Let's Dish: What Are Your Restaurant Pet Peeves?

Let's Dish: What Are Your Restaurant Pet Peeves?

by partysugar 123

A couple of week's ago I was at one of San Francisco's most well-regarded and popular restaurants. While I enjoyed the overall experience — the food was divine, the waitstaff friendly, the location hip — I couldn't get over one thing. As illustrated by the picture above, the food arrived at our table before the drinks! This is one of my restaurant pet peeves: I can't stand it when food comes before drinks. You order the drinks before the food, so it's not logical for the food to appear first.

Now that I've confessed mine, I want to hear about your restaurant pet peeves. Whether it's an overbearing waiter or uncleared plates, do tell: what drives you absolutely nuts when dining out?

RestaurantsDining OutPet PeevesWaitstaffLet's Dish

123 Comments

swaggarhound swaggarhound
you all have OBVIOUSLY never waited tables before...
My husband and I eat out about twice a month. My biggest pet peeve is when a server takes the check and asks if I need change. Their tip just got cut in half if they ask this question. Don't ASSUME that you are getting a tip EVER!! Do a good job no matter what and hopefully your tip reflects it. And don't stand over me when I fill in the tip on the credit card slip. It is extremely rude!! Oh......I am a manager at a chain restaurant and understand that you need to make money...just teat every gust with great respect....especially when it comes to their pocketbooks!
For the most part, I try to be a good patron. I do have some odd food issues that I try to not take out on the wait staff. I think the two most common things for me in a restaurant are: 1. ordering an app and getting the meal 2 minutes later. Honestly, and wait staff may blast me for it, but hubby and I now order the app and state we're still deciding on our meal. We then wait til the app is served to order the meal. I suppose we could be taking up the wait staff's time, but I don't want to be eating my app AND my meal at the same time. While this is my pet peeve, I have found a way around it. 2. I cannot eat any meal that is not cooked through. Even seeing a medium-well burger makes me nauseous. When I order my burger, I tell them I want it burnt, like a hockey puck and that I want it that badly cooked. I know that the chef isn't going to be happy with that order and I acknowledge it. I'm not trying to be rude to my wait staff person, but I just want it made clear that I won't eat it if it's pink inside and I'll just send it back. It may come across as rude, but pink makes me ill. Honestly, we laughed on Saturday night when our waiter told us we were a great table. I don't know if he said that for the tip, but he said it several times at the end of the meal. Maybe because we didn't make any changes to our meal, had a beer each, and an app? But, it was kinda nice to hear. And yes, he got a really nice tip.
What I really don't like is the fact that most restaurants these days seem to value speed overall above service and quality. What I mean by this is that you can order at a restaurant and then you get your food to you in a decent amount of time but it's very shoddily put together. Perfect example: I get a pizza delivered and it arrives about 15-20 minutes after I order it. However, it's not cut all the way through. It's just indented on the top by the wheel they use. While some might see this as petty, my reasoning is that when you get something like that, all you need to do when you get it is eat it. Not spend time to finish getting it ready to eat.
sblazer, you pretty much nailed it...The only thing I have to add to the discussion, is that ppl, look at the places you are dining. Applebees, Chili's Outback, etc, are you really expecting much? The food is barely edible, and, on the service end, turnover is high, with young, barely trained staff. At these chain restaurants servers are usually forced to do whatever is handed down by corporate offices, instead of learning to use common sense. Support local small businesses!! Maybe the servers there will actually get to know you by name and learn your indiosyncrasies. And what they say won't be scripted. Anyhoo, I have had to do my time in crappy places and know the feeling of getting stiffed on a six top because the kitchen refused to give me my toast, or fluttering around to the demands of such classless folks as springs. I love where I work now, a fine-dining, family-owned establishment, because my clientele is pretty savvy, they know their manners and how to communicate with me. It's still exhausting, crazy work, that involves a ton of people-reading skills, but at least my tips are fantastic, and I get to fetch expensive bottles of wine and not buckets of ranch!!!
cg130 cg130
The only thing that annoys me is when (and I have had this happen) a server brings out my dish and it is incorrect, and I have them take it back and they get annoyed. It's not my fault they can't get my order correct! This usually happens to me when I order dressing on the side of salads. Once I had them bring it out incorrectly three times in a row! Needless to say, I haven't returned to that restaurant.
