Server Explains Why She Would Never Ask for Lemon With Water in a Restaurant
Hygiene at restaurants is mandatory and who knows it better than a server with a wealth of industry experience? TikTok user Adrianah Lee (@adrianahlee) warned her followers about one thing people tend to ask for when dining at a restaurant– lemon water. “Don’t ask for lemon in your water,” she exclaimed at the beginning of her viral video. Lee revealed that she was struck with the realization “the minute” she became a server at an outlet. She pledged to never ask for a lemon in her water ever again because of a plethora of hygienic reasons.
“You know the servers put that on themselves, right? Like they’re touching money,” the TikTok user ranted. Her primary concern was the many objects the servers touched before putting a lemon in a glass full of water, including picking up other people’s plates, money, and whatnot. However, she pointed out that servers do wash their hands frequently but that is hardly the case during busy hours. Lee said, “When you’re running a table and they’re saying ‘let me get four glasses of water with lemon’ they’re just putting them up.” She confirmed the insider knowledge while claiming that she had been a server for long.
Adding another aspect to her concerns, Lee revealed that the servers cut the lemon themselves and oftentimes forget to wear gloves. She clarified her part saying gloves are a staple for her work ethic but she “can’t account for anybody else.” For the third problem, the server indicated that the produce is rarely washed before serving in glasses of water. Speaking for herself, Lee noted that she never forgets to wash all her produce when at home while following a proper procedure, usually involving baking soda and vinegar. “But I’ve never seen a lemon washed in my life at a restaurant,” she disclosed, prompting that her server experience goes back to “a lot of restaurants” including five-star places and diners.
Additionally, the influencer urged her followers and other servers to share if they had ever seen a lemon wash before. Lee, who boasts 104k followers on the platform, candidly admitted that there are a lot of things that she herself turns a blind eye to and probably is not the best for her health. She took the instance of servers touching her silverware meant to contain her food at eateries. But it was something she was willing to consider instead of the unhygienic lemons in a glass of water.
“The lemons I can just never get over,” Lee concluded adding that she would look out for a lemon and take it out of her glass immediately, if it happens so. In her final note, the TikToker reiterated her disgust for the lemons and advised everyone to avoid getting one in their water. Though her well-meaning message reached thousands of people, many netizens were not highly impressed with her advice. One person (@macdaddy2.1) probably felt it was an exaggeration and wrote, “It’s literally fine.” Another netizen (@stiinki_) was barely concerned. “Girl I don’t care I just want my lemon,” the comment stated.
However, a fair share of TikTok users agreed with Lee’s stance and echoed with similar experiences. “I have been working in restaurants over 10 years and I have never seen a lemon washed…or tongs for lemons,” another internet user (@heathersinwonderland) wrote. Another netizen (@grippysocks666) chimed in, "Girl the ice is dirty too everything is dirty in restaurants lol."
@adrianahlee I still shake my head when people specifically ask for lemon #psa #serverlife #server #fyp ♬ original sound - Adrianah Lee
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