In my next fuku bag I would like an Irk clone - or Irk himself - I could take him on a date to a restaurant where I KNOW they will write down his order.
What really aggravates me are the restaurants that have tablets and you place your order yourself . . . If I wanted to punch an order in, I'd apply for a fucking job in food service.
@Pavlov I like to order pizza and other takeout online because I can specify exactly what I want. Cut out the middleman who might not hear you correctly on the phone or might write something down wrong. I wouldn't mind ordering via a tablet because we could do it at our own pace and get the order exact to our liking. No pushy waiter stopping by every 5 minutes to ask if we're ready to order either.
@medz 100% with you on pizza. I hate Dominos (compared to good, local pizza), but I'll order from them more often than not because sometimes I value consistency, predictability, and accountability more than good taste. With full service restaurants, I prefer to eat in places where waiters know how to deliver the right amount of service and get the order right. I've never been to a restaurant with tablet ordering, but I imagine they exist in the plebeian chains. In those places, I'd agree that a self-service ordering system would be welcome.
@Pavlov I'd love the ability, at every restaurant I frequent, to be able to key my order in, so as to specify exactly what I want with no anxiety about whether the wait staff understood and recorded everything. BJ's sort of has this (and others sort of do too), but in my experience, they don't allow sufficient options and/or space.
@medz@JerseyFrank Agreed. If I'm at a fine dining restaurant I expect excellent service to be a part of the experience (and cost) of eating there. The places that have tablets for ordering are usually chains like Friday's or Chili's where I'm prepared for the absolute minimum of service and I'm fine with using a tablet. I wouldn't be surprised if 10 or 15 years all fast food and most chains have automated ordering.
@Pavlov I so agree with you on this topic -- same with self check outs at stores and ATMS. If I wanted to do this, I would, but I DON'T. We put the stupid tablet facing the wall at those restaurants. However, we asked a waiter once, and he said he gets dinged everytime a customer doesn't use it. Didn't change our usage however.
@JonT Excellent service sure, but I guess I don't consider the server's opinion very highly during the ordering process. My wife will sometimes ask what appetizer is good or which mixed drink is better, etc... It never fails that if my wife goes with their suggestion, she doesn't like it. Service comes into play when the order arrives promptly and accurate, our drinks are refilled when needed, plates are removed at the appropriate time, and the check is brought when desired. We're just talking about the ordering process. I mean, you're already looking at a menu, why not just click a button to order what you like without having to relay that to the server? More efficient and more accurate. Good service is needed later.
@Pavlov Do they leave the tablet at the table so you can order another drink? THAT would be awesome. No waiting for the server to come around and ask if you want another. You just click a button which tells the bartender to get it poured. Then your server can bring it to you.
@medz I get where you're coming from but the few times I've been able to eat at what I would consider a real fine dining restaurant the wait staff's service goes beyond taking your order and bringing the food on time. I trust the wait staff's opinion because it's part of their job to really know what they're talking about. Maybe some seafood they have is particularly fresh that day, or the chef decided to offer a special because something looked especially good at the farmer's market. Plus there are recommendations for wine pairings and dessert. The last time I was at one of these places they gave us a really delicious snack while we waited at the bar (sourdough stick wrapped in fresh prosciutto with a horseradish dipping sauce, I still think about it) and a complimentary appetizer and amuse bouche because we had a short wait for our table. Would any of that be different if we ordered off a tablet? Probably not, but I also believe that the human interaction and conversation with the wait staff makes it more sincere and enhances the experience.
@JonT Or maybe some seafood is getting ready to go bad and that's what they suggest :-) But I agree, when I'm eating at a nice restuarant I expect the server to know and have eaten almost everything on the menu. I'm ok with tablets at lower end chain restaurants or at a bar when I can barely make it to the Uber afterward. But truely fine dining has no tablets, no tech, and the wait staff knows the menu and eats at the restaurant regularly because its good food and they trust it.
@medz The places I've been at that have the tablets, you can do that, but not having ordered drinks through that, I can't tell you how timely service has been on those drinks.
