In his review today one of the (few) things Times critic Pete Wells actually liked about dining at Shake Shack was its exceedingly polite service—which isn't really a surprise as the chain is owned by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group which is known for, you guessed it, its hospitality. But with restaurant margins tight and the economy still shaky, now even regular old fast-casual spots are trying to learn to better service their customers. more ›

No question, being a waiter is hard—especially on Valentine's Day! But you know what is even harder? Being a waiter with two x chromosomes. According to a new study, Tipped Over The Edge — Gender Inequity in the Restaurant Industry, not only do female restaurant employees face "systemic discrimination" they also get paid less, have fewer sick days and can expect to see five times more harassment than the general female workforce. Not helping things? The fact that "the federal minimum wage for servers and other tipped workers" has been frozen at $2.13 per hour for the past 20 years. more ›

The perks of being a waiter are few and "family meal" is definitely one of them. But so we are clear, not included in that free feeding are bottles of pricey wine—as one waiter at the tony Italian restaurant SD26 recently found out, after he allegedly walked away with a Christmas bounty of eight bottles from the restaurant's private "Wine Connoisseurs Room." more ›

Fans of fine dining, pick up your phones. New York's Winter Restaurant Fortnight Week is back. Which means from January 24 through February 6 (and, if history is any guide, even later) hundreds of New York City eateries are offering three-course lunches for $24.07 and dinners for $35. The full list of participating restaurants is now live and reservations are being taken. more ›

The fancy French restaurant Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro is being sued by four former servers who were allegedly ripped off by chef-owner Terrance Brennan, who, according to the lawsuit, shared their gratuities with his maitre d's and cheese-counter workers, "whose duties make them ineligible to receive tips under federal and/or New York law." The former employees were pretty cheesed off about the practice, and raised their complaints about the unlawful conduct to Brennan to persuade him to change the restaurant's policies. But when that failed, they brought in the corny lawyers. Attorney Justin Swartz tells the Post, "Restaurant owners shouldn't treat workers' tip pools like a pot of fondue." more ›

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: more ›

Ugh, servers. After they bring your food they're always butting in asking if you're "still working" just as you're reaching the punchline of your most well-rehearsed anecdote! Weren't we supposed to eliminate the human element from the dining experience with computers and conveyor belts by now?! While the world waits on that technology, would-be Hamptons restaurateur Bruce Buschel has completed his list of 100 things servers should never, never do. For instance: more ›

There was a big "summit" meeting this morning at Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak restaurant to discuss the release of an interesting, albeit unsurprising, study highlighting the racist hiring practices at NYC restaurants. Commissioned by the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, the study enlisted 37 people to pose as white, black, Asian-American and Latino job applicants and visit restaurants looking for work. Grouped in pairs with different races (but matched for age, appearance and gender), they would arrive at restaurants within about a half hour of each other to apply for a job. more ›

Long Island waiters who provide a tantalizing description of the daily specials while omitting such vulgar details as price may have to change up their patter if a proposed law in Nassau County gets passed. Of course, resistance is coming from the New York Restaurant Association, which in recent years has failed to block regulations on calorie info and bans on artificial trans fat. The executive vice president of the group maintains, "It’s good business to give the prices, but it’s beyond the purview of a legislative body to get that far into managing restaurants." But Harvey B. Levinson, a champion of the proposal, tells the Times: "I’m sure that at one time or another you have been enticed by a waiter or waitress into ordering the special of the day, only to discover that it was really the price that was special." more ›

A waiter who turned his service industry lemons into publishing lemonade with his blog Waiter Rant has unmasked himself for the Post today, just in time for the release of his tell-all book. After years of anonymous venting about his miserable experiences serving swells at an unspecified restaurant in “the city's affluent suburbs,” Steve Dublanica has outed himself as the man who “prefers more elegant methods of revenge" than spitting in diners’ food – though he assures the Post this does happen often enough. more ›

Restaurant workers seem increasingly ready to hit their employers with lawsuits over tips – Buddha Bar and Tao are two of the latest to have their Zen calm shattered. But owners are also fighting back even after they lose, as three waiters at the Old Homestead Steakhouse are finding out. After winning $36,000 in a lawsuit over ripped-off tips, they’re suing their bosses again for harassment. The main gripe is that they’ve been punished by getting assigned to tables with the worst tippers: Europeans. And on top of all that, the $81 hamburger’s been taken off the menu! more ›