Yes I have and it usually is because they want to sit more customers. I absolutely cannot stand when you get an appetizer and you are not even finished it but they give you your main course. AARGH!

Ugh this happened a week or two ago and it did NOT go over well with my hubby. He has always hated it at chinese buffets when they would bring the bill when you were still on your first plate (they knew you weren't adding anything because everything was on the buffet).

But then we went to Carrabas for a date and he was talking about getting dessert. Well, as soon as we finish the main course, the waiter walked over with the check in his hands and OPEN. He glanced at it then looked up at us and said 'anything else?' My husband was just like, nope, guess not!

We just felt like he wanted us gone. And it was just to seat more people, not because they were closing.

I hate being rushed at restaurants. Recently I went to dinner with two other people. I had finished my dish, but the other two were still eating. The waiter comes over and starts asking about dessert (they were still eating).

I was out with my boyfriend and his parents and some of their extended family and we had a late reservation at macaroni grill on Christmas Eve and they couldn't have been more accomodating to us. We were still talking and hadn't ordered dessert when everyone else had cleared out and they were cleaning up but our water was more than amazing and never rushed us to leave and even gave my boyfriends parents two free bottles of their house wine at the end of the night . It was probably the best restaurant experience I ever had.

it really irritates me when the waiter/waitress rushes from appetizer to main course then before you are even finished with the main course they are dropping the check on the table. in europe when you sit down at a table it is yours for the night. service is slower but i much prefer that to being rushed.

i remember eating at a sushi place.
the girl was always coming for an oportunitie to yank the meal out of us!!
i still had 2 sushi rolls left and i started talking to my mom, she saw that i was destracted and took it right out, sprinting to the kitchen, i didnt even have time to stop her!!

i was pissed.
no tip for her.

There have been times where I felt like we were being rushed. The waitress didn't really say anything, but she brought us all of our food VERY quickly (I wasn't even done with my salad when she brought the main course). She kept checking back every two seconds, practically, and managed to get our bill really fast.

I don't like feeling rushed when I'm eating. The funny thing is, it was nowhere near closing time. It was just busy, but still.

No, however, when I was at a Chinese restaurant the bf and I both orders dinners where we should've received 2 sides of rice. Well the lady came with the food, including 2 sides of rice, and the owner came and took one away saying that we didn't look like we needed 2 things of rice.

We were so pissed that when we were leaving and getting our food boxed up we asked for more rice, even though we knew we wouldn't eat it at home.

We really did need that second plate of rice!

Not that I can recall...and if they WERE trying to rush me out, I would start taking my sweet time and not allow them to do this to me. Order another drink, pick at my meal...I'd give it right back to them.

My husband is a notoriously slow eater and I have followed suit behind him. I have learned that it is hard to rush us because of our normal behavior. If servers try to take plates we tell them we are still are eating. If they bring a bill early and we want dessert or tea we have them re-do a bill. I don't notice folks trying to rush us because we take our time with our meals and dictate what kind of service we want when we aren't getting it. We aren't b*tchy, but customers have rights and we go with that or don't eat at places that don't meet our standards.

At first even I tried to rush my hubby and I learned it was never going to happen.

Bleh, yes.

I don't know what's worse, being rushed out or having painfully slow service?

While visiting NYC with friends this past fall, we had gotten in the habit of touring the city all day, then retiring to our hotel to take a late nap, and having dinner at 9 or 9:30. Well our last night we were running behind and had a hard time picking a restaurant. We chose the Dos Caminos on 3rd Ave & Park (I think that's the location). The person we spoke to make it sound like we had to really hurry because the kitchen closed at 10:30, so we had to be seated by 10pm. We were expecting to have to rush rush rush to pick out our food, & thought we might be rushed while eating.

Our experience once we got there was quite the opposite! Our server was SUPER nice, friendly, & helpful, told us to take our time. We ended up ordering cocktails, appetizers, entrees, dessert, etc! We were there for some time, and while we were definitely the last people eating, not once did we feel rushed. It was a GREAT experience for our last night in the city!

If you're ever there you MUST check it out! Next time we go back (hopefully this summer) we want to go to the Dos Caminos in SOHO.

I used to work in a restaurant in L.A. that stayed open very late at night--2 or 3 a.m. most nights. And I have to admit that if it was 3 in the morning and we had people either still coming in, or (as happened pretty often with our customers) sitting around lingering over cups of coffee, mindless of the time or restaurant staff who might want, at some point before dawn, to get off work, what we used to do is just clean up the restaurant around them...very thoroughly. Using the world's noisiest vacuum as part of the cleaning. Generally, that gave an effective hint.

I don't think it's acceptable to rush people out before they're done with their meal just to seat more people, though (unless I'm the one waiting for a table! ).