Modus Vivendi Modus Vivendi
I always go out to breakfast and order eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast. And inevitably it all comes except for the toast which they say will be out in a minute, and then I also have to ask for ketchup. I can't eat my eggs without toast, and I can't have my potatoes without ketchup, so all I can eat is my bacon until they come back. :(
sblazer227 sblazer227
As a server, i have to say that i think patrons are soo quick to point the finger and never look at themselves. 1. The ppl who say that they hate when the server clears plates before everyone is done. I think chances are you dont really realize the time length that the other persons plate has been clear. If i pass a table and notice someones plate is clear i dont pick it up the first time. If i pass by ten minutes later and the other person is still eating, i do pick up the finished person plate. So that if they want, they can put their hands in front of them and wait for their friend to finish . Usually this friend, isn’t an old grandma or someone who just eats slowly. Its usually the person who cant stop talking enough to eat their meal. These ppl don’t realize that they ARE holding up their friends. They don’t have the servers viewing advantage where u get to see the other ppl at the table looking from them to their plate with the “just finish” look on their face. At my current job I can actually choose not to pick up the plate. At most medium to fine dining restaurants, a server has to clear that plate the moment the person is done to maintain the “aesthetic” of the table. 2. The fake niceness goes both ways. Servers are usually weary of that table which tells u “great service”, “I had such a nice time”, “thank you” , etc because they will usually leave you $7 on 50 or $12 on $180. 3. Someone said, watching a busy server makes them nervous. I have to say, I think that a personal problem. Restaurants are made to be busy, servers want to be moving. Believe me, when your server is moving slow cause their section isn’t filled, all they are thinking is what crap this shift is. 4. As for stacking plates, do you really think is feasible that for a party of 2, I should make more than one trip to take all the plates away. I have two hands and to clear a meer two top, without stacking ,is at least two trips. Time is not a servers friend. As im clearing your table two plates at a time, there’s a lady somewhere in my section getting ready to bitch that her drinks aren’t in front of her yet. 5. MY BIGGEST GUEST COMPLAINT: Ppl need to realize just what servers do and don’t do in restaurants. We do not cook, so if you food is salty or dry or tastes bad, don’t scream at me because I didn’t cook it nor do I do a taste test for you while im bringing it out. The same goes for drinks. You wanna scream, go scream at the bartenders or the cooks but don’t be surprised when they scream back. While servers have to be nice to you, in truth bartenders and cook are allowed to be more brass and even rude to guests. You want to be calm and together we can fix the issue, that’s what the server is there for. Also, “you drink will be right out” is code for the bartender hasn’t made it yet, they are either too busy or are being jerks and intentionally not making drinks. Either way, your server cant go back there and make your drink, even its as simples as a dewers on the rocks, because they would get fired for being behind the bar. 6. “Do you want change?” You check is $17.83, you have had good service and you give me a twenty, yeah im going to ask if you need change. This is only a $2.17 tip, which should really be around $3.50, but im not gonna get in a tiffy about it, I just want to know if you want me to actually go through the motions of getting my bank out and making change if you are just planning to leave it all anyway. If you were planning to leaving like a dollar more or if the other person is leaving the tip, how hard is it to say “yes”. Now, if ur check is 42 and u give me 60, it would be stupid to ask if you want change, duh. This really comes into play when you are busy and the time spent making change is holding someone else’s entrée under a heat lamp. 7. For those of you who find it fun use the menu like a wayside suggestion instead of a set plan. Please stay home. Its not cute, I hate those ppl who want start of with “now, I don’t mean to be a bother” or “ you are gonna hate me < while trying to laugh a lil>.” Let me tell you every server u do this to hates you, we may smile in your face and u would never tell from our expression, but we do. What u don’t get is that most chef are psychos, talented and fun to hang out with after the shift, but psychos while on the clock. So while I go over the tell the chef that you have chosen to completely change their dish around and I get the brunt of their anger, yes I said anger, in my head im hating you and putting ur face to memory so that next time I can put u in someone elses section. And even if there are just cooks in the restaurant you go, the anger is still there except this time its usually in Spanish, so I have no idea what hes calling me but its not a nice word. And your tables food will be late, because the cook will be mad and he will push your ticket behind later orders because there is a system in the back and ur order has messed it up. Now, im not talking about the casual “ I have an allergy to…” “leave off the mushrooms” “dressing on the side” ppl. 8. Theres so much more, but ive gone on too long already.
One thing that annoys me is the portion sizes in American restaurants-they're HUGE. I usually end up eating only about a quarter (half, if I'm extremely hungry) of my meal, and then feel bad for wasting food.
Wow, I hope no server friend of mine ever has to wait on Springs...you have issues, my friend. Sucks you are so filled with hate...look how many times you used the word. People like you are the reason the movie Waiting was made. Google it. I hope your next meal is sneezed on - multiple times.
I'll call this "The Case of the Psychic Waitperson." I'll set the scene for you. I once visited a Ruby Tuesday restaurant and ordered something called the shrimp diavlo and iced tea to drink. It was delicious, even though I specifically asked the chef to go light on the spices and he obviously hadn't. Luckily, I like spicy food. The next time I visited this very same restaurant, I ordered the same thing, shrimp diavlo. Again, it was delicious (still a wee bit too spicy, though). Finally, I visited this same restaurant on a third occasion, not knowing what I'd order this time. As I was getting comfortable at my table a waiter came up to me and asked,"Iced tea and shrimp diavlo?" Like he just knew what I was going to order without even giving me a chance to even glance at the menu. Sheesh! Someone needed to take a chill pill and let me consider my options instead of playing psychic and rushing me through!