@JonT McDonald's is experimenting with total automation, the grill / assembly line is completely automated. Customer approaches kiosk / counter, places their own order, makes payment and the food is made to order using patented processes and delivered to the customer . . . They've been able to eliminate all but two employees from the automated test facility. One "manager" and one janitor are on duty. They also have new vending machines in testing that have limited menu / options but deliver a fully cooked meal from frozen in under four minutes. Apparently, there's no difference in taste (big surprise).
@medz Applebee's leaves the tablets at the table in our area but the drinks are no faster, they're just put in queue for the one or two bartenders they have working. Plus, after three drinks, it forces the manager to over-ride / approve the order (three alcoholic drinks per person per table) to make sure you're not "too intoxicated" to continue to be served. You can game the system a bit for the first few beers / mixed drinks and order ahead, and get a drink a bit faster - but after three, it all slows to a crawl - slower than a traditional server, IMHO.
@Pavlov I saw that for the first time at Genghis Grill this weekend. Coupled with the whole build your own bowl concept, the wait staff doesn't provide much service. I adjusted my tip accordingy.
I am in COMPLETE agreement. Best case scenario - I anxiously sit wondering how I'm going to bring up your error for 25 minutes and then am pleasantly surprised. Seriously just write it down!
I was just thinking this the other day...I have Celiac disease, so if I order something gluten free and you forget to push the right button, you can bet your balls you'll get to see my food twice - both before I've eaten it and after.
@Zypher We haven't. But we might have to. LePeep has gone weak on their disclaimer and the parking situation at both Company Cafe locations is beyond ridiculous. Sigh.
Want to impress me? Ask before you take my plate. Keep my glass from becoming empty. Bring me what I actually ordered. And don't bring my meal dead last, every time.
Also, maybe this bothers me more than it should, but a glass of water with a drop of brown food coloring and a lemon peel on the rim is not iced tea.
Okay, so I don't get the meal dead last every time, but it's over 50% in parties of 3 or more, which is a statistical anomaly.
@PocketBrain I once got called away from the table by work after ordering and before being served. My companions didn't stop the moron waiter from removing my untouched plate. Pretty sure I never returned to that restaurant with that group except when someone else was paying.
@PocketBrain Hmmm, if it is really a statistically anomaly that you get served dead last too often, then there must be a reason. Do you somehow annoy waiters? Are you the last to order, taking forever to decide? If there is no reason, it's not a statistical anomaly, just random variation. Our minds have a way of thinking there are statistical anomalies when none exist (just look up "birthday paradox").
Aren't there conventions of serving etiquette that dictate order? (Ladies before gentlemen, older guests before younger guests?) It makes sense a person would usually occupy the same position in the order, unless he dined with widely demographically different parties.
@PocketBrain In my case, if there's enough evidence of food on the plate that they have to ask "are you still working on that," I am. It's awkward. Leave my plate the fuck alone, until I move it from in front of my face and it is clearly empty.
@PocketBrain You should get your order dead last 33% of the time ONLY if you always eat in the same party of three. If you dine out with different people you actually INCREASE your odds of getting served dead last. So if you want to improve this stat, ditch some of your friends. You're welcome!
I avoid Irk's conundrum by only ordering from places that have an input device right in front of them. i.e. Chipotle That or I order take-out. Or mexican, where I just say I want a #8. Or sometimes the #12, but add guac and extra sour cream, please. Oh wait...I think I get where Irk is coming from. Not planet Earth, I don't think.
This is such an annoyance of mine!! I am a very picky eater and my order is almost always wrong if they do not write it down. And don't get me started with the stupid pickle that comes on the side of a burger/sandwich! I have to specifically ask that it is not put on my plate and almost every time I get a waiter that does not write that down forgets and I get that disgusting spear on my plate. I know I am in the minority hating pickles but I cant even handle the smell. If it is on my plate, I send the whole thing back.