Yes, I have actually been rushed out by showing up for dinner at an early time. I guess they wanted to rush us along quickly to get us out of there before the rush. This restaurant doesn't take reservations either.

I have and it drives me CRAZY! Usually when we go out to eat, we don't eat cheap! it's like steak and lobster!

uptown_girl - Dos Caminos is one of my favorites restaurants in NYC.

I've been a waitress for a long time so I kind of agree with both sides. I don't feel it's right and never have rushed people while they were eating just to be able to seat more people..that is absolutely not right. However, I really don't understand why some people will see that our closing time is 10pm..it's 9:30 or 9:45...there is no one else in the restaurant and they want to sit down and eat..to me, that's just not considerate of the staff who obviously would like to go home on time so sometimes in those instances, we try to get them to do takeout instead. Or the people who are the one one's left in the restuarant and they keep lingering so then we have to give little signals that we are closed and in extreme cases when signals just don't work...we politely say something and people understand. I think because of those experiences, I will never dine at a restuarant knowing that I will keep the staff beyond their closing time.

Got completely rushed through a 5pm dinner in a half-empty Macaroni Grill once. Haven't been back since. It was our anniversary, too!

I don't know which is more rude: eating less than an hour from closing, or rushing a guest's dinner.

I'm surprised that so many people have been rushed, but I'm even more surprised that so few people ever complain about it. If someone tried to rush me, I'd ask them why they are bringing items I'm not ready for and if they didn't have a good reason I'd speak to the manager or owner.

Then tip accordingly and ask to talk to the manager.

ugggg, so not okay when you get rushed out. granted i'm from new york city, so if you're in a tea house in chinatown at lunch you're probably gonna have to be in and out.

I've been rushed out before and I hate the feeling. However - I understand it. A lot of chain restaurants want servers to move quickly. Greet within 30 seconds of you sitting. Have drinks shortly there after. While it may feel rushed to us, they are trying to give prompt service. There are servers who do the turn and burn for tables.

i personally work at the cheesecake factory and i would have to agree that there are time limites on how long it should take us to get certain things to the table...sometimes you just cant win with people, youre either too slow or youre making them feel rushed. and tho we do not take reservations nothing pisses me off more then people who come in an hour or less before closing and expect to just sit and relax... and we close at 11 or later some nights! i mean how would you like to be kept at your job 2 hours after you closed...it sucks

There is this crazy b'fast place down on the beach near my rents that they try to rush people out since it's sooo popular. It kind of stinks, okay a lot but the food and ambiance are to die for.

If you make a reservation right before the restaraunt is fixing to close, then it's totally your fault!

Closed means closed and the people working there usually have a hard time closing if you're not out of there! Take the servers lives into consideration and if you do decide to make a late reservation tip them VERY well, they deserve it.

I've never been rushed through a meal, but once we went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and after we were seated, the waitstaff apparently forgot about us. Instead of putting out the chips and salsa, we waited at our table for about 20 minutes before anyone even came OVER to us. When a waiter finally did come over, he apologized and said there was a miscommunication (apparently, two waiters thought we were in another zone) and the waiter gave us free drinks and an appetizer. Plus, they gave us %50 off our check, so we couldn't really be upset with them.

ONE time a waiter on a bday party brought me the bill while I was still drinking my beer(and it is NOT their habit) I felt like sh*t! Duh I hate that..

People who come in 30 minutes or closer to close should be expected to be rushed, and they shouldn't be offended by it. Servers are not robots...we want to go home just as much as you do after a long work day.

I do 'turn and burn' a bit differently. I pace the meal quickly, but they usually don't notice unless they're exceptionally slow eaters. I just do what I was trained to do...I put in the orders at a time where I can reasonably expect them to be done with their salad, bread, and/or appetizers. If I bring out your food while you're still eating bread and salad, it's because it's your second go...I'd never do it on your first helping.

I'll admit I can be a little more...aggressive...about making people leave after they're all done...but only if they stay at my table more than fifteen minutes. I'll clear all the dishes, then ask if they need anything else. I can't do more than that, but hopefully they'll get the hint. I don't really care about the waiting customers so much as the fact that if they don't leave, I don't get another table...and since I only make $2.16 hourly and depend on tips, well...They're costing me money.

Rushing is unacceptable. Can you imagine rushing out clients in any other profession?

You go to see your accountant and the meeting runs over past when 'he wants to go home' so he pushes you out the door w/ out all your papers in order?

The teacher at your kid's school rushes the kids through their lesson so they can have time to cleanup and grade papers before going home?

When you allow the customer to sit down to PAY for your services you've entered a sort of social contract with them -- that you'll [the restaraunt] serve them, as any other. If you don't want their money, patronage and good word of mouth - then don't seat them.