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Here’s a list of the common restaurant bugbears I can’t stand:
ALSO READ: Have you lost your manners when it comes to your behavior in restaurants?
Overpriced meals
I get that going out for dinner is a treat, but it’s frustrating when restaurants are charging more than they actually should. We know how much it costs to make a good bowl of spaghetti, it’s not like the spaghetti was flown in from Italy just for your meal. It saddens me, even more, when the meal isn’t even that good and the portions are super small. Restaurants should be considerate when pricing their meals and give people their money’s worth. You don’t want to chase customers away just because of unreasonable prices.
False advertising
This brings me to my next point, why is it that most times when your meal arrives, there are huge differences between the image on the menu and the actual meal you are presented with. For instances when the image shows a fair amount of fries and when you get your food, there are like, ten fries, you can actually count them…so please no more false-advertising.
Tables that are too small
When I sit down to eat, I like having enough space to enjoy my meal, sufficient leg spacing that makes it comfortable to eat. So why when it’s a table for two, most times a couple will be directed to the smallest table the waitress can find? I believe a standard table for two should be enough to seat at least three people. Tiny tables need to go!
Too much ice in my drink
If I order a drink, I prefer it not drowning in ice. I’m not sure if it’s just protocol or just the restaurant’s way of cutting costs, but it is not cool! Too much ice actually leaves your drink tasting horribly watered down. I ordered a drink, not a slush puppy. So hold the ice…
Why so much for water?
Oh and please stop charging us steep prices for water! I will never understand the concept of charging people for water and it’s not just any price, it’s a price that makes you want to go buy yourself the same quantity of water for way less, If you can buy 5 Litres of water for R8, why would you want to pay R22 for just 1 Litre? It doesn’t make sense… I’d rather spend that money on a drink. Read this insightful article for more details on the legality of restaurants charging you for water.
Matcha must fall
Now don’t get me wrong, I love trending superfoods, but what else are you going to incorporate matcha into? We’ve seen green pasta, green ice-cream, green flapjacks, I mean we even get green cappuccinos! I agree that the benefits are amazing, all I’m suggesting is know when to add trendy ingredients and when not to.
A balance of service etiquette
Lastly, I always seem to struggle with this and it is super annoying, either the waitress is constantly checking up on me throughout a meal, that I’m hardly able to enjoy it, or it takes the waitress forever to get to me when I actually need assistance. So a balance needs to be struck between checking on guests and borderline hovering all over them. Read this article so that next time you go to a restaurant you are clued up on what to expect from your waitress.
Even though these are some of the restaurant habits that grate my cheese, it doesn’t mean that other people feel the same, so let us know in the comments section below what restaurant irritations you often encounter and how restaurants can make your dining experience better. Or email us!
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