@medz I was at a restaurant last week and my meal came with a pickle. I happen to be in the restroom when it arrived so my friend quickly removed the pickle and did't say a word to me until after I finished eating. The whole time I was thinking that the plate smelled like pickles and even mentioned it to him. He thinks I am a little nuts, lol.
@conandlibrarian Have you ever eaten in a Mexican restaurant and convincd them NOT to put refried beans on the plate? It doesn't work. I think there's a law.
Irk brings to mind an episode of James Burke's The Day the Universe Changed (episode 4, it seems, which, unfortunately, I can't seem to find online, even though several others are, and though they're old, I highly recommend them), where he talks about the decline in actual human memory with the propagation of the written word.
We had one waitress tell us that not writing down orders was her way of fending off Alzheimer's. To her credit, she got our somewhat complicated order right. But I'm generally with Irk on this one.
My wife always laughs at me for having this rant every time a waiter walks away without writing the order down. Thanks so much for proving it's not just me. Now, stop reading this post and get my dog toys in the mail!
Did someone recently have a run-in with a forgetful waiter, @matthew?
In my next fuku bag I would like an Irk clone - or Irk himself - I could take him on a date to a restaurant where I KNOW they will write down his order.
Irk is just a few curmudgeon points short of full-on Andy Rooney. Hopefully next video Irk will say "Hey you kids get off my lawn!"
I'm so with you on this Irk! Just write it down!!!!!
What really aggravates me are the restaurants that have tablets and you place your order yourself . . . If I wanted to punch an order in, I'd apply for a fucking job in food service.
@Pavlov When waiters point me to the tablet I'm always quick to point out that the restaurant is trying to push them out of a job.
@jqubed just smile and tip yourself
@jqubed Do you find you get different service once you tell them that?
@Pavlov I like to order pizza and other takeout online because I can specify exactly what I want. Cut out the middleman who might not hear you correctly on the phone or might write something down wrong. I wouldn't mind ordering via a tablet because we could do it at our own pace and get the order exact to our liking. No pushy waiter stopping by every 5 minutes to ask if we're ready to order either.
@medz 100% with you on pizza. I hate Dominos (compared to good, local pizza), but I'll order from them more often than not because sometimes I value consistency, predictability, and accountability more than good taste. With full service restaurants, I prefer to eat in places where waiters know how to deliver the right amount of service and get the order right. I've never been to a restaurant with tablet ordering, but I imagine they exist in the plebeian chains. In those places, I'd agree that a self-service ordering system would be welcome.
@Pavlov I'd love the ability, at every restaurant I frequent, to be able to key my order in, so as to specify exactly what I want with no anxiety about whether the wait staff understood and recorded everything. BJ's sort of has this (and others sort of do too), but in my experience, they don't allow sufficient options and/or space.
@medz @JerseyFrank Agreed. If I'm at a fine dining restaurant I expect excellent service to be a part of the experience (and cost) of eating there. The places that have tablets for ordering are usually chains like Friday's or Chili's where I'm prepared for the absolute minimum of service and I'm fine with using a tablet. I wouldn't be surprised if 10 or 15 years all fast food and most chains have automated ordering.
@Pavlov I so agree with you on this topic -- same with self check outs at stores and ATMS. If I wanted to do this, I would, but I DON'T. We put the stupid tablet facing the wall at those restaurants. However, we asked a waiter once, and he said he gets dinged everytime a customer doesn't use it. Didn't change our usage however.
@JonT Excellent service sure, but I guess I don't consider the server's opinion very highly during the ordering process. My wife will sometimes ask what appetizer is good or which mixed drink is better, etc... It never fails that if my wife goes with their suggestion, she doesn't like it. Service comes into play when the order arrives promptly and accurate, our drinks are refilled when needed, plates are removed at the appropriate time, and the check is brought when desired. We're just talking about the ordering process. I mean, you're already looking at a menu, why not just click a button to order what you like without having to relay that to the server? More efficient and more accurate. Good service is needed later.
@Pavlov I haven't seen any of thise yet in person.
@Pavlov Do they leave the tablet at the table so you can order another drink? THAT would be awesome. No waiting for the server to come around and ask if you want another. You just click a button which tells the bartender to get it poured. Then your server can bring it to you.
