13 Things your Waiter won't tell you

Faded.Memories

Im not straight but my boyfriend is
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Listed below, with some comments from me.

1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The sheer volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality dish.

Truth. Also avoid Mondays - chances are you're eating leftovers.

2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a kid to support isn't going to stay home and miss out on $100 because he's got strep throat. And these are the people handling your food.

Truth. Managers hate it when people call in sick in the restaurant business. We're probably sick as hell making your ****.

3. When customers' dissatisfaction devolves into personal attacks, adulterating food or drink is a convenient way for servers to exact covert vengeance. Some waiters can and do spit in people's food.

While I haven't seen anyone spit in people's food, I have seen waitresses/waiters/cooks 'pick' off people's plates. Just eat pieces of whatever is on the plate.


4. Never say "I'm friends with the owner." Restaurant owners don't have friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk in the door.

5. Treat others as you want to be treated. (Yes, people need to be reminded of this.)

6. Don't snap your fingers to get our attention. Remember, we have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen.

7. Don't order meals that aren't on the menu. You're forcing the chef to cook something he doesn't make on a regular basis. If he makes the same entrée 10,000 times a month, the odds are good that the dish will be a home run every time.

Ahahaha yes! And chances are, the waitress and cook will stand there and argue about it for 10 mins, before the angry cook will have to begrudgingly make your stupid request. See #3.

8. Splitting entrées is okay, but don't ask for water, lemon, and sugar so you can make your own lemonade. What's next, grapes so you can press your own wine?

9. If you find a waiter you like, always ask to be seated in his or her section. Tell all your friends so they'll start asking for that server as well. You've just made that waiter look indispensable to the owner. The server will be grateful and take good care of you.

10. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat in the restaurant. Servers could be giving 20 to 40 percent to the busboys, bartenders, maître d', or hostess.

Yes. Our waitresses split with the kitchen staff. We get part of the tips - we made your food, its only fair.


11. Always examine the check. Sometimes large parties are unaware that a gratuity has been added to the bill, so they tip on top of it. Waiters "facilitate" this error. It's dishonest, it's wrong-and I did it all the time.

12. If you want to hang out, that's fine. But increase the tip to make up for money the server would have made if he or she had had another seating at that table.

13. Never, ever come in 15 minutes before closing time. The cooks are tired and will cook your dinner right away. So while you're chitchatting over salads, your entrées will be languishing under the heat lamp while the dishwasher is spraying industrial-strength, carcinogenic cleaning solvents in their immediate vicinity.
 
The first thing I can agree with. I tried to go to Red Lobster on prom night, and people were literally lined up out the door. We also had white people that gave my date and I funny looks.
 
I've a hard time believing a majority of people who serve food spit in it if they get peeved... but I also tend to just assume the best in people.. which i've accepted it pretty naive.
 
I work as a cook at both Fredonia and McDonald's. Respect is a wonderful ideal to those who cook your food. It's a pain in the *** job and a little respect will go a very long way.

One time, (Fredonia) a girl came and asked for fries. She requested that they be made fresh, while there was still half a batch in the serving area. Well, I took my sweet time, serving the "stale" fries and only made new ones when the older ones were gone.

Like I said, respect is what keeps us from a one way trip to the crazy farm.
 
I've read pretty much everything here in Anthony Bourdain's books (Faded and I are fans of his :thumbs:), and it's all truth. Also, thanks to Tony, I'll never order seafood on Monday ever again. :laugh:
 
The first thing I can agree with. I tried to go to Red Lobster on prom night, and people were literally lined up out the door. We also had white people that gave my date and I funny looks.
Why?

I work as a cook at both Fredonia and McDonald's. Respect is a wonderful ideal to those who cook your food. It's a pain in the *** job and a little respect will go a very long way.

One time, (Fredonia) a girl came and asked for fries. She requested that they be made fresh, while there was still half a batch in the serving area. Well, I took my sweet time, serving the "stale" fries and only made new ones when the older ones were gone.

Like I said, respect is what keeps us from a one way trip to the crazy farm.
The mcdonalds thing can't be that bad, I used to always order hot fries because they were usually cold and it got to the point where when I would walk into the door they would ring up my order and get my fries ready, they really liked me.
 
I've read pretty much everything here in Anthony Bourdain's books (Faded and I are fans of his :thumbs:), and it's all truth. Also, thanks to Tony, I'll never order seafood on Monday ever again. :laugh:

I know, and its SOOO true.

You have no idea what I've seen since working in the restaurant business in 3 months. O_O
 
Why?


The mcdonalds thing can't be that bad, I used to always order hot fries because they were usually cold and it got to the point where when I would walk into the door they would ring up my order and get my fries ready, they really liked me.
because he is racist & didn't notice the other non white people giving em funny looks too. Its cause you're both dressed up for prom night doofis :laugh:& if anything they are lookn at the hot chick wrapped around you're arm wondering "why him & why is he not taking his date to a better place than red lobster" :P
:loltongue:

Personally I've never understood the entire tip thing... I work a shitty job too & serve people but don't get tipped... I don't care if you're cooking or serving you're already getting paid to do a damn job, if you had any brains you wouldn't be working at a **** job like that you would be working at a better job getting paid what you think you should be :S LOL <- this goes for me too is why I don't expect a tip :P
 
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I work at Ponderosa as a cook, and only the servers get tips. Dishwashers (also one of my jobs) don't bust the table but instead receives the dishes from the servers on racks.

And I totally agree on the coming in 15 minutes to close. I can't stand that. Hell, a group of 10 people came in at close.

Some of these people need to go see Waiting...
 

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