Things that ruin your restaurant experience...
 

The worst thing a restaurant can do short of making me sick is when I can taste soap, or even worse, 'hand sanitizer' on the food.

A hair, or half a bug http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/eek.gif

I think service would be my biggest issue:

if my water glass or drink is low, the server should fill it up or ask if I'd like another.

Remove finished/dirty dishes from the table

If I'm dining solo, speed up the pace of the meal

If I've asked for the check, bring it, then pay attention to if I've put the $ or credit card in the folio

pay attention to requests, make sure it is done right

Excessive noise, whether it be from loud talkers, cell phones going off, unruly children, crying babies, or from other sources.

Bad and/or unattentive service.

Improperly cooked food, either undercooked or overcooked, too salty, etc.

Room temperature of the restaurant is too hot or too cold.

Seeing an insect in the restaurant.

IME, I usually have a restaurant experience ruined when I am with someone that is overly critical of the restaurant. I am pretty easy to please, and it just ruins it when someone I am with nitpicks about every aspect of the restaurant. I guess I am just the type of person that looks for the good parts instead of the bad...? http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...um/biggrin.gif

Snotty and inattentive waitstaff.

Overly solicitous waitstaff.

Music that's too loud so that I have to practically shout to talk with my dining companion.

Thai places that don't make the food hot enough for my palatte.

Paper napkins.

I did say short of making me sick. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/wink.gif

Mopping under the table with an ammonia-based cleanser always wins me over. I've had this happen *twice*. Once (years ago) the mopper asked us to raise our legs so he could mop under the table as we sat there.

1. Mobile phones
2. Smoke wafting over from the smoking section
3. Unattentive waitstaff (Europe)
4. Obtrusive waitstaff (US)

Definitely loud music. Harsh lighting. Not getting exactly what I wanted (within reason).

Bad tasting food!

I had a restaurant experience ruined today by an arrogant maitre'd and indifferent manager. Took out-of-town relatives for lunch at Barney 's New York in Beverly Hills "Barney Greengrass". The reservation was for a party of 6. At the last minute, my niece called to say she could not attend. The five of us arrived at the table set for 6. Matire'd arrogantly told us that he would have to remove a table and squeeze the 5 of us to a table for 4 as that was their "policy."Please note that there were many many empty tables. Then, after one hour, the check was literally thrown on the table with an 18% gratuity automatically added and the maitre'd kept hovering giving us withering glances. We won't be returning there anytime soon.

OIt is amazing how many restaurants play rock music with scratchy treble and high bass with low middle ranges on bad speakers during dining hour.
WHole Foods in FtLauderdale had such irritating music, that it was not comfortable to shop. A recent report showed, that Beethoven, Mozart, etc helped customers buy more goods at higher prices.

http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/smile.gif

My wife and I had previously eaten at a restaurant in Newcastle, Wyoming, about a year earlier, before it changed management, and had quite enjoyed it. This time however ...

We walked in, and I noticed that the restaurant was divided into two rooms, both with tables. I assumed that the second room was nonsmoking, and so I asked for us to be seated in the nonsmoking section. Turns out BOTH sections were smoking. Stupid; the place was much less than half full, and several diners did not appear to be smoking, so it is not like it would have been a big deal for them to segrate their two rooms.

We ordered; I ordered the ribs special and my wife ordered a pasta dish. Both came with salads, and they were brought quickly. We got done with the salads, and waited, and waited, and waited...

I am addicted to Survivor, and expected that the meal would get done in time to for us to watch it. It became obvious, about ten minutes prior to the show start time that this would not happen, since the main dishes had still not been brought. There were several tvs in the room, all of which were tuned to a program on the USA Network that was ending. My wife asked if the channel could be changed to the CBS station. Nope, it couldn't (despite the fact that no one seemed to be watching the tvs). She informed us that the manager controlled the tvs, pointing to the man who was at the bar. Well, I hadn't thought that she carried the remote around with her! I asked her if she could check with the manager. She said she would, but nothing ever happened. I was bored waiting for the food to arrive, and so I watched her wander around. I never saw her talk to the barkeeper.

In this restaurant, I noticed that the cook, who was wearing a tanktop and looked none too clean, put dishes under heat lamps until the servers took them to the tables. About the time of the tv change request, I noticed that the cook put plates under the heat lamps that looked much like ribs and pasta. And those dishes stayed under the heat lamps for about ten minutes. Finally, our server noticed that dishes were under the lamps, and took the pasta dish to my wife and an empty plate to me. The server said to my wife words to the effect of, "our cook can't read! Would you mind splitting this while I have him cook up your husband's meal?" Huh? I hadn't ordered pasta; I had ordered ribs, presumably the ribs that had been under the heat lamps for over ten minutes. Turned out I was right ... the cook could read and had prepared our orders correctly ... it was just that our server couldn't remember what it was that I had ordered; she thought that we had both ordered pasta. So I finally got my ribs. Mid-way into our meal, the cook and the server got into an argument about what to do with the extra serving of pasta he had just finished cooking...

FINALLY, we were done and were ready to get out of there! The restaurant displayed the standard credit card logos on its door, but when came to the counter to pay, the women that was stationed there did not know how to do a credit card transaction. She called over one of the two servers, who also did not know. They called over our server (who may have had alzheimer's when it came to remembering orders, but did know how to do a credit card transaction).

