Just want to alert everyone to the horrible service we received at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas this past October. Had dinner at Fiore restaurant, supposed to be very nice. Ate my appetizer, carpaccio, and got sick 15 minutes later. Really sick. My husband told the waiter we were leaving b/c I had just gotten violently ill. The waiter denies any possibility of food poisoning and gives us our bill. My husband pays it so we can get out of the restaurant and get some fresh air. I later realize that the waiter not only charged us for the entire meal, but also for the appetizer that I threw up in their bathroom. I wrote a letter to the restaurant after we got home asking for reimbursment for the meal, and I received a letter from the Rio's Risk Manager stating that unless I had medical proof that I got food poisoning from their resaturant, they would not refund any money, not even for the appetizer which made me sick.
I learned my lesson, but I don't want anyone else to have to go through this. The restaurant service was horrible, and the Rio's Customer Service was even worse.
Stay away!!!

Dear Lisa:
Consider yourself lucky you're still alive. In a twenty-year career as a professional restaurant critic, I have yet to get a restaurant to admit its food could possibly be at fault.
I've decided there's only one way to handle this: The next time this happens [and it will!], I'll vomit right onto the dining room floor and make the manager call an ambulance to take me to the nearest hospital. An then I'll sue their socks off.
I hope the manager and chef get food poisoning themselves, so they learn what a truly horrid experience it is.
Best,
John

Lisa, it's a shame you got sick. But if you threwup 15 minutes after eating something, yu didn't get food poisoning from the carpaccio. The speediest forms of food poisoning take six hours to kick in, the biggies, such as salmonella, take even longer.

I agree with the above poster. The last time I had food poisoning, the doctor told me it takes anywhere from 6-48 hours for the symptoms to occur. Sorry you had such terrible service from the Rio, but the illness probably did not come from their food.

Isn't carpaccio raw and kind of risky anyway?

Yes, it is, Marianne, and anybody who would dare eat raw fish or meat even in today's "supposed" safe world is an absolute IDIOT and DESERVES to get sick!!

I'm sorry you got ill. But why would you expect to be reimbursed for food you consumed, regardless of how it exited your body?

Perhaps the Rio didn't treat you too well, but I don't understand how you expected to be reimbursed for food.

I've had salmonella food poisoning and was sick 11 days (from improperly heated/cooled pasta soup at The Olive Garden). During that time I realized how minor any previous upset stomachs were.

From what I've learned, 15 minutes isn't food poisoning -- just some sort of disagreement. Could it have been an allergy? Or had you been drinking?

Carpaccio is an appetizer of thinly sliced RAW beef.

Just because something's on the menu doesn't mean you have to order it.

I'm sorry you got sick, I've had it bad too, but like most others here I agree it must not have been actual "food poisoning" too quick, and probably others in the restaurant would have been affected if there was really something wrong with the food.

Lisa it is true that it takes 4 hours for a food spoilage reaction to occur. However, ignore all these insensitive fools responding to you message. First of all, when one orders something from the menu, regardless of what it is.... You have that basic right as a Human Being and Patron to be fed Untainted food when placing yourself in the hands of the establishment. Secondly, you positively has the right to demand your money back!! You should get the names of those with whom you spoke and now go STRAIGHT TO THE TOP-----CEO of the RIO Hotel! Every person has that basic right!! Good Luck!

I think June is missing the point. Why would Lisa have the "right" to get her money back if the Rio can't be responsible for the food poisoning in the first place? If the food didn't taste good, I agree that she should have asked for something else. But to accuse the hotel of food poisoning when they can't have been responsible because of the time involved is a little arrogant. I assume Lisa didn't know better (I wouldn't have) and will drop this charade at once. (ps - I personally am surprised the Rio didn't give in!)

I think that there are really two issues involved here. The first one is the legal issue and the second is a customer relations issue. I am not a Doctor so I cannot say whether it was food poisoning or not. Legally the Rio is probably on pretty firm ground. However from a customer relations point of view they handled it very poorly.

Any first class restaurant would not have charged for the meal regardless of the legal ramifications. It is just smart PR to write it off. I used to own a restaurant. I certainly would never have charged the customer under the circumstances described, regardless of fault.

I am not surprized by the Rio's attitude as they are simply reflecting the arrogant attitude of Harrahs which is their owner.