END RANCH DRESSING SURCHARGES
Madera - Me n Ed's Pizza is probably the best example of California brick oven pizza on the West Coast. The toppings are fresh and the dough passes the ultimate test, it is still great the next day cold. The problem isn't with the pizza, the service or even the restaurant but something that I hope doesn't become a trend; charging for ranch dressing.
When Me n Ed's changed their pricing, they began charging for jalapeños and ranch dressing. Before, they would load a bag up with more than you could use. Now if you want the little bag of goodies it will cost you a quarter per one ounce cup.
Now I agree that if you want raw jalapeños you should pay for those. That is a topping. Even if it's not on the pizza when it goes into the oven it is still a topping but ranch dressing is a condiment. It is no difference that ketchup on French fries or steak sauce on a hamburger.
I called every sit down pizza restaurant in Madera and other than Me n Ed's, not one of them charges for ranch dressing. I called IHOP, Denny's and Perko's, not one charges for ranch dressing if you ask for it for your French fries. I found only one other place that charges for ranch dressing and that was Hooters in Fresno.
When Me n Ed's changes their employee uniforms and gives me the show Hooters does, then I'll pay a quarter for ranch dressing. Until then it is a condiment!
When the price change happened the restaurant also took red pepper and grated Parmesan cheese off of the table and put it into littler cups. All of the other pizza places in town have these items in containers on the table for you to shake on your pizzas. So the customer could use what they wanted and there would be no waste.
Now with the tiny cups there is more waste. There is even more expense; they have to buy the cups. Not to mention that they go directly to our landfill. The restaurant needs to ditch the cups and let their customers use the ranch in the salad bar that they have in large containers. How often do they have to throw away unused dressings in the salad bar? How much are those damn cups?
Send Me n Ed's a message. Just say no to ranch dressing surcharges. Bring your own bottle or better yet go some where else until the Ferdinandi boys figure out that condiments should come with your meal.
And to the cashier at the Madera Me n Ed's who said, "It's not in the rule book that we provide Ranch with your pizza", well it is in the rule book that the customer is always right. It's the number one rule.
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