Never in their 30 years of cooking did Reddit user FriedDM96 imagine they’d serve a cold, raw burger to a customer at their Missouri diner. This wasn’t a prank or mistake either; the woman allegedly wanted it raw. Posting to r/KitchenConfidential, FriedDM96 explains that a couple came in, and the wife asked to speak with the cook. At first, she told OP she wanted a burger seared for 7 seconds on each side. Confused, FriedDM96 asked whether that was really what she wanted; then her request escalated.
“She responded with, ‘Actually, if I can just have it raw, that would be even better,’” FriedDM96 recalled. According to this customer, “this is the healthier way to eat your burger.” While OP tried to argue her out of it, they ended up serving her a raw burger, with cheese, buns, fries, and all. Redditors in the comments were appalled.
“There’s no reason to accommodate this unreasonable request and a hundred reasons not to,” exclaimed a user. “No way would I serve that,” agreed another. “I bet she washed it down with unpasteurized milk,” joked a third.
“Yeah, eating raw ground meat is healthier than cooked meat. Tell Grandma to take her meds and to stop listening to RFK Jr. speeches before bed,” remarked a fourth. A few others demanded OP should not have served the raw burger to the woman at all. FriedDM96 responded, claiming it was actually perfectly legal.
The Missouri Cook Clarified that Serving the Woman’s Request Was Legal
“I of course told the owner about this. And double-checked the food code,” OP clarified. “It’s totally legal here as long as the menu states eating raw or undercooked product increases risk of food poisoning.” They added that even the husband was embarrassed about his wife’s order, saying that he apologized for such a bizarre request.
In the end, the woman got what she wanted, but whether her choice was healthier is certainly debatable, according to the USDA. Still, it raises the question of what kind of food the husband is forced to eat at home with his wife, given her interesting opinions on diet.
