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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Joe's Garage
    Posts
    5,970

    How long will you wait at a (relatively empty) bar/restaurant for your tab before wal

    Asking for a friend-


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    No Roger, No Rerun, No Rent

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    11,735
    I'm assuming you left before typing the king

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Joe's Garage
    Posts
    5,970
    Guy literally saw my phone with this on the bar and came right over. Seems to be a trend in Montréal right now-


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    No Roger, No Rerun, No Rent

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Ontario Canada eh
    Posts
    4,378
    5 minutes max.

    If they ignore you or disappear try using a sound bite with your smartphone that sounds like glass or plates smashing as loud as possible.
    Trust me they'll come running

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Ontario Canada eh
    Posts
    4,378


    This a good one

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    3,262
    I usually ask any server first but I have been known to leave cash estimate if I am pressed for time, like a train in Europe. No tip anyways, hope I covered it...

    Only walked one time. College grad dinner. Busy, new restaurant (my bad, my reservation) 12 or so sat down, didn't get wine for 15 minute, ordered 30 min later. Got salads maybe 30 min after that. Had a bad feeling. Went in the kitchen and asked where my order was on the cooks line, the paper. They balked and then finally showed me it like 20 deep. I had worked in restaurants in high school and college. Politely told the maitre de we were leaving to go get food as some people had driven up from LA that night and we walked out. Did not leave money for wine or salads. I don't even think they had ingredients to make our dinner after the 20 other orders. Again my bad, sounded great and had a few reviews, they we're just not ready for grad night.

    But in general, if they suck, no tip but leave what you think you should. I never walk out door with less than $200 in my wallet in case I have to buy my life or someone elses
    Education must be the answer, we've tried ignorance and it doesn't work!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    59715
    Posts
    7,446
    I've walked back into kitchens to track down servers. That gets some attention real quick..

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Looking down
    Posts
    50,491
    Much longer in Italy.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    The Cone of Uncertainty
    Posts
    49,306
    Service always sucks when places are empty. You'd think it would be the opposite, but from experience I know when it's slow you just get in slacker mode quickly and it's hard to keep your mind on your customers. You just get distracted. Now I always try to get in front of it and ask for things when I know I'll see the server, like I'll ask for the check when they bring the food.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    ECO
    Posts
    5,805
    In Costa Rica it is customary for the guest to ask for the check when they are ready. I didn't try to put it to the test too much, but every time I asked when I was ready and never got it before that.
    Was it a CR server? Maybe getting acclimated. I am all about solutions.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    here and there
    Posts
    18,583
    37 seconds
    watch out for snakes

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    181
    Quote Originally Posted by SB View Post
    37 seconds
    How does your wife feel about that?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    in a box on the porch
    Posts
    5,215
    Quote Originally Posted by Rip'nStick View Post
    I never walk out door with less than $200 in my wallet in case I have to buy my life or someone elses
    A couple hundy to buy your life? Do you have self-esteem issues?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    General Sherman's Favorite City
    Posts
    35,239
    Few years ago at Tru in Chicago we watched our wine sit unopened on the table right next to us for 30 solid minutes as we pleaded for any server, buster or staffer passing by to open it and pour it for us. I know because that’s when I finally found a use for the chronograph on my watch. When someone finally showed up with a gotdamned wine key our first course had already been sitting there for 10 minutes.

    I asked to send them back on account that I told our server, nowhere to be found since she took our order, that we didn’t want our food fired until we had our wine.

    Meanwhile as I’m in the process of sending back the first course the 22 year old Francophile maitre’ d approaches and instead of asking what’s wrong he tried to play the game of “do you know what fine dining is”, which was a really bad move on his part.

    While discussing his lack of dining experience the main course shows up. While the first is still sitting there untouched and the bottle is barely opened as the backup server long ago went to go find a decanter.

    Dude looked like he just ate a sous vide shit sandwich. I stood up, told my wife we were leaving, turned to Sèrge and said, “we’re taking the wine” and just walked the fuck out.

