I voted the last one but we have a 2yr old and intentionally go at less-than-peak dining times to keep from disturbing other guests with the young-un.

Yes, some of us thoughtful parents do exist but you never see us nor our very loud mouthed child because we're not there when you are.

I make reservations, and if I am asked to wait, I inform the manager that my party, and my money will dine elsewhere. Then leave.

One group of eatries in Beverly Hills always asks you to wait in the bar 15 minutes. They want to increase liquor sales. I inform the hostess that we will order drinks at our table if it is ready now, or we will be leaving.

We are always seated forthwith.

You know why we have to wait? It's simple, they no longer take reservations at most restaurants. It is ridiculous that businesses can be so lazy that they refuse to accommodate the very people from which they derive their income.

More than one response, here. I am happy with a reasonable wait for dinner or making reservations for something fancy, but I work for a living, so no point waiting for lunch during the week.

tiler100 wrote:I voted the last one but we have a 2yr old and intentionally go at less-than-peak dining times to keep from disturbing other guests with the young-un.

Yes, some of us thoughtful parents do exist but you never see us nor our very loud mouthed child because we're not there when you are.

On behalf of single people everywhere I extend my thanks!

Personally loud children do not bother me, because they occasionally say something that will make me lol.

Mebe fi, ten minit.

I will not wait, if I have to, I go elsewhere. I get reservations when I can, and inform friends and relatives that I will not wait. This goes back to a time when I had to wait more than 90 minutes to be seated at a crummy restaurant (now out of business) where a family member HAD to eat. (I am diabetic and must eat within a certain time frame, but it is still ridiculous to be forced to wait an unreasonable time before eating.)
I never go back to places that force you to wait - like Outback, or are "too busy" or too popular to seat you quickly - they obviously don't need my business.

I'll wait, but my problem is that many times it's not the fact that they're full seating wise - they don't have enough wait staff to handle all the tables. It's frustrating to stand there waiting and see empty tables!

I'll belly up to the bar... and order my dinner while I'm sitting there waiting :-P

rose bud Murdock wrote:You know why we have to wait? It's simple, they no longer take reservations at most restaurants. It is ridiculous that businesses can be so lazy that they refuse to accommodate the very people from which they derive their income.

Don't blame the business. The reason most restaurants no longer take reservations is because of customers who would make a reservation and then not show up, which loses money for the restaurant. A significant amount, in fact.

As for me, I'll usually take a bar seat anyway.

I was once told at a P.F.Chang's that there was the USUAL 45 minute wait. It cracked me up. I said "45 minutes for Chinese food?" We went a couple of doors down and were seated quickly at a nice steak house.

That must be some great Chinese food.

Im a waiter at a popular sports bar, while we do not take reservations, we have a wait list approx. 4 nights a week or more... After being subject to this, and while its great for my money situation, I cannot understand why someone would wait for a table... Go cook, or find a small diner... Or get take out... Isn't your time worth so much more?

RWoodward wrote:Mebe fi, ten minit.

Time that could be well spent learning how to spell.

tiler100 wrote:I voted the last one but we have a 2yr old and intentionally go at less-than-peak dining times to keep from disturbing other guests with the young-un.

Yes, some of us thoughtful parents do exist but you never see us nor our very loud mouthed child because we're not there when you are.

Thank you for your consideration. I have always found that the only problem with "Family Restaurants" is that they tend to draw families.

Like many of you, I generally will not wait for any extended period. Maybe 5-10 minutes. If I pull up to a place and see people spilling out of the front door because the waiting area is full I just keep going.

I do find it amazing that people will wait (for quite a long period) for very unremarkable food at places like PF Chang, Outback, and Olive Garden.

Where's the option for "I don't have money to eat out"?

tiler100 wrote:I voted the last one but we have a 2yr old and intentionally go at less-than-peak dining times to keep from disturbing other guests with the young-un.

