Was There Something Else I Could Have Done?

As a general rule, that you haven't paid is a clear indication you weren't done yet. The bus boy must have been new.

You didn't do anything wrong. I've had this happen once or twice with my daughter, and they replace the food. Usually, if there is a server nearby, I will mention that we will be right back and are not dining & dashing or anything. If no server is around, we just go because like you said, "when a kid has to go, they have to go". My daughter generally decides she has to go right after the food has been delivered.

For us, leaving a little something on the table doesn't help because they will usually take it to the lost and found or throw it away (if it is a magazine).

I always wondered if this would happen to me one day?

I don't think you should waste anymore time worrying about what you should have done...they replaced your food, right?

No harm, no foul!

i leave my cell phone or a sweater on the table

I am often on my own when taking the kids out to eat. I typically bring an extra sweater or something to leave in the booth if we have to go to the bathroom. Other times I will just flag down a waitress, busboy, bartender, hostess, etc. and tell them we'll be right back.

But, if neither of those were an option, the note might have helped ;) In any case, I wouldn't stress about it. It is not likely to happen more than a few times in your life.

I wouldn't worry too much about this- pretty common. When I take my son to eat by myself we go potty immediately after ordering (whether he says he has to go or not) to avoid this situation. I let the server know that it we aren't there and we haven't paid the check, we're probably in the bathroom.

There are usually so many wait staff at the Olive Garden, next time if you can't see your's, just let the first one you see know you will be back and point to your table.

No biggie it all ended well, the only better thing that could have happened is if they picked up the check for taking your food.

No, they did what they do, you did what you needed to do. If the waitress was nearby you could have told her otherwise I leave my stuff in the seat, taking my purse of course.

I try to leave something behind on the table (maybe my phone - I'm not too fond of it so if it did go bye-bye, I guess I'd be in luck). Or even my keys, but, still, that does suck. Even if you did leave a note, they might not bother to read what is on the table. :( Just a bummer all the way around.
Sounds like the waitress did a great job in responding, though.

I've had this happen a lot, especially at busy restaurants like the Olive Garden.

Now, I always tap the server or waiter on the shoulder and say we'll be right back, taking the kiddo to the washroom.

We stop in the restroom before sitting down to order to wash hands potty or try to so for we don't get up in the middle of our meal.So far this has worked for us been a mommy for 9 yrs to 4.

Yes, tell someone.
Anyone that works at the restaurant.
They may have thought you walked the ticket...

You could write a note or leave a sweater--but that doesn't mean it won't be cleaned off. A former coworker once told me about a time he went out, left his jacket behind and they put it in lost and found-and cleared the table. They also replaced his food. He was eating alone. He told me after that, if he cannot get the waiter or busperson's attention, he tell the host that he is stepping away. He told me that worked really well for him, especially after he had kids.

If you hadn't paid yet they shouldn't have touched your food IMO. Any server with a brain who saw a mother with a child should know that if you're not there that you are likely in the bathroom.

I didn't read your other responses, so don't know if someone else already said this but here's what I would've done: If my daughter could not wait until I had a chance to let the waitress know, I'd tell the nearest server or busser to let our waitress know we'd be back in a minute.
We always try to go potty and wash hands before we leave the house or while we're waiting to be seated just to avoid having to get up in the middle of our meal. I do think it was a little hasty for someone to just start cleaning off your table, but had it been me I would've let someone know.

yes, as you are walking your tot to the potty, tap a server, busser etc on the shoulder, smile and point to your table and say," we will be right back"
K. h.

I've had this happen to me a couple of times before when my son and I were out to eat. I now carry some paper and a pen to write down BRB Restroom so that way no one would clear off our table. I even use my son's kids menu to write that down too.

This would be my fear and nightmare. When I took my daughter when she was that age, I used to tell the waitress when she first took our orders that if she sees that we have left the table that we have not skipped out on our bill and we are in the restroom and to please alert the bussers not to clear us off. I did this because 99% of the time as soon as the food came my daughter had to go, and like yours, she couldn't wait.

I would have let someone know.

I think Just M. has good advice. Wait staff are trained to clear an empty table after a certain short amount of time (maybe within five minutes), so that other customers may eat. Especially during a busy time, they won't know - and it may not occur to them - that you haven't finished unless you let them know somehow that you're coming back. If you couldn't get your waitress's attention, a sweater or that crayoned note might have been just the thing!

There is always something in your purse that can be left. Maybe a pen, a pad of paper, keys, something that doesn't belong to the restaurant before you go.

My kids and I go out alone often enough (or we used to) and I'd always try to grab someone if we had to go and I had nothing to leave...though my kids always have coats if we go out to eat, so that normally helps :).