$78 Newark Airport dinner prompts complaint, and restaurant hits back
Chances are you’ll pay over the odds for food at an airport. Duty-free might be packed with tax-free offers, but there’s sure to be a premium on the grub.
Mix that with how easily customers can kick up a stink online and you’ve got a perfect cocktail of viral stroppiness.
The stress of air travel combined with some overpriced food is no tranquil combination, either.
While some may lambast a restaurant on TikTok, perhaps even filming their interaction with a server who’s accidentally become the face of the issue, many more will leave a withering review somewhere instead.
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For anyone looking to scope out a place beforehand, however, customer reviews rarely tell the full story.
Back in 2023, New York Times columnist David Brooks opted for Twitter, now X, to share his dissatisfaction after paying $78 for a meal at Newark Airport, New Jersey.
Imagine the meal you might get for $78 (around £60), and then behold the reality: a burger, fries, salad, sauces, and a cold drink.
It’s safe to say the burger didn’t live up to its price tag as far as David was concerned.
"This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport,” he captioned a photo of the meal. “This is why Americans think the economy is terrible."
While he didn’t name the restaurant in question, it didn’t stop the eatery from clapping back.
1911 Smoke House Barbeque responded to David’s tweet via Facebook, which is faintly amusing in itself. Switching platforms to reply is about as passive-aggressive as online interactions get.
"Looks like someone was knocking back some serious drinks,” they wrote.
"Bar tab was almost 80 percent and he’s complaining about the cost of his meal. Keep drinking buddy - we get paid off everything." You can practically see the flames coming off those words.
Someone else chimed in to defend the restaurant, sharing a screenshot in the comments that showed the burger and fries priced at $17.
Not content with the last laugh, the restaurant came back for an encore via an ad campaign.
"Super delicious burger with fries and a double shot of whiskey," a poster read.
The poster also included a crossed-out $78 price tag, with the actual meal price of $17.78 beside it.
They even called it the ‘D Brooks Special’.
So there you have it – customer reviews should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Or a shot of whiskey, but ideally not as you’re writing one.
Topics: Social Media
Rachael Davis