ANSWERS: 100
  • The bill at the end! LOL
  • rude service
  • Other people's badly behaved children.
  • Taking forever to get my food. Or when they don't fill up your drinks, etc.
  • When they don't offer enough for vegetarians, cause it's rude and ignorant to assume everyone eats meat.
  • Asking if everything is o.k. when my mouth is full of food.
  • Weirdo food. All I want is simple stuff, for example, a T-Bone steak, peas, carrots, mash potato, cauliflower with white sauce, gravy. Why is it so hard to find something like that? Yes, usually I want cooked vegies, not a salad. Meat and potatoes is not a meal. And one thing I really hate is when you order a crayfish but they give you a prawn. There is no substitute for crayfish (or prawn) meat. I want to buy it by the bucket load, not by the teaspoon. I realize its expensive but if I'm only gonna get a teaspoon of meat then I'd rather spend the money on a fish or a steak. Luckily I found a fish and chip shop that makes grilled prawns. They're not perfect but they're close enough. I happily go there, spend fifty bucks and I get a tonne of prawn meat. If I spent fifty bucks at any restaurant, I'd get one supposed lobster which size-wise looks suspiciously like a prawn.
  • People chewing loudly and with their mouth open. I think it's absolutely disgusting and should be punishable by having their jaw wired shut. I can't even begin to describe how these actions make me feel. It's a very intense rage when people act like wild animals. It's very disgusting.
  • The whole concept and experience of dining in a restaurant is something I can't stand.
  • Children running around or screaming.
  • I hate seeing bus people wiping the chairs and then wiping the table with the same towel...EW...
  • People talking on their damn cell phone while at the table!
  • The guy one table over that is having sinus probs so he keeps sucking snot! They may as well cancel my order at that point, I'm too sick to eat.
  • Most things. I have been working as a waitress for over three years while at uni, and I critizise everything that the staff do, the seating plans, the presentation of the food, etc, etc. I am a misery to go out with...
  • Other people:)
  • Having to tip a waiter/waitress who has not really been up to par. I know that tips are their bread and butter, so never stiff them, but I am tempted to at times......just too nice of me, I guess...
  • People talking on their cell phone really loud. People blowing their nose at the table. People letting their kids run crazy all over the place. I don't allow those in my home, I certainly don't want to experience them when I am out trying to have a nice meal.
  • A dirty, spotty glass.
  • The bill!!!!!!!!
  • Spontaneous diarrhea.
  • Overly noisy people, whether it is bad behaving children or people talking loud into their cell phones, or wait staff dropping things or yelling at each other. I also hate dirt- in the bathrooms, on the plates or utensils or unkempt eating room.
  • Screaming children, especially at a "high end" restaurant where you are going to celebrate a special occasion.
  • People at the neighbouring tables speaking like as if they wanted everyone in the restaurant to hear what they have to say.
  • Crappy service. This is what I expect: 1) Immediate orders taken and filled for drinks 2) Prompt delivery of menus with a summary of any current specials 3) Brief and polite time to review the menu and a timely follow up inquiry as to readiness to order. 4) Never having to wait for drink refills. 5) Verifying our orders are correct upon delivery. 6) Timely follow up shortly after delivery to ensure the orders were satisfactorily prepared. 7) Occasional timely visits for miscellaneous details, with consideration given to the food in my mouth before a question is asked. 8) Dessert menus presented upon completion of the meal. 9) Presentation of the check AFTER verifying no additional dining desired. 10) Ask for my ID when I give you my credit card. It says this on the back of my card and gives me a more confident feeling that my personal credit information is being handled properly. If all, or even most, of the above details are taken care of, as a professional server should, then my tip will ALWAYS be more than 15%. If I feel I am not being catered to properly (i.e.- I have to wait excessively for basic service details, with consideration given to how busy the restaurant is) then I will tip SIGNIFICANTLY less than 15%.
  • I totally agree...I can not stand people's rude children! Or loud talking on cell phones but, and I would like to hear a response on this one.... I can not stand it when the waiter or waitress sits down with you at your table to take your order and then spends time talking to you when you order could be placed and I hate it when they call you "You guys"! Like, "Is everything all right for You Guys?" or "How you guys doing today?"
