Hello everybody, first post here. I guess I should start off with my experience: I worked as Dishwasher/Prep at a nicer quality, not-so-busy restaurant for about two years. I did well as a prep-cook, but have always been forgetful. I would often forget to throw appetizers in the oven. They allowed me to have some pantry experience, but i was constantly kicked off for being too slow.Fast forward a few months, I worked as a fryer cook while going to culinary school in Oregon, I have about a month left of culinary school. It was a corporate restaurant, that would have decently busy dinner rushes. I did alright there, but really lacked speed and efficiency. Now I am working at a very high paced restaurant that is well known in the area. I started off as a prep cook and they quickly have moved me to grill (mostly flat top, but small gas grill that is about a foot wide. Plus two fryer baskets. ) since the line cooks thought I was doing a great job on prep.I have been on grill for a month now, and am struggling. The morning rush is very busy, but my station is easy to do in the morning, only having to plate toasted biscuits, and cook pancakes+french toast. I can do it efficiently without problems . At lunch time i will grab two pieces of bread, put sauce and cheese on them, put them on the flattop. Then let my protein cook right next to it, when it is done I put it together, and put it in a holding oven. When the back expo tells me to sell it, I cut it in half(drop fries if need be) put it on a plate and put it in the window. When its very busy, ill likely have 4 or 5 sandwiches down, 2 pancakes down, and perhaps a sausage being browned on the flattop. With perhaps a piece of meat or two on the grill (hamburger or salmon cut). When it comes time to sell, the bun is usually ready with all the toppings on it on the cutting board. But when lunch comes around I go downhill. The cooks do a great job of taking care of me, and since the expos are great they really don't let any plates go out with mistakes. I have a hard time memorizing 4+ calls (no ticket machine on my side, line works together as a team and listens to the calls.), I constantly forget certain ingredients (specially modifications such as Rueben, no sauce), and I often don't have meals ready or even fired when it comes time to "sell". The cooks do a good job of making sure I have things fired, but I frustrate them by constantly having to say "nope! I don't have that fired yet". The lunch gets busy enough to where someone will jump on grill with me, cutting and plating the sandwiches that I have prepared on the flat top. They all have to baby me, and it frustrates me. Not that they don't trust to let me work alone, but that I suck so bad that they have to baby me. Today was open of the worse days I've had, I should have this down it has been a month. And its like I could barely think, I was overwhelmed within a few orders, and regrettably lost my temper I little bit when one of the cooks told me that my lunch pancakes were coming out undercooked. I shouldn't have argued but I was just so upset with my self and overwhelmed by the speed at which we were going. Even worse I'm going to culinary school, so I should be somewhat capable of doing my job. I feel like I sound like a broken record constantly apologizing to my lead line cook at then end of the day for my performance. Its not that I don't lack the motivation to work, I get there early everyday, I truly try my hardest. But I just come up short so much, and almost everyday I'm going home mad at myself and embarrassed. The line cooks always tell me at the end of the day that its fine and ill get the hang of it but I feel f***ing stupid. All I want is to be able to do my job efficiently.
Any advice is appreciated. Sorry for the rant just had to vent.
Any advice is appreciated. Sorry for the rant just had to vent.