Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

So I didn't see the last post, and I haven't read all the comments, but it's a topic that depends on the situation, imo. If it was a large group of people, I would ask again, because that does eat up a lot of one waitress's time. I dined at a nice little place with a friend a few months back, and it was my second time there (pretty sure the waiters recognized me). I had tipped well the first time, as it was a great experience, and the second time, my friend and I completely miscalculated the tip. My waiter came back around and asked us if everything was ok. It was a bit awkward, but I'm glad he did ask, because he deserved more than the $3 we had somehow managed to leave.

I think the whole idea of tipping is ridiculous: do you tip the toll collector for taking your money? Do you tip the gas man for reading your meter? Do you tip your IT guy for fixing your computer? Of course not. Now, obviously, they don't live on tips. GUESS WHAT: NEITHER SHOULD WAITERS! How insane is it that a customer has to pay basically twice: for the food and for the service? Can you imagine if we had to tip UPS person for delivering the package to your house? Here's another tidbit: are the dishes heavier at T.G.I. Fridays than they are in a fancy steakhouse with $100+ dishes? Where do you come off with a sense of entitlement to a $20 tip just because the food was $100, whereas at Fridays a $20 plate would only get a $4 tip? If restaurant you work at charges that much for food, let them pay you! Enough is enough!

My goodness I just got so very hungry. Wish you were in Florida!!!

Can't wait to try it out. Dirty Frank's isn't a Pearl Jam reference is it?

http://www.last.fm/music/Pearl+Jam/_/Dirty+Frank

@browngravy - pretty sure dirty franks is still there at 13th & Pine. haven't been by there in a bit, but that place seems likes it will be there forever.

Elizabeth,

How are the dogs prepared?

Tip is left for service which means full-service, as opposed to self-service, right? Even if the server is not what you want or expect, if he/she walked back and forth so you can just sit at your table, shouldn't the server get the minimum 15% unless there are mistakes on the server's part (not the kitchen's)? We expect so much from servers at restaurants, yet accept lousy service everywhere else.

If its spelled out clearly in the begining and not ridiculuosly high then YES, if its an across the board policy. But in these economic times it is a tight-rope they walk between profit and loss and I understand the need because of an inconsiderate few that create the need for such policies. The question of a CC# is valid and is an important issue to be worked out as I have given mine to hold reservations in the past but now I would have second thoughts.

Will the restaurant pay me when they screwed up my birthday reservation and can't seat me and my 6 friends??

"...just ask you or your family (if you had passed) to fax a copy of your EMS report or something and you wouldn't get charged."

Wow.

Dear Diners out there...,

Most of the restaurants you mentioned have always charged this no-show fee.

Food prepared in a restaurant does not show up magically on your plate. If you go to a restaurant that has, oh say 9 or 12 courses, and that chef asks for reservations, this is because they need to know how much to prep for their night.

Every element duly considered and is made by a person. It is part of their workday. They typically get paid, otherwise they earn credits towards their own personal advancement, i.e. padding their resumes with great places they've worked and great things they've done, which is a form of compensation.

All of these require ingredients, a physical space to work in, tools, water, supplies. People that work in restaurants like to get paid, usually it is not as much as your fantasies take you towards believing but a fine balance between that and nothing.

If a Chef or restaurateur, decides to charge you for not showing up, good for them, good for their investors. Hopefully they'll still be open next year, because as a business, no one can survive by being so friendly and hospitable and open to all the excuses, you the patron can and will come up with to stand a restaurant up when you decide you don't feel like going out tonight.

It is my understanding that these fees come from restaurateurs that have enough experience with diners to have seen businesses fail, partly because of the reckless reservation habits of their patrons.

Hopefully, this is a sure way to keep the responsible, consistent and repeat customers called regulars that most restaurants depend on. If these kinds of policies drive away reckless diners that change their reservations willy-nilly, then that is what it is meant.

If you want to be spontaneous and live life without rigid rules, why even make a reservation, why go somewhere demands it or the fee associated in canceling? There are plenty of mediocre restaurants you can go to that won't charge you for not showing up. Live in mediocrity and get mediocrity.

Good Day.

yes, for parties of 6+ or at upscale restaurants where a no show has an impact on their margins and screws up their reservation system. no, for 4 top or less at a place that allows walk-ins and isn't perpetually booked. regardless of a no-show fee, diners should always notify the restaurant if they're no longer able to make it. i also doubt too many restaurants besides per se could get away with a $175 fee with a 3-day cancellation policy.

WOW, I feel seriously misinformed. Although, I always tip good, even when I shouldn't, this is what I thought happened in most restaurants. I thought everyone got minimum wage. I thought all the tips were collected and split between all the staff ie; dishwasher, cook etc. I never thought this was good because, a good server deserves more than a bad server, and this spliting up the tips, to me, didn't seem condusive to make a better server out of some of them. Where did I get this idea? Also, do you as a server have to claim tips, and pay taxes on them? This doesn't seem fair to me either, if it's true. I would love some real answers to these myths.