gLam shortie gLam shortie
ahahaha. Meliorist. you are funny. isn't it funny that the people who are the bitchest tend to be the ones who are excessively needly/modify excessively/want somthing out of the norm?come on people. Learn some restaurant etiquette. And understand what serves have to go through before you speak your mind. I bet none of you complainers can't do what we do. Try serving yourself, and you'll understand the TRUE meaning of what it takes to be a great server. Maybe you'll appreciate us more!!! (oh, and i've been told by various well known companies that they like to hire servers or prefer them over others because the skills you learn working in a restaurant is everything you need to be an efficient, hard-working person.) :)
gLam shortie gLam shortie
ahahaha. Meliorist. you are funny. isn't it funny that the people who are the bitchest tend to be the ones who are excessively needly/modify excessively/want somthing out of the norm? come on people. Learn some restaurant etiquette. And understand what serves have to go through before you speak your mind. I bet none of you complainers can't do what we do. Try serving yourself, and you'll understand the TRUE meaning of what it takes to be a great server. Maybe you'll appreciate us more!!! (oh, and i've been told by various well known companies that they like to hire servers or prefer them over others because the skills you learn working in a restaurant is everything you need to be an efficient, hard-working person.) :)
Meliorist Meliorist
Wow, Springs. I am a server. I see both sides of the spectrum. There are bad servers in this world. There are also many, many horrible guests that no amount of money could compensate my troubles to wait on them. Springs, I'm going to do you the service of explaining why you should slow your roll.#2.) Often times, when I memo in an extra side of whatever to the kitchen, the expo may forget to put it on there. If I did not run the food and one of my counterparts didn't read the screen properly, it really isn't my fault. If it is, I'll be honest. A restaurant is comprised of many roles. The server gets the brunt of the complaints and is the ringmaster of it all. It is a tug-of-war challenge with the kitchen on one side and the guests on the other. However, it is our duty to make sure you get the food to your liking. I usually notice the mistake when I check the food a few moments after it hits the table, and I grab the extra ramekin of condiment. #4.) A missing side of ranch is an obnoxious mistake? Should ranch-based offenses be corporally punished? You must really like ranch...#7.) Okay, the cheesecake bit is bad. However, the refill thing is excessive. Our policy is to automatically refill the beverage before the entree is served. Then, we ask. However, I'm not going to assume you want to switch your lemonade to a pepsi. 99% of people stick with the same soft drink. #8.) -I don't assume you want your check, but I always have a check ready in my apron for you. Because the moment you are ready for your check, you'll probably complain it takes too long. --If I rang in: tenders, side of BBQ, the kitchen would only bring out BBQ. Why? 99% of people want it instead of Honey Mustard. You are a minority. While you are not charged for the condiment, it costs the restaurant money. Lower food cost to the restaurant means lower menu costs. According to you, I'd have to launch a small interrogation to make you happy with your meal. How hard is it to ask the server for a side of honey mustard when they do the 2 bites 2 minute check back? You really like your condiments, don't you? --It is your responsibility to communicate your wants and needs to your server. In my restaurant (upscale casual, a little nicer than Lobster and MacGrill), appetizers and salads come out at will. While salads do not require cooking, they require assembly. Our wedge salad is made by our salad line cook. If they are slammed with 15 salad entrees, the house wedge may take a little longer than your 4 minute fried onion blob. It isn't common sense to ask someone if they wanted the salad and appetizer at the same time. It is YOUR responsibility to communicate that.--YOU don't ASSUME that we can read your mind on when you want your check. Everyone is DIFFERENT, therefore we need communication to know what you want. If not, we go by our standards. If I box you up, ask if you want dessert or another round and you decline, ask if I could do absolutely anything else for you, and you decline, I drop the check and say "there is no rush, I will take that whenever you are ready." Just because I drop a check doesn't mean I'm kicking you out. #11.) Geeze woman, you REALLY like your ranch. And comeon, it's Denny's. Give it a break.#12.) 4 SIDES OF RANCH!?!?!? #14.) Servers work their sections with rhyme and reason. You have to work the section like it's a whole table. If you want a side of ranch, which I'm assuming you would want, I'm not going to scurry off to the kitchen if I'm also on my way to drop a check to the table next to you, check on my other table to see if I could get them a condiment, etc. If I went table by table need and in "order" my speed of service would be entirely slow. Plus, your server probably dropped the hot food off before your cold salads. Relax lady, your ranch-laden iceburg coudn't have taken that much longer to hit your table. Morally right? MORALLY RIGHT? You made her tip suffer because the kitchen took 50 minutes to make your meal and she did her job by dropping hot food before cold. Most of all, respect your server at least as a human being. I am an intelligent person. I am in college. I have integrity and pride in what I do, however it is just a job. I don't care about your occupation, how much money you have, how much money you'll tip me, what race you are, etc....I will treat you with respect. Please give me the same courtesy.Lastly, you better watch out--with all of the cheesecake, multiple gallons of ranch, bloomin onions, cheese fries, and the surmounting stress of dining out will definitely make you go into cardiac arrest.Happy dining!