@medz I get where you're coming from but the few times I've been able to eat at what I would consider a real fine dining restaurant the wait staff's service goes beyond taking your order and bringing the food on time. I trust the wait staff's opinion because it's part of their job to really know what they're talking about. Maybe some seafood they have is particularly fresh that day, or the chef decided to offer a special because something looked especially good at the farmer's market. Plus there are recommendations for wine pairings and dessert. The last time I was at one of these places they gave us a really delicious snack while we waited at the bar (sourdough stick wrapped in fresh prosciutto with a horseradish dipping sauce, I still think about it) and a complimentary appetizer and amuse bouche because we had a short wait for our table. Would any of that be different if we ordered off a tablet? Probably not, but I also believe that the human interaction and conversation with the wait staff makes it more sincere and enhances the experience.
@JonT Or maybe some seafood is getting ready to go bad and that's what they suggest :-) But I agree, when I'm eating at a nice restuarant I expect the server to know and have eaten almost everything on the menu. I'm ok with tablets at lower end chain restaurants or at a bar when I can barely make it to the Uber afterward. But truely fine dining has no tablets, no tech, and the wait staff knows the menu and eats at the restaurant regularly because its good food and they trust it.
@medz The places I've been at that have the tablets, you can do that, but not having ordered drinks through that, I can't tell you how timely service has been on those drinks.
@JonT McDonald's is experimenting with total automation, the grill / assembly line is completely automated. Customer approaches kiosk / counter, places their own order, makes payment and the food is made to order using patented processes and delivered to the customer . . . They've been able to eliminate all but two employees from the automated test facility. One "manager" and one janitor are on duty. They also have new vending machines in testing that have limited menu / options but deliver a fully cooked meal from frozen in under four minutes. Apparently, there's no difference in taste (big surprise).
@medz Applebee's leaves the tablets at the table in our area but the drinks are no faster, they're just put in queue for the one or two bartenders they have working. Plus, after three drinks, it forces the manager to over-ride / approve the order (three alcoholic drinks per person per table) to make sure you're not "too intoxicated" to continue to be served. You can game the system a bit for the first few beers / mixed drinks and order ahead, and get a drink a bit faster - but after three, it all slows to a crawl - slower than a traditional server, IMHO.
@juststephen You need to maybe get out more (and have a good stiff drink to loosen the fuck up) . . . Just sayin'.
@Pavlov I saw that for the first time at Genghis Grill this weekend. Coupled with the whole build your own bowl concept, the wait staff doesn't provide much service. I adjusted my tip accordingy.
If they give me something randomly, I might be allergic to it as I'm allergic to shellfish and nuts.
Restaurants sometimes have to make food separately for me.
I am in COMPLETE agreement. Best case scenario - I anxiously sit wondering how I'm going to bring up your error for 25 minutes and then am pleasantly surprised. Seriously just write it down!
I was just thinking this the other day...I have Celiac disease, so if I order something gluten free and you forget to push the right button, you can bet your balls you'll get to see my food twice - both before I've eaten it and after.
@Zypher Are you trying to say I should place a wager where my nads are on the line?
@irishbyblood if you're feeding a Celiac sufferer gluten, it seems fair to wager testicles.
@Zypher Not sure if we'd discussed this elsewhere, but celiac here too. Somehow a high five seems inappropriate, but, um, I feel your pain.
@Thumperchick Word. Testicles are in danger.
@joelmw Hey, we can high five! May as well celebrate and be enthusiastic about something 5
I'm just lucky to live in Austin, TX. Lots of gluten free options here. Actually makes me glad I moved here 5 years ago.
@Zypher Three years here. And Dallas isn't a bad place to be gluten-free either. Great GiG here.
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
@Thumperchick But...if gluten is to have any value in this world, it's got to stop being free.
@joelmw Dallas isn't bad for that you're right. Have you been to Kozy Kitchen? They have some amazing GF French toast! *Stuffed French toast.