    Didn’t look back. No one said shit. Really fucking pathetic for a place with a star.

    Good news was the wine was excellent - got a healthy buzz passing it back and forth by the time we wandered over to Lodge Bar to class up the joint.
    I still call it The Jake.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    9,300ft
    Posts
    21,938
    Quote Originally Posted by SkiBall View Post
    In Costa Rica it is customary for the guest to ask for the check when they are ready. I didn't try to put it to the test too much, but every time I asked when I was ready and never got it before that.
    Was it a CR server? Maybe getting acclimated. I am all about solutions.
    Pretty much all Europe and all of the Americas south of the US are like that. It's considered rude for them to bring a bill unrequested.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    SF & the Ho
    Posts
    9,296
    Can't stand a waiter that can't close at the end of a meal. The stupidity annoys me cause it's the last chance to influence a good tip.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    19,201
    15 minutes. I tried to find someone. Russians. 2am.

    I got pissed off and walked.

    Years ago. But yes.
    Is it radix panax notoginseng? - splat
    This is like hanging yourself but the rope breaks. - DTM
    Dude Listen to mtm. He's a marriage counselor at burning man. - subtle plague

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Central OR
    Posts
    5,963
    Quote Originally Posted by mcski View Post
    Can't stand a waiter that can't close at the end of a meal. The stupidity annoys me cause it's the last chance to influence a good tip.
    Exactly. Gotta churn the tables too; more bodies=more money.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    here and there
    Posts
    18,583
    Quote Originally Posted by Rock Knocker View Post
    How does your wife feel about that?
    I fired her years ago.
    watch out for snakes

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    8,242
    Did this once in NYC. Had tickets for a BDWY show. Couldn't get the waiter to come over and give us the check. I think they were way understaffed. There was one other table where it looked like they were in the same situation. We finally left a cash amount that we thought was enough to cover the meal.

    Had a similar problem in Rome. Couldn't get the waiter to get us the check despite asking multiple times. We finally just decided to get up to leave, and he came running over. Several tourists were about to sit down and asked about the food and service. We told them food is good, service not so good, and the waiter shot us a dirty look. We paid the bill, no tip, but in Euroland service is included anyway.
    "We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully." - Randy Pausch

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Ogden
    Posts
    9,103
    Quote Originally Posted by Summit View Post
    Pretty much all Europe and all of the Americas south of the US are like that. It's considered rude for them to bring a bill unrequested.
    Yep, I prefer it. Pretty much any interaction with the wait staff has to be requested after taking your initial order and bringing the food, but the good ones are watching you for clues that you need them. I hate the US style of being checked on every 5 minutes to ask if everything is OK. And fake nice is fake, give me French waiters who give good service without the fake smiling.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    cow hampshire
    Posts
    8,294
    Quote Originally Posted by OldLarry View Post
    Guy literally saw my phone with this on the bar and came right over. Seems to be a trend in Montréal right now-


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    You're an american in montreal? I'm shocked you were served at all.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    2,655
    Quote Originally Posted by jackstraw View Post
    You're an american in montreal? I'm shocked you were served at all.
    Now that we're all potential refugees from a totalitarian theocratic regime, the dislike is abating in some quarters

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    the ham
    Posts
    13,370
    Quote Originally Posted by zion zig zag View Post
    And fake nice is fake, give me French waiters who give good service without the fake smiling.
    so true.
    Quote Originally Posted by jackstraw View Post
    You're an american in montreal? I'm shocked you were served at all.
    also true.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Back in SEA
    Posts
    9,657
    Quote Originally Posted by skiballs View Post
    A couple hundy to buy your life? Do you have self-esteem issues?
    Would be pretty fucking stupid to NOT buy your life for a "couple hundy", self-esteem notwithstanding...
    ... jfost is really ignorant, he often just needs simple facts laid out for him...

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