Meliorist Meliorist
Wow, Springs. I am a server. I see both sides of the spectrum. There are bad servers in this world. There are also many, many horrible guests that no amount of money could compensate my troubles to wait on them. Springs, I'm going to do you the service of explaining why you should slow your roll. #2.) Often times, when I memo in an extra side of whatever to the kitchen, the expo may forget to put it on there. If I did not run the food and one of my counterparts didn't read the screen properly, it really isn't my fault. If it is, I'll be honest. A restaurant is comprised of many roles. The server gets the brunt of the complaints and is the ringmaster of it all. It is a tug-of-war challenge with the kitchen on one side and the guests on the other. However, it is our duty to make sure you get the food to your liking. I usually notice the mistake when I check the food a few moments after it hits the table, and I grab the extra ramekin of condiment. #4.) A missing side of ranch is an obnoxious mistake? Should ranch-based offenses be corporally punished? You must really like ranch... #7.) Okay, the cheesecake bit is bad. However, the refill thing is excessive. Our policy is to automatically refill the beverage before the entree is served. Then, we ask. However, I'm not going to assume you want to switch your lemonade to a pepsi. 99% of people stick with the same soft drink. #8.) -I don't assume you want your check, but I always have a check ready in my apron for you. Because the moment you are ready for your check, you'll probably complain it takes too long. --If I rang in: tenders, side of BBQ, the kitchen would only bring out BBQ. Why? 99% of people want it instead of Honey Mustard. You are a minority. While you are not charged for the condiment, it costs the restaurant money. Lower food cost to the restaurant means lower menu costs. According to you, I'd have to launch a small interrogation to make you happy with your meal. How hard is it to ask the server for a side of honey mustard when they do the 2 bites 2 minute check back? You really like your condiments, don't you? --It is your responsibility to communicate your wants and needs to your server. In my restaurant (upscale casual, a little nicer than Lobster and MacGrill), appetizers and salads come out at will. While salads do not require cooking, they require assembly. Our wedge salad is made by our salad line cook. If they are slammed with 15 salad entrees, the house wedge may take a little longer than your 4 minute fried onion blob. It isn't common sense to ask someone if they wanted the salad and appetizer at the same time. It is YOUR responsibility to communicate that. --YOU don't ASSUME that we can read your mind on when you want your check. Everyone is DIFFERENT, therefore we need communication to know what you want. If not, we go by our standards. If I box you up, ask if you want dessert or another round and you decline, ask if I could do absolutely anything else for you, and you decline, I drop the check and say "there is no rush, I will take that whenever you are ready." Just because I drop a check doesn't mean I'm kicking you out. #11.) Geeze woman, you REALLY like your ranch. And comeon, it's Denny's. Give it a break. #12.) 4 SIDES OF RANCH!?!?!? #14.) Servers work their sections with rhyme and reason. You have to work the section like it's a whole table. If you want a side of ranch, which I'm assuming you would want, I'm not going to scurry off to the kitchen if I'm also on my way to drop a check to the table next to you, check on my other table to see if I could get them a condiment, etc. If I went table by table need and in "order" my speed of service would be entirely slow. Plus, your server probably dropped the hot food off before your cold salads. Relax lady, your ranch-laden iceburg coudn't have taken that much longer to hit your table. Morally right? MORALLY RIGHT? You made her tip suffer because the kitchen took 50 minutes to make your meal and she did her job by dropping hot food before cold. Most of all, respect your server at least as a human being. I am an intelligent person. I am in college. I have integrity and pride in what I do, however it is just a job. I don't care about your occupation, how much money you have, how much money you'll tip me, what race you are, etc....I will treat you with respect. Please give me the same courtesy. Lastly, you better watch out--with all of the cheesecake, multiple gallons of ranch, bloomin onions, cheese fries, and the surmounting stress of dining out will definitely make you go into cardiac arrest. Happy dining!
waitforyou06 waitforyou06
ok im a waitress and obviously some of you have never had to be a waitress before. the thing about filling up the drinks all the time, well if we didn't fill your drinks up then you would bitch so either way we lose. Also, the lady who said something about sitting next to kids, how are we supposed to know if you do not say anything? We are NOT mindreaders. I hate that so much when people just assume that you know that they dont want certain things. SPEAK UP! I don't believe in checking the slip or the money right in front of the customer but i've had plenty of people hand me the check book thing and theres money but not enough money to cover the bill so if they leave im stuck paying the rest so i can understand why they check it. Anyways maybe you all should put yourself in our shoes before you run your mouth. That is al
Springs1 Springs1
My restaurant pet peeves are as follows:1. The server doesn't write down the orders, then forgets.2. The server blames someone or something else is at fault when THEY could have caught the error they brought to your table that was obvious. Had a waiter say once "The kitchen forgot" when he forgot my 2 sides of mayo and 1 side of mustard. NO, HE brought my food and took my order, so HE FORGOT to bring them from the kitchen to our table, plain and simple. The kitchen staff doesn't BRING my food to my table, do they? So WHY blame them for 3 containers missing when those are things very obvious aren't there? It's not a like a steak not cooked enough or raw food, this is like DUH, there aren't 3 containers on my plate. Just be honest and admit fault. Your tip will be much better if you just be honest, because most customers know what is the truth and what isn't. They weren't born under a rock.3. Not apologizing for their mistakes. I don't care if you forget my ranch, just say you are sorry. I will tip much better if you are nice than if you act like you don't care.4. The server brings out VERY OBVIOUS mistakes to the table such as a wrong side dish or a missing side of ranch that's not there. I know we ALL make mistakes, but I feel 99.9% of the times it's because they didn't compare the written order to the plate of food BEFORE they brought the food out. If another server is bringing out my food, my server could have brought the ranch I asked for ahead of time and not waited for someone that isn't going to get tipped by me that doesn't care and won't read the ticket to actually get the order right to me the first time around.5. Overcharges in restaurants. I HATE when servers blame someone else for that. If I can see the mistake, so could have the server REGARDLESS of WHAT KIND of overcharge it was, so unless some other server handed me my check, the server would ALWAYS be at fault. 