A woman warned other Miami-area restaurant-goers in TikTok video that’s been viewed 28,000 times of an apparent “complementary” dishes scam.
In a TikTok video posted on Dec. 21, user @smoneyyz said she and a small group of friends visited a popular establishment in Miami with no intention of breaking the bank by ordering rounds of drinks or a large meal.
“We all got one drink each,” the TikToker said. “We were all in agreement that we didn’t want a huge, sit-down, entree-style dinner. We’re like, ‘Let’s pick a couple plates and share them, it’s kind of late.’”
In addition to the two appetizer plates their table ordered, she said they asked the waiter to bring a third plate of whatever he recommended. When several random plates began to appear at their table, however, they grew suspicious.
The servers bringing the plates insisted that they were headed to the right table, confusing the group further.
“We’re trying to find our waiter. He’s nowhere to be found. It’s getting to the point where they’re bringing out platters of wagyu steak, scallops, things with truffles on them that we literally did not order,” the TikToker recounted.
When their waiter finally appeared again, she said he claimed the extra plates were part of “an experience” that he wanted to give the group and that he needed to speak with his manager about the food—which the TikToker and her friends left untouched—not being added to their bill.
“We were expecting this bill to be maybe $250 to $300,” she stated. “This bill was $887.”
She explained that many restaurants in Miami automatically include a gratuity fee in every bill, somewhere in the range of 18% to 22%. “This guy was trying to make the bill higher because he wants a higher tip,” she alleged.
The restaurant’s manager later approached the table and asked the group if they could afford the check. This, according to the TikToker, led to a lengthy “haggle” with both servers and management, as the group tried to explain they did not ask for, nor eat any of, the “complementary dishes” included in their bill.
“They’re literally gaslighting us, making us seem like we’re crazy and can’t afford it,” she said. “Like we’re trying to scam them. When in reality, they were trying to scam us.”
The group, she said, eventually succeeded, paying only $305 for the food and drinks they originally ordered.
“I will never go back to this restaurant in Miami,” the TikToker concluded. “I just can’t believe it happened. It makes me literally not want to ever go out to eat again.”
@smoneyyz I legit cannot believe this happened lmao. Never going back. #miami #artbasel #miamirestaurant #fypppppppppppppp #sushi ♬ original sound – S💙
“The same thing has happened to me twice,” user @melllymelllm wrote. “They sent ‘complementary dishes’ bc of the table delay and tried to sneak it on our bill at the end.”
Viewers didn’t fall for the affordability line, either, with one user claiming they had a similar experience at a high-end retail store. “I bought a bag & when I unboxed it they left out a strap. They didn’t have replacement so i wanted to return. Employee told me I am returning because I can’t afford it,” they claimed.
“[It] probably works on sooo many innocent, non-confrontational people,” another viewer observed.
Others pointed to the expensive nature of going out to eat, particularly in large, touristy areas like Miami, as justification for the TikToker’s reaction.
“Price is up, quality is down for everything,” one user claimed. “They are seeing how much we will put up with.”
“Spending money on enjoyable activities has become a negative experience,” another said.
The Daily Dot reached out to @smoneyyz via Instagram direct message.