  • People making comments about my partner and I holding hands.
  • When the servers are playing grab ass with each other, joking around, talking on their cell phones...pretty much ignoring their guests. It's inappropriate, unprofessional and should be left to the BOH. Regarding children: To derogate people’s parenting skills is a bit much. Kids of a certain age can act out ANYWHERE...the market, church, a toy store, and yes, even in restaurants. It has NOTHING to do with a person’s ability to parent. I would say, a good rule of thumb is, it isn't appropriate to bring a child younger than 5 to a restaurant with cloth tablecloths. If there is no kids menu, there's a reason; this establishment is NOT for children...that's what Applebee's is for...families.
  • Children that do not know how to behave in a restaurant, (parents fault for bringing them), taking a long time to get your check when you are ready to leave, loud people at other tables, someone blowing their nose at the table (gag).
  • The waiters getting the order wrong.
  • Those whiny kids. I'm really close to confronting the kid's parents next time.
  • when they play football games; i hate football - hate.
  • People that can't seem to keep their own hands and feet within their booth. Things like elbows hooked over the back of a booth that end up jabbing me in the neck when I try to lean back... >.< A lot of the answers say kids that can't behave, but I'm used to being around kids - most of them just can't sit still during meals and I've learned to tune it out. Kids in theatres are another issue, though.
  • screaming kids, bad/rude servers, cold food (if it's supposed to be hot)
  • Anybody smoking...Or being loud.uncontrollable kids.
  • when the servers come back too often... or when they don't come bakc enough!
  • Excessive noise. If I have to shout be heard by my dining companions or waitperson, I am never returning.
  • People who have no control over their children...
  • There really isn't much that gets on my nerves. I guess if I found something really horrible in my food. But really that's about it.
  • Parents who bring the children to a restaurant and basically turn the loose. People who talk and laugh at such a high level that it makes it impossible for anyone in a 10 table area to hear what the person sitting next to them is saying Teenagers who come in and think its funny to start a food fight among themselves a waiter or waitress who acts as though they really don't have the time to be waiting on you, and once they have taken your order and deliver meal, never show up again when I have to go find my bill! when paying the bill and the person waiting on me tells me how tried they are and thats why they didn't take the time to wait on me! depending on the type of problems I encounter, I have been known to contact the corp. office of many restaurants and make complaints from Denny's - Shari's
  • ppl that blow their nose, talk on their cell, or let their kids scream
  • Parents who can't control their children.
  • Crying, screaming, yelling, rude children.
  • I'll give you some: From the public stand-point - as a person who is dining at a restaurant: Screaming and/or crying children. Servers/waiters/waitresses who never ask "How is everything?" Ditto with the management. Dirty restrooms. Burned-out lightbulbs. The obscene racket of a vacuum cleaner being used. People asking for money. Food being served which isn't right - "borderline" - poorly prepared or presented. IMMEDIATELY after the food is served: BANG!!!!!!!!!!!! There's the check! From management's perspective: Screaming or crying children. Children who are allowed to run around as though they were at a playground. Stealing by anyone - staff or patrons. Failure to rotate food and stock. No matter what it is, it must be rotated. Employee lateness or not calling in. Vehicles which park in two or more parking spaces. Deliveries during the busy hours of the day - breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lying to me. Altering/Changing the hand-written "tip" portion of credit card print-outs: "1" to "7" "3" to "8" "4" to "8" or "9" There are quite a few more. Thanks for asking your Q! I enjoyed ansewring it! VTY, Ron Berue Yes, that is my real last name! Sources: My wonderful family! Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, New Haven, CT campus. Was in the Food and Beverage business over 26 years. "THE University of Hard Knocks" also known as ["a/k/a"] life's valuable lessons.
  • uncomfortable silence... especially if i just met the person
  • Parents who refuse to control their children!!!!
