Disputes over the quality of food and drink; whether certain food and beverage items were ordered by the customer; and whether the correct food and beverage items were delivered to the table or consumed by the customer are sometimes the subject of disputes between restaurants and their customers.

Laws vary from state to state but it is generally in both parties’ interests to resolve a dispute by agreement while the customer is still in the restaurant. If the customer leaves the restaurant without paying the amount the restaurant claims is owed, the customer may be charged with violating the state’s dine and dash laws. And if the situation escalates and the customer becomes disruptive or threatening, the restaurant may call the police while the customer is still in the restaurant, and the customer may be charged with other civil and criminal offenses.

Although a restaurant’s customer may dispute a charge with their credit card issuer/bank after leaving the restaurant, the customer’s success in having the charge removed by the bank does not preclude the restaurant from filing a criminal complaint and asking the local prosecutor to charge the customer with a crime—or from filing a civil lawsuit for payment of the goods (food and drink).

In California, disputes over the quality of food and drink, whether the correct items were ordered and delivered, are ideally resolved while the customer is still at the restaurant. If a customer leaves without paying, they may face legal consequences under California's 'dine and dash' laws, such as Penal Code 537, which makes it a crime to defraud an innkeeper, restaurant owner, or similar business. If a customer disputes a charge with their bank after leaving, this does not protect them from potential criminal charges or a civil lawsuit from the restaurant for payment. Additionally, if a customer becomes disruptive or threatening, the restaurant can involve law enforcement, and the customer may face other civil or criminal charges. It is in both parties' interests to amicably resolve disputes on-site to avoid legal complications.