By Kevin Wilkerson, San Diego Blogger
I am calling you out, Cafe Coyote!
I am calling you out not for the $18 Cadillac Margarita I had which gave me no buzz whatsovever (I already knew the margaritas as Cafe Coyote are “tourist” ones) but for the fact that I was charged more than $10 for a beer that on the menu was priced at $7.95.
Or I would have been charged that much had I not noticed and said anything to the bartender. The conversation went like this:
Me: “Why am I being charged $10! The price of the beer on the menu is $7.95.”
Bartender: “Maybe you are looking at an old menu.”
Resisting the temptation to go volcanic over that response because I know such reactions don’t solve anything, I very calmly replied: “I looked at the menu that a server put on the table. And if it shows $7.95 you have to honor the price on the menu, no matter which menu I see.”
The bartender, who was trying to be understanding and helpful but was certainly not apologetic, said she would go ask the manager. She disappeared into another room. I waited a couple of minutes but since I was there as part of a large group, could not hang around forever. When I returned 15 or so minutes later, the bartender was back. She said she talked to the manager “and he said ‘that’s right.’ ”
That’s right what? That the price is one thing on the menu but rings up at a higher price? I didn’t really push it because the bartender discounted my next – and final – beer, but let it be known that Cafe Coyote in San Diego’s Old Town charges more for a beer than is listed on its menu. This got me to thinking “well, if they do that for a beer, what else cost more than is listed on the menu?”
The margarita, by the way, was the right price tho after tip and tax it cost me $22. It wasn’t very good, either.
Kevin Wilkerson is a San Diego-based blogger who publishes PubClub.com. This column was written based on a real-life experience. No AI or ChatGTP was used to write or assist in the writing of this article.
Thanks for sharing this experience. Not suprised but it’s disappointing we have to do double-check our checks.
Wow, I had a similar experience at a restaurant in Old Town! It’s wild how some places try to sneak extra charges onto your bill. Always double-check!