‘You can never come back to the Outback‘: Man contemplates leaving restaurant after getting free bread. Is that stealing?
Is free bread at a restaurant really free?
That's what one TikToker who visited an Outback Steakhouse wanted to know, and one attorney with a sizable following on the app clarified with a stitched response in a viral clip that's accrued over 68,000 views.
"So you go to a restaurant and they give you bread, right?" the initial TikToker says as he records into the camera holding a piece of bread. "And then you decide that you don't wanna eat in the restaurant anymore, after they bring you the water and everything. You eat the whole bread. What do you do if you like, leave?" the inquiring bread-eater asks into the lens.
An attorney weighs in
At this point in the video, Jesse Hernandez, the Texas Chancla himself from the Hernandez Law Office, interjects with his stitch, offering up his advice on the restaurant bread and water dine and dash. At the onset, it sounds like it would very well be a dine and dash, because he states that there's an implied understanding that the bread comes free with the purchase of a meal at the restaurant.
However, he does add that there really isn't a definitive answer to the other TikToker's question, as every restaurant has different rules when it comes to its bread policies.
"Free bread with purchase of an entree. It's different than just free bread," he says. "There's not one answer on what the law is for this because it's going to depend on each individual restaurant. Some restaurants do give you free chips and salsa when you show up. Other restaurants only give you free chips and salsa when you order an entree. The same thing with bread. The same thing with tortillas."
He suggests that customers should take it upon themselves to learn whether or not they need to purchase something in exchange for an eatery's bread. "There's a lot of things that you may get free if you purchase something. So the best way to answer this question is to ask your server," Hernandez says. "'Is this free or do I have to purchase something?' If that person says, 'No, you have to purchase something to get that free bread,' well guess what? If you walk out, you stole bread from them."
The attorney adds that the worst outcome of stealing bread from a restaurant may not culminate in any legal repercussions, but a restaurant could ban you from ever visiting there again.
"It may not even qualify as a serious misdemeanor," Hernandez says. "There's other things that happen with that. One, you're taking up a server's table for nothing. You're not going to leave them a tip if you don't purchase anything. What's likely to happen is even if you walk out and they say, 'Hey, we're not going to press charges... but you can never come back to the Outback.'"
The Daily Dot called an Outback Steakhouse location in Rochelle Park, New Jersey and asked an employee about the status of the chain's "free bread," and were forwarded the company's corporate office information.
Is Outback Steakhouse's bread really free?
Numerous blogs online have specified that the bread is "free" while others have more specifically stated that it's free when a customer buys something, leading to some pretty great economical meal hacks that help folks to get the most caloric bang for their buck.
However, this Redditor uploaded a post to the site's r/freefood sub stating that they found a way to cut costs on breakfasts. That hack? Stopping into an Outback Steakhouse's curbside pickup and asking the employees there for a loaf.
In fact, the Reddit user stated that the employees were pretty kind about the whole thing and even asked them how many loaves they wanted. They specifically stated that they didn't purchase anything from the restaurant, and particularly enjoyed the loaves of bread because, unlike the bagel they would sometimes buy, this one was entirely "free."
Numerous TikTokers who responded to Hernandez's video shared that they wouldn't dream of not leaving a tip for an employee if they intended on going in and eating some bread. "I would tip them $5-$10 in case I had to leave with out ordering and just ate the bread," one said.
"Just leave a $5 for their time. or straight uo tell the server so they don't have to keep constantly checking if you're ready to order," another wrote.
But one user on the application recommended another means of getting free bread without having to worry about stirring up any problems with restaurant management: "If you don’t see anything that sounds appealing just tell them that. Typically they’ll just waive it and say you’re all good to go for customer service reasons. Not all. But most."
One person argued that there are instances when just eating the free bread and water and then getting up and leaving without paying is totally fine. "I went to the Cheesecake Factory. Was seated, given bread and water. Then no waiter. I ate the bread, drank water and got up and left," they claimed.
@texaschancla Is leaving a restaurant after the “free” bread stealing? ???? #texas #viral #lawyer #tx #law #attorney #restaurant #bread ♬ original sound - texaschancla
If you're thinking of engaging in this practice and are trying to get some free bread and water without having to fork over any cash, you may want to follow Hernandez's advice. One TikTok user even said that whenever they look at a menu on the restaurant there's a message which clearly indicates water and bread are given to customers who purchase something.
The Daily Dot has emailed Outback Steakhouse and the Hernandez law firm via email for further comment.
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