Figured this may give you all a good chuckle :)

Yeeeeears ago I used to live in a popular college spring break destination and worked at a Red Robin. Had a group of obviously young college kids come in and all order alcohol along with their food.

Asked for IDs, and shocker, only one was old enough to drink. His ID was legit but out of state, so clearly visiting for spring break. Refused to serve the rest because, hello?? I’m not losing my job over your spring break antics.

Naturally, they all copped an attitude and ended up stiffing me.

Well, one of them left his debit card behind. So I tossed it straight into the dish pit trash and didn’t tell a soul.

I was 19, petty, and making shit money while dealing with shit customers. To this day, I hope he spent the rest of his spring break trying to figure out where the hell his debit card went. You didn’t leave gratuity, but you definitely left me something.

Today I had a table of five. Everyone there is ordering drinks so I ID them. One of the guests showed me his ID and his ID picture looked very funny. I made a comment about how he looks odd and just doesn't want to be there. The rest of table has a look at his ID and they all kind of laughed and agreed with me. One of the guys even says he looks like he was forced to take that picture. Than another guy shows me his ID and I tell him "yes looks good" than he asks me if I want to see his old ID. I replied yes. As he is pulling out his old ID he makes a comment about how he looks like a terrorist in his picture. He shows it to me and I laugh and say "yes I would deport you over this picture." The whole table laughs and one of the guys looks at the ID and says something along the lines about how he looks like he would smuggle something over the line. He says something about smuggling cocaine in bags and the person who was showing the ID and made the terrorist joke says "not bags, boxes." And the table is kind of laughing. I take their food and drink order and everything seems ok. When I go back to check on the table after they finished their appetizer I noticed that guy who made the terrorist joke left. I remember asking him if he wanted another beer and he said no. He was just going to finish the one he had and be done. The other two guys who were there ordered a last round of beers before last call. I drop off their beers and the guys gives me a fist bump. So good so far right? Fast forward to the end when they finally pay their bill. The tables tips me 20% and I noticed the guy who paid on the ziosk flagged me down and asked me for a paper receipt. As I drop off the receipt, one of the girls asks to speak with a manager. Turns out that her and her friend complained about me and said they didn't like my joke and it sort of made the table feel uncomfortable. And the girls were speaking on the guys behalf because he left. But only they complained and the other 2 guys who stayed said nothing. I read the table and once he made the joke about looking like a terrorist and the other one made a joke about looking like he smuggles cocaine over the line. I kind of took that like oh this is a fun table and they won't be sensitive to jokes.

Now this happened 3 nights ago and I just got the news yesterday that I was being fired. But my thing is I read the table. They started with the racist jokes and I just matched their vibe. I of course did not mean to offend anyone. The funny part is I am full blooded Mexican myself. What do you guys think? Is reading the table and matching their energy wrong of me? I feel like I do this all the time and 99/100 the table loves me for it.

I swear to God I didn't have a single table that's normal. I work in a Japanese Hibachi/sushi restaurant as server/bartender. We open at 11am and at 10:30 there were two old ladies bashing our door demanding for seating and threatened to leave bad reviews after we told them we're not open yet. The first table I got the lady demanded us to make chicken nuggets for her children.

Two ladies asked me if they could take a tiktok video of me making cocktails and after I politely refused (I hate being taken into videos when I'm working) they just took out their phone and started shooting anyway.

A guy came in and asked why we don't have orange chicken on our menu.

A family of 4 came in and the father asked if we could cook his lamb in his trunk at the hibachi grill, leaving zero tip on a 160$ bill after we refused.

A guy asked me to teach him Japanese despite I'm not from Japan.

A group of people pulled out the largest bottle of vodka I've ever seen the complained about it after we told them BYOB is not permitted.

A dude just lit up a blunt on the table while the chef was cooking.

I mean I do have strange people doing strange shit everyday but Jesus Christ, did lunatic hospital had a field day today?

