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ManMountain
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Feb 21, 2019 - 12:18pm PT
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The Desert Oasis Gas Station/Restaurant alongside I40 in Fenner, Ca. First clue, gas was $7.00/gallon (2018). Ordered a burrito, $6.95 and got a soggy microwaved frozen supermarket special. They would charge me for a glass of water, so I marched out to my rig for my water bottle. Oh, and if you're not a paying customer, parking is $10 or no restroom access for you!
Here's the sign on their front door:
BTW, they're only 35 miles from Needles, not out in the middle of nowhere. And I was their only customer during my visit, wonder why?
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Lemurian
climber
Bend
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Feb 21, 2019 - 12:25pm PT
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Got the worst heartburn of my life from a jalapeno corndog at the truck stop in Snowville Utah. It looked so promising as it rotated under the heat lamp.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 21, 2019 - 12:31pm PT
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It looked so promising as it rotated under the heat lamp.
Brilliant line! ROFL
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Feb 21, 2019 - 12:41pm PT
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DMT, everyone knows you eat BBQ not sushi when in Kansas City...
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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Feb 21, 2019 - 12:45pm PT
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I too have eaten of the frozen (many times) burrito at the obscure quickmart.
Having already driven past any better options, call it the procrastination special.
Once you microwave it and it turns to mush, it's too late to turn back time.
It was quick, and so was the stomach-ache.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 21, 2019 - 12:48pm PT
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I think I can honestly say that I have never partaken of an offering from the rollers at a convenience store in the USA. However, Circle K’s in Norway and Sweden rock! They serve up some killer dogs and the buns aren’t also used in the marine world as caulking.
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plasticmullet
climber
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Feb 21, 2019 - 12:58pm PT
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Road side chicken from a vendor at Benque Viejo Del Carmen at the Belize/Guatemala border. Chicken was excellent until it wasn't.
Sans one person, our entire archaeological crew ate there. That next early morning was brutal as everyone got sick; 12-people in a two bathroom house. I recall having to use the female bathroom given that the male one was full. Running, I opened the door to find one woman shitting while another was puking in the sink. I apologized and jumped into the tub just in time to vent orally and anally.
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snakefoot
climber
Nor Cal
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Feb 21, 2019 - 01:10pm PT
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this thread is funny.
years back, maybe 92 in tahoe. eating at this mexican/irish combo place(odd) and after 1st bite of chips and salsa, I run to the restroom and projectile vomit all over. Afterward, I couldn't stick around.
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Feb 21, 2019 - 01:22pm PT
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A good friend of mine ordered chicken tacos at a Chevys Mexican place. When the order came he started eating and realized they had brought fish tacos instead. He thought that’s fine because I like fish tacos and they are more expensive, so score. Well half way through his first taco in his own words, the fish taco turned back into a chicken taco. Needless to say he was pretty sick that night.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Feb 21, 2019 - 01:24pm PT
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What, you wouldn’t have a glass of kvas from a tank truck in Samarkand after it was wiped ‘clean’ with a nasty looking rag? 😊
Reilly, sounds like you were spoiled! They wiped the glasses for you!
My recollection of kvas is public vending machines on the street with a single glass that everyone shared, and no wiping in between. I didn't die.
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C4/1971
Trad climber
Depends on the day...
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Feb 21, 2019 - 01:35pm PT
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Having lived in San Francisco and Napa for decades I have been spoiled with very good food for decades.
Worst Food: Traveling with nineteen buddies and playing the Open courses in western Scotland we stopped in Troon at an Indian Restaurant. As I always do, I went to the bathroom before I ordered and found the absolute worst bathroom I have ever seen, and I have been in lots of third old countries. My companions were all Brits, and Brits love Indian food. I came back to the table and ordered a beer. No tap please, I wanted a bottle with a cap. My mates wanted to know why I wasn’t ordering food. I suggested they visit the bathroom, which they did after they ordered. Each of them upon returning had their beers and ordered more beers, with caps on. By the time the food was delivered we got up, paid the tab, and left. WE never even touched the food. The bathroom in question had feces on the floor and the walls, an looked like it had not been cleaned for decades.
