--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went into a restaurant one night and…" description: "\"I went into a restaurant one night and ordered lobster, and the waiter brought me one with a claw missing. I called him over and told him about it. He ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61d/al-mcguire-11312_claws_i-went-into-a-restaurant-one-night-and-o_1743996.jpg" --- # I went into a restaurant one night and ordered lobster… ![“I went into a restaurant one night and ordered lobster, and the waiter brought me one with a claw missing. I called him over and told him about it. He told me that in the back there's a tank they keep the lobsters in and while they're in there, they fight and sometimes one loses a claw. I told him…” quote by Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61d/al-mcguire-11312_claws_i-went-into-a-restaurant-one-night-and-o_1743996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61d/al-mcguire-11312_claws_i-went-into-a-restaurant-one-night-and-o_1743996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61d/al-mcguire-11312_claws_i-went-into-a-restaurant-one-night-and-o_1743996.jpg) > “I went into a restaurant one night and ordered lobster, and the waiter brought me one with a claw missing. I called him over and told him about it. He told me that in the back there's a tank they keep the lobsters in and while they're in there, they fight and sometimes one loses a claw. I told him 'then bring me a winner.'” [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A humorous tale about demanding perfection and the absurdity of expecting flawless outcomes. **In simple terms:** Expecting flawless results can be unreasonable. Key Takeaway Accept imperfections and adjust expectations. Themes humor expectations perfection Mood amused lighthearted Type anecdotal humorous When to use this quote - dining out - customer complaints - quality control Key Concepts absurdity customer service communication Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle when reality falls short of your expectations? - What does “a winner” really mean in everyday life? A Different Perspective Not all situations allow for a perfect solution; compromise may be necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Tanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tanks/) [Waiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiter/) [Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winner/) ## Related quotes > [“She's your lobster. C'mon you guys. It's a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You can actually see old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-buffay/she-s-your-lobster-c-mon-you-guys-it-s-a-known-fact-that-lobsters/) Phoebe Buffay > [On New York's Palm restaurant: Their steaks are often good, but the lobsters-with claws the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger's forearms-are as glazed and tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/on-new-york-s-palm-restaurant-their-steaks-are-often-good-but-the/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Why should a lobster be any more ridiculous than a dog? ... or a cat, or a gazelle, or a lion, or any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/why-should-a-lobster-be-any-more-ridiculous-than-a-dog-or-a-cat-or-a/) [Gerard De Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [He looks much more like a lobster than most lobsters do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-looks-much-more-like-a-lobster-than-most-lobsters-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lobster, when left high and dry among the rock, does not have the sense enough to work his way back to the sea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/a-lobster-when-left-high-and-dry-among-the-rock-does-not-have-the/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [I consider the 3 most cruelly produced foods to be from lobsters, dropped alive into boiling water, veal from calves separated from their mothers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleveland-amory/i-consider-the-3-most-cruelly-produced-foods-to-be-from-lobsters/) [Cleveland Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleveland-amory/) > [A man that'd expict to thrain lobsters to fly in a year is called a loonytic; but a man that thinks men can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finley-peter-dunne/a-man-that-d-expict-to-thrain-lobsters-to-fly-in-a-year-is-called-a/) [Finley Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finley-peter-dunne/) > [The thing that has been weighing on my mind this week is that I wanted to go and save all the little live lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/the-thing-that-has-been-weighing-on-my-mind-this-week-is-that-i/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [“Lobsters," Aithinne says again, just in case I misheard her, and I rather hoped I had. "I hear they're biologically immortal," she explains, "and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/lobsters-aithinne-says-again-just-in-case-i-misheard-her-and-i-rather/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [“Lobsters bred in such abundance around Britain’s coastline that they were fed to prisoners and orphans or ground up for fertilizer; servants sought written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/lobsters-bred-in-such-abundance-around-britain-s-coastline-that-they/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [A friend called me up the other day and talked about investing in a dot-com that sells lobsters. Internet lobsters. Where will this end?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/a-friend-called-me-up-the-other-day-and-talked-about-investing-in-a/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Lobsters one of the only animals that have to put up with being alive in the restaurant. If you go to a steakhouse, folks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jeni/lobsters-one-of-the-only-animals-that-have-to-put-up-with-being-alive/) [Richard Jeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jeni/) > [Lobsters displays all three of the classic biological characteristics of an insect, namely: 1. It has way more legs than necessary. 2. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/lobsters-displays-all-three-of-the-classic-biological-characteristics/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Riding in a private jet is very glamorous and I remember the first time we did it. We were so excited because they said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/riding-in-a-private-jet-is-very-glamorous-and-i-remember-the-first/) [Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/) > [The waiter brought fresh-baked bread and cheese, a bottle of sparkling water for Annabeth, and a Coke with ice for me (because I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-waiter-brought-fresh-baked-bread-and-cheese-a-bottle-of-sparkling/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by Al McGuire > [I just can't recruit where there's grass around. You gotta have a concrete lawn before I feel comfortable enough to go in and talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-just-can-t-recruit-where-there-s-grass-around-you-gotta-have-a/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Live every day as if it were Saturday night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/live-every-day-as-if-it-were-saturday-night/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/the-best-thing-about-freshmen-is-that-they-become-sophomores/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I