Restaurants draw the line on substitutions as diners push menu limits

Making substitutions at restaurants has become commonplace, but some chefs and restaurant owners are pushing back against requests they say can disrupt kitchen operations and take away from the intended dining experience.

The growing debate has also raised questions about restaurant etiquette, with experts warning that excessive modifications can cross the line from reasonable requests into entitlement.

Lom Wong, a Thai restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, recently took a stance against substitutions after seeing an increase in modification requests following its recognition in the 2026 Michelin Guide Southwest.

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Restaurant industry veteran Robert Mahon and national etiquette expert Diane Gottsman told Fox News Digital that while some substitutions are reasonable, excessive requests can create challenges for restaurants and their staff.

In a post on Instagram, Lom Wong reminded diners that the restaurant serves "village Thai food" and does not follow traditional European-style coursing methods.

"We'll take your whole order at once. Your dishes will come out when they're ready," the post said.

The restaurant also asked guests not to expect it to "change or conform to someone else's idea of what an award-winning restaurant should be."

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"We also don't make substitutions simply to make a dish more familiar," the post said. "These recipes were shared with us by our families or by the communities we work with. We respect those recipes and the people who entrusted them to us."

The post drew largely supportive reactions, with some commenters praising the restaurant for standing by its approach.

"The customer is NOT always right. When you come into someone else's house, you show respect and manners," one Instagram user wrote, noting that this includes eating what's on the menu.

Not everyone agreed, however.

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"Sounds good in general but no one wants their dessert before their meal or starter after their entree, and it's crazy to say you can't decide you're hungry for more after initially ordering," one commenter wrote.

Fox News Digital reached out to Lom Wong for comment.

Excessive substitutions can also undermine the flavors chefs intended diners to experience, Mahon said.

Chefs "create these dishes on the menu with all these different amazing flavors so the customer can experience them all at once," Mahon, director of operations for the New York-based Mahon Hospitality Group, told Fox News Digital.

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"However, once you start modifying, the true authentic flavor that was originally meant to be for the dish is not there anymore," he added.

"At the end of the day, we're trying to do what's best for the customer and please them to a certain degree," Mahon said.

Sometimes, however, it's simply not feasible to accommodate every substitution request while running a restaurant at full capacity and providing the best service possible, Mahon said.

Allergies and dietary restrictions are taken seriously and accommodated to the best of a restaurant's ability, Mahon said, but unnecessary modifications can lead to longer wait times, especially if everyone at a table makes changes to their orders.

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Excessive substitution requests can also cross the line into poor dining etiquette.

"If it's something minor like asking to remove the tomatoes on top of the piece of protein, for example, easy enough. But when you are completely changing up the order, that comes across as entitlement," Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas, told Fox News Digital.

If a dish is "something that you really dislike, you should keep your opinions to yourself because it's offensive," she said, adding that, "if it's on their menu, it means that they think that it's important."

For diners with allergies or dietary restrictions, Gottsman said the key is "asking politely, doing it respectfully and not overburdening the wait staff or the chef."