Originally Posted by DrDiarrhea

Lately it seems there is an increasing trend towards making the guest do more work. It started way back with fast food places making you fill your own cup.

But now, here in San Diego, amidst all the hipster start-up/craft beer places it is getting outright annoying. It is common now to go into a place and seat yourself, then look at a menu, then have to get up and order it from the bar. It's also common that a place without a license to actually serve food establishes a partnership with a nearby place and makes your order delivery from there for you to get served, so you have to use your smart phone and figure it out. Much of this is to avoid having to hire waitstaff. Throw in the trend toward "communal tables" and many places around here are turning into county fair type experiences. The bearded/plaid crowd seems to like it..but if I am a patron and giving an establishment money, they should serve me. Here is my money, I am out. It's all on you now...cook it, bring it to me. I am not filling my own cup, not getting out of my seat to fight for the bartenders attention so I can order your damn charcuterie, and I am not sharing a table with the smelly man-bun guy in Toms and his 1 month old baby. Take my money, serve me. That's the deal.

The other thing is the over performing water boy. I thank you for keeping an eye on my water, but I don't need you by every 5 minutes to fill my glass that's only had a third of the water taken from it.