Is this a real phenomenon for you guys? I’ve worked in restaurants since I was 15, I’m now 23. And Istg the whole “when you as a server order food it’s gonna get busy” thing has been very real. It doesn’t matter if it’s at the beginning, middle or end of my shift but it always happens. So I’m curious if it’s actually a universal thing or not. I know it’s like the restaurant version of you don’t say it’s quiet in a hospital. So I’m wondering if anyone has any stories about this. And yes this did just happen to me tonight😁

Anyone get home from work, pour themselves a drink, and just ugly cry as a release from being on stage all night dealing with the emotional roller-coaster of a hectic service.

The stress from the kitchen, frustration at other servers for not carrying their weight with sidework, the mental acrobatics of multitasking, anger at needy tables asking for everything under the moon and having to put on a happy face the entire time and winding up with a shitty tip, etc etc?

Just some stories from my Saturday, let’s commiserate.

Guest one: requests a booth over the phone (I manage and wait tables and I had done the admin shift yesterday before service so I took the phone call) and I explained we can’t take booth requests over the phone because we only have 4 booths, but let the host know you would like a booth when you check in and we will do our best. They end up being my table, and as I’m walking them to the booth she says “we sat over here last time, I’d like a booth in a different area”. Bitch literally two hours ago I told you we only have 4 and you’re looking at all four of them!!!! Then she completely does not listen to my spiel at all and asks me 3 questions that I had already given her the answer to before she even asked- that’s no biggie it happens all the time. Then she goes to order wine and it all gets worse.

Mrs. Idiot: I’d like to order wine.
me (while thinking “okay…? Do it??”): absolutely, what would you like?
Mrs. Idiot: a very sweet sparkling white
Me: unfortunately I don’t actually have a sweet sparkling white. As far as sparkling goes, the prosecco would be the sweetest we offer. The moscato is the sweetest white we carry and while it is a still wine it does have a bit of effervescence to it.
Mrs. Idiot: the prosecco is fine

So I bring her the prosecco. She tastes it, makes a face and calls it “gross, dry and bitter”. I mean I told you we don’t have a sweet sparkling white, girlfriend. I waste the split and bring her a taste of the moscato which is disgusting (and our cost on it is around $5 a bottle which speaks to the quality) and she agrees with me on that and again calls it gross. At least she’s right this time lol. She decides to look over the cocktail list instead.

Mrs. Idiot: I’ll have a French martini I guess. (if you don’t know- it’s vodka, pineapple juice and chambord. The menu lists these ingredients and I am assuming she can read)
Me: of course, would you like a sugared rim?
Mrs. Idiot: I don’t know. Does it taste like a whiskey sour?
Me: no, it doesn’t (silently “what the actual fuck do you mean?” and now questioning if she actually can read)

She drinks it, it’s fine and good. They were fine, but when I took their call to make the reservation I specifically asked if they were celebrating any birthdays or anniversaries and she said no. She saw me give another table a complimentary anniversary dessert and all of a sudden it is the celebration of 30 years of them being Mr. & Mrs Idiot lol. Whatever, no sweat off my back and I happily get them one too. All of this for 10% on a little over $200 lol.

Scene 2. Setting: the same fucking booth. Probably cursed or haunted, I don’t know. This couple seems FAR more normal, less stupid, and way more pretentious. The husband is asking me weirdly specific questions in a way that feels like he was trying to big dick me about knowing more about our food than I do, but I actually am a little freak and love to know every niche detail about our menu, and also food in general. I genuinely really like when tables have questions, and despite every word I’ve written here so far I really love my job, but I can tell this guy is asking these questions in bad faith if that makes any sense. It’s like this:

Mr. Asshat: Are the clams steamers? Because people are very particular about their clams and if they’re not steamers you shouldn’t call them that. (The menu calls them “steamed clams”)
Me: you’re spot on about that! No, the steamed clams are not steamers they are steamed cherry stone clams.
Mr Asshat: how do your scallops come?
Me: (I start to describe the preparation options and he cuts me off)
Mr. Asshat: no I mean how do you get them, you know there’s different ways they are shipped that can really change the quality.
Me: oh my apologies, I misunderstood! They are a U10 dry packed scallop from Nova Scotia.
Mr Asshat: how fatty is the salmon?
Me: I mean, it’s salmon so it - (he cuts me off)
Mr. Asshat: I know but is it fatty like Ora king salmon?
Me: you sure know your fish! This is a faroe island salmon, so it’s a little less fatty than Ora king and I would say not quite as velvety in texture.
Mr. Asshat: the Faroe Islands are way more north and the water is colder so shouldn’t that be more fatty?
Me: (thinking wtf is this an exam or what) faroe island salmon is a species of Atlantic salmon, which have a lower fat content than king salmon.