6. Not being OBSERVANT such as serving you food without utentils and not asking if you want a refill when your drink is near empty. 7. Bringing you what THEY want to bring you instead of asking first. Once ordered a raspberry cheesecake, the waitress decided apon herself to bring me and my husband a strawberry cheesecake because they were out instead of asking us first, which we both did NOT want strawberry. We ended up getting a chocolate topping one instead. In other words, tired of servers being inconsiderate of the customer's feelings and time. I don't care if it's a refill, I want my server to come to find out first if I want that refill, because I may want something else or I may not even want a refill, so I don't want them wasting MY TIME NOR ANYONE ELSE'S TIME getting UNWANTED ITEMS.8. Not bringing out soft drinks, tea, or water BEFORE bar drinks if the server has time, which they most probably would for just a party of 2. I don't think me and my husband should have to wait "JUST AS LONG" to have a margarita made as a couple of cokes considering at nearly all restaurants have SERVERS to get soft drinks, tea, and water.8. ASSUMPTIONS is a BIGGIE!! I HATE when servers assume you are ready for the check.I HATE when a waiter once ASSUMED I wanted my appetizer with my meal just because me and my husband had ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. We figured we'd take the rest home. I didn't want what he wanted and he didn't want what I wanted, so we got 2. That didn't mean I wanted mine with my meal, because I NEVER ONCE SAID I DID. I went according to the MENU that it was labled "APPETIZER", so if I would have wanted that as my meal, I would have said so, but I NEVER said that.I HATE when servers assume coin change is theirs. They deserve a stiff for that since they STOLE without permission to keep part of the CUSTOMER'S MONEY, which at that point it is if the customer never said it was ok to keep the change or left the restaurant.I HATE when servers assume you want a refill. I have change drinks before, so has my husband.I HATE when servers assume just because you ordered a margarita the first time, that means you want the same thing again. 2 times this has happened. Once, my husband had told a server I wanted another drink since she was handing us the check before I could say something and she assumed I wanted the same drink, which I wanted a white russian instead of a long island iced tea. Another time, I had told my husband I was going to get another drink somewhere else, then changed my mind. Our waitress came by, so I said to my husband "Can I get another drink" and before I could PLACE MY ORDER(I WAS PISSED she did what she did) she was getting ready to walk off without giving me a CHANCE to place my order. I had ordered a margarita at first, then I wanted a dessert drink, which is usually my white russian. Some people get coffee for dessert, I get a COFFEE flavored alcoholic drink, that's really not that unusual if you think about it.I HATE when servers assume when you ask for a box,that automatically means CHECK TIME. LOTS of times we asked for a box to MAKE ROOM for dessert and save the leftovers for the next day. To not even offer us dessert is just stupid on their part, because the more they sell to increase the check, the higher the tip can be. It's to their advantage to at least OFFER the dessert as long as I didn't ask for the check of course. I HATE when servers assume you don't want the condiment the food comes with when you order an extra condiment with the food. If I order bbq sauce with chicken tenders that ON THE MENU state the chicken tenders come with honey mustard, I am ALREADY PAYING for that honey mustard in the price of the item, so unless I substitute bbq sauce for the honey mustard or say I don't want the honey mustard, there's NEVER a reason to assume I don't want the condiment the item comes with. It's an addition if the customer doesn't state they are substituting or they don't want it. Also, a lot of restaurants don't even charge for extra condiments, so does it matter if you give the person the bbq sauce and the honey mustard. If the restaurant does require to charge for extra, that's ONLY when you'd ask "Did you want both sauces?" You would also tell the customer you are required to charge for extra condiments so they won't be bitching when bill time comes. I HATE when servers assume when you want your side salad or soup when you also order an appetizer. Once, I had a waiter assume I wanted my side salad AFTER the appetizer, which I would have wanted it before or at least with the appetizer, because my husband was eating 98% of the appetizer, I wasn't. This was at Outback. He could have ASKED which one I wanted first. I automatically thought since I had salads very quickly there before and the side salads need NO COOKING, that mine would be out first. Especially since, I have been to a restaurant after that(Macaronni Grill) and had my side salad right away without the waiter asking or me telling him when I wanted my side salad when my husband ordered an appetizer as well. In the Outback situation, the other server that ran my food told me I would have had to tell my server when I wanted it. I was like "WHAT, that makes no sense?" I feel it's the SERVER'S RESPONSIBLITY to find out WHEN someone wants what, because it was a natural assumption when at another restaurant I got my side salad before the appetizer and most importantly, that side salads need NO COOKING TIME, which my husband ordered the bloomin' onion which DOES require cooking at Outback. Anyway, I don't think I was wrong in thinking that I'd get my side salad first WITHOUT having to tell him. I think it should be common sense people want their food as SOON as they can have it and if they want it later, THAT'S when the customer should speak up when they want their food. I don't feel it was MY responsiblity to tell my server when I wanted it. I don't get WHY 2 different restaurants, same scenario, different outcomes? I was at another restaurant once, the side salads came AFTER the appetizer. It understand why they do that incase you are still eating your side salad when the food is hot and ready that they won't have to let your food get cold or sit under a heat lamp until you are finished your salads, but how come Macaronni Grill didn't do things that way? I finished my side salad WAYYYY BEFORE my husband's appetizer came at Macaronni Grill. I have had a time I wanted a side salad with my meal, but I TOLD my server that since side salads are served at appetizer times and get this: THAT WAITRESS ACTUALLY HAD COMMON SENSE TO ASK FIRST!!My point of ASSUMPTIONS is that we are ALL DIFFERENT, so we should ALL get treated as we are DIFFERENT. Just because table 6 wants their check after their entrees doesn't mean table 7 does. 9. Servers that don't come back to find out if your food is correct. 