Waiters' Secrets Revealed: They're Not Just Spitting in Your Food

Hot on the heels of "100 Things Restaurant Servers Must Stop Doing!" and "64 Things Restaurant Patrons Must NEVER Do!" comes "30 Secrets Your Waiter Will Never Tell You," compiled from two dozen servers nationwide. It's hardly a secret that servers do unspeakable things to your food when you complain (or just for fun) and silently judge you when you make an unsophisticated request, but there are some new insights here, such as:

"On Christmas Day, when people ask why I’m there, I might say, 'My sister’s been in the hospital,' or, 'My brother’s off to war, so we’re celebrating when he gets back.' Then I rake in the tips." —Chris, a New York City waiter and the founder of Bitter Waitress.
"At one restaurant where I worked, the salads were made up to three days earlier. They were sitting on a tray with a thousand other salads in the refrigerator. The waiters went back, grabbed a plate and some dressing, and handed it to the customer." —Jake Blanton
"If you make a big fuss about sending your soup back because it’s not hot enough, we like to take your spoon and run it under really hot water, so when you put the hot spoon in your mouth, you’re going to get the impression—often the very painful impression—that your soup is indeed hot." —Chris
"If you are a pack of females, you want separate checks. And I don’t mean split evenly by the number of people. I mean split down to the exact number of Diet Cokes with lime each person consumed. And if eight gals order a $14 appetizer to share, that needs to be split into $1.75 each. If you are a pack of females over age 55, I’m near tears. You want all of the above, plus you’re going to complain about every … single … thing. —Kansas City waitress Charity Ohlund's favorite customer stereotype."

The list goes on and on, and includes other highlights such as dipping butter in the dishwater and a suggestion to "check out the bathroom. If the bathroom is gross, you can be sure the kitchen is much worse." Peruse the whole inventory of dirty secrets on, um, Reader's Digest! Or just give up on throwing money away at restaurants. [Via Grub Street]

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on December 1, 2009 4:00 PM

Comments [rss]

Vacia

If you can't be polite to your waiter go to McDonalds or something. A Server is not a Slave, don't treat them that way.

Your waiter is a person too. Most of us are really great people, and can be quite fun to dine with if you can just enjoy yourself! If something is wrong with your experience or food then consider where the mistake came from. Waiters rely on thier cooks, bussers and bartenders in order for all the things -you tip them on- to run smoothly. Your tipping on the service not the line you may have waited in, or the time it takes to fully cook a chicken breast.

PS. I've been waiting tables for over four years now and I don't know one singles server who has EVER spit into a dish or drink. Its simply respect for your fellow humans.

Joshua

Apparently the people on here degrading servers and waiters, have never actually done the job, because if they had, they would have a WHOLE lot more respect for them. They do not just simply fetch you're meal, and collect you're tip, as many of you arrogant and pompous idiots would believe. They have to put up with an extraordinary amount of bullshit throughout their shift, including rude, picky and just plain unsatisfiable people. As an employee of the food industry I've seen first hand just how rude and mean people can be to someone just trying to earn a paycheck, and how petty their demands are, i understand you are paying for the meal but that doesn't give you the right to be an asshole. On top of putting up with you're arrogance they have to take shit from management and back of the house(Kitchen) Staff, So cut them a break and leave an extra dollar or two next time you're dining out.

maxster

This reminds me of when I was working as a movie theater concessionist. We don't spit in your popcorn or take a sip out of your soda, but I witnessed my fellow consseionist digging into the trash bins after ushers clean up the theater in between shows and gather used popcorn bags and soda cups... what for? To resell it and pocket the money!

Another favorite mischief concessionist do is when someone makes a really big order, concessionist simply adds a few items when punching your order into the cash register. Since you made a big order, you don't pay attention to the total amount. You walk off with your big order of food, and concessionist walk off with some tasty treats you graciously paid for.

Swagata

That was really quiet interesting and entertaining!

kromelizard

Waiters really earn that sub-minimum wage.

Mr Mel

I find most servers friendly and appreciative. They're making a living working in a restaurant and are being friendly because that's their usual nature. Unfortunately it only takes one or two jerks a night to make the job a nightmare.

Barbj8

And some things that I saw; garnish taken out of the garbage and reused. Cigarette ashes in the salad. Regular coffee served because nobody wanted to make decaf. Kitchen staff double dipping buns into the gravy. Cutlery held under a waitresses bare armpit. Pet dogs in the kitchen. Lots and lots of touching things with unwashed hands! And except for the waitresses bare armpit, these weren't even done out of spite! And yes I do know of a case where a waiter did spit in a customer's drink. That was just gross.