He doesn’t even order any of those things, he orders an item he didn’t ask me about at all!!! Like I said though, I like answering questions and I know the food very well and in an event where I don’t know the answer, I’m excited to go find the answer and add it to the dumb fact list I have running in my head. Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to disclose any dietary restrictions or needs? Who knows, not me that’s for sure. He got a side that has lentils in it- that’s important.

They were in to celebrate the birth of Mrs. Mostly-Nice. She kept her maiden name- love that for her!! She didn’t say too much through the ordering process, she had no questions and loved her dinner (and so did he). I bring her a birthday dessert and candle all that jazz, and at that point he asks me if the side he got was something prepackaged or if we make it. I tell him we make it and tell him everything that’s in it, including the lentils.

Mrs Mostly-Nice: well it’s a good thing I didn’t try it because I would have died (said with a bit of a tone too I might add)
Me: good! I mean not good you would have died, but very good you didn’t try it if that is the case.
Mrs. Mostly-Nice: (while looking at her dessert) lentils are a legume and I have a deadly nut allergy. There’s not nuts in this, right??

I tell her we actually outsource our desserts and while hers does not contain any nuts, the bakery does handle them. She eats it anyways. Two things here:

1. do you have any fucking idea how hard it was for me to not say that her dessert does not contain any nuts OR legumes??
   
2. How are you married to someone who is so fucking pretentious about food, yet doesn’t know that nuts≠legumes and while some people are allergic to both, many people who have a peanut allergy are fine with tree nuts and vice versa??
   
3. IF YOU WOULDVE FUCKING DIED, DONT YOU THINK YOU SHOULDVE MENTIONED THAT AT LITERALLY ANY POINT BEFORE EATING???? (we don’t prompt people to provide allergen information because we handle so much shellfish. We can promise no cross contamination from the kitchen end, but can’t promise someone from another table or bar seat doesn’t fling shellfish juice at you, can’t promise that every guest who eats shellfish will refrain from touching random shit in the restaurant before scrubbing their hands that you could then touch unknowingly, etc., so for that reason we don’t invite people to offer that info up or I would ask at the beginning of the interaction)

Anyways, thanks so much for joining me on this incredibly dramatic recount of my Saturday night, where the above events plus several unmentioned did have me googling what phase the moon is in and if anything is retrograding lol. Have a good night make lots love you bye.

PLEASE READ AND HELP ME!! So I recently started serving at this restaurant a few months ago. They are a family owned restaurant and they opened up in March of
2026. I live in Utah, where I believe the legal minimum wage for servers is $2.14. At my last serving job, I'd get a $60 or so check every other week. However, MY NEW BOSS HAS NEVER PAID ME EVER! They claim they don't need to because of new tax laws or something. They mentioned the checks being kept so our tips from customers aren't taxed. But i and none of my coworkers have ever received any sort of hourly pay from our boss.
Since it's a father and daughter who opened the place, I'm seriously questioning what the f*** is happening?
Does anybody know? Should I be worried for filing taxes or are they right?

So I'd been outta work for a couple months and was getting very discouraged. Got hired on a new place and did my first shift off training tonight.

Some background, I've been in the industry for 13 years, server, bartender, FOH mngr. This also means I'm not a spring chicken anymore. I've been a victim of ageism recently and it really got to me. Even though I always go hard and usually run circles around younger coworkers.

So my first solo shift tonight:

I made 2 mistakes but caught them before they went to the kitchen, didn't get in the weeds at all, AND made $102 in a four hour shift. 😊

Altogether a good night. I think it put me back in the groove.💜😎

My restaurant is BYOB but the tables are too small to leave an ice bucket for wine, beer etc. Where do you guys suggest I put it? Should I ask my boss to buy a lil stand thingy for it?