Hint: Always visit the head before you order...
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Feb 21, 2019 - 01:46pm PT
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Two of my more memorable unpleasant dining experiences have happened in the past 12 months. Last January I spent 8 days in Grand Staircase, Bear's Ears and Capitol Reef, driving around van camping and hiking and having starry campfires. Then, the night before heading into Buckskin Gulch slot canyon for a long day hike, I made the mistake of going into Page, Arizona, to eat at "El Tapatio" Mexican restaurant. I normally don't eat the puddle of refried beans that comes with the combo platters, but on this night I was kinda hungry. Restaurant refrieds are the perfect sort of food that can become home for clostridium bacteria, as they sit inadequately heated in a pot all day long. I hadn't been in a public establishment in over a week and had had basically zero human contact over the same period. So I am certain that what happened next started right here. Midday the following day, in the middle of the slot canyon, I started getting the bubble guts, which by the time I returned to my van that evening (having already been forced to use both socks for toilet paper) , had progressed to the full on hershey squirts. That night and the next day I drove back to Salt Lake City and it was the most miserable drive ever. Not that I was counting, but I had 17 separate episodes of the worst diarrhea and painful stomach cramps I have ever had, including several roadside pullout incidents which were preceded by five to ten minutes of desperate screaming in pain in the front seat as I looked for a place to stop. Gawd almighty.
The other was last summer. My buddy Dave and I were working a wildland fire on a helitack crew just north of Mount Rainier. We got put into an LZ near the fire early in the morning and spent the whole day out in the field working in 90 degree weather. That evening we got picked up and then, exhausted and hungry, borrowed a USFS truck to go down to the Naches Tavern in Greenwater, hoping to get dinner. We were wearing NPS insignia t shirts along with our fire boots and nomex, but it was pretty obvious we'd been out fighting fire. The bartender handed us a menu and, along with the 15 other patrons who were obviously locals and at least one of whom had a t shirt with something virulently anti government on it, also gave us a serious stink eye. The bartender then went out to hang out with the locals near the pool table. 25 minutes later, after standing around awkwardly by the bar waiting to get served, and getting more stink eye from all of the occupants including the same bartender, we finally realized we were persona non grata and walked out quietly, heading another 40 miles down the road to Enumclaw, where we scored a low grade pizza from a much nicer server lady.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Republic, WA
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Feb 21, 2019 - 01:51pm PT
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Would have to be in Sitka, Alaska around 1993. Chinese restaurant with poor service and the food was like canned vegetables with soy sauce and some Rice-aroni. Had they no shame?
Since my wife and I have worked in the restaurant business most of our adult lives, we have a pretty good idea between the two of us what might be going on. I have entered quite a few establishments, looked around and then left. If I decide to eat it usually isn't bad. Not great but just not bad.
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capseeboy
Social climber
portland, oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 21, 2019 - 02:36pm PT
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this mexican/irish combo place(odd)
Wowzer, that's the first time I have ever heard of this combo.
#1 Check washroom first. Great tip. If they have no regard for hygiene, well, what's next?
I have always been suspicious of places 'specializing' in several different cuisines, or menu's containing hundreds of offerings.
I asked a waitress once what the house specialty is. Her face momentarily went blank, and then she said, everything we make.
Years ago I worked as a night janitor at a ski resort. The cook would smoke OTJ while getting Sunday Brunch ready. He would flick his ashes into his recipe. Bon Appetit.
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Don Paul
Social climber
Washington DC
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Feb 21, 2019 - 03:02pm PT
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Stopped at a FARC checkpoint near San Vicente del Caguan, in 2003. Had to stay and eat with them to show we were legit. A girl in a camo uniform butchered a pig on a wooden table right in front of us. At the end she chopped the backbone into segments with her butcher's axe. Nothing was left. Meanwhile, we were served cold rice, cold beans, and a piece of lightly fried pork fat. They called it a chicharron, but normally those are deep fried and this fat was barely cooked at all. They also gave us orange sodas. I was there with combat photographer Jeremy Bigwood, who told me he often used these kinds of travel opportunities to lose weight, lol. We pretended to enjoy the meal, then were on our way.
