“My compliments to the chef” is what a diner might say to a waiter after a good restaurant meal. At a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, the meal is mostly vegetables.
   
“At a vegetarian restaurant…do you say ‘my compliments to the gardener’?” was posted on Twitter by darts on January 15, 2012. “I went to a vegetarian restaurant and the waiter asked how my meal was. I said give my compliments to the gardener” was posted on Twitter by Richard Aldridge on January 23, 2014.
   
The joke has been printed on a one-panel comic strip.
 
   
Twitter
darts
@mitchelldarts
at a vegetarian restaurant…do you say “my compliments to the gardener”?
8:46 PM · Jan 15, 2012·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Richard Aldridge
@Rich69rich
I went to a vegetarian restaurant and the waiter asked how my meal was. I said give my compliments to the gardener
3:15 PM · Jan 23, 2014·Twitter for BlackBerry®
   
Twitter
Miss The Bus
@THEMissTheBus
at a vegetarian restaurant last night the waiter asked, “How was your meal, mam?” I replied. “Great tnx! My compliments to the gardener!
9:13 PM · Jan 23, 2014·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Peter Biddlecombe
@Horseytalk
Bloke told me he had a great vegetarian meal last night. He asked the waiter to give his compliments to the gardener.
4:56 AM · Jan 24, 2014·Twitter Web ClientPeter Biddlecombe
   
Twitter
ʎǝsǝʌıן ʎuoɥʇuɐ
@bullseyeant
@DebGreenwoodTV
I went to a vegetarian restaurant. The waiter asked how my meal was.
I replied “lovely, my compliments to the gardener”
8:27 AM · Jan 24, 2014·Twitter for Windows Phone
 
Twitter
DrunkBuddha
@PieChord
Waiter at a Vegan restaurant to me, “How was your meal, sir?”
“It was very nice,” I replied. “My compliments to the gardener.”
9:30 AM · Jan 24, 2014·Twitter for Android
 
Twitter
Priyank Sharma
@priyank_sharma
Went to a vegan restaurant today where the waiter asked, “How was your meal, sir?” “Amazing,” I replied. “My compliments to the gardener.”
11:24 AM · Jan 24, 2014·Twitter for Android
   
Twitter
Ziad /—2 m—/ Fazel
@ZiadFazel
Replying to @andrewhorton
@andrewhorton A vegan took me to her favorite restaurant today and I loved it. My compliments to the gardener.
2:19 AM · Jan 25, 2014·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Bill Z Bub
@wgodfrey6603
When eating at a vegan restaurant do you send your compliments to the gardener?
9:43 AM · Jan 25, 2014·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Bob Kostic
@causticbob
I went to a vegetarian restaurant and the waiter asked, “How was your meal, sir?”
“It was very nice. My compliments to the gardener.”
4:06 PM · Nov 15, 2014·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
derek 10-5 hullkr
@derek1910
Just had a vegetarian meal from a take -away then got a phone call from them asking “How was your meal”?
“It was very nice” I said   compliments to the gardener.”
1:41 PM · Apr 12, 2020·Twitter for Android
 
Twitter
Dr. Shrey Bhatia Pill
@Drshreybhatia
I went to a vegetarian restaurant and the waiter asked, “How was your meal, sir?”
“It was very nice. My compliments to the gardener.”
5:47 AM · May 3, 2020·recurpost.com