Veteran waiter reveals the most annoying things about restaurants
One longtime waiter, Darron Cardosa, divulged his biggest complaints about diners to Roberto A. Ferdman of The Washington Post.
Cardosa runs the blog The B***y Waiter, which chronicles his grievances about his diners.
Here are some of things he finds most annoying about diners and restaurants in general.
Napkin folding
"I've always hated it for two reasons. The first is that I hate having to pick up someone's napkin that they've been using, and having to refold it, because I don't want to touch their napkin. But I don't think that the customers necessarily wants my hands all over their napkin anyway," Cardosa said.
"Some places even fold the napkin and lay it across the chair, which is equally disgusting, because someone was just sitting on that chair who was sitting on public transportation just before, and now that napkin is going to go to their face. That's just gross."
Clearing plates before everyone is finished
"I agree with you [Ferdman wrote an article previously about how he hates when plates are cleared before everyone is finished with their respective meals] because I'm convinced that that makes people feel uncomfortable. Eating at a table by yourself, while three other people watch you finish your food, that's not right," Cardosa said.
When people abuse the freebies
"So if you get free refills, even if you don't want a second soda, you'll get it because it's free, and then not drink it. People do the same with bread, and tables, and all other sorts of things," Cardosa said.
When people order off the menu
Cardosa told The Washington Post people pick and choose items off of various dishes. "People are just way too comfortable now creating their own entree," he said.
When people say they have food intolerances...but don't really have them.
Cardosa recalled a specific instance. "A woman recently came into the restaurant, and asked whether the couscous that was part of a dish was gluten free. I said no, because couscous isn't, I think we can all agree, gluten free. Anyone who is gluten free, I thought at the time, should know this, that couscous is not gluten free. Couscous is full of gluten. Anyway, I told her that we could replace it for potatoes, but that the sauce that comes with the dish is made with flour, so I'll leave that off. And she said, 'Oh no, you can leave the sauce on, because some gluten is OK with me."
He also cited a woman who refused to eat sugar, but ordered a tonic water shortly after.
"That's how you really upset a server, by making a big scene about something and then totally disregarding or disavowing it ten minutes later," he said.
You can read the full interview here.