Originally Posted by
corky
Often when I look up a restaurant menu online it doesn't list prices and I hate that. I don't remember seeing that in person but if I did I would ask for a menu with prices. I have no interest in scanning a bar code to read a menu. Terrible practice.
We've found that in all cases, with only one exception, a paper menu was available upon request - at least post-COVID rules. To be fair, the one place that refused has a chalkboard menu, although we were seated outside and couldn't see it. So we used our phones that time.
Originally Posted by
gaobest
I also love using my phone to order at the table so that a server just brings the food and whatever we want. I don’t need a server to take my order on paper and then input it in a POS. Why aren’t servers using a tablet to wirelessly order my food instantly like Wagamama’s (uk) did in the 90s? So I’ll gladly order on my phone so that the food just arrives.
I ordered from a McDonald's kiosk this summer and thought it was a perfectly fine experience. The kiosk had pictures, prices, descriptions, etc. I'm a huge fan of fast food automation so we can stop hearing the nonsense about how 15 years olds deserve a living wage
. I hope that trend catches on. When I'm at any type of restaurant where I don't order from the counter/kiosk, I want to see a real menu and interact with waitstaff. And above all that, there's no way my mother in her 70's is going to use a digital menu or order from a kiosk. She barely knows how to text.
Originally Posted by
corky
I always ask for a paper menu. If they can't provide one...buh, bye. And not for the same reasons as you....it is just so much easier for me to read and I like not having to scroll through me phone. Can you imagine a big, multi page menu like the Cheesecake Factory on your phone?
My wife can not see the menu on her phone. Sometimes if she zooms and scrolls, which is an unpleasant experience for her. Otherwise, I literally have to read her the menu which is unpleasant for both of us. As I posted above, at least that hasn't been an issue as COVID restaurant practices have begun to peter out.
Originally Posted by
moondog
I mentioned airport pricing in the OP, but I'm wondering how people feel about this. I'm guess I'm glad I only had one $27 bloody Mary.
In general, and to your original post, at no time should a restaurant provide you a menu with no prices when you're receiving service. There are only a handful of situations where I'd agree to purchase something without knowing the price, typically a less expensive item from someone I trust - "Hey, I'll buy the first round of beers, you get the next one". It's an especially egregious practice in an airport where a $27 cocktail is not all that unusual.
At a time in the US where politicians are clamoring for pricing transparency in every facet of our lives, because of supposed hidden charges, this seems like a good next target, where the prices actually are completely hidden.
I used to get really annoyed at restaurants that had menus on their websites but no prices. At this point between inflation and supply chain shortages, I can at least understand why they wouldn't want to print prices online. Restaurants are truly stuck in a terrible position. If they print prices, they have to reprint every time the price of ground beef doubles overnight. If they use paper menus, people complain or even protest because they aren't environmentally friendly. Perhaps the answer for airports is digital menu boards (like the chalkboard) where they can simply update prices. A few of those in a restaurant/bar area could cover the food menu and maybe 80% of bar orders?