  • Slow service
  • There's way more than one. - Guys who wear baseball caps while they eat really annoys me, especially if it's a relatively nice restaurant. - Waitresses who either never check on you, or come by every 10 seconds, and ask you "How is everything?" before you've even taken one bite of your food. - 7-dollar cocktails that are mostly ice - Crying babies or toddlers, especially when the parents seem oblivious to the fact that a) their kids are obnoxious, and b) there are OTHER PEOPLE in the restaurant trying to enjoy their meals.
  • I can't stand after 10 JD's with my steak.
  • Kids. I understand that they need to eat too, but gosh they can be loud and annoying.
  • When there is so much noise you cannot hear the person you are dining with...
  • Bad and rude service. At a recent meal we were served our salad/soup, then our entrees, and half way through our meal we were finally able to get the servers attention and asked for our beverages. She haughtily said "I'm just about to get them for you". It was another 8 - 10 minutes before 2 waters, a milk, and Diet Pepsi arrived.
  • kids who jump around in the booths and are loud and crying and their parents who cant control them! ah!
  • the little babbies streaming and running to you and then they run back then they do that again...
  • Impatient, angry, immature individuals that are [unjustifiably] mean and disrespectful to the waitstaff.
  • Young children running around unsupervised ... closely followed by ... Screaming babies Bad service Overpriced food
  • CHILDREN MISBEHAVING. One other thing (and i'll probably get down rated here for this, but oh well), are overweight/obese people stuffing their faces with the most fattening thing on the menu....that alone can make me lose my appetite no matter how hungry i am.
  • I can't stand to sit near someone at another table and hear them repeatly use cuss words like the F word over and over and over when I have my children sitting right there with me. If it is a matter of respect that pepople can't smoke in most restaurants anymore then they should have to watch their mouths too!!
  • Slow or very poor service!
  • Screaming children. Loud patrons (when the rest of the people are not loud) Loud music so you can't have a conversation. Having to wait forever for service.
  • when nasty people be poking their nose, thinking no one is looking.. then lick their fingers.,., uhhhhhhhhhh .. hahah lol...
  • rude waitress or waiter
  • People blowing their nose into a cloth hanky..seems to happen often at OCB..
  • Poor service. Excuses for poor service. Frozen food passed off as "fresh" or "catch of the day". Wilting lettuce. Seafood that tastes like French fries. Loud, lewd and disgusting language and conversation in a restaurant. Being overcharged for the quality of food and service received. When the manager won't speak to you about the lousy food and service.
  • ... filth ...
  • Children Yelling and Screaming Waiting for ages for poor food When a parent will yell at a toddler and hit them
  • being seated near the rest-rooms or close to the noisy kitchen
  • There is more than one that irritates me and devalues the experience: - non-dairy creamer - margarine instead of butter - store bought bread or rolls - instant iced tea - vegetables out of a can - flimsy napkins - inadequate lighting - noise (unless it is part of the character) - M.S.G. - too much grease - undercooked chicken - overcooked beef
  • dirty silverware
  • Too much noise! Loud music, screaming kids, people talking and laughing really loudly at other tables, people talking on mobile phones at your table or the next table. If I were on a date, I would be very offended if my date kept talking on the mobile phone to their mates. Dirty toilets: it's very offputting to go there and see a big fat skid-mark down the side of the bowl. If somebody leaves a skiddie they should clean it off instead of leaving it to nauseate the next person. Poor service - I'm not so perturbed about slow service if I can see the place is very busy, but I expect to be treated with politeness and not ignored. Nasties in the food, undercooked poultry (very dangerous because of food poisoning risk and doesn't taste nice), dried up food. Expensive prices for very ordinary food. Tiny servings. Very little choice on menu. If I eat out, I like to have a filling meal. I prefer smorgasboards. Seeing people load up their plates and then hardly eat anything. It is such a waste!
  • Smoking. Thank goodness, it is now banned in restaurants here. It used to stink up the place.
  • Post-mix softdrinks. Given that drinks in restaurants are usually quite expensive, I expect proper soft drink and not watered-down post-mix. I also like some ice cubes in my drink but not so many that they fill half the glass.
  • obnoxious loud people...whether they are unruly children or loud adults "yelling" in their cell phones or raucously laughing and hollering. I expect this in a bar, but not a restaurant. good question.