I was pre-bussing my table tonight when I heard a really loud bang from a couple tables behind me, like a large balloon popped or something, then a lady screamed… the busy restaurant went dead silent.

I looked back, and realized that the lady who screamed had somehow dropped her extremely young infant while standing, and its head hit the fucking table. The scariest part was that the baby didn’t even start crying for like 10 full seconds.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it got permanent brain damage, the bang was so loud y’all. The mom took it to the bathroom for a few minutes, and when I briefly saw them again, the baby had a blank expression with a thousand-yard stare. I’ve never had a kid or baby family members so I don’t know if that’s normal?

But they just finished their meal for another half hour instead of going to the hospital FFS! Ugh, I can’t get that sound out of my head… that poor baby 😭

Looking for advice from people who know this industry better than me. I’ve been working as an SA at a fine dining place for the last 6 months.

I get out of bed at 4am and average 4 hours of sleep a night if I’m working. My job involves a lot of constant manual labour - setting up the breakfast buffet, carrying heavy trays and washing dishes, cleaning the dishwasher, taking the very heavy trash down stairs etc. I’ve developed skin conditions on my hands from all of this and I am absolutely exhausted most of the time but somehow manage to power through.

When it’s particularly busy, and especially if I’m on the coffee machine that day, I can feel my nervous system frying. I don’t have a second to breathe or drink water sometimes. I had severe anxiety in the past and worked hard to heal my nervous system so I worry about the detrimental effects this job is having. We’re also very understaffed at the moment so I find myself getting increasingly angry when I’m made to do the work of two people. I also feel resentful when I see the servers or hosts walk in without having to do any of the manual labour I’ve already done that morning, or when they go on their breaks and I know I can’t even start my break because I have trash bags to take out or breakfast buffet items to pack away before I can.

For context, management really made a big song and dance about me when I first joined. They were very impressed by my wine knowledge and everyone kept saying they didn’t understand why I was in the back and not a server. I never expressed a desire to move up but they told me they were gonna train me to be a server and gave me a timeline that never ended up happening. It genuinely feels like I faded into the background and they forgot all about me. I’m new to the industry and I guess this taught me not to take any of that stuff seriously when it’s just words.

At this point I genuinely don’t care what I do next, whether it’s server or host or something else, but I just know I can’t be an SA much longer. I know every role has its unique challenges but being an SA is wrecking my physical and mental health.

Ok guys. So. If you are gonna be in the bathroom for 15 minutes every roughly 30 to 45 minutes, and come back with your pupils blown talking 100mph arguing with your customers with a nosebleed, we ALL know what you are doing in there.

Your tables know. Your co-workers know. Your manager knows.

STOP DOING DRUGS AT WORK PLEASE.

I've had a lot of managers in my day, used to work a job where I had no joke 50 supervisors I worked under. A lot of them weren't qualified, not the brightest etc. But my current manager is probably the most uprofessional I've ever worked under if not at least in the running. My first week working this job she took a pregnancy test at work, on the clock, and had another server show her the results IN the server station. She then immediately turned around and tried to face time the baby daddy on the clock.

Every single night, the second it hits closing time shes on the phone with the same guy, speaker phone at max volume, doesnt matter if theres still customers inside or not, shes on the phone with him. Last week she called this guy, full volume speaker phone, while she was doing the scheduling, in the same room as a couple trying to enjoy their meal so they had to listen to her. Not only that but when I and the other server on duty had to talk to her, we had to talk to her with the guy on the phone able to hear everything.

She's gotten complaints of her personality and how inhospitable she is. I've requested time off and she's scheduled me that day and when ive asked about it she just asks, did you text me? I've been told she forgets about time off a lot. I just. I've had a lot of bad managers but she seems to have absolutely no regard for those around her and its driving me crazy.

I (25F) have spent the last couple of years working as a server/bartender at various restaurants. I have also had other full time jobs, but right now I’m back in the restaurant industry for a bit.