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snakefoot
climber
Nor Cal
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Feb 21, 2019 - 03:08pm PT
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capsee. its called carlos murphy's and might still be there.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Feb 21, 2019 - 03:26pm PT
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Went to a small village in Costa Rica that's only accessible by boat to see some sea turtles.
They had one small restaurant for the few tourists passing through and there was a mid-sized dog on a leash by the door that we pet on our way in.
They had steak on the menu for a super low price so that's what three out of the four of us ordered.
After taking our orders the waiter walked the dog through swinging doors into the kitchen, killed it, and then spent about an hour butchering and cooking it before he served the dog steaks to us. The same one we had all pet on the way in.
Turns out that dog is kinda tough but doesn't taste bad.
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Crazy Bat
Sport climber
Birmingham, AL & Seweanee, TN
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Feb 21, 2019 - 05:13pm PT
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At the age of four I created one. It was the days of beehive hairdos. My parents made us behave. We frequently went to a nice Italian place. My brother would order a hamburger and we would watch the waitress cross the street to get him one from Mickey D's. An older couple came in. The old lady complained because they were seated next to kids. Loudly and inappropriately because we were so well behaved. In my first mischievous act as a human I masticated a mouthful of spaghetti and while my parents were distracted I stood up and spit it into her expensively coifed hai. I got about three mouthfulls in it before my mother caught me. I am surprised her laughter did not give me away. We left with no one fessing up to my misdeads.
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jbaker
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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Feb 21, 2019 - 07:20pm PT
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I had a few memorable meals in Cairo.
One was mixed grill, and I couldn't identify any of the meats. Really no idea. A weasel ran under the table while I was eating, chased by a cat. It was quite a good meal.
I decided to just have a rice dish to be safe in a pretty questionable looking establishment. I made the mistake of watching while a waiter handed the food server a just-used bowl, he swirled a dirty rag in it (no soap, no water) and put my dinner in it.
I remember an amazing fish dinner in a little fishing village in El Salvador. I was there with a National Geographic photographer who had an amazing ability to connect with people in seconds. We bought some fish and lobsters from the local fisherman she befriended as they dragged their dories up on the beach, and the local restaurant cooked them up for us. Her photos were later published in a NG book about the Pan American highway. It is pretty neat to see your memories captured by a top notch photographer, just offset 3 feet to the right.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Feb 22, 2019 - 07:54am PT
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Wow- some pretty horrific stories here. I guess I haven't traveled enough 3rd world countries to have had the "pleasure".
Really-- you ate the dog?
I'm pretty sure I had cat one time in an ethnic dive Asian place in Reseda- no English on the menu. It was pretty gross.
I've gotten pretty sick from a few places over the years . The worst food poisoning I've had in a decade was actually from The Brewery here in Bishop recently BTW.
A couple bad service experiences:
I got shunned a couple times on a Utah trip., the BF was clearly a "hippy" so one place just flat out ignored us till we left. Another restaurant took one look- set up a table in the basement and kept us totally segregated from the rest of the patrons. (LOL) In their defense- the service was still good and the food was excellent.
I had a particularly weird server incident. I was dining with two good looking guy-friends. The server was gay and was going way over the top flirting with the guys... to the point it was creepy. The server put on a bizarre Jekyl and Hyde thing- being overly attentive to the men and rude and dismissive to me. Took their drink orders ( not mine) then walked away . Served the drinks then took the boys' orders then started to walk away without taking mine.- at this point- one of my friends yells at the guy- "Hey as#@&%e- the lady would like to eat too". He reluctantly takes the order.
I keep some totally worthless foreign pre-Euro bills in my wallet to tip bad servers these days.
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