Restaurant/Bar Annoyances

[gfweb]

Just kidding. LOL too good a line to pass up.

[annabelle]

See, and I gave this gal the benefit of the doubt and a full 20 percent - yet somehow I'm intolerant for not wanting to be preached to?

I never said you were intolerant. I asked you why it raised your blood pressure. As for the Obama vote? I'd have drawn a line through it and got on with my day.

Good one, gfweb. I love low-hanging curveballs.

[SusieQ]

If somebody wants to write bible verses on my check, they can do it once and I will be polite and tolerate it. They better not do it again, or they'll never see me (or my money) again. Hey all you religious people, keep it to yourself! I don't want to hear it. And certainly not in a restaurant. (Or on an airplane.) And don't tell me you're going to pray for me, either. Thank you.

[ScoopKW]

If somebody wants to write bible verses on my check, they can do it once and I will be polite and tolerate it. They better not do it again, or they'll never see me (or my money) again. Hey all you religious people, keep it to yourself! I don't want to hear it. And certainly not in a restaurant. (Or on an airplane.) And don't tell me you're going to pray for me, either. Thank you.

I'm with you on this one. It's the sanctimonious attitude that bugs me, not the words/incantations.

Lately, I respond, "And may the force be with you."

[Slamdunkpro]

If somebody wants to write bible verses on my check, they can do it once and I will be polite and tolerate it. They better not do it again, or they'll never see me (or my money) again. Hey all you religious people, keep it to yourself! I don't want to hear it. And certainly not in a restaurant. (Or on an airplane.) And don't tell me you're going to pray for me, either. Thank you.

I'm with you on this one. It's the sanctimonious attitude that bugs me, not the words/incantations.

Lately, I respond, "And may the force be with you."

"This is not the tip you're looking for"

[Twyst]

On the topic of responses to "Thank you" - one local fast food chain mandates that employees respond with "My Pleasure". The first time it's okay, but after that it starts to get creepy.

Yes, it is REALLY creepy. I try not to go their because of all the controversy earlier this year, but the chicken sandwiches are just so delicious i still find myself there from time to time ! Edited December 26, 2012 by Twyst (log)

[PSmith]

Here is a biggie

Quite often when we go out for a meal with a group, I drive and therefore don't drink and am often the only sober one in the party.

On more occasions than I would like, when the bill has appeared, there are more bottles of wine on the bill than were actually consumed.

It seems that some restaurants take advantage that with a big group, where a reasonable amount of alcohol is being drunk, that the odd extra bottle or two won’t get noticed by their tipsy diners.

I have had this happen in the UK and in France.

[jrshaul]

It seems that some restaurants take advantage that with a big group, where a reasonable amount of alcohol is being drunk, that the odd extra bottle or two won’t get noticed by their tipsy diners.

Isn't this just massively illegal?

I'd report it, if only on the grounds that reporting larceny means dinner is free!

Hey, I'll make sure I write all sorts of Humanist stuff on checks if I were to find myself in the service industry...and I'll urge Islamists (if I get to know any) to do the equivalent. ;-)

"Contribute to the common good, and the common good will contribute to you!"

"Hug your children!"

"Have you picked up your doggie-doo?"

[PSmith]

Isn't this just massively illegal?

I'd report it, if only on the grounds that reporting larceny means dinner is free!

It is often passed off as a "mis-calculation" although on each occasion I am pretty sure it was deliberate. I would guess that when you have a large group of 10 plus people who are a bit merry, the restaurants can take advantage of no one counting the bottles.

We have been offered a discount when the error has been pointed out, and of course, don't pay the service charge or leave a tip.

[cookingdiva]

What are things that waiters do that annoy you and how do you deal with them?

I find it annoying when waiters push you to order something or to buy more. This is especially true if I decide to eat light. Waiters usually urge me to order more by saying "Is that all your going to order? How about some dessert? Do you want to try our specialty?"

What I usually do is I just maintain a straight face and I don't smile. But I don't really frown at them. I just want to show them that I'm not approachable because smiling might just give them the hope that I'll order more if they put more effort in convincing me.

[gfweb]

Agreed. Screwing around after I've asked for the check drives me crazy. Get the check, bring it quickly.

[lindag]

I resent when they push the appetizers. I'm there by myself, for lunch. Really? You think I'm gonna want appetizers?

