Rendezvous With A Rip-Off

By Jose D. Duran Wed., Jul. 2 2008 at 10:40 AM

Categories: Buyer Beware

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Words of dining advice: Always ask how much the verbally recited daily specials cost. Or pay the consequences. For Peter and Neil, a vacationing couple from Danbury, Conn., the consequence was a nearly $300 tab for dinner at Rendezvous On The Beach (in the Beacon Hotel on Ocean Drive).

They chose Rendezvous because, as Peter put it, “The food looked really good.” Turns out the food was really good, especially a surf-and-turf of filet mignon and lobster -- according to Neil, “the biggest lobster tail I have ever seen. Seriously.” It had come highly recommended from the waiter. “It was delicious. And I knew it would be expensive” explains Peter. “But when I saw the bill I couldn’t believe it was $105.”

The rest of the dinner: One tuna tataki appetizer, one rib-eye steak, one cocktail apiece. With tax and automatic gratuity the bill came to $274.31. That's ridiculous, even allowing the caveat of Ocean Drive and all such restaurant strips routinely overcharging. This is a no-name establishment with no-name chef and no-name steaks -- meaning they go not by the moniker of "Kobe" or "grass-fed" or "organic." When charging $105 for an entree -- or, really, regardless of the charge -- it is incumbent upon the waiter to inform patrons beforehand. It really should be legally required for restaurants to include prices in verbal menu recitations, just as it is for them to print prices on the written menu.

But it is not, so I repeat: Always ask how much the verbally recited daily specials cost. Another suggestion might be to avoid any rendezvous at Rendezvous.

