Ever sent back food in a restaurant and then thought you saw an evil glint in the chef's eye? Here's a new reason to be paranoid: A chef in Wisconsin has been arrested and charged with a felony after hiding a collection of hairs inside a customer's food.
Ryan Kropp, who until recently worked at a steakhouse in West Bend, Wis., prepared a 16-ounce rib-eye for a man dining with his friends and family. But when the man complained that his steak was cooked medium, not medium-rare as he had requested, Kropp was told to prepare a second steak for the man to take home.
Apparently, Kropp thought the man was "just trying to get free stuff." He allegedly added a secret, disgusting (yet protein-rich) bonus: "several strands of what appeared to be hair coming out of the middle of the steak."
The customer called the police, who then charged the 24-year-old cook with a felony ("placing foreign objects in edibles") that carries penalties of up to three-and-a-half years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The hairs were reportedly from the chef's face. If you think about it, things could have been a lot worse.
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Instead of risking the potential horrors of tainted restaurant food, stay in and impress your lady with these easy recipes.
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Monday 03 March
By susan
This happened where I live and our news reported it was pubes not facial hair!
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Monday 03 March
By Kirk
LOTS of cooks do this sort of thing. Not all, but a lot.
There was a well documented case at ( I believe a Perkin's) here in Apple Valley, Minnesota where a cook put some kind of cleaning agent in a policeman's food. The officer got very sick. Fortunately, they were abl;e to apprehend the cook that did it.
I work i the business, so I know how unruly SOME cooks can be if food is sent back.
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Monday 03 March
By jaguignon
Someone who pulls a stunt like this should be tattooed somewhere on his body with a code # for the felony that he comitted against the public so that he could'nt do work for anyone in the food business again. Personally I have sent a steak back that was almost well done when I asked for medium rare. It makes me wonder what they did to my steak!
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Monday 03 March
By don
Hard to believe that something like this can happen in a town named Apple Valley. Sounds like something out of Disney.
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Monday 03 March
By kelly chesnut
As a server I have seen 2 of these digusting events but these were undetected by the patrons 1) Urine on a steak-waiter did not like customer. 2) Ejaculation into a fettucini type dish--manager hated customer. Both of these incidents occured at "fine dining establishments".
When I heard about the Hep scare after some party in NYC invovlving an infected bartender all I could do is say DUH!! Never eat garnishments on drinks and do not put them in your beverages- just squeeze juice into the glass.
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Monday 03 March
By Victor
The "Revererd" Jessies Jackson once admitted that when he worked as a cook, that he spit in all the white people's orders...
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Monday 03 March
By Victor
The "Reverend" Jessie Jackson once admitted that when he worked as a cook many years ago, that he spit in all the white people's food....
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Monday 03 March
By John Thompson
When I get something that is not prepared the way that I asked I never send it back for a second try. However I do return it and do not pay for it. I am way to hep to let the cook do that to me.
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Monday 03 March
By Victoria
When I worked for KFC there was a girl who would take food from the scrap bin to serve to customers rather than cook fresh product if we were out of something. Once while making biscuits, I dumped spoiled butter milk into the mixing bowl without realizing it was spoiled. As soon as I realized there was something wrong with the milk, I told my manager. I expected her to tell me to throw the mix out. Instead, she told me to go ahead and use it. The biscuits came out looking weird but no one complained. I'm amazed no one got sick! Now, I try to eat only at places where I can watch my food being prepared.
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Monday 03 March
By maria
oh boy ekk jail time for him how rude
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Monday 03 March
By maria
how rude eek thats disgusting jail time now honey
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Monday 03 March
By Kevin
I have a relative who works at the steak house in West Bend.
I also spoke to the owner on March 2nd(went for dinner). As I hear it, the emplyee put hair in the steak was referred to as "A retalitory type of person". Basicly a person who shouldn't be working in a position that requires any involvement with any customers in any way. I hope he gets what he deserves. It would be nice to see the steakhouse be able to prosecute him for revenue losses as well
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Monday 03 March
By Caroline
In response to the Jesse Jackson comment PROVE that he said that!!!!!! How ignorant to state something so perverse....I really want the site or proof it was said. Because obviously you donot realize if you just spout off comments ie hearsay like your statement that is defamation of character and you could and should be sued.
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Monday 03 March
By HAROLD
i wounder how much snort i have eating at mc d,s
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Monday 03 March
By yuck
I NEVER send back wrong orders, because my dad said when he used to work in a pizza place a long time ago, some of his co-workers would sometimes get irritated @ irritated customers, and the customers would end up with a loogy in their food! I just take what they give me, and be more clear the next time I order...don't know about you, but I'd rather eat a wrong order than unknowingly eat spit.
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Monday 03 March
By harold
i wounder how much snort i have eating at mc d,s
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Monday 03 March
By JBJJ48
makes u think twice about dining out!!
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Monday 03 March
By Lee Allen
More importantly, I would like knowing exactly why John McCain is considered a war hero? President Kennedy was a war hero. President Eisenhower was a war hero. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant were war heroes. Andrew Jackson and George Washington were war heroes. How can John McCain possibly be mentioned as a war hero compared with any of the aforementioned? Yes, we’re all sympathetic for McCain’s ordeal while being a prisoner for nearly 6 years in Vietnam. But with all due respect, doesn’t that make him a victim of war and NOT A WAR HERO?
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Monday 03 March
By Thomas
I understand both sides of the spectrum being a general mgr and a patron. some people and i say some people can be extremely hard to please and it sometimes seems intentional.you can go out of your way to try and make the experience most enjoyable but it seems people just like to complain or try and get a free meal. At any rate my hat goes off to people in the restaurant business who operate with integrity..its a hard business...
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Monday 03 March
By msances
I hope the chef is penalized to the full extent of the law. My sister lives in Wisconsin and has the FULL story and has sent me an article to confirm.
This chef that put the hairs in the food did not have facial hair. A co-worker turned him in and reported what REALLY happened. Ready for this? He used his PUBIC hairs! I think his punishment should fit the crime in his case.
The reason the hairs were found is because the customer took the food home to finish later. Ohterwise, in a restaurant setting (lighting) it may have gone undected. Ugh!
Some chefs are so arrogant. I used to go to a good fish restaurant where the chef REFUSED to throroughly cook the fish because that was the way"he" preferred it and they way he believed it should be eaten. Well, needless to say, he lost customers and went out of business.
Also, if you really knew what went on behind the scenes in restaurants, you may think twice before eating out. I do think twice, but then I come to the conclusion that I have to take my chances in out "eat out" society.
Good luck!
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