[BeeZee]

coming to the table when you are still kind of picking at your food, and starting to take it away "you're done with that, right?" (AKA, time for you to clear the table).

I literally grabbed a plate back from a wait person one time because it had half a muffin left on it, it wasn't like I was saving crumbs.

[gfweb]

I hate it when they spot one diner who is done early and whisk the plate away. RUDE.

[Porthos]

Can I inject my favorite from fast food drive thru. I will have just ordered a light breakfast and they ask if I would like a brownie with that. I don't normally indulge dessert at breakfast. I am always polite when I decline since I know that upselling is part of the job. But really - dessert with breakfast.

[mgaretz]

Can I inject my favorite from fast food drive thru. I will have just ordered a light breakfast and they ask if I would like a brownie with that. I don't normally indulge dessert at breakfast. I am always polite when I decline since I know that upselling is part of the job. But really - dessert with breakfast.

Ummm, donuts, Danish, various other pastries, pancakes and waffles with lots of syrup... A brownie doesn't seem all that different! <smile>

[mgaretz]

Not writing anything down and then really messing up the order.

[Syzygies]

Bringing wine glasses wide enough for a small swim meet, and topping everyone off whether they're drinking or not. Pouring is supposed to be a courtesy, a sign of good service. When a full bottle of good wine is left abandoned in glasses around the table, I've been fracked with, and I never want to return to the place again in my life.

Rule #1: You can shear a sheep many times, but you can only skin it once.

This kind of aggression invariably leads to the stank of a restaurant circling the drain, and boy do they deserve it.

[andiesenji]

What I really abhor and will either leave the restaurant or ask to be seated at another table served by a different person, is when female servers have long fingernails.

Having a long thumbnail inserted into my salad (on one occasion, an omelet) is absolutely disgusting to me.

I complained to a manager at one restaurant, and explained that I would not pay for a dish that as far as I was concerned had been "contaminated" by the server having her extremely long thumbnail in it.

He shrugged and said that he had no control over the "personal" affectations of servers who wanted to wear piercings and have long fingernails.

I have not been back to that restaurant.

[OliverB]

ask me "is everything all right?"

why? You drop it in the kitchen? Meat 3 days over? Why so insecure?

And not showing up if my drink is close to empty and/or taking for ever with a refill or new drink.

[Bill Klapp]

Servers, usually reciting from a management-prepared (and programmed) text, who assume that I know nothing about food and begin to explain to me, without me having asked, what chicken cordon bleu or some such dish is. Also, I am not big on knowing my server's life story or opinions unless I start that dialogue. And yes, the compulsory overfilling of wine glasses in an attempt to move more product, and the premature wisking away of plates without asking first, both noted above, are incredibly annoying. (There is the idea that when one diner finishes earlier than the others that he or she might prefer to have his or her place setting cleared, but it should not ever be done without asking.)

I do not automatically blame the server for the late check. In watching closely, I have found that it is often mismanagement rather than the individual, when servers are required to cover too much territory. I find all of these problems to be dominantly American, in part due to chain restaurants using low-paid, transient help with no commitment to the enterprise or otherwise due to poor training and supervision. In Europe and elsewhere, especially in smaller restaurants, you are often being served by family members who have a long-term economic stake in the enterprise. Also, it is possible to make a good living as a professional server in many cases, which can kick up the quality of the service dramatically. Although a dying breed I fear, career servers in high-end restaurants in America generally offer an comparably high level of service.

[cookingdiva]

coming to the table when you are still kind of picking at your food, and starting to take it away "you're done with that, right?" (AKA, time for you to clear the table).

I literally grabbed a plate back from a wait person one time because it had half a muffin left on it, it wasn't like I was saving crumbs.

I remember experiencing this as well. I was still eating my buffalo wings and the waiter already started taking the other plates as well as the dipping sauce. He then said, "Are you done with this already?" Of course I don't want to eat it anymore since he already touched it. I know they have lots of customers waiting in line but I wish they would still show some respect to those who are still eating...

[chefmd]

Saying "excellent choice" every time I order something. Which begs the question: what would be the bad choice on your menu?

[lindag]

One of my worst examples is from an Outback in Hawaii Kai. Our server had a tongue piercing and as a result could not be understood when she talked. Egad!

[weinoo]

Serve from the left, remove from the right. Pour from the right. Touching face or hair...almost as bad as andies' long fingernail incident.

It's so simple, isn't it?