The Opoponax

I think everyone pretty much knows by now that restaurants are breeding grounds for germs, and that your food is going to be touched by countless people who may or may not be using the best hygiene practices. I'd be upset by ashes in my salad, but I think it's basically understood that the cutlery, glassware, front of house utensils, and the like are not sterile.

If you are really worried about the cleanliness factor, your best bet is to learn to cook well in a variety of cuisines at home, where you can be in full control.

JonDavies

I have many thoughts on the matter (as I work in the restaurant industry), but think it wise to direct you to my favorite video blog right now - a waiter on YouTube who says what so many of us in the industry think and feel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/YourDailyTip

He teaches people how to be better customers, and what to look out for when they are dining. He's funny, nice, angry, cute, bitter, and charming!

I've seen his channel grow in a matter of months from 20 subscribers to over 800... but I would like to see it grow even more. He deserves it, I think!

etypical

waiters are missing the point; no one goes to a restaurant to be taught etiquette, they go for a meal. You need to get over yourselves. I bet receptionist in Drs offices (for example) have lots to say about hygiene and manners too, same thing though; the public doesn't give a shit what a server thinks, just serve or get out of the uniform.

retrovertigo

since when is showing respect and gratitude towards a person working hard to give you a pleasant and enjoyable eating experience a difficult thing? fuckin' a. recognize that the people serving you are human beings. it really isn't difficult. A good waiter will do everything they can to comply with your wishes and it is not, not, NOT difficult to say please, thank you, and tip decently for that. If you aren't prepared to act like a decent person when you go out to eat, than just stay home. no one needs your business that badly.

The Opoponax

I agree with other commenters - respect and politeness are one thing. Ranting about how people who order Fettucine Alfredo are a bunch of morons? Who asked you? Maybe I just craved Fettucine Alfredo. I didn't realize eating in a casual red-sauce Italian joint was really an audition for Andrew Zimmern's understudy.

I also have to say that one of the running themes in all these lists and associated commentary is the idea that IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU, WAITER. I will be polite and courteous and respectful of you as a person. I will tip well, because I know how difficult your job is. I will try not to put you out. But honestly you're the person who brings me my meal, not the whole reason I came to the restaurant in the first place. I probably won't remember your name or ask to sit in your section next time I eat here. I don't really care which menu items you like and which items you think are for losers. I don't care about your pet theories about hygiene. Just do your job and try not to get angry about the fact that part of said job is to sort of blend into the background.

etypical

Respect is one thing but let's remember, the diner is the customer, no one goes to a restaurant to enhance a waiter's evening. The waiter is extraneous to the entire affair. You go for the food, the location, the atmosphere, not some doofus in a vest. A bad waiter can ruin a meal but even a great waiter can't enhance a poor meal - waiters shouldn't get quite so carried away with themselves.

Billiamsburg

Agreed. Since when did being a lowly paid waiter give you the same sense of overblown pompous snobbery as being Julian Schnabel? you know whey I'm the diner? Because I paid for it. I don't let a taxi driver tell me how to properly ride in a car so I don't offended his sensibilities, I don't need a waiter telling me how to eat the food he's paid $2.00 an hour to carry to me.

JenChungsBaby

After the second time a woman said her soup was cold the chef put the bowl in the broiler until it was so hot she couldn't touch it for 25 minutes. The head waiter stepped in a pot of tomato sauce, which was then served. A waiter dropped a steak on the floor, stepped on it, and then brought it back to the kitchen before serving it. Another waiter dropped cigarette ash on an ice cream cake a customer had brought in for a birthday party and then brushed it off. The bread on the table is cut and served by busboys who do not wash their hands all night while clearing tables. A roach infestation meant every single dish had to be rewashed before use. Just some of the things I saw working in restaurants.

FJF

I for one could never deal with the bullshit most waiters have to on a daily basis. Then again, that's why I'm not a waiter.

hotstepper

that's it, i'm splooging on the next waiter i see.

etypical

Waiters really have an overblown sense of self. The job is to transfer food from kitchen to table, not to play Emily Post. I'm sorry being a waiter sucks. Sorry you deal with rudeness. Sorry you're dumb enough to think it's just in your line of business. Here's a fat tip for you; everyone deals with assholes. Try getting a job that doesn't indulge the 7 year old food spitter that you and clearly so many other waiters are.

And thanks for convincing me to cook more at home. You might be right but you'll certainly be poorer this holiday.