The servers at Harris' Steakhouse in San Francisco can get big tips on high end meals, but never as meaty as the one that was served up about two weeks ago -- a $1,500 tip on a tab of just under $500. It was signed "Tips For Jesus." The lucky waiter blessed by the money is Andy Zhang.
"I was surprised and really happy. At the same day I bought a wedding band for my fiancee. So it helped me a lot I really appreciate it," said Zhang.
He was so happy he took a picture of the mystery customers holding the bill. One of the men was celebrating a birthday that night. Zhang got about $1,000 and co-workers split the rest.
"They're all happy. We're all happy especially myself. I'm really happy," said Zhang.
The restaurant says the tip was legit.
"We had that manager by the table and clarify that it was a correct amount and we weren't reading it wrong. We thought maybe it would be $150 and not $1,500 and they clarified it and said, 'Yeah, that's exactly what we intended,'" said Michael Fiscus, Harris' general manager.
They say you're not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth, but people are curious about who's behind this, whether these are random acts of kindness or an organized movement.
These "Tips For Jesus" have popped up across the country. There's an Instagram page showing receipts with thousands of dollars tacked on. The heading says "Doing the Lord's work one tip at a time."
At the Tacolicious in the Marina District, a server got a tip for $1,000 recently. The restaurant owner told ABC7 News that no one could remember who left it, but since they share their tips among the entire staff they were all pretty elated.
"Everybody's at a different level, so if you can afford it and you feel you want to be generous, that's awesome," said San Francisco resident Eileen McCarthy.
Otherwise, 15-20 percent will do.
