Ella Baker

Ella Baker Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Ella Baker, Digital creator, 4049 Edsel Road, Los Angeles, CA.

35.7% More Than the Menu PriceDidn’t see this one coming. Apparently, at this restaurant in San Francisco, the menu pric...
09/06/2026

35.7% More Than the Menu Price

Didn’t see this one coming. Apparently, at this restaurant in San Francisco, the menu price is more of a suggestion. By the time the bill arrived, I was paying 35.7% more than the listed prices.

There’s a 20% “equitable wages” charge, another 5% to offset the cost of SF ordinances, and then, of course, the remaining amount is taxes.

So that meal that looked reasonably priced on the menu suddenly costs a whole lot more when the check arrives.

At least I’ll give them credit for one thing: I didn’t have to tip on top of the 35.7%. 😅

How screwed am I?I have a large tree of heaven approximately 10’ from my house. I had planned to hack-and-squirt it befo...
09/05/2026

How screwed am I?
I have a large tree of heaven approximately 10’ from my house. I had planned to hack-and-squirt it before eventually removing it in order to kill the root system and minimize suckering.

My father, meaning well, insisted on doing it for me after I explained the process and showed him pictures of what it’s supposed to look like. This is what he did instead. It looks like he went way more aggressive with the cuts than a normal hack-and-squirt and almost girdled it in places. He applied Roundup to the fresh cuts.

How bad is this? is there enough intact tissue between the cuts that the roundup has a decent chance of making it to the root system? Or should I be preparing for an army of suckers?

I’m assuming my best move here is to leave it alone and see what happens, but would appreciate any advice.

Grab-and-Go in LAStopped at a grab-and-go food spot in LA and somehow ended up being pressured into leaving an 18% tip… ...
09/05/2026

Grab-and-Go in LA

Stopped at a grab-and-go food spot in LA and somehow ended up being pressured into leaving an 18% tip… for a pre-made meal.

No table service. No cooking to order. No one checking on you. You literally grab the food, pay, and leave.

Yet somehow I’m expected to tip 18% for the privilege of taking a refrigerated/prepared meal off the shelf.

When did tipping become mandatory for simply buying food?

I’m all for supporting service workers, but this is getting ridiculous. If the food is pre-made and the customer is doing the work, what exactly are we tipping 18% for?

Ridiculous.

Great Food, Terrible ServiceI went to a Latin-inspired restaurant that served some of the best food I’ve ever had. Unfor...
09/05/2026

Great Food, Terrible Service

I went to a Latin-inspired restaurant that served some of the best food I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, the service was absolutely miserable. Our waitress forgot several items, double-rang three dishes, and made a huge production out of splitting the bill.

Then came a 3% “employee healthcare charge.” After the experience we’d just had, I questioned why customers were being asked to cover an employer expense. She sighed and removed it.

There was also an automatic gratuity for our large party—calculated on the tax—and they still asked for an additional tip.

Edit: The restaurant is Naïve in Louisville, KY.

Airport Fast FoodTacos sitting in a heat warmer, ready for you to grab yourself. Drinks sitting in the cooler, ready for...
09/05/2026

Airport Fast Food

Tacos sitting in a heat warmer, ready for you to grab yourself. Drinks sitting in the cooler, ready for you to grab yourself. Every table? Completely fubar. Trash all over the floor. The entire place looks like nobody has cleaned it since the last flight took off. And, of course, there’s no option to skip the tip—even though you’re basically doing everything yourself.

At this point, I’m not sure if I bought fast food or paid an admission fee to a self-service disaster.

Don’t spend it all in one place, fellas.

What do y’all think about this? 👀At this point, I’m tipping for everything except breathing. 💀I’ll gladly tip when the s...
08/31/2026

What do y’all think about this? 👀

At this point, I’m tipping for everything except breathing. 💀

I’ll gladly tip when the service is genuinely good and the experience deserves it. But these 20–30% tipping expectations are getting ridiculous.

I already paid the menu price. I already paid for the service. Now I’m supposed to feel guilty if I don’t add another huge percentage on top?

A tip should be a thank-you for great service, not an extra charge I’m pressured into paying.

I’ll tip when I want, how much I want, and based on the service I actually received. 🤷‍♂️

If that bothers you…

Go argue with yo’ momma. 😂

What’s your take — are tipping expectations getting out of hand?
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What do y’all think is going on here? 🤔It was a party of 14, so an 18% automatic gratuity was added before tax. From the...
08/31/2026

What do y’all think is going on here? 🤔

It was a party of 14, so an 18% automatic gratuity was added before tax. From the looks of it, they still wanted to leave something extra on top… but honestly, none of the math is mathing. 😂

The guests were actually very pleasant, and the check was split three ways. What makes it even more interesting is that the other two checks also left an additional tip on top of the 18% gratuity.

So now I’m curious…

Was this intentional? Did they misunderstand the check? Did they think the automatic gratuity wasn’t included? Or did they simply want to leave extra?

No judgment here — I’m genuinely trying to figure out what happened. 👀

What do you think?

TulumSeen at a local cafe here in Tulum, Mexico while me and the wife were vacationing. Thought you all might enjoy this...
08/29/2026

Tulum
Seen at a local cafe here in Tulum, Mexico while me and the wife were vacationing. Thought you all might enjoy this.

🍳 A $165 Breakfast, a $0 Tip, and One Handwritten MessageA $165 breakfast.A $0 tip.And a handwritten message on the rece...
08/28/2026

🍳 A $165 Breakfast, a $0 Tip, and One Handwritten Message

A $165 breakfast.

A $0 tip.

And a handwritten message on the receipt that turned a simple meal into a much bigger conversation.

Was the customer wrong for leaving nothing? Or did the server go too far by writing a message about it?

That’s where the debate gets interesting.

Dining out has become increasingly expensive. Higher menu prices, taxes, fees, and service charges can make a meal feel like a major expense. At the same time, many restaurant workers still rely heavily on tips to make their income work.

Customers feel pressured. Servers feel frustrated. And somewhere in the middle, the tipping system seems to leave everyone unhappy.

I can understand why a server might be upset after receiving $0 on a $165 check. But criticizing a customer directly on their receipt can also come across as unprofessional.

So, what do you think?

Was the $0 tip the real problem, or did the handwritten message cross the line? 🤔👇
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The owner is the one who should be embarrassed. 😳Sometimes it’s not the situation that’s embarrassing — it’s the person ...
08/28/2026

The owner is the one who should be embarrassed. 😳

Sometimes it’s not the situation that’s embarrassing — it’s the person responsible for creating it.

A good owner should take responsibility, treat people with respect, and stand behind their decisions. When things go wrong, blaming everyone else only makes it worse.

At the end of the day, leadership comes with accountability. If you’re the one in charge, you should be willing to own the good, the bad, and everything in between.

What do you guys think? 👇💭

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4049 Edsel Road
Los Angeles, CA
90017

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