A server spotted an inconsistency between a customer’s medium-rare steak order and how he described how he wanted it cooked. He snapped when she clarified his order. She couldn’t believe his reaction when he saw the steak she brought out.
Arizona server Elizabeth Thorne (@elizabeththorne_) recounts a recent interaction with a man who insisted he wanted a “pink center” on his “medium-rare steak.” She quickly pointed out that the restaurant’s medium-rare steak comes with a red center instead.
“He’s like, ‘I know what a medium rare steak is,'” she says in the video with over 216,000 views. “I was just clarifying because I heard you like a pink center.”
Was He Happy With The Medium-Rare Steak?
The man continued to insist that he wants to order a medium-rare steak. Thorne says she put in the order exactly as requested and brought back his steak. She waited at the table for the guests to cut into their steak to make sure it was cooked to their liking.
“He goes, ‘Did you even kill the cow before giving it to me?'” she recounts, noting that the man wanted it cooked past medium rare despite his stubbornness. She brought the steak back to the kitchen and had the cooks put it on the grill for longer. However, he still wasn’t satisfied.
“He looks at it and says, ‘This is still too rare,'” she continues. Thorne says she brought it back to the kitchen again, and the man was finally happy with how it was cooked. At this point, the steak had been cooked to medium well.
The caption reads, “I think he was embarrassed to order Medium Well…”
She continues, “ALSO I can already see the comments telling me to just ring in Medium next time.. he ordered Medium Rare so that’s what I rang in because you can always bring a steak up but you can’t bring one down.”
What Counts As Medium Rare?
According to Sullivan’s Steakhouse, medium-rare steaks are cooked to 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This produces a hot red center that preserves most of the steak’s natural juiciness.
Many chefs recommend this temperature because fat marbling in the steak starts to melt around this point, creating the most desirable taste and texture.
The man’s preference for a pink center more closely aligns with a standard medium or medium well, which still has some pink while fully cooking through the steak.
Viewers Point Out Why He Was Confused
Some commenters suggested why the man may have been under the impression that medium-rare steaks come with a pink center.
“High end Steak house Med Rare is consistent what you describe. He’s describing Applebees med rare,” one suggested.
A second said, “Medium rare is definitely a red center. The problem is, customers are used to getting everything cooked wrong from cheap restaurants.”
Others suggested other ways to communicate steak temperature options to customers.
“Everything needs a picture chart now. So many people confidently think they are right when they are completely wrong,” a viewer joked.
“That’s why my servers are trained to talk about exact temperatures not words like medium rare,” a restaurant worker said. “Like OK sir we’re gonna pull your steak at 128° and let it rest to 133°. Mmk.”
@elizabeththorne_ I think he was embarrassed to order Medium Well… ALSO I can already see the comments telling me to just ring in Medium next time.. he ordered Medium Rare so that’s what I rang in because you can always bring a steak up but you can’t bring one down #arizona #fyp #bartender #server #bar
BroBible reached out to Thorne via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. We will update the story when she replies.