I have a really great seasonal summer job that pays very well and I return to each summer, but it is not summer anymore so that job ended about a month ago. I started working at a new place (3 weeks ago) that a few of my coworkers from the summer job ended up at as well. It’s a tavern type establishment. I HATE it. I am making no money (less than $100 per night), I don’t like the other people who work there, I don’t like the customers, and I think the food and the kitchen are gross. It’s always painfully slow. I spend most of my shifts standing around waiting for customers. Long story short it’s just not a good fit for me, especially money wise. I need to be making way more than that and I know that that is possible and I’m selling myself short by working here.

I have applied to a handful of other spots and had an interview yesterday with a more upscale establishment that should pay better and I think be a better fit for me and my experience. They want me to come in to train next week, but of course my schedule for my current job is already out for next week and I’m supposed to work. I want to just work my shift tonight (Saturday) and tomorrow, and then just tell them I won’t be coming in for any future shifts. I know it’s technically unprofessional and the wrong way to go about it, but I’m losing my mind working here because I dislike it so much and NEED to make more money. I feel bad, I usually try to do things the right way, but I need to put myself first.

Part of me feels like I’d be an asshole to essentially quit with no notice, and leave them with no coverage for my upcoming shifts, but to be honest I don’t really care at the same time. This current place is so goddamn slow that most weekdays I’ll only have 5 or 6 tables in a night. I think they can manage without me for this upcoming week. Plus I’ve only worked here for 3 weeks. I don’t feel an obligation to them.

Anyways, would I be the asshole if I work my weekend shifts and then quit my serving job because I found another one that pays better, suits me, and wants me to start next week?

Guys how bad is the server business for yall ? Were not doing great our sales are way down and i work Friday’s Saturday and Sunday night with two other servers and we can barley get our sales past 1500 lately ive been at work for four hours with two tables this is getting rough and will it get better ? Ive been serving for tens years I’ve never seen it this slow around this time of year . Yes it slows down but were almost at a standstill. And the tables we get aren’t great ..

5 years of serving experience, and I just started at a new place training today. The anxiety was horrendous. Even at a place I served for 4 years, many shifts began with a chest full of dread and panic.

Going into my training shift today I needed propranolol and a glass of wine to get me in there, and throughout the shift itself the anxiety made me feel incompetent. My ability to carry a tray becomes non existent due to my embarrassingly shakey hands.

This makes me sad because I’ve had moments where I’ve loved it. I’ve made beautiful connections with regulars, have made best friends out of coworkers, it got me out of a financial ruin, among other things.

But the anxiety. I hope I’m not the only one.

I’m a 30 year old restaurant manager in a pretty small and rural tourist town and im once again feeling lost about what the hell I’m doing with my career. I keep thinking about if I have to go through these biannual breakdowns for the next five years and no retirement and no plan and then freaking out.
I’ve been with the same company for about 5 years. I started when they opened their first restaurant, helped them open their second, and have been officially managing for about a year and a half.
I’m currently at $18/hr with no benefits or bonus structure.
Right now, I manage FOH, scheduling, hiring/firing and HR, training, created all of our training materials and SOPs, do our liquor/beer ordering and vendor relationships with 6 distributors, inventory, menus and cocktail menus, social media, event menus, tasting dinners, and act as the middleman between the restaurant, hotel and catering when we have larger events in our event space coming through.
I’ve definitely kept the longest staff relationships either restaurant ever had, and revenue wise we’re already nearly 25% over our predicted annual revenue for this point in October.
I have a genuinely good relationship with the owners, especially the head chef that I work with in the current restaurant. However, there’s nobody above me managing me or helping me figure out what my role is supposed to be, exactly…. The only feedback I ever get is you’re so amazing! Keep doing what you’re doing! And then when I cry and freak out they talk me down and this is how I’ve gone from 13->15->18 in two years, hourly wise. The owners are currently buried in closing/renovating our first restaurant into an event venue, so I’ve basically just been figuring things out as I go.
And I feel like I’m constantly just fixing shit.
I have my weekly distributor orders/meetings, but beyond that I struggle to actually structure my week. It’s constantly employee issues, communication problems between departments, events, staffing, something somebody forgot, something that needs to be ordered, etc.
I also find myself shorting myself constantly to make sure my employees are taken care of and to keep labor where it needs to be. I can’t just cut half the staffs hours come the off season when we already lay off half the people so that I can make money. I can’t realistically cover the day server bartender and still meet with the people I need to meet with in the afternoons.
I just constantly feel that if I were to go anywhere with like 5,000 more people I’d be so clueless I’d have to just start over.
So I guess I’m looking for some perspective from people who have been doing this longer than me.
Is $18/hr completely insane for the scope of this job, or is this pretty normal for a hotel tourism spot semi upscale restaurant?
What would you even call this position? FOH manager? AGM? GM? Operations manager? Some weird combination?
My partner is a sous chef, and we’re talking about making a 2 year plan to eventually move somewhere with more opportunities for both of us. I just don’t want to spend the next two years being miserable and burned out at $18/hr without actually gaining the skills I’d need to move up.
I’d really appreciate advice from other managers who have been in this weird middle ground where you’re trusted with basically everything, but nobody is actually investing in YOUR growth and development. I feel like a big baby. :(