- Lee Klein

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I just had almost the exact same thing happen to me (right down to the steak and lobster special!) http://www.uptake.com/blog/feelin-broke-travel-on-the-cheap/south-beach-restaurants-review_2256.html My friends and I ended up with an $800 bill, despite being told everything was "half off".
I'm must jealously respond that I cannot concur about the French Laundry; however, on my visits to Trotter's, Tru, etc. the prices were never given verbally (although I'm sure that they would have given it to me, if asked). Tru, for example, does list clearly on their menu prices for various "upgrades" etc. I understand that restaurants typically put together their specials that day - or even closer - to service time, but perhaps that is the solution. If restaurants have the specials listed in writing, it offers an opportunity to give prices without seeming "gauche" (as I've been told some servers feel when listing prices in a high end restaurant), saves the shy (or naive) diner from having to ask, and it also clarifies the ingredients of the dish and might help diners with short term memory loss to remember the sometimes long list of specials.
My experience has been that the better the restaurant (in terms of reputation and standards), the more likely they are to tell you the price on any items that aren't on the menu -- tastings, specials, etc. French Laundry, for example, would never pull this crap; I recall them being super clear about prices on everything, from wine pairings to extras (like truffles).
Without taking sides (and from a new-be to SoBe, so I actually don't know), an extra credit question: Can anyone name three restaurants that **do** give the prices of their specials without asking? I can't (here or in my Chicago hometown)-- the best I can come up with is a few that put their daily specials on paper, which usually have a price listed.
Firstly, I think there is somewhere in between for this issue: I think that if the special is within $10 or so of a typical or even comparable menu entree then there really shouldn't be a need to say anything. But if it is more than would be expected, yes, they should tell you. They can even say "this is a bit more pricey than our usual menu items" which, for those wealthy who don't care, wouldn't create any reaction but for the rest of us, we would then ask. Secondly, many states (and I am not sure Florida has such statutes but it would seem to be logical) require "retailers" to display prices accurately or service providers to offer either a proposal or a price list of services and not be able to bill for surprise services. Any lawyers out there care to comment?? Refusing to pay and telling the management to call the cops would probably get things worked out very quickly because the restaurant owner/mgr would certainly prefer not to have the bad press and commotion.
Highlights for you scoring at home: -Miami Danny comes out swingin with a "wide-eyed over descriptions like 'organic' or 'kobe' beef without actually checking if they are" combo to the body that scores a few points. -Miami Danny continues to work the body with a flurry of "What does that have to do with anything? If it happened at Table 8 you'd be taking the other side-that a customer must have some responsiblity for their own idiotic behavior." -Shepard starts out Round 3 with a "DannyNastyPants" bitchslap that really gets the crowd into it, then gets a few solid shots to the body in with, "All it takes is 3 little words, "The price is..." I don't think servers would choke on that sentence, do you? And that way maybe customers wouldn't choke on the bill either." With Danny on the ropes, Shepard moves in for the kill with a "And BTW, where do I sign up for the Danny Douchebag School of Journalism?" haymaker but the bell sounds. -CB steps in with the comment that makes the most sense. "If you can't afford not to ask, you should probably ask. If you're too embarrassed to ask, it's your own damn fault. I'm sure many higher-end customers don't care to hear the prices." The verdict is: You are all right. If the rest of the prices are listed on the menu, the special prices should probably be listed or communicated in some way. If the prices arent on the menu and you dont ask, then you deserve whatever you get for being a moron and not asking. And, if you really cant afford not to ask, you should probably ask. This is Miami afterall and much of it is a playground for rich folks. God bless em.
Highlights for you scoring at home: -Miami Danny comes out swingin with a "wide-eyed over descriptions like 'organic' or 'kobe' beef without actually checking if they are" combo to the body that scores a few points. -Miami Danny continues to work the body with a flurry of "What does that have to do with anything? If it happened at Table 8 you'd be taking the other side-that a customer must have some responsiblity for their own idiotic behavior." -Shepard starts out Round 3 with a "DannyNastyPants" bitchslap that really gets the crowd into it, then gets a few solid shots to the body in with, "All it takes is 3 little words, "The price is..." I don't think servers would choke on that sentence, do you? And that way maybe customers wouldn't choke on the bill either." With Danny on the ropes, Shepard moves in for the kill with a "And BTW, where do I sign up for the Danny Douchebag School of Journalism?" haymaker but the bell sounds. -CB steps in with the comment that makes the most sense. "If you can't afford not to ask, you should probably ask. If you're too embarrassed to ask, it's your own damn fault. I'm sure many higher-end customers don't care to hear the prices." The verdict is: You are all right. If the rest of the prices are listed on the menu, the special prices should probably be listed or communicated in some way. If the prices arent on the menu and you dont ask, then you deserve whatever you get for being a moron and not asking. And, if you really cant afford not to ask, you should probably ask. This is Miami afterall and much of it is a playground for rich folks. God bless em.
If you can't afford not to ask, you should probably ask. If you're too embarrassed to ask, it's your own damn fault. I'm sure many higher-end customers don't care to hear the prices. It's too bad Peter and Neil weren't from Europe, the exchange rate may have made the meal seem like a bargain.
Actually Gail, there's a very rigorous entrance exam which I believe you just aced! Congratulations!
OK little DannyNastyPants, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I happen to think there's still a smidgeon of difference between a restaurant and a carnival barker selling tickets to see the two-headed bat lady. The artificial relationship between a diner and restaurateur should at least resemble the one between host and guest -- and that would mean you don't goose your guest while s/he isn't looking. All it takes is 3 little words, "The price is..." I don't think servers would choke on that sentence, do you? And that way maybe customers wouldn't choke on the bill either. And BTW, where do I sign up for the Danny Douchebag School of Journalism? Is that a correspondence course? I wanna be a REAL writer, just like you.
First let me say that South Beach is the perennial home of the restaurant rip-off. Tourists should have their wits about them there, just like in any other city that caters to tourists. "If this had been me, I would have refused to pay and called the cops." On what grounds? They, like those who read this blog, would have laughed at you and then insisted you pay your bill. Caveat Emptor, Gail. "But for some middling place to pull this is unethical and disgraceful. And you're going to blame the customer? Some poor schmuck tourist who just wants to go out and have a nice meal?" My point exactly. You guys promulgate rip-off places every day, but it's not okay here because it's a "middling" place? What does that have to do with anything? If it happened at Table 8 you'd be taking the other side-that a customer must have some responsiblity for their own idiotic behavior. And there are plenty of places around town that have lobster dishes near $100. Maybe you should go out in Miami a little more often, my friend-or, as I stated previously, do a little journalism.
Danny, I really disagree. If a restaurant is going to charge $100 for an entree special, they need to let the customer know that from the get-go. There's simply no good reason for them NOT to mention the price except that they know it's a fking ripoff and they don't want to give the game away. The only exception would be a really special kind of place, like maybe an omakase sushi bar where you know the whole thing is going to cost a fortune before you sit down. But for some middling place to pull this is unethical and disgraceful And you're going to blame the customer? Some poor schmuck tourist who just wants to go out and have a nice meal? This is a restaurant, not a massage parlor! Or maybe there's no difference on south beach anymore, except at the restaurant you have no chance of getting a happy ending! If this had been me, I would have refused to pay and called the cops. It's outrageous.
Perhaps if these yahoos had simply asked the price of the special, this would not be a forum for Lee-seph's harumphing. C'mon-if you don't ask the price of a special you have just ordered, you are a moron. Perhaps it would also be nice if the restaurant's side (or even a 'no comment') was presented. But, of course, that would be journalism. Prediction: Current 'no-name' chef of Rendezvous opens a pasta joint and gets fawned over by local dining critic, who is wide-eyed over descriptions like 'organic' or 'kobe' beef without actually checking if they are. Who's the sucker here?