Restaurant Pet Peeves

I love an opportunity to complain and this week I'm sharing the things that annoy me when I'm out at a restaurant:

Sharing plates.  I don't like to share food, except in very limited circumstances.  I don't mind sharing an appetizer, but when it is time for my meal, I like to order the thing I want and enjoy it myself.  It can be difficult when you are with co-workers or in a larger group of friends, it can get complicated (not to mention expensive) and I always have anxiety making sure I don't take too much but also wanting to enjoy it. 

"The food will come out when it's ready".  This is related to the sharing plates peeve noted above.  Why can't the kitchen and/or server time things appropriately so we can eat the meal together? We're not grazing at a buffet, we are sitting down at the table.

Food coming out too fast.  The other day we were at a restaurant for lunch and ordered some crab dip to share as an appetizer (see, I'm not a total monster), and then our meals. The meals came immediately after the dip, before we could even start eating it.  Unless the table says they are in a hurry and need to get out, the server should put the orders in at a pace that makes sense for dining.  It may not be perfect timing all the time, depending on how busy the kitchen is, but the server should know how long things take and have the mains come out after the appetizers have been enjoyed. 

Dishes being brought out at the wrong time.  When someone orders something off the appetizer or salad menu but as their main, the server should clarify that, if it's not already obvious (i.e. they didn't order a main as well) so that the person gets their meal when everyone else gets their main.  

Server disappearing at the end of the meal. The meal is wrapping up, we may or may not have been offered coffee, but it's time to bring the bill to the table, and the server is nowhere to be found. This is especially annoying when you have children that just need to leave the restaurant. 

Only QR Code Menus. I know that the QR code made a triumphant comeback during the pandemic, and sometimes it can come in handy, but if I am sitting down to eat at a restaurant, I want a real menu in my hands that I can read. 

Menus not shared on websites.  For all that I like a paper menu, if I know I will be going somewhere, I will look up the menu ahead of time so I can get a sense of what I will want to order. 

Restaurants that don't offer to split the bill.  I think this is less common now, the software makes it easier to split up the tables, even bottles of wine or appetizers. There are times when one person is treating the whole table, but more often than not, we need separate bills.

Not enough bread/chips/crackers.  I love a warm dip, but I do not love when it is accompanied by two scant pieces of crostini or whatever.  Restaurants need to figure out this ratio. Appreciating they don't want anything going to waste, they should still have some idea of what would be the appropriate amount of the accompanying vehicle for the dip.

Small ice for certain cocktails.  If you're serving a nice cocktail that costs at least $15, the ice needs to be right.  I do not want a negroni with a bunch of little ice cubes, only one large ice cube will do. 

Okay, I'll stop now - off to check the menu for Daphne where I am going to for lunch today :)