![[BlogXilla] Dot Com](http://blogxilla.com/blog3/wp-content/themes/manxilla/images/logo.png){kind=logo}
13 Things You Should Absolutely Know About Eating Out
Posted in Relationships on 05. Dec, 2009
I love eating out. I love taking beautiful women out to eat and conversing over a delicious meal. One thing I don’t do though is disrespect the waiter or waitress. It’s suicide. Here are a few real quotes from the wait staff about what goes on in restaurants and a few things you should absolutely know about eating out.
- If you make a big fuss about sending your soup back because it’s not hot enough, we like to take your spoon and run it under really hot water, so when you put the hot spoon in your mouth, you’re going to get the impression — often the very painful impression — that your soup is indeed hot. —Chris
- We’re not allowed to tell our customers we don’t like a dish. So if you ask your server how something is and she says, “It’s one of our most popular dishes,” chances are she doesn’t like it.
- If someone orders a frozen drink that’s annoying to make, I’ll say, “Oh, we’re out. Sorry!” when really I just don’t want to make it. But if you order water instead of another drink, suddenly we do have what you originally wanted because I don’t want to lose your drink on the bill. —Waitress at a casual Mexican restaurant in Manhattan
- When I was at one bakery restaurant, they used to make this really yummy peach cobbler in a big tray. A lot of times, servers don’t have time to eat. So we all kept a fork in our aprons, and as we cruised through the kitchen, we’d stick our fork in the cobbler and take a bite. We’d use the same fork each time. —Kathy Kniss
- I knew one guy — he was a real jerk — he’d go to Costco and buy this gigantic carrot cake for $10 and tell us to say it’s homemade. Then he sold it for $10 a slice. —Steve Dublanica, veteran New York waiter
- If you’re having a disagreement over dinner and all of a sudden other servers come by to refill your water or clear your plates, or you notice a server slowly refilling the salt and pepper shakers at the table next to yours, assume that we’re listening. —Charity Ohlund
- We put sugar in our kids’ meals so kids will like them more. Seriously. We even put extra sugar in the dough for the kids’ pizzas. —Waitress at a well-known pizza chain
- If you’re a vegetarian and you ask if we use vegetable stock, I’m going to say yes, even if we don’t. You’ll never know the difference.
- At a lot of restaurants, the special is whatever they need to sell before it goes bad. Especially watch out for the soup of the day. If it contains fish or if it’s some kind of “gumbo,” it’s probably the stuff they’re trying to get rid of. 10 year waitress
- Now that I’ve worked in a restaurant, I never ask for lemon in a drink. Everybody touches them. Nobody washes them. We just peel the stickers off, cut them up, and throw them in your iced tea. —Charity Ohlund
- I’ve never seen anybody do anything to your food, but I have seen servers mess with your credit card. If a server doesn’t like you, he might try to embarrass you in front of your business associate or date by bringing your credit card back and saying, “Do you have another card? This one didn’t go through.” —Charity Ohlund
- “I’ve seen some horrible things done to people’s food: steaks dropped on the floor, butter dipped in the dishwater”—Waiter at a casual restaurant in the Chicago area
- “Don’t order fish on Sunday or Monday. The fish deliveries are usually twice a week, so Tuesday through Friday are great days. Or ask the restaurant when they get theirs.” —Steve Dublanica
That is just sick. Remind me not to go out any time soon!
I thought the rule of thumb was to not eat fish over the weekend – hence Fish Fry Friday! Monday should be a better day – at least in the evening and I still ask what type of fish and where was it caught
Wow! Kathy Kniss probably doesn't even realize that she's a f*ckin dumb ass? LMAO!
Yeah, it's f*cked up that customers are unknowingly eating cobbler that the servers have all double-dipped their individual forks into but uhhhh the servers are all knowingly eating it after each other o_O
psssst – hey Kath! If its nasty for the customers to eat after you all its just as nasty for you all to eat after each other
HAHAHAHAHA!
I've worked at 6 different restaurants since i was 16 (never been fired, i just like variety). I'd happily serve u if u aren't a jerk. I worked at a steak house last year & when people paid with cash and gave crappy tips (especially when they're on dates or company business), I'd just return and embarass them in front of their company and say “Sorry, you forgot your change.” Usually, if they're smart, they'll apologize like it was an accident and tip more lol
just nasty….
I remember there was a report on lemons in restaurants, how they get chopped on the SAME board as raw meats & other things, YUCK! I TRY not to get lemon in my water anymore, that just makes my stomach hurt!
Lol … if I were the customer, that wouldn't embarrass me..
In fact, just for you being a smart ass…I'd probably say “Oh, you're right, thanks!” & take the “change” back.
I knew about the lemon thing! I get pissed when they bring my water with lemon in it & I get scared to ask them to get me another in fear that they'll spit in my new water lol
Oh snap! I think I'll stick with my home cooked meals or delivery from now on…but then again, I've always known that some of this stuff goes on. My friends who work in those service industries tell me all the time.
LOL! I guess you think everyone should pay you good tips huh? I have friends who go out and wish they could tip but can't because they only have enough for them and their dates. If only u knew they financial situations some people were in, then you would be grateful for every tip you get. Unless it's those petty changes (i.e. a couple pennies or a few nickel and dimes) people always leave behind. I find it rude. if you can't tip at least 10% of the bill then don't tip at all. I personal only give tips when I think my servers went above and beyond what their job description was. I'm not tipping you for something you are suppose to do anyways. That's for your employer to do that.
i'm not expecting Beyonce & Jay-Z type tips. I will appreciate 10% or more depending on how u feel about the service. (personally, i don't bring outside fuckery to work, that's unprofessional). But when someone has enough money to spend $300 in cash on dinner & tips me $5, i'm gonna be pissed, especially if they pull out a minimum of $1000 when they pay. truly, i understand the recession, but i didn't ask anyone to come to a restaurant when they could've cooked. i don't know about anyone's personal finances but my own, & i'm trying to put money in my pocket too.
@ “if you can't tip at least 10% of the bill then don't tip at all. I personal only give tips when I think my servers went above and beyond what their job description was. I'm not tipping you for something you are suppose to do anyways. That's for your employer to do that.”
That's just tacky.
Tipping is customary not only because of the service being provided but because based on Federal “Fair Labor Standards” restaurants are only required to pay a little over $2 an hour. A few states have set higher standards of pay for restaurant workers but if they opt not to, by Fed Law $2.13 is it and the server has to suck it up.
Tipping standards are about 15% of the pretax bill and it's expected which is why they are required to report tips when they file income taxes, so when someone goes to a restaurant with only enough money to pay for them and their date, they are essentially robbing their server of part of their salary. If someone can't afford to tip, either stay home or go to an establishment where tipping is not customary.
If your server is rude and unattentive they deserve nada, if they do the basics of their job they deserve the 15%, if they are outstanding tip them more than the 15%
You say below you have friends in the service industry, ask them how poor tips effect them financially. I've never worked in a restaurant, couldn't do it personally, but you have to have some kind of respect and consideration for people and what they do to make your dining experience a pleasant one all while taking some of the abuse they do from inconsiderate people.
Amen! lol
I agree with everything Head Mistress said. I used to work at Applebee's when I was in high school and the servers, I was a hostess, whole motto is if you only have enough to pay for your meal then you shouldn't go out to eat. TIPS ARE THEIR SALARY. So for your friends who have financial situations, they probably shouldn't be spending the money anyway. The only time I don't tip is if the service is HORRIBLE, and I know that they're not doing what they are supposed to do because of my history in the restaurant industry, or if 18% gratuity is already added in with my check.
If you can only pay for your meal and not leave a tip, please take that shit to McDonalds with your broke ass. That's how servers make their money, 2.77 per hour cant buy a thing.
Black women love to complain about any and everything, but it's no sweat off my back, I just know how ignorant they are when they ask for the SALLL-MON or gravy with onions like mama made. THIS AINT YOUR MAMA HOUSE.
Also most of the time, servers are just people who are students/ talented people who need to supplement their income, so if your fat asses are throwing us shade we just talk mucho smack about what you look like or how ghetto acting or simple you are.
LAst but not least!!! Men need to stop doing feminine shit at tables, ie asking for lemon-BOOO!!!! Asking for more dressing on an already tossed salad-BOOOO!!! Ordering dirty martinis (girls drink them because they taste like umm) Ordering any f'ing martini or fruity drink. Sitting in a booth your your homeboy (knees touching).
Yeah you're quite right, if someone is pulling a minimum$100+ at the end of a meal I myself would expect them to drop a decent tip. Especially if it's a business outing as well.
Me personally, I rarely go out. I'm the type to stay at home and make dinner myself. As far as the bill goes, the few places that I do venture out to always have the gratuity added on so I don't mind.
As far as my friends who work in that kind of industry, they've told me that they didn't get into that line of job for the tips. They knew how shitty they pay rate goes and how subjective tips could be-they are only doing this temporary to make money on the side while pursuing other dreams because it's very flexible for them.
So financially I guess they knew full well that they would only be paid their hourly rate from their employer and a 'possible' tip from their customers.
I'm a waitress and it's people like you that piss me off! First off our employer does not tip us so you as the customer that's your job. And you only tip with people who go over and beyond?? What do you want someone to flip over backwards over for you? If you can't afford to tip then take your ass to McDonalds where you don't have to. Just like all services you have to tip accordingly people who don't are just ignorant.
Read my reply above.
Also, if a person goes out a few times and tips here and there, but for some reason doesn't have the funds to tip on his next outing, he shouldn't go out? What kind of reasoning is that?
The service industry was made to provide a service for the general public. Anyone going into the service industry should know full well how subjective tipping is. If “tips are their salary” then oh well. I know people in the restaurant service industry who make more w/o tips than people who work at McDonald's and such. Now you don't hear them complaining.
All I'm saying is that, yes it's nice to tip when you go out. But for me personally, after all the experiences I've had going out, I feel that I tip persons who go above and beyond than just bringing me my food and taking my order. I view “tipping as an added bonus, and not as their salary”.
BUT, if I'm ever dropping $100+ anywhere I go, it's pretty certain that I will leave a tip behind. I wouldn't spend so much if I couldn't leave a tip anyways.
When I say above and beyond, I simply mean that, they come back to check up on you to see if you'e enjoying the food or not. Or making sure that the your glass is re filled. Just simple things like that. Just simply taking my order, brining the food and coming back at the end of my meal doesn't qualify as a tip for me. I don't care if the whole world is against me.
And no where in my previous comments did I say that employers “tip”. I simply said that they pay out an hourly rate. As a waitress if you got into you line of work because of tips then that's on you. My friends have come to realize that tips are subjective-they might get it, they might not and if they do, it will be the minimum 15% or more. At the end of they day also realized that their tips are co-related with the kind of attitude and service they provide.
You have pretty low standards because what you described as “above and beyond” is basic service…
But here's the catch…if it is basic standards, then I'm not getting it. I'm not saying that it's everywhere I go because some places have amazing services. All I'm saying is that I've ventured to a few places which don't give me these “basic” services as u described. That's all. So in my opinion, I don't feel the need to tip them the same way as I would tip others who do apprehend to these “basic” standards.
And by the way my standards aren't low…they're pretty much simple. Thank You.
A tip to the fellas: Ladies do judge you on how you treat the help and hdow you tip.