@Zypher We haven't. But we might have to. LePeep has gone weak on their disclaimer and the parking situation at both Company Cafe locations is beyond ridiculous. Sigh.
Want to impress me? Ask before you take my plate. Keep my glass from becoming empty. Bring me what I actually ordered. And don't bring my meal dead last, every time.
Also, maybe this bothers me more than it should, but a glass of water with a drop of brown food coloring and a lemon peel on the rim is not iced tea.
Okay, so I don't get the meal dead last every time, but it's over 50% in parties of 3 or more, which is a statistical anomaly.
@PocketBrain I will grab the plate out of the air to rescue that last handful of fries, if I have to.
@PocketBrain I once got called away from the table by work after ordering and before being served. My companions didn't stop the moron waiter from removing my untouched plate. Pretty sure I never returned to that restaurant with that group except when someone else was paying.
@PocketBrain Hmmm, if it is really a statistically anomaly that you get served dead last too often, then there must be a reason. Do you somehow annoy waiters? Are you the last to order, taking forever to decide? If there is no reason, it's not a statistical anomaly, just random variation. Our minds have a way of thinking there are statistical anomalies when none exist (just look up "birthday paradox").
Aren't there conventions of serving etiquette that dictate order? (Ladies before gentlemen, older guests before younger guests?) It makes sense a person would usually occupy the same position in the order, unless he dined with widely demographically different parties.
@PocketBrain In my case, if there's enough evidence of food on the plate that they have to ask "are you still working on that," I am. It's awkward. Leave my plate the fuck alone, until I move it from in front of my face and it is clearly empty.
@whogots I sincerely hope you refused to pay for the food you never received.
@PocketBrain You should get your order dead last 33% of the time ONLY if you always eat in the same party of three. If you dine out with different people you actually INCREASE your odds of getting served dead last. So if you want to improve this stat, ditch some of your friends. You're welcome!
I avoid Irk's conundrum by only ordering from places that have an input device right in front of them. i.e. Chipotle That or I order take-out. Or mexican, where I just say I want a #8. Or sometimes the #12, but add guac and extra sour cream, please. Oh wait...I think I get where Irk is coming from. Not planet Earth, I don't think.
When I get the wrong food, I never remember if the waiter wrote it down or not. I should probably start writing that down.
This is such an annoyance of mine!! I am a very picky eater and my order is almost always wrong if they do not write it down. And don't get me started with the stupid pickle that comes on the side of a burger/sandwich! I have to specifically ask that it is not put on my plate and almost every time I get a waiter that does not write that down forgets and I get that disgusting spear on my plate. I know I am in the minority hating pickles but I cant even handle the smell. If it is on my plate, I send the whole thing back.
@conandlibrarian yum...pickles...
@conandlibrarian So...you're saying you're not gonna eat your pickle? Dibs!
@medz I was at a restaurant last week and my meal came with a pickle. I happen to be in the restroom when it arrived so my friend quickly removed the pickle and did't say a word to me until after I finished eating. The whole time I was thinking that the plate smelled like pickles and even mentioned it to him. He thinks I am a little nuts, lol.
@conandlibrarian Have you ever eaten in a Mexican restaurant and convincd them NOT to put refried beans on the plate? It doesn't work. I think there's a law.
Irk brings to mind an episode of James Burke's The Day the Universe Changed (episode 4, it seems, which, unfortunately, I can't seem to find online, even though several others are, and though they're old, I highly recommend them), where he talks about the decline in actual human memory with the propagation of the written word.
We had one waitress tell us that not writing down orders was her way of fending off Alzheimer's. To her credit, she got our somewhat complicated order right. But I'm generally with Irk on this one.
Did these ever happen?
My wife always laughs at me for having this rant every time a waiter walks away without writing the order down. Thanks so much for proving it's not just me. Now, stop reading this post and get my dog toys in the mail!
How spooky. Just watching a Happy Endings episode where they are complaining about a waiter not writing things down. Does Irk control my TV now?
@Goshdarnit I suspect the plush little dude is in places we don't want to know about.