So I started at a new restaurant as a food runner. The job for the most part is really nice and I don’t mind a bit of hard work. However, after my first real shift, I was struggling to pick up the heavier items (this was after a 3-4 hour period.) my arms got really weak and sore. For reference we usually had a huge tray where sometimes 6-7 plates are stacked on it and have to walk down a staircase. I’m like 5’2 and 135 pounds wet. There was only two times I didn’t believe I could pick it up and safety get it to the server (since we deliver the food to the server). Anyways I felt bad about it and wished I could do more. My balance was also not great and food and kept slipping and it was usually always to the managers section. After all this I was thinking of strength training to get better at the job. I’m only working two days a week right now so I don’t think my body will really get used to the food running if I waited a few more weeks of work.

anybody work at Del Frisco’s Grill? I saw online that they were hiring and I was wondering if anybody ever worked at the one in Rockefeller Center. It looks pretty solid, but just trying to figure it out.

So it'll be my first time working FOH (I came from dish washing) as a food runner. Any advice? Nervous because you know how restaurants are. When you are new to the role and obviously you're going to be slow, people get upset at you.

The chef became so frazzled with all the orders he was getting aggressive with the kitchen help in front of the customers. The kitchen helper had to leave early for the day so both of them can cool off.

Now with this new place (2 months in), I'm already sensing the same vibe that the chef might lash out on me too. Especially since Im new to serving but I don't think Im that bad at it. Chef tried to pull me to serving the table when Im actively trying to take someone's takeout order too smh. I'm 1 person and I try my best to juggle everything ok.

I've previously left a cafe job due to the owner lashing out at me in front of customers. No matter what's happening, I just find it very unprofessional and distasteful to act that way in front of folks you want coming back to your establishment.

our restaurant is letting servers dress up for halloween as long as it’s appropriate. No butts and boobs out basically lol. Any ideas? I’m a short girl with medium dark hair and big ole pink glasses. I’m looking for something cute and affordable for last minute, not really looking to spend over $25-45 for this. i’m open to your suggestions!

edit: i really like all of these suggestions but before i made a final decision.. IF i were to do a cute clown what are some cute ways to decorate my apron (apron is not a requirement at my job either BUT i do not like going without it, im the kind of server that has a little bit of everything in my apron from pens and money to candy and toys)

I’m a high schooler who recently applied for a part-time hostess job at an IHOP near my house. They responded the same day I applied, and now I have an interview today!

I’m not really sure what to expect. I’ve only had two jobs before: one helping promote my mother’s business online and another working a summer job for my uncle, where I took customer orders at the register. Neither job required an interview, so I’ve never had to go through the process before.

With my experience, do I have a decent chance of getting hired? I’m also wondering what kinds of questions they might ask and how I should prepare. As for my availability, I can work Mondays, Thursdays, every other Wednesday, and Sundays.

Would that be enough availability for IHOP to consider hiring a high school student? I’d appreciate any advice!