The ribs were pretty good, and my wife enjoyed the homemade rolls. But for some reason, we did not leave a tip.

Another things that ticks me off is when the waiter comes to remove the dirty dishes from the first course or appetizer, they purposely do not remove the dirty untensils and put it back on the table for you to re-use. Why can't they just bring a new set of utensils?

If an establishment uses paper napkins instead of cloth (I prefer cloth, but using paper is not a big deal for me), I hate it when the establishment is stingey with the paper napkins. Mostly this happens at low end establishments, one that is notorious in this regard rhymes with "Ubway." They give you one lousy napkin, what's up with that? Would passing out a few more napkins really cut into profits that much? http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...m/rolleyes.gif

My tick off's this week

Japanese restaurant in Sydney area:

- Restaurant was hot as hell... AC wasn't turned on.
- Ordered my items to find out that one item they were out of (well, she waited 10 mins into my order being placed to tell me this)
- Drinks showed up 15 mins after ordering
- Asked to sit outside, was told "I need to pay now then"... I told her "What is the difference in paying now to eat outside???" I refused, she backed down
- The young lady was seating people and the only one taking orders (lunch time). There were 7 tables full at the time. She was really hap-hazard in serving people and seating them,
- Food was good, however the Miso soup was cold. Didn't complain, didn't touch it. She didn't even ask if it was OK.
- Paid up and left with no tip... This was a NEW restaurant

Bottom line is... If you provide service like this to customers, all you get is a bad rep... forget anyone actually recommending your establishment.

Cell phones

Chatty waitstaff that sit down or kneel at the table when they talk to you. I don't want you to take a break to be my friend, I want you to have sufficient engergy to go get my food.

Crappy Service! When we were young marrieds, went to Bookbinders at Philadelphia. Appetizers and entree arrived late and at the same time! Figured we were getting crappy treatment 'cause we were obviously young and poor!

Went back later as a guest of the VP for Engineering. Man with the big-deal "presence." Suits, bay window, imperious manner. Still got crappy service!

Dirty bathrooms and/or bathrooms missing soap, functional faucets, towels with which to dry hands.

wobbly tables.
waiting for an hour, even when I have a reservation
tables jammed too close together

People that blow their nose during dinner. Please, get up and go to the bathroom for that. I just hate it and it grosses me out.

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I thought I was the only one. I am amazed that so many of the above post discussed unfriendly management and other things I consider trivial. When there always seems to be some guy gurgling human mucas so loud that it can be heard from all over the restraunt into a dirty rag. I always end my meal at that point and I'm considering setting my plate on his table in the future since I don't want it anymore.

Glass-topped tables. It's really not the table that bothers me (unless the glass is chipped on the edges), but the window cleaner they feel compelled to use the clean the table. Nothing like a good hearty whiff of ammonia to accompany a mouthful of food!

1. Screaming babies or ill-behaved children running around, or spitting or drooling food in the case of toddlers. This is especially annoying when you go to a high-priced restaurant for a special occasion (like Valentine's Day) and some well-off but still reproductive age parents think it's just fine to have brought along their young offspring, of whom I am sure they are very proud and from whom they are obviously inseparable. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/frown.gif I expect this at McDonalds or Denny's, but not at higher-priced places.

2. Dirty bathrooms, or bathrooms missing locks on the doors, missing soap, missing paper towels or other towels.

3. Seeing some of the disgusting things the low-level kitchen staff in the back are doing when they think you are not looking (like dropping food on the floor, picking it up, and putting it back on the plates)

4. Tables so close together in an expensive restaurant you get to listen to incredibly boring "and then he said" , "and then she said" type stories about trivial things discussed by the apparently overindulged socialites sitting next to you.

5. Lights down so low you can't easily read the menu

6. Waiting 45 minutes or more for your table even though you had a reservation (especially when there's no room at the bar)

7. The din of too-loud restaurants (especially popular in San Francisco) where you need to yell at your dining mate to hear anything

I have to agree with Sweet Willie on these points. My biggest irritation is when my water glass is empty. Chewing on ice cubes should be the first and last indicator that I WANT MY WATER REFILLED. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/mad.gif

When this happens to me I am polite only once. If it happens again, I loudly call for the waitstaff to bring some more water. Something like "Can we get some service over here" usually brings water faster than a native rain dance. I don't worry about politeness after I've been ignored. If they are too busy to serve their customers, they should hire more staff or have fewer tables.
Edited to add: That said, if the wait staff is very busy and still makes an effort to serve each customer well, they deserve a BIG tip!

[This message has been edited by HigherFlyer (edited Dec 04, 2003).]

When you complain about one dish, undercooked for example, which neccessitates it being removed to the kitchen. I hate it if the waiter/waitress leaves the other diner(s) with the choice of either eating theirs or letting them go cold whilst waiting for the dish to be replaced.
The correct thing is to remove all dishes for the offending course and return fresh dishes when the compaint is dealt with. Atfer all if you are with company you go out to a restaurant to dine together, not to eat separately. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/mad.gif

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Bazz
Still Flying

[This message has been edited by Bazz (edited Dec 06, 2003).]