In my last two columns, I explored the etiquette of outdoor seating and best practices for indoor seating. This month, I’m taking a deep dive into a topic that has certainly resulted in some of you stomping off in a semi-quiet rage: walking into a restaurant full of empty tables and still being given a […]
The Waiting Game
Posted inFood and Drink
The Waiting Game
How to Get Sat—Indoor Seating Rules to Live By
How to get sat—indoor seating rules to live by.
Posted inFood and Drink
How to Tip and When
Your Guide to Tipping Etiquette
Your guide to tipping etiquette.
Posted inFood and Drink
Closing Time
Is It Rude to Show Up at a Restaurant with a Big Group a Half-Hour Before Closing? (Answer: Sometimes)
Is it rude to show up at a restaurant with a big group a half-hour before closing? (Answer: Sometimes.)
Posted inFood and Drink
Dining, With Kids
Tips for Clueless Parents (and Restaurants)
Tips for clueless parents (and restaurants)!
Posted inFood and Drink
Rules to Keep Happy Hour Happy
Or, Why Do Bars and Restaurants Have All These Rules?
As you can probably tell from this regularly occurring column, restaurants love to roll out reasonable, albeit sometimes confusing, rules for dining out. Some won’t seat you until all of your party’s present, some will limit how many times you can split your check, and some will even dictate how much you’ll tip out once […]
Posted inFood and Drink
The Trouble with Tipping
The Pros and Cons of Restaurant Gratuities
Before becoming a full-time freelancer, I labored at many jobs: crime reporter, arts editor, short order cook, pizza delivery driver, pothole-patcher, and bookseller. But the most lucrative job I’ve ever had was waiting tables in Portland, Oregon. This was largely thanks to a state mandate requiring employers to pay my fellow servers, bartenders, and myself […]
Posted inFood and Drink
The Automatic Gratuity: Why and When Some Restaurants Choose How Much You Tip
The automatic gratuity: why and when some restaurants choose how much you tip.
Posted inFood and Drink
The Reason Behind Restaurant Check-Splitting Policies
The reason behind restaurant check-splitting policies.
Posted inRestaurant/Cafe
Debunking—and Rebunking—Restaurant Myths
Debunking—and rebunking—restaurant myths.
Posted inFood and Drink
Why a Restaurant Shouldn’t Have to Seat Your Large Party When Most of It is Late
Why a restaurant shouldn’t have to seat your large party when most of it is late.