10. Other servers that don't work as a team that deliver food to your table. I feel at least relay the message to my server I want a refill or a margarita or whatever, don't ignore me, because if that were YOU, you wouldn't want to be ignored would you? I feel if YOU deliver my food, YES, you ARE a part of my service even if you aren't my server. I feel you should get me a refill, because if everyone worked as a team as they should, another server is helping YOU out getting refills for YOUR tables, so it comes and it goes, you know? I have had servers ignore requests for a refill just because they weren't me and my husband's server. As if it were THEM as the customer, like THEY would want someone to completely ignore them.11. When servers don't know the menu very well. For instance, at Denny's had our waitress bring out cheese fries without the ranch THE MENU states it comes with when we NEVER once said we didn't want the ranch. To have a picture menu on the table even, it's PATHETIC that if you WORK THERE and WE DON'T, that you cannot take ANY EFFORT to make sure ONE thing is on a plate when you are bringing out ONLY ONE PLATE. You should take some effort to LEARN the menu by comparing the menu description and the written order to the plate of food. 12. Servers that put in their opinions into your order when all you want to do is place your order. If I know what I want exactly, don't try to convince me you know what I want. I already had 2 servers tell me "You know it's not a big salad" when I ordered 4 sides of ranch for a side salad. What happened was, I also was ordering other items that I wanted to dip the ranch in as well, so I just decided to order all the ranch at once not to make it confusing. The servers shouldn't have put THEIR OPINIONS into MY ORDER. JUST TAKE THE DAMN ORDER AND GO WITH IT UNLESS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE SAID!! I found both salads to be pretty big side salads if you ask me.13. Not bringing the amount that was asked for. I don't care if I have to pay for the extra amount, which is usually condiments, I ordered it, so give me the amount I ordered. If I order a "side" that doesn't mean half-way filled, that means the entire side worth. If the kitchen staff will not fill it all the way, give me 2 to equal one then, but give me the amount I ordered. You are just going to have to go back anyways, why not get it right the first time around?14. If the customer has said "no" to the dessert offer or they wanted their check before you offered them a dessert, RESPECT what they want. The customer is the person paying your bills, so there's no reason to try to convince them on what you want them to have.15. Servers not doing things in the order in which they came in. I had a waitess once at Red Lobster that she had me and my husband's entrees on as well as 2 side salads for another couple that weren't even IN THE BUILDING when we placed our food order, YET, the waitress didn't deliver our food first, she delivered their side salads first off the tray. Since it was on the same tray, it's only fair to deliver them in the order in which they were ordered in to be FAIR. I don't understand how someone can fathom letting other people CUT in front of someone else's turn like that. We had literally waited a good 50 minutes for our entrees, so when she did that, her tip was almost nothing. It's almost like when you are in a line, that the cashier ignores you when you have waited 50 minutes and takes the person behind you's turn. HOW RUDE, you know. She had both on the same tray, she could have easily walked by their table and delivered ours first, then theirs. It would have been the MORALLY RIGHT THING to do. She knew who ordered first since she took our table and the other table's orders, so there was no excuse for that type of behavior. As if that were HER, as if she would want to be cut in front of. I know we aren't in a line, but we can still be treated fairly. It's just like getting 2 cokes for 1 table and 3 cokes for another, if you took the 2 coke's table first, you should hand theirs first, then the 3 coke's table second, it's only fair. If table 6 asked for their check and table 4 asked for a refill, get table 6's check first, then table 4's refill. It's just the RIGHT THING to do and FAIR. You want your customers to be fair with you by tipping you, be fair to us as well. Treat us the way you'd like to be treated if YOU were in the customer's seat.
Springs1 Springs1
My restaurant pet peeves are as follows: 1. The server doesn't write down the orders, then forgets. 2. The server blames someone or something else is at fault when THEY could have caught the error they brought to your table that was obvious. Had a waiter say once "The kitchen forgot" when he forgot my 2 sides of mayo and 1 side of mustard. NO, HE brought my food and took my order, so HE FORGOT to bring them from the kitchen to our table, plain and simple. The kitchen staff doesn't BRING my food to my table, do they? So WHY blame them for 3 containers missing when those are things very obvious aren't there? It's not a like a steak not cooked enough or raw food, this is like DUH, there aren't 3 containers on my plate. Just be honest and admit fault. Your tip will be much better if you just be honest, because most customers know what is the truth and what isn't. They weren't born under a rock. 3. Not apologizing for their mistakes. I don't care if you forget my ranch, just say you are sorry. I will tip much better if you are nice than if you act like you don't care. 4. The server brings out VERY OBVIOUS mistakes to the table such as a wrong side dish or a missing side of ranch that's not there. I know we ALL make mistakes, but I feel 99.9% of the times it's because they didn't compare the written order to the plate of food BEFORE they brought the food out. If another server is bringing out my food, my server could have brought the ranch I asked for ahead of time and not waited for someone that isn't going to get tipped by me that doesn't care and won't read the ticket to actually get the order right to me the first time around. 5. Overcharges in restaurants. I HATE when servers blame someone else for that. If I can see the mistake, so could have the server REGARDLESS of WHAT KIND of overcharge it was, so unless some other server handed me my check, the server would ALWAYS be at fault. 6. Not being OBSERVANT such as serving you food without utentils and not asking if you want a refill when your drink is near empty. 