I wasnt remembering much by then. It all became a blurr. I do remember being put into the ambulance and taken to St. JOseph hospital of Atlanta.There I was assesed again with blood pressure of 208/140 I believe it was...then was told I was having an accute allergic reaction to something...possibly the dressing...and that dressing can cause problems for some people. I was given steroids and it appeared the symptoms started residing after a while. I was released with instructions to take the benedryl in 6 hours and continue as needed. BUt...to return if additional events should happen.
I have slept all night of course...I have had belching and the taste of the salad dressing is there.
Now, shouldnt there have been an incident report made to this event and a phone number taken before letting me leave?
This doesnt sound right too me. I think O'Charley should take responsibility to this matter and address it further with me.
I would also add that I am severely allergic to certain foods such as tree nuts and poultry, and whenever I eat out I have to ask if there are any of those things in the food, and even when I get the food I check it to make sure nothing has made its way into it by mistake.
Why?
Because I realize things happen, and as a responsible adult I know it is my job to check for those things, NOT the restaurant.
LOL this whole situation just made me laugh. Just seemed like you were being overly dramatic over something so small. Anyway, I agree with wifi8827. You don't know that it was the dressing that caused you to feel the way you did. Maybe you had likee a panic attack and got yourself all worked up because you realized they gave you the wrong dressing; who knows. It was nice of them to comp your meal...so you basically ate for free because they gave you the wrong dressing (mistakes happen!) and you didn't notice until you ate it. You possibly had an allergic reaction but I don't put blame on the restaurant because it was an honest mistake. And why would you eat the dressing when you noticed an unusual clump in it in the first place? LOL
there seems to be a lot of assumptions going on in the story, such as assuming it was the dressing, but not knowing for sure.
I think its safe to say you are an adult, which makes it hard to believe you would not know if you are allergic to the dressing or not at this point in your life. I have food allergies as well, but after eating them as a kid and getting sick, I knew not to eat them again since then. And if you don't know if you are allergic, how would the restaurant staff? Yes they may have accidentally gave you the wrong dressing, but then again it isn't their responsibility to know every customers' allergies unless they are told up front.
As far as taking responsibility, they did comp your meal. I hope you don't expect them to pay for your ambulance or ER visit, because that was solely your decision, not theirs, especially since you had already left and went to Target.