Restaurant etiquette

Apparently my job might be getting to me this week, so this is what I had to write...

Part I : For Adults


Upon entering a restaurant, if you have to walk by a Please Wait To Be Seated sign to seat yourself....... then don't expect prompt service any time soon. Waiting to be seated just may have been quicker after all.

When you have been seated at a particular table, don't get up and move to a different one on your own..... ask someone kindly if it would be a problem to switch tables to better accommodate you. There usually is a rotation of tables between servers. (And bring your menus with you if you move!)

When your server has asked if your ready to order or if you would like a few more minutes, don't tell them that your ready and then take you time to decide between your top 4 choices. We have plenty of other things that we can be getting done while you are finalizing your decision.

Listen closely and communicate with your server. There's probably nothing that drives me more nuts than when I make a trip to a table and ask "is there anything else that I can get you right know other than a refill on your soda?" and the customer rudely replies, "yeah, some more pop!" (Isn't that what I just said?)

I understand that it's all great and dandy to go out to eat and have someone wait on us hand and foot, but it is very hard to be an excellent and efficient server when you are repeatedly making trips back and forth to the same table because they decided they would tell you everything they needed before the end of the evening, one item at a time. As if you can't multi-task?!

Don't continue to shake your empty glass of ice, irritating everyone around you, while trying to get your servers attention. Chances are they probably already noticed that you needed another beverage and are trying to get you one as quickly as possible. Or, simply make eye contact to draw attention to your empty glass.

Tell your server immediately if there is a problem with your meal. Don't wait until almost everything is gone and then decide to complain about it. Chances are that you will not get any compensation since you waited until everything was gone. Apparently it was still okay to eat so NO you won't get your money back or something FREE!

As a server who depends on her tips as her main source of income, here comes a huge pet peeve..... If you cannot afford to tip correctly then you should not be eating out!

This list here is to just name a few things that might just make your next trip out to dinner a little bit more enjoyable for you and your server.