Most of the time when you go out to a restaurant, you’re not only paying for food, but also for service and ambiance. So even if the meal was perfectly prepared, there are still plenty of things about which diners feel justified to complain.
Over at the San Francisco Chronicle, food and wine editor Michael Bauer recently listed his 10 biggest pet peeves about restaurant dining.
Some of Bauer’s complaints are pretty universal — restaurants that refuse to seat parties until everyone is there; excessively loud music — while others — mismatched flatware; food in bowls that should be on a plate — may strike some as a bit nitpicky.
That’s why we want to hear what actually annoys you, the folks who aren’t professionally reviewing restaurants, the most when you go out for a bit to eat. So sound off in the comments!
The most annoying restaurant practices [SFgate.com]
My top five restaurant pet peeves [SFgate.com]
This one DRIVES ME NUTS…
When I walk into a fast food place, cofee shop etc. I am not ready to order, so I stand around 20 feet back from the counter and start reading the menu board. The employee calls across the store “Hi, what can I get you?”
DO I LOOK LIKE I AM READY TO ORDER? If i was ready to order, would I not be closer than 20 feet from you? Would I not be looking at you, instead of studying the menu board, with a confused look on my face?
I am sure they are probably forced to great every customer, but a more appropriate greeting might be “hi, let me know when you are ready to order”
Word about the ordering thing. I occasionally get fast food (mmmm, Chick-Fil-A), but if I don’t know what I want or what they have, I go inside so I can check the menu out instead of making everyone wait in the drive-thru.
Oh, and I always check my order before I leave, so I pull into a parking spot instead of sitting at the window and doing it.
Common courtesy, people. Learn it.
The waitperson invariably lays the germ laden menu directly on the silverware.
The waitperson invariably lays the germ laden menu directly on the silverware.
My pet-peeves are more about my dinner companions than the restaurant. Thankfully these problems are rare, and I try to avoid these situations whenever possible.
1- People that don’t tip or tip very little, when everything is fine.
2- People (read: my sister) that are just ~waiting~ for the waiter to mess up.
“You watch. I asked for water, no lemon, and he’s gonna put a lemon on it! And I know he’s going to get the salad dressing wrong! And they’ll give me rice when I ordered a potato! Etc!” It’s literally every restaurant, and everything she orders.
3- People who can’t cut the waiter a break when a place is slammed or you’re in a large group.
One year about 20 of us went to a Mexican restaurant on the 5th of May. It was so crowded, you couldn’t get up from your seat. They must have brought 300 extra chairs in from another place it was so busy. Our waiter was a little slow bringing things to us, refilling drinks — but still bringing everything — and some of my friends thought the waiter sucked. If it was a regular day, not that crowded, or the waiter had no other customers besides our one group, I can see my friends’ frustration. It was an absolute ZOO!
Having the waitperson place the dirty menu ( handled by everyone in the world) squarely on my silverware – even though I try to intercept it by reaching for it.
Having the waitperson place the dirty menu ( handled by everyone in the world) squarely on my silverware – even though I try to intercept it by reaching for it.
Having the waitperson place the dirty menu ( handled by everyone in the world) squarely on my silverware – even though I try to intercept it by reaching for it.
Ok here’s my two cents’ worth; I hate it when people wear clothes that make them look like they just rolled out of bed with them on. I mean, whatever happened to taking pride in how you look in front of others? I’m not talking about your local greasy spoon but your average TGI’s etc, people seem to think it’s ok to pj sweats and slippers out in public. Hey I know times are tough and many folks have to shop at Walmart but come on, does that mean you can’t at least match your top to those things you call pants somehow? And take off that damn hat! There’s no class anymore..