7. Bringing you what THEY want to bring you instead of asking first. Once ordered a raspberry cheesecake, the waitress decided apon herself to bring me and my husband a strawberry cheesecake because they were out instead of asking us first, which we both did NOT want strawberry. We ended up getting a chocolate topping one instead. In other words, tired of servers being inconsiderate of the customer's feelings and time. I don't care if it's a refill, I want my server to come to find out first if I want that refill, because I may want something else or I may not even want a refill, so I don't want them wasting MY TIME NOR ANYONE ELSE'S TIME getting UNWANTED ITEMS. 8. Not bringing out soft drinks, tea, or water BEFORE bar drinks if the server has time, which they most probably would for just a party of 2. I don't think me and my husband should have to wait "JUST AS LONG" to have a margarita made as a couple of cokes considering at nearly all restaurants have SERVERS to get soft drinks, tea, and water. 8. ASSUMPTIONS is a BIGGIE!! I HATE when servers assume you are ready for the check. I HATE when a waiter once ASSUMED I wanted my appetizer with my meal just because me and my husband had ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. We figured we'd take the rest home. I didn't want what he wanted and he didn't want what I wanted, so we got 2. That didn't mean I wanted mine with my meal, because I NEVER ONCE SAID I DID. I went according to the MENU that it was labled "APPETIZER", so if I would have wanted that as my meal, I would have said so, but I NEVER said that. I HATE when servers assume coin change is theirs. They deserve a stiff for that since they STOLE without permission to keep part of the CUSTOMER'S MONEY, which at that point it is if the customer never said it was ok to keep the change or left the restaurant. I HATE when servers assume you want a refill. I have change drinks before, so has my husband. I HATE when servers assume just because you ordered a margarita the first time, that means you want the same thing again. 2 times this has happened. Once, my husband had told a server I wanted another drink since she was handing us the check before I could say something and she assumed I wanted the same drink, which I wanted a white russian instead of a long island iced tea. Another time, I had told my husband I was going to get another drink somewhere else, then changed my mind. Our waitress came by, so I said to my husband "Can I get another drink" and before I could PLACE MY ORDER(I WAS PISSED she did what she did) she was getting ready to walk off without giving me a CHANCE to place my order. I had ordered a margarita at first, then I wanted a dessert drink, which is usually my white russian. Some people get coffee for dessert, I get a COFFEE flavored alcoholic drink, that's really not that unusual if you think about it. I HATE when servers assume when you ask for a box,that automatically means CHECK TIME. LOTS of times we asked for a box to MAKE ROOM for dessert and save the leftovers for the next day. To not even offer us dessert is just stupid on their part, because the more they sell to increase the check, the higher the tip can be. It's to their advantage to at least OFFER the dessert as long as I didn't ask for the check of course. I HATE when servers assume you don't want the condiment the food comes with when you order an extra condiment with the food. If I order bbq sauce with chicken tenders that ON THE MENU state the chicken tenders come with honey mustard, I am ALREADY PAYING for that honey mustard in the price of the item, so unless I substitute bbq sauce for the honey mustard or say I don't want the honey mustard, there's NEVER a reason to assume I don't want the condiment the item comes with. It's an addition if the customer doesn't state they are substituting or they don't want it. Also, a lot of restaurants don't even charge for extra condiments, so does it matter if you give the person the bbq sauce and the honey mustard. If the restaurant does require to charge for extra, that's ONLY when you'd ask "Did you want both sauces?" You would also tell the customer you are required to charge for extra condiments so they won't be bitching when bill time comes. I HATE when servers assume when you want your side salad or soup when you also order an appetizer. Once, I had a waiter assume I wanted my side salad AFTER the appetizer, which I would have wanted it before or at least with the appetizer, because my husband was eating 98% of the appetizer, I wasn't. This was at Outback. He could have ASKED which one I wanted first. I automatically thought since I had salads very quickly there before and the side salads need NO COOKING, that mine would be out first. Especially since, I have been to a restaurant after that(Macaronni Grill) and had my side salad right away without the waiter asking or me telling him when I wanted my side salad when my husband ordered an appetizer as well. In the Outback situation, the other server that ran my food told me I would have had to tell my server when I wanted it. I was like "WHAT, that makes no sense?" I feel it's the SERVER'S RESPONSIBLITY to find out WHEN someone wants what, because it was a natural assumption when at another restaurant I got my side salad before the appetizer and most importantly, that side salads need NO COOKING TIME, which my husband ordered the bloomin' onion which DOES require cooking at Outback. Anyway, I don't think I was wrong in thinking that I'd get my side salad first WITHOUT having to tell him. I think it should be common sense people want their food as SOON as they can have it and if they want it later, THAT'S when the customer should speak up when they want their food. I don't feel it was MY responsiblity to tell my server when I wanted it. I don't get WHY 2 different restaurants, same scenario, different outcomes? I was at another restaurant once, the side salads came AFTER the appetizer. It understand why they do that incase you are still eating your side salad when the food is hot and ready that they won't have to let your food get cold or sit under a heat lamp until you are finished your salads, but how come Macaronni Grill didn't do things that way? I finished my side salad WAYYYY BEFORE my husband's appetizer came at Macaronni Grill. I have had a time I wanted a side salad with my meal, but I TOLD my server that since side salads are served at appetizer times and get this: THAT WAITRESS ACTUALLY HAD COMMON SENSE TO ASK FIRST!! My point of ASSUMPTIONS is that we are ALL DIFFERENT, so we should ALL get treated as we are DIFFERENT. Just because table 6 wants their check after their entrees doesn't mean table 7 does. 9. Servers that don't come back to find out if your food is correct. 