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18 Comments:
I'll start the wishy-washiness with: "It depends"
It depends on the quality of the food, it depends on what type of restaurant.
For example: When I walk into the local take out pizza place, I don't expect for them to say "HI, WELCOME TO MOMMAS!!!" like I would from a "family casual chain." I don't expect them to do it, and I don't want them to do it. I wan't them to concentrate on making wonderous calzones that fill my belly.
Now, when I head to Bel Paese Ristorante, one of the better formal dining establishments in my area and one of the top italian restaurants i've ever been to, I do expect service to go along with not only the decor, but the atmosphere. I'll take my girlfriend there, i'll take my grandparents there, I definitely want to "wow" them- and not only with the food.
There are times when bad service can ruin good food. There are times when good food can save bad service. It depends.
Prairie at 11:07AM on 05/18/07
It's crucial. A restaurant isn't top notch unless the service is. If you walk into a restaurant and the service is poor and there are already crumbs on your table - then the food service - doesn't matter if the food is the best - the diner will already have a bad impression of the place.
ceforrester at 11:32AM on 05/18/07
Horse and carriage relationship.
Karen Resta at 11:37AM on 05/18/07
As long as service is efficient, I don't much care. Not at all crucial to me; I don't get off on other's servility. It's about the food, and not much else.
Barbara Hanson at 11:39AM on 05/18/07
The service needs to match the type of restaurant.
skigil at 11:46AM on 05/18/07
Yeah, I think people get way too worked up about service. If they don't spill anything on you, are polite, and refill your coffee when its cold or wine when it's empty, I'm happy. I don't need to be catered too like I'm royalty.
NSW at 12:08PM on 05/18/07
Yeah, I think people get way too worked up about service. If they don't spill anything on you, are polite, and refill your coffee when its cold or wine when it's empty, I'm happy. I don't need to be catered too like I'm royalty.
NSW at 12:09PM on 05/18/07
You could have the best food in the world but if the service sucks it can ruin the entire evening. NSW has a great point and I agree, if they don't spill on you, are polite and keep the drinks filled I am ok. Its when you spend half your meal scanning the dining room for your server because you need a fork, or some water, or because something is wrong with your meal that really drives me nuts. I should be able to focus on the food, beverages and my dining companion, not the server.
EatWisconsin at 12:26PM on 05/18/07
A restaurant with poor service is just another way to describe my home kitchen. Service is part of the experience of any meal. The best cooked piece of meat in the world could be easily forgotten by bad service.
shea at 12:56PM on 05/18/07
Food is more important, for sure!
But if service is too low or too much (in the meaning of too stilted), the whole "experience" is compromised...
As for food, the key is to find the perfect balance...
Sara - Piperita at 12:58PM on 05/18/07
I think service can definitely break a good meal. If it's a super casual place (diner, coffee shop, pizza, sandwiches, you get the idea), it's not that big of a deal but when you're spending money - and in NYC that's easy, you want good service. Recently, some friends and I went to a place in Brooklyn that served Korean food - pretty good food, but the service was terrible. No one asked us if we wanted water, once it came, the glasses weren't re-filled, appetizer plates left on the table once the entrees came out, could not get the attention of the waitress for more food, etc. We didn't tip very well. It wasn't some crazy-ethnic temple either, it was a nice tablecloth place with candles and pricey bar drinks. I've waitress, I know it can be a bitch, but on a Friday night that's not busy you WANT to treat people well so they come in again. I expect better service in a place like that.
rockchick at 3:12PM on 05/18/07
I like and EXPECT good service. However, I do not equate good service with "over-friendliness", chattiness, or patronization.
I want my server to be attentive, efficient, courteous . . . but most importantly, to be in the "background" and to keep his/her mouth under control.
Given a server with such attributes really goes a long way with contributing to a good dining experience for me and my wife.
DocChuck at 10:32AM on 05/19/07
Importance of service Example A: I will NEVER go back to the Cold Stone Creamery after the frightening song and dance they did when I tipped.
Phoebe Damrosch at 5:57PM on 05/19/07
I tend to be very patient with slow service - sometimes it's just more busy than expected, or someone called in sick unexpectedly and they're understaffed...or maybe the server is relatively new and a little overwhelmed. That stuff is annoying, but I'm happy to give people the benefit of the doubt.
However, the service I can't stand is the snooty kind - e.g. if you go into an inexpensive restaurant and the server is obviously perturbed that you're not ordering wine, or maybe only ordering soup and salad, not a more-expensive entree. Some people do that sort of thing because they're cheap - but some people do it because they don't drink and they want a light dinner. That's the type of service that will make me not return to a restaurant - but if the food is good and the servers are friendly, I'll come back even if they're slow or make mistakes - it happens.
producestories at 11:26PM on 05/19/07
Always important. If a server is polite, tries hard to please and is attentive without being obtrusive -- even if she or he makes a mistake or two -- I'll still show my appreciation with a good (read better than fair) tip.
hereandthe at 8:47AM on 05/20/07
Agree that the service needs to match the restaurant, but a "step up" can save a meal. We went to a neighborhood pub the other night and the "grouper sprecial" was anything but. The waitress brought our plates even though she told the kitchen the fish wasn't acceptable. They told her it was ok -she told them to prepare another one. My husband tasted his and it was overcooked and w/o being told, she soon returned with the freshly prepared meal. Both of our entrees were deducted from the bill, again w/o a prompt from us. She went over and above to make sure we were compensated for the incovenience. We based her tip on what the bill would have been and we will go back again - all based on her taking charge of the entire situation from the minute the she picked up the plates from the kitchen.
jeanne at 1:32PM on 05/20/07
Agree that the service needs to match the restaurant, but a "step up" can save a meal. We went to a neighborhood pub the other night and the "grouper sprecial" was anything but. The waitress brought our plates even though she told the kitchen the fish wasn't acceptable. They told her it was ok -she told them to prepare another one. My husband tasted his and it was overcooked and w/o being told, she soon returned with the freshly prepared meal. Both of our entrees were deducted from the bill, again w/o a prompt from us. She went over and above to make sure we were compensated for the incovenience. We based her tip on what the bill would have been and we will go back again - all based on her taking charge of the entire situation from the minute the she picked up the plates from the kitchen.
jeanne at 1:33PM on 05/20/07
We went to a nice restaurant for the first time this past weekend. It was a special ocassion. This place is a expensive for us and it was a treat to ourselves to go there. Poor service ruined our experience. It was not very crowded though we had reservations. It took almost 10 minutes for the server to greet us at the table and take drink orders. Later when my husband needed another drink, a manager took his order and never came back. When I got my meal, I asked for a condiment and the waitress forgot and had to be reminded. I was holding off on digging in til she came back with it and everyone else finished their meals before me. The food was ok but not great. Good service could have made the whole night seem better and worth the money. We will not return.
ThatGirl153 at 8:51AM on 05/21/07