let ballplayers yell back at me because I wasn't trying to prove I'm boss. I know I'm boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-let-ballplayers-yell-back-at-me-because-i-wasn-t-trying-to-prove-i/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Help one kid at a time. He'll maybe go back and help a few more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/help-one-kid-at-a-time-he-ll-maybe-go-back-and-help-a-few-more/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I don't believe in looking past anybody - I wouldn't look past the Little Sisters of the Poor after they stayed up all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-don-t-believe-in-looking-past-anybody-i-wouldn-t-look-past-the/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [There's no one who's dropped on top of the mountain. You've got to work your way to the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/there-s-no-one-who-s-dropped-on-top-of-the-mountain-you-ve-got-to/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Remember, half the doctors in this country graduated in the bottom half of their class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/remember-half-the-doctors-in-this-country-graduated-in-the-bottom/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I don't think any decent human being enjoys recruiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-don-t-think-any-decent-human-being-enjoys-recruiting/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [God didn't miss any of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/god-didn-t-miss-any-of-us/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [The nicest thing about coaching is that one day you feel like you can play handball against a curb, and on other days you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/the-nicest-thing-about-coaching-is-that-one-day-you-feel-like-you-can/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I want my team to have my personality: surly, obnoxious, and arrogant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-want-my-team-to-have-my-personality-surly-obnoxious-and-arrogant/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Don't call me son unless you're going to include me in your will. (When Adolph Rupp called him, "Son.")](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/don-t-call-me-son-unless-you-re-going-to-include-me-in-your-will-when/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Every obnoxious fan has a wife at home that dominates him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/every-obnoxious-fan-has-a-wife-at-home-that-dominates-him/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [“13. “The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/13-the-only-mystery-in-life-is-why-the-kamikaze-pilots-wore-helmets/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) [Explore all 60 Al McGuire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) ## More Claws quotes > [When the Batman TV series was taken to the silver screen, one of America's favourite sweethearts would don the mask and claws of Catwoman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/when-the-batman-tv-series-was-taken-to-the-silver-screen-one-of/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Of course, when we got home, we found that Dagda had peed on my down comforter. He had also eaten part of Mom's maidenhair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/of-course-when-we-got-home-we-found-that-dagda-had-peed-on-my-down/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [If thou art of elephant-strength or of lion-claw, still peace is, in my opinion, better than strife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saadi/if-thou-art-of-elephant-strength-or-of-lion-claw-still-peace-is-in-my/) [Saadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saadi/) > [Fear God, and offend not the Prince nor his laws, and keep thyself out of the magistrate's claws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-tusser/fear-god-and-offend-not-the-prince-nor-his-laws-and-keep-thyself-out/) [Thomas Tusser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-tusser/) > [Losing is the bane and bugbear of every professional athlete's existence, but in baseball the monster seems to hang closer than in other sports,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-angell/losing-is-the-bane-and-bugbear-of-every-professional-athlete-s/) [Roger Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-angell/) > [Sometimes to go forward you've got to go to the depths of your own personal despair and claw yourself back. From that point, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-strachan/sometimes-to-go-forward-you-ve-got-to-go-to-the-depths-of-your-own/) [Gordon Strachan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-strachan/) > [Science is not a body of facts. Science is a state of mind. It is a way of viewing the world, of facing reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-angier/science-is-not-a-body-of-facts-science-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-a-way/) [Natalie Angier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-angier/) > [“He let out a soft, lethal laugh that raked claws down her temper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/he-let-out-a-soft-lethal-laugh-that-raked-claws-down-her-temper/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [The temptation is to stay inside; to subside into the kind of recluse whom neighborhood children regard with derision and little awe; to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-temptation-is-to-stay-inside-to-subside-into-the-kind-of-recluse/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Every bird which flies has the thread of the infinite in its claw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/every-bird-which-flies-has-the-thread-of-the-infinite-in-its-claw/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“So...I suggest you try and get control over your more unusual nature, see if you can't coax those claws away, and I'll try very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-griffin/so-i-suggest-you-try-and-get-control-over-your-more-unusual-nature/) [Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-griffin/) > [“This Kitten Has Claws”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/this-kitten-has-claws/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [As far as history goes I am dead. If there is something beyond I shall have to bounce back. I have found God, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/as-far-as-history-goes-i-am-dead-if-there-is-something-beyond-i-shall/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [This is a fierce bad rabbit; look at his savage whiskers, and his claws and his turned-up tail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatrix-potter/this-is-a-fierce-bad-rabbit-look-at-his-savage-whiskers-and-his-claws/) [Beatrix Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beatrix-potter/) > [If the basic human nature was aggressive, we would have been born with animal claws & huge teeth -- but ours are very short,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-the-basic-human-nature-was-aggressive-we-would-have-been-born-with/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) Browse all 275 Claws quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I went into a restaurant one night and ordered lobster, and the waiter brought me one with a claw missing. 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