Originally Posted by
Yahillwe
For me, I would be really bored to hang out a couple of hours after dinner. An hour is ok but more than that, am ready to leave. Unless it is a business dinner.
Where I live, when you have the table it is yours, for the whole evening. Only one restaurant if you reserve for the 7:30 table they let you know that they need it by 9:30. And once we didn't have time to have dessert.
What really disturbs me in the US is how quickly they give you the check. It bugs the daylight out of me. Normally I tell the over exuberant server that we really aren't ready, or order a coffee or tell them I would add extra to the already generous tip but please leave us a few more minutes.
I really feel that customers are like herd, in and out. At times, it just doesn't make sense to me to eat out in the US unless it is fine dinning.
The noise level, the over intrusion of the servers, the empty plates that are taken when not the whole table is done. I always tell the server to keep the empty plates because it is makes the ones who didn't finish rush with their food.
I think you're seeing some cultural differences in your preferences.
Americans, by and large, are an impatient people. We don't like to be kept waiting - though there is an unfortunate tendency to not care whether we make
others wait for
us - and we expect a server to immediately clear the refuse from a table and bring us the bill quickly, so that we may leave as soon as we are ready. We may linger, but we don't like to be delayed if the bill hasn't yet been presented when we're ready to leave, so most servers err on the side of caution and present the bill when it seems that all ordering has been completed. Removing plates is not and should never be construed as an attempt to rush those who are not finished; rather, it is an attempt to keep the table neat and allow more space for those who wish to move on to dessert.
I think a lot of people get the wrong impression when a bill is presented earlier in the process than they wish. Having the bill presented doesn't mean, "Here, pay it and GET OUT!" It generally means, "Here you are, you may pay this and leave at any time that YOU wish to leave." They're being proactive, not pushy.
If you are a lingerer and wish to order something else after the bill has been presented, no problem; just order your coffee or dessert, and the server will either modify the bill or present a separate bill for the additional items.
As to noise levels, that is again a cultural difference. Americans are generally rather gregarious people, often to the point of boisterousness, and those from more reserved cultures are a little shocked at this tendency. But the relative noise level in a restaurant varies greatly with the type of restaurant; a fine dining establishment tends to be much quieter than a chain restaurant, and if you ever patronize a Golden Coral or Cactus Willies buffet, you better bring ear plugs. Dining out is a social activity for most Americans, and we tend to talk when we socialize.