| Restaurant Dining Experiences Discuss any topic relating to eating out. For specific restaurant reviews and recommendations use one of the forums above. |
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09-07-2009, 04:06 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 40
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Once a friend and I went to a nice well known restaurant on the east side of Seattle and the waitress came around and asked if we would like to start with an appetizer which we ordered and she also asked what would we like for the main course which we told her what we wanted not knowing or expecting to get the appetizer and main course served at the same time!
Now whenever I go out to eat I order appetizer and only when I am done with the appetizer I will order the main course, I hope that does not make the waiter/waitress mad. |
09-07-2009, 10:40 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Quincy, MA -- and unfortunately not Kyoto
Posts: 679
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There is an old Jack Ziegler cartoon for the New Yorker, entitled "Munch in Manhattan." If you've got a way to view that -- the online cartoonbank thing doesn't let you see it large enough to read the words -- it's about the funniest thing I've ever seen on infuriatingly pretentious-awful service. |
09-08-2009, 06:31 AM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: I Just Like Food | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Launceston, Tas, Australia
Posts: 1,514
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Hey Chris,
Tried to look at that too, link is: Jack Ziegler : Munch in Manhattan - Cartoonbank.com
But yeah. It is unreadable at that size and it can't be made bigger to read.
Ah well 
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Don't be too hard on yourself - others will do that for you |
09-08-2009, 11:13 AM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Private Chef | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Montreal Canada
Posts: 417
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I ate at the Red Lobster on saturday and the waitress asked if the food was ok, before I could tell her that my trout was dry as the sahara, she blurts out " Oh , I am glad HON, just enjoy your meal" !
I wanted to yell so badly.
This woman did not have the courtesy to wait to see my answer then she calls me HON.
I am not her Honey ! Where do waitresses get off calling their customers pet names ? Last I checked, we were not together.............
__________________ Petals I would give up chocolate but I am no quitter !  |
09-08-2009, 01:52 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: I Just Like Food | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Launceston, Tas, Australia
Posts: 1,514
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Petals, I don't like the "pet" names people use here either...."Darl"..."Luv"...."Hon"...uggh
Have never come across it anywhere except here - have learnt to turn a deaf ear to it, but it still grates after 6 years in this state.
So glad she listened to your complaint! 
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Don't be too hard on yourself - others will do that for you |
09-08-2009, 03:40 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Private Chef | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Montreal Canada
Posts: 417
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DC,
Yes, I was so pleased with the whole dining experience. But like you said, pet names are something that should never be said to a customer, no matter how friendly someone is.
I was at the Outback on sunday (last day of a long weekend) and the waiter came to my table and started pouring a beer, and blurts out, " I just know your going to enjoy this one as well". He looks down at me and says, " Uh, I got the wrong table ". Why not look at me first to see if they have the right table before they pour or serve ? Does that not make more sense ?
In the meantime I was sipping a margarita..... 
Petals
__________________ Petals I would give up chocolate but I am no quitter ! |
09-23-2009, 07:53 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Culinary Student | | Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3
| |  @ ToKEN
I actually have one worse than that I was brought my check and asked how everything was before I got my food, or a refill on my coffee now that I think back. However, thats what you get at IHOP at 4am when you've been out drinking I guess. Not to one up you, but I haven't ever heard of that other than the night it happened to me. |
09-25-2009, 07:35 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chicago
Posts: 113
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B.Adams  Once a friend and I went to a nice well known restaurant on the east side of Seattle and the waitress came around and asked if we would like to start with an appetizer which we ordered and she also asked what would we like for the main course which we told her what we wanted not knowing or expecting to get the appetizer and main course served at the same time!
Now whenever I go out to eat I order appetizer and only when I am done with the appetizer I will order the main course, I hope that does not make the waiter/waitress mad. | I completely agree with you. The concept of an appetizer is a before the meal 'munchie.' It's something to hold you over until the main event. That's happened to me a couple of times. I'm not one to cause a scene but it does get under my skin. Good advice is to order appetizer, make sure it comes to your table and then order what you want for the meal. |
09-27-2009, 10:41 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: I Just Like Food | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Launceston, Tas, Australia
Posts: 1,514
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by petalsandcoco DC,
Yes, I was so pleased with the whole dining experience. But like you said, pet names are something that should never be said to a customer, no matter how friendly someone is.
I was at the Outback on sunday (last day of a long weekend) and the waiter came to my table and started pouring a beer, and blurts out, " I just know your going to enjoy this one as well". He looks down at me and says, " Uh, I got the wrong table ". Why not look at me first to see if they have the right table before they pour or serve ? Does that not make more sense ?
In the meantime I was sipping a margarita.....
Petals | Lol Petals, that is pathetic, mmmm Marguerita with a beer chaser? Did you get the free beer and enjoy it?
A thing I don't like is at some up market restaurants, where the food, atmosphere, service etc etc is great....why do they have the servers standing around like funeral directors waiting for you to say farewell to the mortal world? It can't be fun for the server, and it is not fun for the diner.
Just as an aside to that, where I am there is a meat company called Lethborg who make great sausages. But, there's also a nearby funeral director under the name of Lethborg....I don't enjoy those sausages so much anymore...wondering about where they come from
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Don't be too hard on yourself - others will do that for you |
09-28-2009, 12:49 PM
|  | ChefTalk Moderator Culinary Experience: Professional Chef | | Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Fond du Lac, WI
Posts: 3,271
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The other night I was at a place and ordered a Black and Tan. What came was a Black and Blue (Guinness and Blue Moon). I told the server that it was wrong to which she replied, and I quote, "I ordered a Black and Tan so that must be it." I said no, it wasn't to which the reply was, "Well can't you drink that?" I told her no and made her get me the proper drink. When she came back she apologized and said that the bartender made the wrong drink-translation-she grabbed the wrong drink as she didn't have a clue. |
09-28-2009, 01:58 PM
|  | ChefTalk Supporter Culinary Experience: Other | | Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,596
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I agree, Pete . . . not being knowledgeable of what he/she is serving, and acting like the customer is wrong--definitely one of the worst things! |
09-28-2009, 04:34 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: 20 miles from the nearest tsunami
Posts: 14
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A couple of things that bug me are a server arguing with you when you get something you didn't order like it's your fault that the wrong dish came. Also when a server has taken an order and disappears like being abducted by aliens, until the check arrives and the gratituity is forthcoming.
Something on which to speculate...is there a server "black hole" that swallows them up and then spews them out when it's "tip time"! |
10-01-2009, 10:00 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 24
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Well most of those are not big deals to me but my pet peeves are:
when the waitor waits 20 minutes before returning to your table
refilling drinks quick enough
when they are rude to you |
10-01-2009, 11:14 PM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: At home cook | | Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,227
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I hate being ignored. I've walked out of a restaurant from being ignored too long. |
10-01-2009, 11:40 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 312
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jock I hate being ignored. I've walked out of a restaurant from being ignored too long. | Definitely. Same here.
The other day, my wife and I walk into a classy Japanese restaurant. The hostess seats us, gives us menus, and says the waitress is going to be right with us. We wait a few minutes, then see the hostess show another couple to the table next to us. Within seconds, a bus boy brings them hot towels. Hmmm.... we didn't get hot towels? Nevermind. Meanwhile, my wife is starving, and still no sign of a waitress.
A few minutes later, the waitress comes, and goes to take THEIR order! I thought we were going to leave - but finally we talked to the waitress and she promptly brought us hot towels and took our order.
Of course, the other table still got their food first. What are we... invisible?  | | |
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