Yes, some of us thoughtful parents do exist but you never see us nor our very loud mouthed child because we're not there when you are.

Eat fertilizer you snoody cherry blossom. Everyone in the restaurant has rights, not just the people without kids.

photobobk wrote:Time that could be well spent learning how to spell.

cud im a brake, ten spelt rite!

Needs an "I don't eat out." option.

Bucher8 wrote:Isn't your time worth so much more?

Precisely why I don't wait if it's up to me. It's not worth my time. Some people might call me arrogant, but no restaurant is good enough that I should feel like they're doing me a favor by letting me eat there. This is a significant benefit to my wallet and waistline.

RWoodward wrote:Mebe fi, ten minit.

Meet me at Sky Burger, no waiting.
Then we'll go see "Plan 9"

NOT A DEAL...
http://www.walmart.com/ip/16617710?adid=22222222227000831143&wmlspartner=wlpa&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=13694821990&wl4=&wl5=pla

Walmart has them for $21

Waiting on a table at a restaurant is never a good deal.

olperfesser wrote:I will not wait, if I have to, I go elsewhere. I get reservations when I can, and inform friends and relatives that I will not wait. This goes back to a time when I had to wait more than 90 minutes to be seated at a crummy restaurant (now out of business) where a family member HAD to eat. (I am diabetic and must eat within a certain time frame, but it is still ridiculous to be forced to wait an unreasonable time before eating.)
I never go back to places that force you to wait - like Outback, or are "too busy" or too popular to seat you quickly - they obviously don't need my business.

You must a barrell of monkees to go out with....

I generally only eat out when I'm with friends, so if it's a nice enough restaurant I don't mind waiting (as long as it's less than thirty minutes) because the whole point is to be social and we can just as easily be social waiting as seated. If it's longer than thirty minutes, however, unless it's somewhere truly exceptional, it's not worth my time and we usually go elsewhere.

Personally, I feel that I, and my guests if I'm in company, should be able to linger at our table over coffee and dessert, and actually well beyond coffee and dessert and enjoy the table for as long as we want to.

I feel others should eat and their lardy behinds outta there so I can be seated.

tiler100 wrote:
Yes, some of us thoughtful parents do exist but you never see us nor our very loud mouthed child because we're not there when you are.

Leetransue wrote:
Eat fertilizer you snoody cherry blossom. Everyone in the restaurant has rights, not just the people without kids.

Teach your kids some respect so their knuckles don't drag when they walk, like yours obviously do.

rose bud Murdock wrote:You know why we have to wait? It's simple, they no longer take reservations at most restaurants. It is ridiculous that businesses can be so lazy that they refuse to accommodate the very people from which they derive their income.

This post is so far off base it's not even funny. Not taking reservations isn't a matter of laziness. It's a matter of common sense.

The biggest reason why most restaurants don't take reservations is because they're nearly impossible to enforce. There is absolutely nothing stopping a customer from calling, placing a reservation, and then never showing up, causing actual paying customers (the ones from which they derive their income) to have to wait even longer while a reserved table sits completely empty. It is actually better for the real customers for a restaurant not to take reservations.

And if a restaurant is on a wait, I really doubt that they care if you take your business elsewhere. Gripe all you want, they won't miss you.

mheisk wrote:cud im a brake, ten spelt rite!

What's even funnier is that your reply will pass a spell-checker. Good one!

Depends on the place. Craziest wait I've ever had was Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix. You have to get there early to sign up to get on the wait list. They don't take reservations and the place only seats about 20 head, so in other words get there by 3 if you want to eat at 6.

My experience was a few years ago the weekend before the BCS game and didn't get seated until about 7:30. Mind you it's beautiful in Phoenix in January/February, so it's no problem chilling w/ a bottle of wine and snacks...but still was there waiting for 4 hours!

I love those places that say "There will be a 23 minute wait, sir."

My response: "Well, 22 minutes I could handle, but waiting for a prime number of minutes is just way too much."