How Long Will You Wait for a Table When Dining Out?

How Long Will You Wait for a Table When Dining Out?

  • If there's a wait, I go somewhere else.

    Votes: 2 20.0%

  • Up to 15 minutes

    Votes: 1 10.0%

  • Up to 30 minutes

    Votes: 5 50.0%

  • Up to 1 hour

    Votes: 2 20.0%

  • Up to 2 hours

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • As long as it takes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    10
The Late Night Gourmet

The Late Night Gourmet

Home kook
Joined
30 Mar 2017
Local time
8:21 AM
Messages
5,778
Location
Detroit, USA
Website
absolute0cooking.com
I ask this question assuming that the restaurant is one where you really want to eat. I am also assuming that you haven't reserved a table.

I have an informal sliding scale where I factor in how hungry I am and how badly I want to eat at this particular place. If I'm not particularly hungry, I can wait longer. If I am only in town one day I want to try a world class restaurant, I can wait longer. If I'm being dragged to a place that I hate because the rest of the family wants to eat there, then I am secretly hoping that the wait is longer so they will consider eating elsewhere. :laugh:

In answering this question, I am assuming I'm not incredibly hungry and it's a place where I really want to eat. For me, with some exceptions, if the wait is half an hour or more, I will start calling other places nearby. If I can't find anything comparable nearby with a shorter wait, I will usually go no more than an hour.
 
Going to a restaurant is now a distant memory... :ohmy: :(

If its a restaurant I really wanted to go to then I'd book - in which case I wouldn't expect to wait at all.

I voted 15 minutes. I don't think I've ever waited longer on the odd occasion I've gone to a restaurant I haven't booked.
 
Morning Glory said:
Going to a restaurant is now a distant memory... :ohmy: :(

If its a restaurant I really wanted to go to then I'd book - in which case I wouldn't expect to wait at all.

I voted 15 minutes. I don't think I've ever waited longer on the odd occasion I've gone to a restaurant I haven't booked.
Click to expand...
If the restaurant is particularly high-profile, I've had more than one occasion where I still had to wait a bit (upwards of 10 minutes) even with a reservation. I take this as a sign of bad management on their part;if I'm late for my reservation, of course, that would be my fault.
 
Our usual "special occasion" restaurant doesn't take reservations, and if it's a busy night, the wait can be a couple of hours, as it's a small place that doesn't rush you out. They have an excellent bar, though, and that helps a lot.

Normally, though, all things being equal, we'll wait no more than an hour.
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
If the restaurant is particularly high-profile, I've had more than one occasion where I still had to wait a bit (upwards of 10 minutes) even with a reservation. I take this as a sign of bad management on their part;if I'm late for my reservation, of course, that would be my fault.
Click to expand...

You wouldn't want to go to Franklin's BBQ in Austin...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMkZqePU6-M


Not everyone has to wait, however...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQD251OO5ME


CD
 
The Late Night Gourmet said:
I ask this question assuming that the restaurant is one where you really want to eat. I am also assuming that you haven't reserved a table.

I have an informal sliding scale where I factor in how hungry I am and how badly I want to eat at this particular place. If I'm not particularly hungry, I can wait longer. If I am only in town one day I want to try a world class restaurant, I can wait longer. If I'm being dragged to a place that I hate because the rest of the family wants to eat there, then I am secretly hoping that the wait is longer so they will consider eating elsewhere. :laugh:

In answering this question, I am assuming I'm not incredibly hungry and it's a place where I really want to eat. For me, with some exceptions, if the wait is half an hour or more, I will start calling other places nearby. If I can't find anything comparable nearby with a shorter wait, I will usually go no more than an hour.
Click to expand...
If they have a bar, then I will wait an hour or so. If I have to stand in line - probably 15 minutes.

One thing that sends me over the edge is being with a group, the hostess says it will be 30 minutes or whatever and then the group “hmmmm haws” around discussing whether they want to wait.

i have gotten to the point that if I know we are going somewhere that does not take reservations, I make reservation at a different restaurant for about 45 minutes after our anticipated arrival at the non reservation restaurant. If we get in at our first choice, great and I call and cancel the reservation. if not, we have ample time to get to the reserverved restaurant.
 
I honestly can't remember ever waiting for a table. Apart from a handful of local places that I know would have tables free I would always book. I also hate crowded restaurants, so tend to either go at off peak times, or I will avoid them altogether if they are likely to be busy. So I suppose the answer is that I wouldn't wait at all.
 
Our fave restaurants all are different. The lone star ( yeah a play on Texas food) don't take reservations. So we go early, no,wait. Indian and Thai no waits there either.
Dinner club is different, last joint we waited 5 mins to be seated , another 90 mins for bread and entrees. Not going back. Overall dinner club of 8 to 12 people wait time and service has been very good.

Russ
 
The concept of waiting for a table is unknown where I live. You either have a reservation, or not. If you don't then you can be seated if there is a spot, and otherwise are expected to go somewhere else. Restaurants here don't have lounges to wait in.
 
As a naturally impatient person having to wait for a table kind of ruins the experience for me. Longest I've waited was 30 minutes and I was already getting cranky by the end of it. On top of that when there's a waiting line it means the restaurant is crowded and noisy and the waiters will be running around and that kind of environment really stresses me out so no way I'll be having a pleasant experience in these circumnstances.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom