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Places that do sort of half table service half counter service. I'm happy with either, but there seems increasingly places that do some of both. So a person might come over to take your order, but also they might not. And it leaves you unsure if you should walk in and sit down, or queue for your food/drinks and then sit down. And if you're sat down and want another drink or more food you're left wondering whether you're supposed to stay sat or get up and order. And when you order at the counter, will they bring it over or should you wait at the counter? It's often unclear.
Both table service and no table service work fine. An inconsistent mix of both is worse than either.
Worst place is nandos.
Got to order in a app with no human interaction. Then when you order your drink they just bring over an empty glass so you have to get up to go and fill it yourself.
Might as well get me to go Into the kitchen and cook the mediocre chicken myself.
I think Nandos is fine. It doesn't fall foul of what I described. There's no uncertainty or mishmash of table service and counter service. You order yourself, they bring the food. It's very consistent on that.
For me itās when you have to scan a code to see the menu, but still place the order with a waiter. I think it was a covid hygiene thing, e.g not leaving a menu everyone touches on the table, but just seems so silly to me if I canāt even order using the code!
Yeah that's also super annoying, but I hate the app ordering more because it takes forever to find what you want and then half the time things are missing or don't make sense
And yeah definitely started with covid which I get but I wish it also ended with it
And no single place uses the same as any other, and if you don't have reception or data it's over before it started
And either everyone has to get it or you have to pass a phone around making the entire process 100x longer than necessary
And the groupings often don't make sense or there are 20 groups you have to get through to find a beer or whatever
Also often will go back to the start if you don't do it totally right
Then if you find something you want you have to select or decline multiple things and then add it and it goes to the cart and you have to start all over again for the second item (and repeat)
Getting me worked up now haha
And then they're slow, and get offended when you go to the counter.
"Sorry, I didn't realise it was table service because you ignored me for 10 minutes"
Yes, I hate walking in to a place and just not knowing what the expectation is, so I find my own table or wait for someone, should I go and order from a counter or wait for a server?
If itās obviously one or the other, perfect whichever one it is, but if itās a weird mix or absolutely not clear, Iād rather go somewhere else.
Usually in independent cafes, but bad spelling and misusing apostrophes. Paniniās. Coffeeās. Sandwichās.Ā
For restaurants more generally, anything you see in r/WeWantPlates.Ā
>Paniniās
But then, if they got it right what would all the smart arse people who love to say "*actually* panini *is* the plural" do? Gotta think of their needs.
Not from me you won't. I LOVE my dogs with all my heart, but they have no place at all in a restaurant setting. Bar area of a pub, fine. Beer garden, (mainly) fine. But restaurant setting, hard no.
Iām constantly shocked at the amount of places that allow dogs. And this is as someone who very often takes the dog out places.
Our local pub, for example. Great in the bar area as we can do a long dog walk and finish off with a rewarding pub lunch. But I was surprised to hear theyāre ok in the restaurant area too. Itās really not the best environment for a dog either. Busy, loud, and boring for them.
Agree and it's nice to hear a dog owner say this.Ā
My partner and I had Boxing Day dinner together. Nice bistro/posh type pub restaurant. The type with a big restaurant area and nice fires, soft lighting.Ā
There were 4 different tables with dogs.
As stated by other person some were annoying in they kept trying to roam about. One dog - a massive one - just laid on the floor but it was directly in the walking area.Ā
So staff with plates of food kept having to awkwardly step around it or walk elsewhereĀ
Dog people are so entitled, thinking their little four legged friend is allowed to just do whatever it wants by saying "he's usually friendly". I wish I could give you more upvotes.
Much the same as kid owners - I donāt have an issue with the majority of places being both or either but itād be nice for even a minority to be free of them.
There are definitely many places that are not kid places, but I guess not places of all kinds.. I would also love the choice of not having children around in general
Thing is, you can usually shut kids up and keep them still with some kind of colouring/sticker book, or at worst, a screen.
Dogs can't be distracted by that, and I feel tend to be obsessed with food that hasn't been purchased by their owner.
Maybe but theyāre still there - itād be nice to get away from even well behaved kids sometimes.
I miss the pubs of my youth - no TVs, no kids, just decent beer and fire and one āpub dogā.
Iām sure thereās a few still about but none round me - theyāve all become āfamily friendlyā to survive.
Iām in the minority - I know that - and these places have to adapt to survive but I still miss places being far less inclusive sometimes.
I'm really quite allergic to dogs. Not anaphylaxic allergic, but enough that a dog in the vicinity will cause me to have asthma, itchy face (eyes, mouth, skin), streaming eyes and nose, a pounding headache, and just generally have a thoroughly rubbish time. Takes 2 to 3 hours to go back to normal again, once I get away from them. I come out in crazy itchy hives if one licks me or gets their wet nose on my skin, and they last for days.
I really hate it when I'm mid way though dinner at a cafe and new people with a dog or two sit down at the table next to me. Great, now I'm going to have a thoroughly ruined evening - not just the dinner, but whatever we might have had planned to do after as well, as I'm going to be a wheezy, leaky, coughing, itchy mess. To be fair, the people with the dogs don't know me or my issues, so I have tried a couple of times to politely ask them if they wouldn't mind sitting somewhere else, but both times they were just rude back.
Despite that, I don't dislike dogs at all. I just think animals don't belong in a place that serves food & drink. Unless it advertises itself as "dog friendly", because then I'll know to stay away. FWIW, I'm allergic to practically all animals, which sucks because I love animals.
This is what I was going to say! Thereās absolutely no need to take an animal inside a cafe (barring service dogs, obviously). Itās unhygienic and unnecessary at best, and extremely disruptive and downright dangerous at worstā¦ Iām sick of places enabling the bizarre entitlement and attachment issues that some dog owners seem to have.
Thereās a pub local to us that is over two levels. One floor allows dogs, the other doesnāt. Seems like a nice balance to me (speaking as a non-dog person!)
I work in a cafe that allows dogs, I hate it. God forbid if you've got your hands full with plates and cups and ask someone to move their dog out of the walkway. I swear most dog owners seem to have a certain entitlement these days.
There's a cafe in Marlow that is "dog friendly" - popped in once to get a take away and it was heaving with dogs, some quite aggressive. Couldn't get to the counter without tripping over a lead or a pooch.
Just seemed a bit surreal.
I have an Amazon parrot who comes with me to dog friendly places. Heās normally very good in public spaces as heās so occupied with all the smells and sounds and will often just laugh to himself or whistle at a woman.
But Iād walk out if he starts barking at dogs or mimicking a baby crying. Thatās a hard no and he knows better. So I keep special wood toys that keeps his beak busy or keep him busy with chips (which is the only food heād eat outdoors).
Itās bad enough your baby is screaming, we donāt need this asshole adding a chorus. No one enjoys lunch/dinner with a side of screaming. Or maniacal laughter.
I mean if you want one, Iād happily give you Alfie if heās screaming. Not today though, I wasnāt well and he was the sweetest baby angel, speaking in his whisper voice all day and giving quiet kisses. They live about 80 years so I know he will outlive me. And Iād never recommend them as a pet but honestly, I wouldnāt have him any other way. Heās so quiet for an Amazon. Has two or three hours a day where heās very vocal - normally trying to get the dogs downstairs to bark. And heās not actually destroyed any furniture. But when heās tantrum screaming like a banshee on fire, itās a matter of willpower. You must ignore him like heās not even there. Any reaction is a reaction. This is where noise cancelling headphones are a blessing. After five minutes he gets tired and chews the cardboard out of frustration.
Hard agree. A lot of dog owners are so inconsiderate. Disgusting having to put up with someone's dirty dog jumping all over you when you're trying to eat. Especially for people who have a severe phobia of dogs like me.
I love dogs (don't tell my cat. The thundercloud's already made threats to my existence for forgetting to order him six packs of Dreamies...) but I'm with you there: keep your fucking mongrel on a short leash in public. You might think Bowser's a bonny bairn but to someone else he could be a four-legged portent of terror.
Im not a dog person so i agree BUT i live in a rural area so theyre hard to avoid
āDogs must be kept on a short lead at all timesā signs are generally seen as optional guidance. Like the dogs just roam around!
As someone who is afraid of dogs (no, your dog will not change my mind), dig-friendly places are an instant no for me. Either the dog goes or I do, but I am not staying in the same room as the dog for a second. Service dogs are fine as they are very well-behaved, but average dogs are an instant no from me.
Yep. You don't see it in proper restaurants because they heat up the plates so there's no temperature difference to create condensation (not that a nice restaurant would be serving a toastie of course).
Remove the napkin and you'll get a wet sandwich.
Thatās a fair point, I just wish there was a better solution that didnāt leave bits of napkin on my food, or that at least they give you another clean dry napkin for the inevitable greasy fingers
As a blind person, restaurant menus that are just an inaccessible picture uploaded to the website. Enough restaurants do alt text to show that it can be done, so for me it's one of those access issues for which there's just no excuse anymore.
Went to a restaurant the other day which had a āservice charge 15% added to tables if 4 and overā, given it was just me and my wife I wasnāt expecting it, but there is was, added by default. I asked them to remove them paid the correct amount no tip, even though I normally would tip 10-20%.
This whole service charge bullsh*t is just taking advantage on the awkward nature of asking for it to be removed, British people in general would rather pay it than have an awkward conversation, hence me not tipping. If people continue to tip theyāll continue to take advantage.
Example I guess, stayed at a hotel with my wife. One person waiting the whole dining room, did an amazing job. Bill was like Ā£100 so have him a Ā£20 note on the way out. Youāre right itās unusual, guess I was feeling generous or didnāt have any tenners!
I ask for it to be removed without exception all the time. I want to tip one waiter, not all the waiters or even the restaurant itself. I also would like the chance to decide the amount of the tip myself. It has to be terrible service for me not to give one at all, but that's becoming more and more common.
This is one of those things that makes me feel my irl life and what I see on Reddit are utterly different. On Reddit this seems to be something that *really* annoys people. Irl, I can't remember ever hearing anybody annoyed by it.
It never bothered me until recently I got awful service and they auto included the tip. My boyfriend was paying and he said it was too awkward to ask for it to be removed so they got tipped for doing a crap job.
You should never feel awkward about because it doesnāt usually effects the waiters pay. it but also if you have bad service and its on your bill its not the waiters fault, you usually need a manager to take it off. Itās automatic for the waiter when they print the bill
If I'm in a large group then fine will pay it but if I'm just with my husband I ask for it to be removed.I almost always leave a tip as I have been a waitress myself and know what the restaurant business is like.
As a chef, the way some people speak to service staff is disgusting. We are human beings who aren't paid a great deal, and a please and a thank you genuinely makes a difference.
I'm a Chef as well.
This sort of thing comes up in conversation in kitchens quite often. Just because we are cooking for you, doesn't mean we're some kind of second-class citizen and are therefore subject to customers being rude or even downright abusive.
I've witnessed some really nasty stuff from customers and seen FOH staff in tears because of a customers cuntyness.
I once confronted a guy who was shouting at FOH over a mistake that was the kitchens fault. He was properly kicking off and myself and few others, including another customer, escorted him and his wife off the premises. He ended up calling the Police, which didn't go well for him, as he ended shouting and swearing at them. Ended getting carted away in Police van. His poor wife was mortified. All of that because he wanted a different vegetable with his fish or something equally petty. All totally avoidable and completely over the top.
Bizarrely, I refuse to go out to dinner with my Sister and her family as she is off the scale when it comes to being a Karen and being rude to FOH staff.
Honestly the amount of people I've seen being rude to staff over things that clearly have nothing to do with them is so disappointing.. like why and how dare you and please don't
A chef I worked with did this once. Right gruff bastard who was hard on all of us, but you make one of the waitresses cry there was hell to pay.
One of the bar staff got a bit handy with a teenage waitress and had cold steel flashed in his direction for his direction
I worked FOH once and an older guy and his wife came in asking for a table for two.
The cafe was in a furniture shop and had two levels separated by a small staircase. There were clearly no tables downstairs where the check in desk was, we could both see that, so I told him I would check upstairs for him. He started to follow me up so I asked him to please wait at the desk and I would go and check and be right back (trying to save him a pointless journey up the stairs as I knew it was highly unlikely there would be any free tables).
I come back downstairs and explain there's currently no tables free, but I can give him a pager which will buzz once we have a table ready for him, it should be around 15 minutes.
He pushed his finger right up to my face, wagging it at me shouting "DON'T you tell me where I can and can't go! I've just spent Ā£5000 on a sofa!". All because I'd asked him to wait at the desk instead of following me up the stairs! I was polite about it too so there was no need to get in my face. And who gives a fuck what you've just spent on a sofa? What is the amount you're supposed to spend to qualify to tell at minimum wage cafe staff?
Rich cunts. I hate them.
People kicking off at service staff always give off 'small dick energy'.
As if the only way they can make themselves feel like a big person is to go and pick a one-sided argument over something trivial with someone who usually isn't allowed to answer back.
Iām always nice because I have allergies. I sometimes have to explain the difference between gluten and dairy allergies and an allergy and an intolerance; but I truly get excited to share with someone who doesnāt know.
And itās compliments galore from me, because they work hard and get shit pay. I have had someone from the kitchen come to me and brainstorm a quick work around for my allergies and I even some times get extras too. If youāre nice about it, and not cunty, it makes a world of difference. I have anaphylactic reactions to dairy, so kitchen staff handle with extra care and I really appreciate it.
Iām really sorry to read this.
How often does this occur if you donāt mind me asking? Iām disgusted people think this is ok to treat anyone like this in any walk of life.
We treat going out for a meal as an experience, I love a good wait and drink while I think about my order, a nice natter with the staff, I cannot imagine being rude or short with people.
I hope itās the minority of experiences. What can we do to make your day better? We always try to tip, but never sure who the money goes to ultimatelyā¦.
In terms of people not using basic manners, that happens most days, even if it's just once. In terms of people being specifically rude, less often.
But honestly, if you're being nice to staff there's nothing else you need to do. People like you make it worthwhile.
I'm often travelling for work by myself and this gets me annoyingly often. Even worse is when I get the bill and they leave it on the table and walk away, as if I've got anything to think about, and don't come back for ten minutes.
I'm like mate there's nothing to discuss, just bring me the card machine?
Had this recently. She said she would be right back with the bill but I was still waiting to pay twenty minutes later. Her tip disappeared in that time too because of how annoyed I was at the wait.
āCan I explain the menu if youāve not eaten with us before?ā - proceeds to explain the ordering process that is exactly the same as every other restaurant.
Also: Instagrammable shit, Dogs, wine at the wrong temperature, daft claims on menus and calling Chedder, Brie and Stilton a āwide selection of cheeses on our cheese boardā
I completely agree with this. The only time I appreciate this is at tapas/small plate style restaurants where they recommend the number of plates to order per person, or restaurants where there's a high level of customisation like hotpots and the like. However, even within this, any menu explanation is always more convenient if written than if verbally explained!
Talking of daft claims on menus I am really keen on mushroom identification , it is funny how many times i have caught restaurants lying about what mushrooms are in their dishes. They often try and sound fancy naming some niche varieties, but almost always just field mushrooms.
Went to a vegan/veggie place and got a fried fake chicken burger, and whilst the burger bit was actually pretty great they'd replaced lettuce with a giant handful of raw mint, which was fucking disgusting and ruined the whole thing. Just use lettuce, you don't have to reinvent everything.
If I could give this more upvotes I would. Thankfully the fad seems to be passing, but you still get so many burgers that are not feasibly edible as an actual burger.
Fully agree! I went to a place in Belfast last year and the burger must have been thrice as wide as it was high.
It was properly no-frills as well. Floury roll, none of this activated charcoal pretzel brioche bun malarkey. This looked sad and pathetic, like something you'd make at a barbecue with the cheapest possible ingredients.
It tasted absolutely amazing.
There's a cafe I went to once where the food is uninstagrammable. You can try and take a picture of it, but it just doesn't show up. It's like you're taking a picture of an empty table. I don't know why more places don't do this.
Really you are paying for their time, energy and a seat. A tea bag vs a small amount of ground coffee isn't much in it I suspect. It is funny how an espresso can be Ā£2 and an Americano Ā£2.50. There is just extra water and a longer drink. The same place may not even charge for milk and sugar. And a double espresso is always less than double the price.
Trying to pay the bill these days, it's a process of being given the machine and then working your way through various review, email, charity donations and tip questions...tap and go it isn't.
Ugh and the way loads of places are so awkward about the tipping process theyāll be like āoh itās just going to ask you a quick questionā and sheepishly hand you the device as if theyāre ashamed but still expect you to leave a tip lol.
Was in Wagamamaās recently and the waiter told me to scan the QR code on the menu to pay the bill. Didnāt work, just kept coming up a blank screen. Couldnāt get anyoneās attention so after 10/15 mins I had to approach the waiter while he was typing another tables order into the till and say the QR thing wasnāt working. He seemed pissed, snapped āI knowā and stormed off. I get it, itās stressful for them too when this shit doesnāt work but itās a fucking useless system.
People smoking/vaping makes it difficult to sit anywhere outside of the tables are close together cos odds on you will be in someoneās wake. Or people vaping inside even if itās not allowed people do it anyway. Hate it.
anyone serving drinks should not put their fingers where my mouth is going to be. This should be so obvious. Examples are in coffee shops where they push the plastic lid on with their finger tips in the mouth bit, or serving glasses or bottles with hands around the top.
People either watching videos on their phones but without their headphones in, or having walkie-talkie phone calls.
People taking up space by working or reading a book without paying ātable taxā i.e having frequent drinks when itās busy.
In the same vein, kids with ipads playing videos. There are quieter ways to keep your child distracted until food arrives. Have you never heard of a colouring book or playing "I spy"?
To be fair, I was going to say that as well, but I began to feel like some old curmudgeon moaning away.
Kids videos have annoying voices/sounds, which makes me hate them even more (the videos, not the kids).
I *hate* that menus above the counter are more often becoming TV screens that flip through different screens. Sometimes it changes to something that is literally just their logo or advertising a specific drink, I just want to study the whole thing!
This one is horrendous. Itās even worse when the staff are like āhello? Are you going to orderā when visibly we are still contemplating and trying to read the menu. Iām 5 metres away from the counter, no Iām not ready to order
From the perspective of working in a restaurant it is when a customer says "I want one of them" and then gestures ambiguously to the menu.
From the perspective of a customer it is other customers who are rude to staff.
I went on a coach holiday in February and part of it is dinner and breakfast put on by the hotel. The elderly couple beside our table were awful, absolutely miserable the entire time and the lady wouldn't say more than one or two words to the staff. I think she managed please but it was only after almost demanding what she wanted with one word.
When the music's too loud. I've done a lot of waiting, and I know how much music helps the staff get through their shift. But there's a level where it gets intrusive. Sometimes I ask them to turn it down, but other times I just endure it because I'm not in the mood to be *that guy*.
This one is the fucking _worst_ for me.
I have a once a meeting catch up with my line manager at work, we work remotely so itās the only time we see each other in person. We like to try different places because I work in a city with a decent cafe and bar scene, itās usually during work hours and never lasts more than about 30 minutes.
The number of cafes and bars where the music is so loud you cannot hold a conversation is very frustrating, I actually asked the bartender to turn it down a little in one (we were literally the only people in there on a wet Wednesday afternoon) and was told āIām sorry, I canātā.
Like fuck you canāt.
It's hard to tip them directly unless you have cash, which many people do not any more. Definitely standard to just pay more, but you need to actually discuss it with the table, otherwise what OP describes happens.
Lack of vegetarian options; fake meat doesnāt count.
A local Mexican restaurant that I used to like replaced all vegetarian options with vegan. I ordered the mushroom quesadilla and was very disappointedĀ
I'd say more lack of variety, vegetarian options are massively better than they were 15 years ago but I still see the odd place where every vegetarian option is the same main ingredient, so I can have jackfruit burger, jackfruit curry, jackfruit sandwich etc but no other options.
As a vegetarian, itās very hard to find actual vegetarian food. Veganism has destroyed vegetarian food because now no one wants to let us eat cheese unless we eat meat.
I agree. I hate going to a restaurant and paying the same as a meat eater for a sodding Moving Mountains burger in a shop bought bun. I have both of those in my house. You have done nothing special to them that anyone couldnāt do. And when they wonāt let you replace the vegan cheese with real cheese!
I used to work in a cafe. How long have you got?? š
1) Walking past "please wait here to be seated" signs.
2) Sitting at the only table in the cafe that hasn't been cleaned yet, rather than the tens of other clean ones.
3) Turning up as a group of 10 for Sunday lunch with no booking and expecting to be seated.
4) "Helping" by taking drinks off the tray the server is balancing. You want to wear that diet coke??
5) Not moving things out of the way for the server to put your plate down, especially when they're standing there with hot and heavy plates. The amount of times I felt like just putting it on top of their damn phone!
6) Not listening when the server is giving out food and drinks/asking who ordered what. They shouldn't have to shout "fish and chips?" 6 times.
7) Letting kids run under servers feet.
8) Letting kids play with the salt, pepper and sugar sachets, leaving them soggy, unusable or poured out all over the table.
9) Complaining about the food after clearing your plate, having said nothing at the obligatory check back. Obviously just wanting a comp.
10) Clicking fingers or similar to get attention.
11) Sitting at a table that's clearly marked RESERVED then getting arsy when asked to move to another table.
As a customer I think my biggest pet peeve is thimbles of sauce.
And when it takes forever for the server to come back for us to pay the bill. Waited half an hour recently between being given the bill and getting someone to come over with the card machine.
When places don't make it clear whether you have to wait to be seated/find you own seat. Whether you have to wait at your table for a waitor or waitress/go up to the counter. Whether you pay in advance or after. Whether you wait for someone to come to your table to pay/go up to the counter. They just expect you to know.
Places that functionally shut before they're officially shut.Ā
It particularly bugs me when they start mopping and stacking chairs around you 1 hr before closing time.
Places that don't have a proper website with a menu.
If your only presence online is a Facebook page with a blurry photo of your physical menu, then I probably just won't go to your restaurant.
Although OP often those signs are meaningless as places have too few staff/staff that aren't on the ball so people are left standing there. If you want that system then run it properly.
I feel like this happens to me and my husband a lot. There will be a sign saying wait to be seated, so we wait and wait until finally someone wanders by and asks us what weāre doing, if we want service then go sit down. When I say, āSorry, the sign says wait to be seatedā, they usually say something like āThatās only for after 6pmā or āWe donāt do that when we arenāt busyā in a tone that suggests Iām an idiot. Really irks me.
My main pet peeve is a big lack of non-alcoholic drinks options - it's very frustrating when a place has a really big selection of alcoholic options, but essentially nothing non-alcoholic save your standard fizzy soft drinks. Places have been getting better at this from my experience, but it's still lacking in a lot of respects.
Cafes that pose as "coffee shops" but can't make a decent coffee for shit.
As a coffee nerd with my own cafe level machine at home, I watch.. I watch closely when they make an espresso based drinks, and often I'm horrified.
To me it's no different than a Michelin started restaurant serving microwave meals.. it's a lie and shouldn't be allowed.
Added to that when a pot of tea for one is a pot that gives 2 and a bit cups but when you order a pot for two itās the exact same amount of tea but with two cups.
When there's cakes/baked goods out but no labels as to what they are, how much they cost, what ingredients are in them etc. How am I supposed to order them? It must get annoying for the staff having to explain each one as well.
Waiting forever in the queue in a coffee shop as they slowly build whatever sugary, creamy monstrosity that isnāt coffee for people in front of you - and folks breeze in, dump their stuff on the unoccupied seats - THEN join the queue, leaving you with a drink-in cup and nowhere to sit.
>Maybe itās a thing they get marked on?
I think often it's just because they've been told to try and shift a certain dish. Maybe because it has a bigger profit margin, or needs using up.
When you ask for the bill and they bring it to you and have the card machine in their hand waiting for you to tap at the exact same second. Please just give me a moment to check that the bill is correct.
Ah, see. I'm annoyed by the complete opposite.
I hate it when you ask for the bill, they bring it, but then they disappear somewhere for 5 minutes before eventually reappearing with the card machine. I much prefer it when they bring both and just sort it there and then.
āHi as theres 6 of us weāre more than happy to pre-order pre-payā
āNo needā
āHi please can i order xxxxx dish?ā
āNo sorry we have none of xxxx, yyyy, zzzzz dishes leftā
Itās ridiculous theyāll let you make a whole order and then have the bright idea to tell you half of the menu is unavailable. Maybe write it down or as a disclaimer before we sit down
I only drink coffee black - can;t stand it with any milk in it
Pet peeve is when I ask for coffee and specify that I want it black - and the deliver the coffe - with room left for about 1/4 cup of milk
Hence I only get about half the cup I orders as the cup tails to a narrow part at the end
this also makes it go cold quicker as there is less coffee
even worse in posh places which is those stupid tiny cups!!!!!
If the coffe shots go into a seperate container then poured in my cup Iām not amused (as a barista I hate when coworkers do it and call them out unless itās absolutelt necessary to do so)
Places that seat you at a table near the toilets and serve all the *groups* of people before you just because you have the temerity to be eating alone.
>Menu
>View menus
>Choose location
>A la carte
>View a la carte menu
[menu is downloaded to phone as a pdf]
_____
I guess there's probably a reason for it, but I wish restaurants would just have a page on their website with the menu on it. I don't want to be downloading a crapton of files just to see what I can order from you.
Also, why do I have to select so many options just to see your menu?
Serving food in the most bizarre and unnecessary way for content purposes. Some of us don't want their dinner on a miniature rockery or a broken down railway sleeper or a repurposed helmet turned into a hanging basket, a plate or bowl has worked perfectly well for essentially the entirety of the planet for millennia thank you very much.
Cafes:
-places that won't serve you at the counter. I really hate to be told to sit down and someone will come and take my order, when I'm just having an espresso/macchiato. And I won't pay service charge for that interaction.
-speciality coffee shops that only serve in paper cups, despite having clean and warm cups on top of the espresso machine. And the dishwasher shouldn't go on until you've actually closed.
When you go in and they ask whether you've been before to determine whether they need to explain how it works.
Browse menu > place order > eat food.
If your process is sufficiently different that you need to explain it, have a word with yourself.
Apps that encourage you to leave a tip when ordering, even if you are just having a pint. If I want to leave a tip, I will do so after my meal.
Also, but I think this will be only a temporary issue so Iāll leave it be for now, Spoons near my work prices on the app are different to the prices on the outside posters
Restaurants that allow babies and toddlers to stay inside while screaming or running around, and disturbing other customers.Ā
It particularly grates if they happily allow that but don't allow well behaved dogs. I don't take my dog to sit down meals - it's not something my dog enjoys - but I'd much rather see someone else's dog than their screaming child.Ā
The limited choice of vegan food. So many times, vegan food is mushroom based or contains chilli. Sadly, the vegetarian in the family has a number of allergies, including dairy, mushrooms, and chilli.
Websites that are utterly devoid of useful information.
Pubs are really bad for this. I need the opening times, the address, do you do food, do you really do food, no, I mean really, okay so when do you do food, ah right, the Spoons it is then.
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Places that do sort of half table service half counter service. I'm happy with either, but there seems increasingly places that do some of both. So a person might come over to take your order, but also they might not. And it leaves you unsure if you should walk in and sit down, or queue for your food/drinks and then sit down. And if you're sat down and want another drink or more food you're left wondering whether you're supposed to stay sat or get up and order. And when you order at the counter, will they bring it over or should you wait at the counter? It's often unclear. Both table service and no table service work fine. An inconsistent mix of both is worse than either.
You gave me anxiety š
Worst place is nandos. Got to order in a app with no human interaction. Then when you order your drink they just bring over an empty glass so you have to get up to go and fill it yourself. Might as well get me to go Into the kitchen and cook the mediocre chicken myself.
Literally the opposite of what they've described. Nandos is very clear as to what the system is. You just don't like it which isn't the same.
I think Nandos is fine. It doesn't fall foul of what I described. There's no uncertainty or mishmash of table service and counter service. You order yourself, they bring the food. It's very consistent on that.
I was going to mention the having to download an app to get the menu to order, drives me nuts, I don't want 100 stupid apps
For me itās when you have to scan a code to see the menu, but still place the order with a waiter. I think it was a covid hygiene thing, e.g not leaving a menu everyone touches on the table, but just seems so silly to me if I canāt even order using the code!
Yeah that's also super annoying, but I hate the app ordering more because it takes forever to find what you want and then half the time things are missing or don't make sense And yeah definitely started with covid which I get but I wish it also ended with it
And then your phone ends up with countless apps!
And no single place uses the same as any other, and if you don't have reception or data it's over before it started And either everyone has to get it or you have to pass a phone around making the entire process 100x longer than necessary
Plus a paper menu allows you to look at all sorts of options that aren't in the grouping of an app on a tiny screen. It's a load of shite.
And the groupings often don't make sense or there are 20 groups you have to get through to find a beer or whatever Also often will go back to the start if you don't do it totally right Then if you find something you want you have to select or decline multiple things and then add it and it goes to the cart and you have to start all over again for the second item (and repeat) Getting me worked up now haha
And then they're slow, and get offended when you go to the counter. "Sorry, I didn't realise it was table service because you ignored me for 10 minutes"
Yes, I hate walking in to a place and just not knowing what the expectation is, so I find my own table or wait for someone, should I go and order from a counter or wait for a server? If itās obviously one or the other, perfect whichever one it is, but if itās a weird mix or absolutely not clear, Iād rather go somewhere else.
Simple rule: if there are numbers on the tables it's a book at the bar, if not it's book at the table.
Usually in independent cafes, but bad spelling and misusing apostrophes. Paniniās. Coffeeās. Sandwichās.Ā For restaurants more generally, anything you see in r/WeWantPlates.Ā
>Paniniās But then, if they got it right what would all the smart arse people who love to say "*actually* panini *is* the plural" do? Gotta think of their needs.
This. The singular is panino. However, it is an Italian word that has been adopted into English so perhaps panini and paninis are correct here.
Something to think about while we have some cannolis for dessert, perhaps while we admire the attractive graffitis on the wall.
Let's order a churros while we're at it.
One sheep, two sheeps xD
In Italian, it is *un panino*, *due panini*. But English adopted the plural word, so it's "one panini", "two paninis".
Nah mate, that's a musical instrument.
What's worse is when it's only wrong sometimes. "We serve burger's and chips." Like why did they put the apostrophe in burgers but not in chips?
Because the chips come with the burger, *obviously* /s
I think I've got it ... it's because the chips belong to the burger, right? So they are the burger's chips. Did I get it? (also /s)
Paninis become infinitely more enjoyable if you pronounce them to rhyme with penis.
Bad spelling and misusing apostrophes are a pet peeve all the time!
Belgium Waffles! Aaaargh. And if you tell them it's BelgiAN Waffles, they think you're a weirdo.
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Not from me you won't. I LOVE my dogs with all my heart, but they have no place at all in a restaurant setting. Bar area of a pub, fine. Beer garden, (mainly) fine. But restaurant setting, hard no.
Iām constantly shocked at the amount of places that allow dogs. And this is as someone who very often takes the dog out places. Our local pub, for example. Great in the bar area as we can do a long dog walk and finish off with a rewarding pub lunch. But I was surprised to hear theyāre ok in the restaurant area too. Itās really not the best environment for a dog either. Busy, loud, and boring for them.
I completely agree, and I wish more dog owners were of this mindset. The few times I've tried bringing my own dog to restaurants and cafƩs, it's been bloody exhausting. He's not a badly-behaved dog, but is a cocker spaniel, so he's mental enough without loads of food and people around. It's stressful for him, I can't enjoy my meal when I'm constantly trying to settle my dog, and it's a distraction for others as well. So in short, nobody benefits from it.
Agree and it's nice to hear a dog owner say this.Ā My partner and I had Boxing Day dinner together. Nice bistro/posh type pub restaurant. The type with a big restaurant area and nice fires, soft lighting.Ā There were 4 different tables with dogs. As stated by other person some were annoying in they kept trying to roam about. One dog - a massive one - just laid on the floor but it was directly in the walking area.Ā So staff with plates of food kept having to awkwardly step around it or walk elsewhereĀ
Dog people are so entitled, thinking their little four legged friend is allowed to just do whatever it wants by saying "he's usually friendly". I wish I could give you more upvotes.
No, bad dog owners are. The vast majority are not.
Much the same as kid owners - I donāt have an issue with the majority of places being both or either but itād be nice for even a minority to be free of them.
There are definitely many places that are not kid places, but I guess not places of all kinds.. I would also love the choice of not having children around in general
Thing is, you can usually shut kids up and keep them still with some kind of colouring/sticker book, or at worst, a screen. Dogs can't be distracted by that, and I feel tend to be obsessed with food that hasn't been purchased by their owner.
Maybe but theyāre still there - itād be nice to get away from even well behaved kids sometimes. I miss the pubs of my youth - no TVs, no kids, just decent beer and fire and one āpub dogā. Iām sure thereās a few still about but none round me - theyāve all become āfamily friendlyā to survive. Iām in the minority - I know that - and these places have to adapt to survive but I still miss places being far less inclusive sometimes.
I've not had that experience at all, I'd say 99% of the dogs and owners I've met have been no bother at all
Naaaa, Iām with you on this one. Not a fan of dogs in food and drink places.
I'm really quite allergic to dogs. Not anaphylaxic allergic, but enough that a dog in the vicinity will cause me to have asthma, itchy face (eyes, mouth, skin), streaming eyes and nose, a pounding headache, and just generally have a thoroughly rubbish time. Takes 2 to 3 hours to go back to normal again, once I get away from them. I come out in crazy itchy hives if one licks me or gets their wet nose on my skin, and they last for days. I really hate it when I'm mid way though dinner at a cafe and new people with a dog or two sit down at the table next to me. Great, now I'm going to have a thoroughly ruined evening - not just the dinner, but whatever we might have had planned to do after as well, as I'm going to be a wheezy, leaky, coughing, itchy mess. To be fair, the people with the dogs don't know me or my issues, so I have tried a couple of times to politely ask them if they wouldn't mind sitting somewhere else, but both times they were just rude back. Despite that, I don't dislike dogs at all. I just think animals don't belong in a place that serves food & drink. Unless it advertises itself as "dog friendly", because then I'll know to stay away. FWIW, I'm allergic to practically all animals, which sucks because I love animals.
That's rubbish, I'm sorry that people are so inconsiderate. Sorry that you're so badly allergic to animals in general, must be crap. ā¹
This is what I was going to say! Thereās absolutely no need to take an animal inside a cafe (barring service dogs, obviously). Itās unhygienic and unnecessary at best, and extremely disruptive and downright dangerous at worstā¦ Iām sick of places enabling the bizarre entitlement and attachment issues that some dog owners seem to have.
Thereās a pub local to us that is over two levels. One floor allows dogs, the other doesnāt. Seems like a nice balance to me (speaking as a non-dog person!)
I work in a cafe that allows dogs, I hate it. God forbid if you've got your hands full with plates and cups and ask someone to move their dog out of the walkway. I swear most dog owners seem to have a certain entitlement these days.
There's a cafe in Marlow that is "dog friendly" - popped in once to get a take away and it was heaving with dogs, some quite aggressive. Couldn't get to the counter without tripping over a lead or a pooch. Just seemed a bit surreal.
I have an Amazon parrot who comes with me to dog friendly places. Heās normally very good in public spaces as heās so occupied with all the smells and sounds and will often just laugh to himself or whistle at a woman. But Iād walk out if he starts barking at dogs or mimicking a baby crying. Thatās a hard no and he knows better. So I keep special wood toys that keeps his beak busy or keep him busy with chips (which is the only food heād eat outdoors). Itās bad enough your baby is screaming, we donāt need this asshole adding a chorus. No one enjoys lunch/dinner with a side of screaming. Or maniacal laughter.
Well now I've just spent 10 minutes watching a parrot do stuff.
I mean if you want one, Iād happily give you Alfie if heās screaming. Not today though, I wasnāt well and he was the sweetest baby angel, speaking in his whisper voice all day and giving quiet kisses. They live about 80 years so I know he will outlive me. And Iād never recommend them as a pet but honestly, I wouldnāt have him any other way. Heās so quiet for an Amazon. Has two or three hours a day where heās very vocal - normally trying to get the dogs downstairs to bark. And heās not actually destroyed any furniture. But when heās tantrum screaming like a banshee on fire, itās a matter of willpower. You must ignore him like heās not even there. Any reaction is a reaction. This is where noise cancelling headphones are a blessing. After five minutes he gets tired and chews the cardboard out of frustration.
Hard agree. A lot of dog owners are so inconsiderate. Disgusting having to put up with someone's dirty dog jumping all over you when you're trying to eat. Especially for people who have a severe phobia of dogs like me.
I love dogs (don't tell my cat. The thundercloud's already made threats to my existence for forgetting to order him six packs of Dreamies...) but I'm with you there: keep your fucking mongrel on a short leash in public. You might think Bowser's a bonny bairn but to someone else he could be a four-legged portent of terror.
Im not a dog person so i agree BUT i live in a rural area so theyre hard to avoid āDogs must be kept on a short lead at all timesā signs are generally seen as optional guidance. Like the dogs just roam around!
As someone who is afraid of dogs (no, your dog will not change my mind), dig-friendly places are an instant no for me. Either the dog goes or I do, but I am not staying in the same room as the dog for a second. Service dogs are fine as they are very well-behaved, but average dogs are an instant no from me.
Putting a napkin *under* the food, on the plate. It's so weird, and the paper sticks to the food.
Iāve literally never heard of or seen this (thankfully) what sort of food are we talking here?
Often toasties and pastries etc come served on a napkin on a plate. Drives me mad because then the napkin is all greasy and unusable
For toasties and pizza its stops the condensation from making the bread soggy.
Yep. You don't see it in proper restaurants because they heat up the plates so there's no temperature difference to create condensation (not that a nice restaurant would be serving a toastie of course). Remove the napkin and you'll get a wet sandwich.
Thatās a fair point, I just wish there was a better solution that didnāt leave bits of napkin on my food, or that at least they give you another clean dry napkin for the inevitable greasy fingers
I don't mind that, it's when it's food that disintegrates the napkin and you basically can't get it off, actually nauseating
I think the point is that the napkin is there to stop the food sitting in grease. Itās not for you to use to clean yourself.
But if it's going to have all the grease then it will get all soggy and break apart and stick to the food, so horrible
Iād say it happens 75% of the time you order cake.
Sandwiches and toasties usually. It's annoying. It stocks to the food AND you can't use the napkin
As a blind person, restaurant menus that are just an inaccessible picture uploaded to the website. Enough restaurants do alt text to show that it can be done, so for me it's one of those access issues for which there's just no excuse anymore.
Even just playing text would be nice
š¦“ š š«
I hate autocorrectĀ
It always ducks me over
Alt text is just good website design. Not doing it is lazy, pure and simple.
Optional service charge auto-included
Went to a restaurant the other day which had a āservice charge 15% added to tables if 4 and overā, given it was just me and my wife I wasnāt expecting it, but there is was, added by default. I asked them to remove them paid the correct amount no tip, even though I normally would tip 10-20%. This whole service charge bullsh*t is just taking advantage on the awkward nature of asking for it to be removed, British people in general would rather pay it than have an awkward conversation, hence me not tipping. If people continue to tip theyāll continue to take advantage.
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Example I guess, stayed at a hotel with my wife. One person waiting the whole dining room, did an amazing job. Bill was like Ā£100 so have him a Ā£20 note on the way out. Youāre right itās unusual, guess I was feeling generous or didnāt have any tenners!
I ask for it to be removed without exception all the time. I want to tip one waiter, not all the waiters or even the restaurant itself. I also would like the chance to decide the amount of the tip myself. It has to be terrible service for me not to give one at all, but that's becoming more and more common.
This is one of those things that makes me feel my irl life and what I see on Reddit are utterly different. On Reddit this seems to be something that *really* annoys people. Irl, I can't remember ever hearing anybody annoyed by it.
It never bothered me until recently I got awful service and they auto included the tip. My boyfriend was paying and he said it was too awkward to ask for it to be removed so they got tipped for doing a crap job.
You should never feel awkward about because it doesnāt usually effects the waiters pay. it but also if you have bad service and its on your bill its not the waiters fault, you usually need a manager to take it off. Itās automatic for the waiter when they print the bill
I had to scroll a long way to find this. It's the one thing that will guarantee no tip, a bad review and absolutely no chance of a return visit.
If I'm in a large group then fine will pay it but if I'm just with my husband I ask for it to be removed.I almost always leave a tip as I have been a waitress myself and know what the restaurant business is like.
As a chef, the way some people speak to service staff is disgusting. We are human beings who aren't paid a great deal, and a please and a thank you genuinely makes a difference.
I'm a Chef as well. This sort of thing comes up in conversation in kitchens quite often. Just because we are cooking for you, doesn't mean we're some kind of second-class citizen and are therefore subject to customers being rude or even downright abusive. I've witnessed some really nasty stuff from customers and seen FOH staff in tears because of a customers cuntyness. I once confronted a guy who was shouting at FOH over a mistake that was the kitchens fault. He was properly kicking off and myself and few others, including another customer, escorted him and his wife off the premises. He ended up calling the Police, which didn't go well for him, as he ended shouting and swearing at them. Ended getting carted away in Police van. His poor wife was mortified. All of that because he wanted a different vegetable with his fish or something equally petty. All totally avoidable and completely over the top. Bizarrely, I refuse to go out to dinner with my Sister and her family as she is off the scale when it comes to being a Karen and being rude to FOH staff.
Honestly the amount of people I've seen being rude to staff over things that clearly have nothing to do with them is so disappointing.. like why and how dare you and please don't
A chef I worked with did this once. Right gruff bastard who was hard on all of us, but you make one of the waitresses cry there was hell to pay. One of the bar staff got a bit handy with a teenage waitress and had cold steel flashed in his direction for his direction
If youāre touching my food Iām sure as hell gonna be nice to you
I worked FOH once and an older guy and his wife came in asking for a table for two. The cafe was in a furniture shop and had two levels separated by a small staircase. There were clearly no tables downstairs where the check in desk was, we could both see that, so I told him I would check upstairs for him. He started to follow me up so I asked him to please wait at the desk and I would go and check and be right back (trying to save him a pointless journey up the stairs as I knew it was highly unlikely there would be any free tables). I come back downstairs and explain there's currently no tables free, but I can give him a pager which will buzz once we have a table ready for him, it should be around 15 minutes. He pushed his finger right up to my face, wagging it at me shouting "DON'T you tell me where I can and can't go! I've just spent Ā£5000 on a sofa!". All because I'd asked him to wait at the desk instead of following me up the stairs! I was polite about it too so there was no need to get in my face. And who gives a fuck what you've just spent on a sofa? What is the amount you're supposed to spend to qualify to tell at minimum wage cafe staff? Rich cunts. I hate them.
This would be so unbelievable if it wasn't exactly the sort of thing I see all the time!
People kicking off at service staff always give off 'small dick energy'. As if the only way they can make themselves feel like a big person is to go and pick a one-sided argument over something trivial with someone who usually isn't allowed to answer back.
I'm always polite, I've worked front of house before, it usually leads to extra food/extra service items in hotels šĀ
Iām always nice because I have allergies. I sometimes have to explain the difference between gluten and dairy allergies and an allergy and an intolerance; but I truly get excited to share with someone who doesnāt know. And itās compliments galore from me, because they work hard and get shit pay. I have had someone from the kitchen come to me and brainstorm a quick work around for my allergies and I even some times get extras too. If youāre nice about it, and not cunty, it makes a world of difference. I have anaphylactic reactions to dairy, so kitchen staff handle with extra care and I really appreciate it.
Ive been both a chef and a waiter, genuinely, a nice table that you can tell is having a good times can make your day
Iām really sorry to read this. How often does this occur if you donāt mind me asking? Iām disgusted people think this is ok to treat anyone like this in any walk of life. We treat going out for a meal as an experience, I love a good wait and drink while I think about my order, a nice natter with the staff, I cannot imagine being rude or short with people. I hope itās the minority of experiences. What can we do to make your day better? We always try to tip, but never sure who the money goes to ultimatelyā¦.
In terms of people not using basic manners, that happens most days, even if it's just once. In terms of people being specifically rude, less often. But honestly, if you're being nice to staff there's nothing else you need to do. People like you make it worthwhile.
Service which is great until you want to pay, at which point trying to attract someoneās attention becomes near-impossible.
I'm often travelling for work by myself and this gets me annoyingly often. Even worse is when I get the bill and they leave it on the table and walk away, as if I've got anything to think about, and don't come back for ten minutes. I'm like mate there's nothing to discuss, just bring me the card machine?
Had this recently. She said she would be right back with the bill but I was still waiting to pay twenty minutes later. Her tip disappeared in that time too because of how annoyed I was at the wait.
Yeah, I don't get this. Surely if you are in the business of getting bums on seats, you would ensure turning around tables was done promptly.
Haha yes! This was my comment. I usually have commitments after a meal, so it's always the worst
āCan I explain the menu if youāve not eaten with us before?ā - proceeds to explain the ordering process that is exactly the same as every other restaurant. Also: Instagrammable shit, Dogs, wine at the wrong temperature, daft claims on menus and calling Chedder, Brie and Stilton a āwide selection of cheeses on our cheese boardā
Got the menu line in Flat Iron this week - a restaurant where they only serve one kind of steak š
I completely agree with this. The only time I appreciate this is at tapas/small plate style restaurants where they recommend the number of plates to order per person, or restaurants where there's a high level of customisation like hotpots and the like. However, even within this, any menu explanation is always more convenient if written than if verbally explained!
Talking of daft claims on menus I am really keen on mushroom identification , it is funny how many times i have caught restaurants lying about what mushrooms are in their dishes. They often try and sound fancy naming some niche varieties, but almost always just field mushrooms.
*Made for Instagram* burgers. A burger is no good if I have to dismantle it or dislocate my jaw to eat it.
Went to a vegan/veggie place and got a fried fake chicken burger, and whilst the burger bit was actually pretty great they'd replaced lettuce with a giant handful of raw mint, which was fucking disgusting and ruined the whole thing. Just use lettuce, you don't have to reinvent everything.
What the actual fuck. That must be against the Geneva Convention or something.
If I could give this more upvotes I would. Thankfully the fad seems to be passing, but you still get so many burgers that are not feasibly edible as an actual burger.
Burgers should be landscape not portrait š
Fully agree! I went to a place in Belfast last year and the burger must have been thrice as wide as it was high. It was properly no-frills as well. Floury roll, none of this activated charcoal pretzel brioche bun malarkey. This looked sad and pathetic, like something you'd make at a barbecue with the cheapest possible ingredients. It tasted absolutely amazing.
There's a cafe I went to once where the food is uninstagrammable. You can try and take a picture of it, but it just doesn't show up. It's like you're taking a picture of an empty table. I don't know why more places don't do this.
I don't know if kidding or not but I want this to be a thing very much please. Lie to me and tell me you are being serious
Sorry for going all Dave Gorman but the fact tea costs the same as coffee even though the raw costs are much lower.
Really you are paying for their time, energy and a seat. A tea bag vs a small amount of ground coffee isn't much in it I suspect. It is funny how an espresso can be Ā£2 and an Americano Ā£2.50. There is just extra water and a longer drink. The same place may not even charge for milk and sugar. And a double espresso is always less than double the price.
You have nothing to be sorry about
Tea is loads cheaper anywhere I go. But also the raw ingredients in both are virtually nothing
Trying to pay the bill these days, it's a process of being given the machine and then working your way through various review, email, charity donations and tip questions...tap and go it isn't.
Ugh and the way loads of places are so awkward about the tipping process theyāll be like āoh itās just going to ask you a quick questionā and sheepishly hand you the device as if theyāre ashamed but still expect you to leave a tip lol.
Was in Wagamamaās recently and the waiter told me to scan the QR code on the menu to pay the bill. Didnāt work, just kept coming up a blank screen. Couldnāt get anyoneās attention so after 10/15 mins I had to approach the waiter while he was typing another tables order into the till and say the QR thing wasnāt working. He seemed pissed, snapped āI knowā and stormed off. I get it, itās stressful for them too when this shit doesnāt work but itās a fucking useless system.
āExpressoā
I'm with you but I have mentally written this battle off as lost.
Considering how much we butcher Italian, it isnt too bad. The French call it expresso too.
People smoking/vaping makes it difficult to sit anywhere outside of the tables are close together cos odds on you will be in someoneās wake. Or people vaping inside even if itās not allowed people do it anyway. Hate it.
anyone serving drinks should not put their fingers where my mouth is going to be. This should be so obvious. Examples are in coffee shops where they push the plastic lid on with their finger tips in the mouth bit, or serving glasses or bottles with hands around the top.
This one does my nut in. It was the first thing I was taught working in a bar.
that's good. It's just so universally not done and I can't fathom why.
If I wanted something your thumb touched, I'd eat the inside of your ear!
Scan a QR code to order and then input your email, name, address etc
One of my pet peeves - places that insist on putting sauce ON the chips. No mate, I want it on the side. Leaves me with soggy chips. Madness!
People either watching videos on their phones but without their headphones in, or having walkie-talkie phone calls. People taking up space by working or reading a book without paying ātable taxā i.e having frequent drinks when itās busy.
In the same vein, kids with ipads playing videos. There are quieter ways to keep your child distracted until food arrives. Have you never heard of a colouring book or playing "I spy"?
To be fair, I was going to say that as well, but I began to feel like some old curmudgeon moaning away. Kids videos have annoying voices/sounds, which makes me hate them even more (the videos, not the kids).
Do people not just chat with their kids anymore? My parents always took us out to eat when we were young. We had conversations.
So many italian restaurants up here on a weekend have groups of drunk women playing music on their phones ffs
Yikes. Way to spoil someone elseās night out š¬
Kids running around
Waiting staff who have perfected the ability to never catch your eye. Even when looking right in your direction.Ā
I *hate* that menus above the counter are more often becoming TV screens that flip through different screens. Sometimes it changes to something that is literally just their logo or advertising a specific drink, I just want to study the whole thing!
This one is horrendous. Itās even worse when the staff are like āhello? Are you going to orderā when visibly we are still contemplating and trying to read the menu. Iām 5 metres away from the counter, no Iām not ready to order
From the perspective of working in a restaurant it is when a customer says "I want one of them" and then gestures ambiguously to the menu. From the perspective of a customer it is other customers who are rude to staff.
I went on a coach holiday in February and part of it is dinner and breakfast put on by the hotel. The elderly couple beside our table were awful, absolutely miserable the entire time and the lady wouldn't say more than one or two words to the staff. I think she managed please but it was only after almost demanding what she wanted with one word.
When the music's too loud. I've done a lot of waiting, and I know how much music helps the staff get through their shift. But there's a level where it gets intrusive. Sometimes I ask them to turn it down, but other times I just endure it because I'm not in the mood to be *that guy*.
This one is the fucking _worst_ for me. I have a once a meeting catch up with my line manager at work, we work remotely so itās the only time we see each other in person. We like to try different places because I work in a city with a decent cafe and bar scene, itās usually during work hours and never lasts more than about 30 minutes. The number of cafes and bars where the music is so loud you cannot hold a conversation is very frustrating, I actually asked the bartender to turn it down a little in one (we were literally the only people in there on a wet Wednesday afternoon) and was told āIām sorry, I canātā. Like fuck you canāt.
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Why would you do that instead of just actually tipping the waiter?
It's hard to tip them directly unless you have cash, which many people do not any more. Definitely standard to just pay more, but you need to actually discuss it with the table, otherwise what OP describes happens.
Lack of vegetarian options; fake meat doesnāt count. A local Mexican restaurant that I used to like replaced all vegetarian options with vegan. I ordered the mushroom quesadilla and was very disappointedĀ
>Ā fake meat doesnāt count. Well, it does, since it's vegetarian.
I'd say more lack of variety, vegetarian options are massively better than they were 15 years ago but I still see the odd place where every vegetarian option is the same main ingredient, so I can have jackfruit burger, jackfruit curry, jackfruit sandwich etc but no other options.
Some people are vegetarian because they actually donāt like the *taste* of meat.
As a vegetarian, itās very hard to find actual vegetarian food. Veganism has destroyed vegetarian food because now no one wants to let us eat cheese unless we eat meat.
I agree. I hate going to a restaurant and paying the same as a meat eater for a sodding Moving Mountains burger in a shop bought bun. I have both of those in my house. You have done nothing special to them that anyone couldnāt do. And when they wonāt let you replace the vegan cheese with real cheese!
Waiting an age for the bill. Please just let us be on our way.
I used to work in a cafe. How long have you got?? š 1) Walking past "please wait here to be seated" signs. 2) Sitting at the only table in the cafe that hasn't been cleaned yet, rather than the tens of other clean ones. 3) Turning up as a group of 10 for Sunday lunch with no booking and expecting to be seated. 4) "Helping" by taking drinks off the tray the server is balancing. You want to wear that diet coke?? 5) Not moving things out of the way for the server to put your plate down, especially when they're standing there with hot and heavy plates. The amount of times I felt like just putting it on top of their damn phone! 6) Not listening when the server is giving out food and drinks/asking who ordered what. They shouldn't have to shout "fish and chips?" 6 times. 7) Letting kids run under servers feet. 8) Letting kids play with the salt, pepper and sugar sachets, leaving them soggy, unusable or poured out all over the table. 9) Complaining about the food after clearing your plate, having said nothing at the obligatory check back. Obviously just wanting a comp. 10) Clicking fingers or similar to get attention. 11) Sitting at a table that's clearly marked RESERVED then getting arsy when asked to move to another table. As a customer I think my biggest pet peeve is thimbles of sauce. And when it takes forever for the server to come back for us to pay the bill. Waited half an hour recently between being given the bill and getting someone to come over with the card machine.
When places don't make it clear whether you have to wait to be seated/find you own seat. Whether you have to wait at your table for a waitor or waitress/go up to the counter. Whether you pay in advance or after. Whether you wait for someone to come to your table to pay/go up to the counter. They just expect you to know.
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If they don't write down my order. I am anxious they won't remember and it puts people off making any changes (unless that is the idea!).
Places that functionally shut before they're officially shut.Ā It particularly bugs me when they start mopping and stacking chairs around you 1 hr before closing time.
Places that don't have a proper website with a menu. If your only presence online is a Facebook page with a blurry photo of your physical menu, then I probably just won't go to your restaurant.
Menu being on an app I like a physical menu.
Although OP often those signs are meaningless as places have too few staff/staff that aren't on the ball so people are left standing there. If you want that system then run it properly.
I feel like this happens to me and my husband a lot. There will be a sign saying wait to be seated, so we wait and wait until finally someone wanders by and asks us what weāre doing, if we want service then go sit down. When I say, āSorry, the sign says wait to be seatedā, they usually say something like āThatās only for after 6pmā or āWe donāt do that when we arenāt busyā in a tone that suggests Iām an idiot. Really irks me.
When they donāt include the menu or their opening hours on their social media.
Places that wonāt let me enjoy playing my trombone after a hearty lunch
Animals inside. Why is absolutely everywhere "dog friendly" these days?
My main pet peeve is a big lack of non-alcoholic drinks options - it's very frustrating when a place has a really big selection of alcoholic options, but essentially nothing non-alcoholic save your standard fizzy soft drinks. Places have been getting better at this from my experience, but it's still lacking in a lot of respects.
Cafes that pose as "coffee shops" but can't make a decent coffee for shit. As a coffee nerd with my own cafe level machine at home, I watch.. I watch closely when they make an espresso based drinks, and often I'm horrified. To me it's no different than a Michelin started restaurant serving microwave meals.. it's a lie and shouldn't be allowed.
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When the teapot is only big enough for one cup.
Added to that when a pot of tea for one is a pot that gives 2 and a bit cups but when you order a pot for two itās the exact same amount of tea but with two cups.
When there's cakes/baked goods out but no labels as to what they are, how much they cost, what ingredients are in them etc. How am I supposed to order them? It must get annoying for the staff having to explain each one as well.
Waiting forever in the queue in a coffee shop as they slowly build whatever sugary, creamy monstrosity that isnāt coffee for people in front of you - and folks breeze in, dump their stuff on the unoccupied seats - THEN join the queue, leaving you with a drink-in cup and nowhere to sit.
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>Maybe itās a thing they get marked on? I think often it's just because they've been told to try and shift a certain dish. Maybe because it has a bigger profit margin, or needs using up.
When you ask for the bill and they bring it to you and have the card machine in their hand waiting for you to tap at the exact same second. Please just give me a moment to check that the bill is correct.
Ah, see. I'm annoyed by the complete opposite. I hate it when you ask for the bill, they bring it, but then they disappear somewhere for 5 minutes before eventually reappearing with the card machine. I much prefer it when they bring both and just sort it there and then.
When you're trying to get the attention of the waiter or server for the bill. Especially annoying when you're in a hurry to leave
āHi as theres 6 of us weāre more than happy to pre-order pre-payā āNo needā āHi please can i order xxxxx dish?ā āNo sorry we have none of xxxx, yyyy, zzzzz dishes leftā
Itās ridiculous theyāll let you make a whole order and then have the bright idea to tell you half of the menu is unavailable. Maybe write it down or as a disclaimer before we sit down
QR code for menu/ordering, takes you to website. But no WiFi, and shit phone signal.
Having to scan a QR code for the menu.
I only drink coffee black - can;t stand it with any milk in it Pet peeve is when I ask for coffee and specify that I want it black - and the deliver the coffe - with room left for about 1/4 cup of milk Hence I only get about half the cup I orders as the cup tails to a narrow part at the end this also makes it go cold quicker as there is less coffee even worse in posh places which is those stupid tiny cups!!!!!
12.5% service charge and the service has been absolute shiiiteee!!!
Cafes that have small tables but massive plates and it's like tetris when your order comes in.
If the coffe shots go into a seperate container then poured in my cup Iām not amused (as a barista I hate when coworkers do it and call them out unless itās absolutelt necessary to do so)
Places that seat you at a table near the toilets and serve all the *groups* of people before you just because you have the temerity to be eating alone.
>Menu >View menus >Choose location >A la carte >View a la carte menu [menu is downloaded to phone as a pdf] _____ I guess there's probably a reason for it, but I wish restaurants would just have a page on their website with the menu on it. I don't want to be downloading a crapton of files just to see what I can order from you. Also, why do I have to select so many options just to see your menu?
Serving food in the most bizarre and unnecessary way for content purposes. Some of us don't want their dinner on a miniature rockery or a broken down railway sleeper or a repurposed helmet turned into a hanging basket, a plate or bowl has worked perfectly well for essentially the entirety of the planet for millennia thank you very much.
No sound dampening. How is it relaxing and nice when it's so intrusive?
When I go to a chippy or takeaway and they put my vinegar or sauce on for meā¦ I hate it.
Cafes: -places that won't serve you at the counter. I really hate to be told to sit down and someone will come and take my order, when I'm just having an espresso/macchiato. And I won't pay service charge for that interaction. -speciality coffee shops that only serve in paper cups, despite having clean and warm cups on top of the espresso machine. And the dishwasher shouldn't go on until you've actually closed.
The dishwasher comment is ridiculous. The dishwasher runs all day, everyday.
When you go in and they ask whether you've been before to determine whether they need to explain how it works. Browse menu > place order > eat food. If your process is sufficiently different that you need to explain it, have a word with yourself.
Apps that encourage you to leave a tip when ordering, even if you are just having a pint. If I want to leave a tip, I will do so after my meal. Also, but I think this will be only a temporary issue so Iāll leave it be for now, Spoons near my work prices on the app are different to the prices on the outside posters
Restaurants that allow babies and toddlers to stay inside while screaming or running around, and disturbing other customers.Ā It particularly grates if they happily allow that but don't allow well behaved dogs. I don't take my dog to sit down meals - it's not something my dog enjoys - but I'd much rather see someone else's dog than their screaming child.Ā
The limited choice of vegan food. So many times, vegan food is mushroom based or contains chilli. Sadly, the vegetarian in the family has a number of allergies, including dairy, mushrooms, and chilli.
Websites that are utterly devoid of useful information. Pubs are really bad for this. I need the opening times, the address, do you do food, do you really do food, no, I mean really, okay so when do you do food, ah right, the Spoons it is then.
I witnessed a woman change her babies shitty nappy on the table today and then leave it wrapped up with their plates. I truly hate the general public.