10. Other servers that don't work as a team that deliver food to your table. I feel at least relay the message to my server I want a refill or a margarita or whatever, don't ignore me, because if that were YOU, you wouldn't want to be ignored would you? I feel if YOU deliver my food, YES, you ARE a part of my service even if you aren't my server. I feel you should get me a refill, because if everyone worked as a team as they should, another server is helping YOU out getting refills for YOUR tables, so it comes and it goes, you know? I have had servers ignore requests for a refill just because they weren't me and my husband's server. As if it were THEM as the customer, like THEY would want someone to completely ignore them. 11. When servers don't know the menu very well. For instance, at Denny's had our waitress bring out cheese fries without the ranch THE MENU states it comes with when we NEVER once said we didn't want the ranch. To have a picture menu on the table even, it's PATHETIC that if you WORK THERE and WE DON'T, that you cannot take ANY EFFORT to make sure ONE thing is on a plate when you are bringing out ONLY ONE PLATE. You should take some effort to LEARN the menu by comparing the menu description and the written order to the plate of food. 12. Servers that put in their opinions into your order when all you want to do is place your order. If I know what I want exactly, don't try to convince me you know what I want. I already had 2 servers tell me "You know it's not a big salad" when I ordered 4 sides of ranch for a side salad. What happened was, I also was ordering other items that I wanted to dip the ranch in as well, so I just decided to order all the ranch at once not to make it confusing. The servers shouldn't have put THEIR OPINIONS into MY ORDER. JUST TAKE THE DAMN ORDER AND GO WITH IT UNLESS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE SAID!! I found both salads to be pretty big side salads if you ask me. 13. Not bringing the amount that was asked for. I don't care if I have to pay for the extra amount, which is usually condiments, I ordered it, so give me the amount I ordered. If I order a "side" that doesn't mean half-way filled, that means the entire side worth. If the kitchen staff will not fill it all the way, give me 2 to equal one then, but give me the amount I ordered. You are just going to have to go back anyways, why not get it right the first time around? 14. If the customer has said "no" to the dessert offer or they wanted their check before you offered them a dessert, RESPECT what they want. The customer is the person paying your bills, so there's no reason to try to convince them on what you want them to have. 15. Servers not doing things in the order in which they came in. I had a waitess once at Red Lobster that she had me and my husband's entrees on as well as 2 side salads for another couple that weren't even IN THE BUILDING when we placed our food order, YET, the waitress didn't deliver our food first, she delivered their side salads first off the tray. Since it was on the same tray, it's only fair to deliver them in the order in which they were ordered in to be FAIR. I don't understand how someone can fathom letting other people CUT in front of someone else's turn like that. We had literally waited a good 50 minutes for our entrees, so when she did that, her tip was almost nothing. It's almost like when you are in a line, that the cashier ignores you when you have waited 50 minutes and takes the person behind you's turn. HOW RUDE, you know. She had both on the same tray, she could have easily walked by their table and delivered ours first, then theirs. It would have been the MORALLY RIGHT THING to do. She knew who ordered first since she took our table and the other table's orders, so there was no excuse for that type of behavior. As if that were HER, as if she would want to be cut in front of. I know we aren't in a line, but we can still be treated fairly. It's just like getting 2 cokes for 1 table and 3 cokes for another, if you took the 2 coke's table first, you should hand theirs first, then the 3 coke's table second, it's only fair. If table 6 asked for their check and table 4 asked for a refill, get table 6's check first, then table 4's refill. It's just the RIGHT THING to do and FAIR. You want your customers to be fair with you by tipping you, be fair to us as well. Treat us the way you'd like to be treated if YOU were in the customer's seat.
cryssyn cryssyn
I've seen most of my pet peeves posted already, but the one I still haven't seen is when you pay with cash and the server asks if you want change. Don't ask!! Just bring change and we'll leave the proper tip! Or, even worse, just takes it, assuming all the rest is tip.
Jamie1190 Jamie1190
I can't stand it when my appetizer is served and then about two minutes later my meal is served. There's a reason it's called an appetizer, pre-meal, not a combination with my meal. There are so many plates on the table that I feel disgusted with myself and nothing get's eaten.
Bandje50 Bandje50
I HATE when everyone's meals do not come out together
Giasbash6260 Giasbash6260
As much as I adore sushi, I HATE when the food simply comes out when it is done... when I eat out with people, they order specific things FOR THEMSELVES... as I do for myself too - to have ALL of my food come out before anyone else's drives me crazy - plus the waitress/or typically waits until the dish is done to bring out the next one, I always have to tell them that they can bring everything out at once. This is typically why I try to go out to sushi with 1 or 2 other people or just get take out!
Rabbit88 Rabbit88
when soup doesn't come out piping hot. no lukewarm soup. its disgusting.
brielleblonde brielleblonde
o and for dusting around you? thats pretty gross. i would never dust around customers. but i would sweep around them. before i'm allowed to leave I have to sweep my area, and i'm sorry, but i'm not going to wait until everyone in a certain section is done eating before I can sweep some tables. i've been on my feet for 12 hours for god sakes. if you have a problem with that i would take it up with the manager, because he or she is the one who is telling us to do so.
brielleblonde brielleblonde
a lot of what people complained about isn't even the servers fault! i used to be a waitress at applebees and food runners would bring out the food before they were garnished with watever (example: fiesta lime chx without the lime....) also we don't seat customers, the host does that. and sometimes they triple seat us. so if we don't great you in the first 30 seconds of you sitting, i'm sorry. but look around you, we're probably running around greeting everyone else. also, at least at applebees, we don't make our drinks, the bartender does that. so the bartender has to make drinks as well as take care of the people around the bar. so if the drinks take longer then needed, its again not the servers fault, usually it's because the bartender is so busy. o and i agree with "if you can afford to tip well, don't go out to eat." 3 bux on $25.00 meal. come on... this is how i pay my rent at school. don't be a cheapo. we remember who tips poorly, so we're less likely to cater to your ever need if you are going to give us 2 buxs max on it. it's just not worth it if your have all these problems with servers, i say just try it for a week. see how long you last, because i guarantee you won't last a day!
Amid Lean Times, Starbucks Buys a Jet
Amid Lean Times, Starbucks Buys a Jet
Debuting Today: Bobby Flay Radio
Debuting Today: Bobby Flay Radio