That's my wife's strategy too. We've wasted an hour looking for other options to avoid a 20 minute wait.

I went there with some out of town co-workers a couple of years ago, it hasn't changed much, we waited over an hour.

I'd be with the poster above ordering pizza delivery with that kind of wait.

I could see waiting maybe an hour for a really special place, but none of the chains fit that bill. Unfortunately, in a lot of places, on Friday and Saturday evenings, any sit down place without at least an hour wait is probably that way for a reason. In those cases, Panera, or Chipotle, or any number of similar places are fine with me.

2 hours at Mama's San Francisco....worth it.

There was a Bahama Breeze in Rochester NY that I don't think stayed open a year.

I don't wait! Food is not that important in my life.

Wirelessly posted (Palm TX: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D050; Blazer/4.3) 16;320x448)

If the wait is longer than 15 mins I leave...

I am sure I am butchering the spelling but Giacamos on Hanover in Boston's north end always seems to have at least an hour wait and usually double that. I have waited it and its always worth it.

I went to the Yardhouse Brewery before an Arizona Cardinals game and the wait was one hour to 90 minutes. Luckily we were very early so we still made kickoff. I think it ended up being about 65 minutes to wait.

If the stated wait time is more than 15 minutes, we don't wait. I waited an hour once, and I was fuming the entire time. Never again.

Waited about 1 1/2 hours at Anchor Steam in SF. Gorged on the free salad bar. Left without being seated. Too full to eat more anyway. Never been back.

I have waited two hours at Spice Market once, with a reservation. It was a party of 7 and some girl wanted to wait.

It was horrible, from service to food.

I normally like Jean George's places. But I won't go back to Spice Market even if it's for free.

Come to think of it, I will just avoid any meat packing district eateries.

About 10-15 minutes is my max, and then only if there is a bar to wait in. I would never walk around with one of those flashing electronic gadgets, waiting to be buzzed:td: As for Cheesecake Factory, I always opt for the bar area (either the small tables or the actual bar), where I've never had to wait. Could say I have no patience, as even at a hair salon, if I'm told it will be 5-10 minutes, I say no thanks and look for another. :)

Really? I usually have a jacket with a pocket to slip the thing into. Or if sitting at the bar, it makes a nice coaster. I did learn that the broadcast limit is quite short when we headed into a store in the same shopping center only to learn that our table had come and gone when we got back.

I do find that the restaurants I patronize usually overstate the wait.

Man, 27 posts and no mention of Frontera Grill. Waited 4 hours for Frontera Grill just last weekend. Luckily you could go wherever you wanted for those 4 hours. Was worth every second.

Also, Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder always has 2+ hour waits.

How long do I wait? I don't if a table is not ready, I leave, no food, nor restaraunt is worth a wait, there are too many other important things in ones life than food.

Ouch....I must say that there are certainly establishments worthy of the wait. Not just your Food and Wine chef of the moment, but places that have been around for a long time for a good reason.

How about a sandwich in Molinari's North Beach SFO, could be 25 minutes on a busy lunch hour. Or...in Phoenix Oreganos pizza seems to always have a 35 - 40 minute wait. In Portland, Toro Bravo (good, mmmm). In France we went to La Tupina (Bordeaux) and waited 25 minutes and then another place with just flank steak and frites. We luckily got there as they opened but when we left a line at least 20 people deep and it's three floors!


Come on, you've got at least one...