I have not been to an Outback since they quit allowing tossing of the spent peanut shells onto the floor. I dont remember them sitting in the booth with the customers.

MisterNice

That happened to me once or twice at Outback, and I did not like it much. It is a bit too familiar. I don't mean to sound mean here, but if I am at a restaurant with one special person, or with a group of people from my office (usually why I am there), and all of a sudden someone comes over and sits down, and starts a conversation while taking the order (that is what always happens when they sit down, they chit chat, which I do not like much), it is usually an interruption of whatever we were talking about, or at the very least an invasion of our space, and sometimes it is difficult to get the "flow back," if that makes any sense. Besides, if they are going to sit down, they could at least ask first, right?

As I understand it, at Outback they are supposed to sit at your
table to take your order!, asking "may I join you briefly" or the
equivalent before sitting down. Alas, they do not ask "may I serve
you an overcooked to your specifications mediocre piece of
previously frozen beef with some salty crap on it" before doing so.

As far as chains go, Texas Roadhouse has generally better meat
for a generally better price and allows you to throw your peanut
shells on the floor.

I stand corrected. Most of the time 6 of us would go to Outback and actually squeeze into an elevated booth so no room for the order person. Occasionally 1 or of us would eat in the bar area and yes, she would sit down to take the order and test her cheese -covered french fries upsale skills. It appeared to be 8 lb of gooey stuff and served all 2-6 people when ordered.

MisterNice

Interesting that you put it that way. Actually the quality level does differ from location to location, because many Outbacks are franchises. The Fort Lauderdale locations are much better than you describe, and their CREAMY ONION soup is fantastic! I go there for that alone!

I experienced it once, and I don't like it any more than I like the bank teller or the supermarket cashier calling me by my first name.

It's just too familiar for my taste.

I was on a bussiness trip, and was eating at the outback for the very first time. The waiter sat on my coat that was on the chair. (I was in a booth)

I went into a small frenzy asking what was he doing. He just looked stuned as I told him to get up, and get the manager. I then in a calm manner told the manager how I didn't want the help sitting at my table or on my coat.

I asked him if I was supposed to buy the waiter dinner, because we were such good friends now. he stated that is what we do , and we have never had any complaints. (yea right)

I decided to leave as I wondered what they would do to my food. I have never been back to the outback. Went to the Texas Road House.^

Yes, your Highness.

Lighten up, Francis.

OK, I admit, the first one I went to, in Fresno maybe 15 years ago, was
just terrific. Since then, my experience has gone from ehh downward, with
the worst ones in Massachusetts, the ones in Maryland not enormously
better. I wrote this off to expansionitis and have been looking forward with
some trepidation to a similar phenomenon occurring at Texas Roadhouse as
it grows beyond its ability. If you happen to be a shareholder in the parent
of Outback, please be reassured that I have enjoyed my Carrabba's
experiences.

Question: how do you post in that almost illegible blue type?

Wow, you sound just like my late Grandpa. He had such a temper over the littlest things....

Depends on the restaurant, indeed! At a run-of-the-mill chain restaurant it wouldn't look right. But at a finer, more personal restaurant where the host wants to explore your tastes and make appropriate food and wine recommendations (or alterations to menu items ad lib.), and where taking your order becomes a non-superficial conversation instead, the experience can be mind-blowing. Example: Dom's in Boston's North End. It's been around for years, the host sits down with you patiently and helps you customize your meal, you feast and swill, and at the last you and your guests leave mightily fulfilled and cared for.

Every Friday night Mr b1513 and I go out with another couple for dinner, usually to a local Mexican restaurant. The waitress there has gotten to know us because we're there a lot and every so often she'll stand for a long time telling us about what is going on in her life. Last week she hit a deer. We heard every last detail. It makes me crazy, but I'm still polite because she's nice.

ive seen this at plenty of casual places.

seems to me it would be even more common in more rural areas(smaller towns etc), but again its plenty common in DC metro at casual places.

its never bothered me at casual places, whether thats just good timing or they actually try and gauge whether it would be a bother i dont know. so that also makes it hard for me to try and remember if ive seen the same thing at casual places in other areas.

ive certainly never seen it anywhere at a nicer place.

My friend Nicholas and I went to Dom's a couple years ago, after a
long, long hiatus. The guy sat down and (not recognizing us, as neither of
us had been there since his father [?] ran the joint) rather superciliously
gave us a bunch of incredibly palate-dead recommendations. We nodded
politely and ordered what we would have ordered anyhow. The food was
somewhat less than what it had been under Toni-Lee back in the 1970s
when it was the preeminent Italian restaurant in Boston; the rest of the
North End has since caught up and well surpassed it, so we haven't been
again. Terramia (where nobody cozies up to you at your table) is so
much better than Dom's I can't articulate it, and there are now places
nearby that are better still.