Dining Out

10 Things Your Waiter Won't Tell You

Updated on May 8, 2018 by Brent Furdyk

When dining at a restaurant, your server does more than just bring you a meal – he or she is a conduit between you and the kitchen; responsible for shaping your entire dining experience. Yet there are some hidden secrets among wait staff to keep in mind the next time you opt to eat out.

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Avoid Holidays and Saturday Nights

<p>If you're looking for the finest dining experience possible, then don't expect to receive it on a Saturday night or holiday. These are the busiest times for restaurants, meaning everyone is working at peak capacity to keep up with the volume of customers. During these hectic periods, it's less likely your meal will be crafted with the same care and attention it would receive during calmer hours.</p>
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Your Server Didn't Set The Prices

<p>When dining at an upscale restaurant, don't complain to the server about the prices. Your server didn't create the menu, and doesn't really care if you could have bought that $50 pork chop at the supermarket for far less. Instead, treat it as a special occasion and opt for more affordable eateries in the future.</p>
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Ordering "The Most Popular Dish"

<p>Go ahead and ask your server his or her opinion of a particular dish – just don't expect to get the truth. A server isn't supposed to disparage the food at a restaurant, so when recommended a particular menu item, it might be the server's personal favourite meal instead of what's actually ordered most often.</p>
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Don't Come Right Before Closing Time

<p>Just because a restaurant is open until 11 p.m. doesn't mean you can grab a table at 10:30 p.m. and expect a leisurely meal. Restaurant staff – including servers – have clean-up and prep work to complete after a restaurant closes, and last-minute customers will extend their hours. If you're desperate for a late-night bite, be respectful and ask the staff about timing, or perhaps get the meal to-go.</p>
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Don't Order Fish on Mondays

<p>In his book <em>Kitchen Confidential</em>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-shouldnt-eat-fish-on-mondays-2016-2" target="_blank">celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain</a> divulges that he refuses to eat fish at a restaurant on Monday, and with good reason. Most restaurants receive deliveries of seafood twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays), and will usually place a big order every Thursday in anticipation for the weekend rush. By the time Monday rolls around, that piece of fish is far from fresh.</p>
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Don't Snap Your Fingers

<p>You waiter or waitress may be there to serve you a meal, but he or she isn't your servant. It's a bad idea — and just poor etiquette — to snap your fingers or whistle to get a server's attention. Do you <em>really</em> want the person who's in control of your food thinking you're an obnoxious jerk?
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If You Don’t Like Something, Send it Back

<p>If there's something wrong with your meal, or you simply don't like it, send it back. Don't suffer through a lousy dish and then complain about it afterwards – not every plate is going to be home run, and servers know that. However, avoid eating a substantial portion of the meal before insisting on sending it back.</p>
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Please Don't Stack Your Plates

<p>You may think you're being helpful by stacking plates for the server after you've finished eating – but don't! Turns out, there's a method to stacking dishes that allows the server to clear the entire table in one fell swoop. Handing him or her your own tower of dishes throws off this process.</p>
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Don't Ask to Split the Bill

<p>While you and your fellow diners argue over who ordered the side salad and how many glasses of wine so-and-so drank, your server is standing there ignoring the numerous other tables he or she is responsible for. Plus, whenever a cheque gets split, it produces confusion, which could result in under-tipping. If you do need to divvy up the bill, keep your server out of it and sort it out yourselves.</p>
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Just Leave Already

<p>When you've finished your meal and have paid the bill... leave! Sure, you and your dining companions may be engaged in the most fascinating conversation ever (or just glued to your phones), but every minute you linger at the table is costing your server money he or she could be making by serving someone else.</p>
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