  • I agree with the unruly children comments, but have to say the worst is when the child starts swinging his legs and rhythmically kicking the booth behind you!
  • loud people at the table next to you! it bugs the crap out of me! they have their cell phones ringing, laughing hysterically, them talking and you can hear every word they say! people should know how to act in dine in restaurants
  • When they turn on the bright lights and start the industrial vacuum cleaners, and ask you to move your feet- while you're still eating. This actually happened every night at Orrin's Pizza in Norman, OK in the 1970s. I imagine that Orrin is dead by now (natural or otherwise).
  • Loud rude crazy children server comes and asks you if you want anything when i just shoved the food in my mouth i soo do not get that
  • First off I don't go to resaurants that allow children if not very well behaved. As in restaurants that ask patron to either control their children or they will be asked to leave. Having said that. I will not return to a rstaurant where the wait staff whips a plate off the table while others are still eating their meal. They might as well bring a sign and tell everyone who hasn't finished to hurry up. Were not sloping the hogs, we are DINING. The Chef
  • A baby crying a few tables over. I know it's not the baby's fault, but I feel like impaling the parent with my salad fork.
  • People talking REAL LOUD on their cell phones. The entire restaurant doesn't want to hear their conversation!!!
  • I have several, and it seems my number one is the one most have listed....unruly, loud children in the restaurant. Then there's poor service/food...and excuses for poor service/food instead of the problem being corrected. I think it's really rude for people to have long, loud phone calls in the restaurant. Or worse, when using one of those push-to-talk Nextel type of phones.
  • I hate it when your eating your meal and the staff keep coming up and asking if everything is okay, I don't mind being asked once, but I hate having to try and answer with a mouth full of food!!
  • An obviously fake apology, "Oops, sah-rhee!" with a big smile and no intention of making it right, when the server/chef/wine steward, has obviously screwed up.
  • You people need to get lives. Is is all really that serious... get a life!!! Bunch of losers with no kids.
  • Using the utensils...not knowing who used them right bf you, or if they sterilized them good.
  • Food that is inedible, I can't stand paying for horrible food. I understand it can't be homemade but can I get something that comes close, please?
  • I can't stand waiting 20 min just for an appetizer. (4 monzarella cheese sticks).
  • I can't stand when people scrap food off the fork with their teeth. I hate that sound
  • people with annoying kids.
  • A server who acts like I'm an imposition
  • Crying babies in restaurants need to be held. Parents should take turns holding the infant and eating. If they don't like it, too bad. People should enjoy their dining experience. The wait staff would be afraid to complain, for fear they would not receive an adequate tip, if any at all. If children are running around, the parents should be told their children could get injured.
  • Surly waitress, or a clueless one. its no goog speaking in a posh voice and yes maddaming me if your going to lean across my shoulder and stick your tit in my ear and breath your breath in my face.
  • lack of basic table manners...ie chewing with mouth open...those nasty, disgusting noises people make when they are chewing...don't talk with mouth full, proper use of knife, fork and spoon, etc. oh and waving your fork around when talking...you'll poke an eye out, kid!
  • The things I can't stand when dining out: 1. Other people kids (if they are loud and running around everywhere). 2. Some people who just stare at you (doesn't that just creeps you out?!). 3. The server takes forever to come to your table so you can order.
  • Loud people on their cell phones.
  • When I tell the waiter "I AM ALLERGIC TO.... please don't put it on my plate/food" and it comes out with that item on my plate. I have to send it back because some stuff I can't even touch. Like tomatoes or cantaloupe. Then I wait for my food to come back out and by the time I get it everyone at my table is done eating. Then I don't even get a discount or anything when I tell the manager! UGH!
  • When your server dosnt pay any attenchion to you because another table in your section will OVSLY tip better if they look rich or buissness menish
  • Pretencious peole sitting next 5 tables down .......yet I still hear their drivel
  • Having the server stop by every five minutes to ask if everything is okay, then being ignored when my drink is empty while someone's misbehaving little brat whines loudly.
  • THE WAIT.

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