Restaurant pet peeve

[Anonymous]

Nice restaurants that won't take reservations. No restaurant is that great that I want to spend 2 hours on a Saturday waiting to eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the waiter asks, "Do you need change?" when I pay with cash.

That's easy to solve. I either tell them to keep the change or I explicitly tell them how I want it back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the restaurant is maybe 60-80% full but they still make you wait 30 minutes for a table. I know it's usually because they don't have enough wait staff to open all of the sections, but this just sends me the message that the restaurant owner is too cheap to staff their restaurant appropriately.

Nope, it usually means someone called in sick or quit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Do you need change?" = you have just lost your tip

so you give them a $50 for a $30 meal and they hand you a twenty?????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nice restaurants that won't take reservations. No restaurant is that great that I want to spend 2 hours on a Saturday waiting to eat.

But I bet you've made 6 reservations on open table and are only going to one, leave 5 empty tables. I don't blame the restaurants one bit, especially the ones with only a few tables like Toki Underground

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is, "Still working on that?" Or even worse, "Still picking at it?"

My entree is not a project, nor am I a buzzard.

I agree, but what is the appropriate but effective response?

Well, I have found in recent years that many young restaurant servers seem to be lacking basic manners, thanks to parents not teaching them manners. Or maybe that's just where I live (rural area of Maryland). When one of them asks me this, I try to sort of demonstrate what the appropriate thing to say/ask would be. I usually say something like, "No, I'm not yet finished with my dinner," or something along those lines-- because I wouldn't mind if a server asked me, "Are you all finished with your dinner?"

[Anonymous]

My other pet peeve is servers who don't say, "I'm so sorry" when I point out an obvious problem-- and I'm always polite and calm when I point out a problem.

For example, we were out to dinner last night, and when we sat down, I noticed that my fork had dried-on food on it. I very politely asked the server for a new fork. Instead of saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry," he just grabbed it, got a new one, and tossed it down on the table without a word.

I'm seeing that type of thing more and more lately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like how they clear plates while some people are still eating. So rude.

I like that. I don't want to see your dirty plates while I'm eating.

Rube.

+1

Stick to Applebee's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the restaurant is maybe 60-80% full but they still make you wait 30 minutes for a table. I know it's usually because they don't have enough wait staff to open all of the sections, but this just sends me the message that the restaurant owner is too cheap to staff their restaurant appropriately.

I just went to Copperwood tavern today for breakfast, the place was 1/2 empty and they said they were "saving the seat for large parties". Annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like it when they have the gall to charge so much for something not that great. Like a caprese salad with three slices of underripe crappy grocery store tomato and the same cheese and olive oil I can get at giant. No effort, and like $9.

I also hate when restaurants make no effort to have a vegetarian entree. Pasta with vegetables? Really?

Some just give you sides they have for other dishes... no pasta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Do you need change?" = you have just lost your tip

But what if you DO need change? Is the server supposed to read your mind? Some of you folks need to stay home and eat there. Waiter checks too much, waiter isn't around, waiter clears plates too early, leaves plates too long, too chatty, unfriendly.....these folks are just trying to do their jobs and interpret on an individual basis what each entitled and picky guest perceives as good service. They're not doctors.

I think the point is that the waiter should give you your change. And then you give him a tip. Shouldn't assume that the change is for a tip. It is presumptuous otherwise.

If I pay cash, 90% of the time I include the tip and I don't want change (and don't want to wait for change). So, I guess people are different and that's why the waiter is asking? You'd really withhold some of the tip based on this? Ridic.

But then you explicitly say "keep the change."

[Anonymous]

When they ask if I'm still "working on that".

Yes, working away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Do you need change?" = you have just lost your tip

But what if you DO need change? Is the server supposed to read your mind? Some of you folks need to stay home and eat there. Waiter checks too much, waiter isn't around, waiter clears plates too early, leaves plates too long, too chatty, unfriendly.....these folks are just trying to do their jobs and interpret on an individual basis what each entitled and picky guest perceives as good service. They're not doctors.

I think the point is that the waiter should give you your change. And then you give him a tip. Shouldn't assume that the change is for a tip. It is presumptuous otherwise.

If I pay cash, 90% of the time I include the tip and I don't want change (and don't want to wait for change). So, I guess people are different and that's why the waiter is asking? You'd really withhold some of the tip based on this? Ridic.

But then you explicitly say "keep the change."

Wrong. I've never said "keep the change."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice restaurants that won't take reservations. No restaurant is that great that I want to spend 2 hours on a Saturday waiting to eat.

But I bet you've made 6 reservations on open table and are only going to one, leave 5 empty tables. I don't blame the restaurants one bit, especially the ones with only a few tables like Toki Underground

Open table does not allow you to make 6 reservations on the same night. Restaurants are doing it to create buzz. If you like wasting your Sat night waiting in line go for it, I prefer to spend my money at places that value my time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice restaurants that won't take reservations. No restaurant is that great that I want to spend 2 hours on a Saturday waiting to eat.

But I bet you've made 6 reservations on open table and are only going to one, leave 5 empty tables. I don't blame the restaurants one bit, especially the ones with only a few tables like Toki Underground

Open table does not allow you to make 6 reservations on the same night. Restaurants are doing it to create buzz. If you like wasting your Sat night waiting in line go for it, I prefer to spend my money at places that value my time.

If they have a 2-hour wait, then clearly the lack of reservations is not hurting their business- must be ok with a lot of people. And how many of the people "in line" actually spend the 2 hours in the bar buying drinks and appetizers? I'm guessing they've done the analysis and have figured out that their method works for them. If you choose to go elsewhere, no problem, but I don't see any reason to get annoyed that they simply cater to a different crowd.

I'm actually glad that there are different options / business models available and I can choose what will work for me on a given night. Sometimes that means hanging out in the bar while waiting for a table, other times it's making a reservation. It's all good.