The 9 Rudest Things You Can Do at a Restaurant

Dining out is a time for good conversation, delicious food, and maybe drinking one too many frozen margaritas. But while eating at a restaurant is supposed to be fun, it’s also important to practice proper etiquette. Treating the waitstaff respectfully is paramount, as they’re working hard to ensure you have a great time. It doesn’t matter if you’re at a five-star establishment or a divey sports bar — it’s important to follow these guidelines no matter where you’re eating. Here are some of the rudest things you can do and ways you can act at a restaurant.

Snap, Clap, or Whistle at Servers

Snapping, clapping, or whistling to get the attention of your server is demeaning and rude, and it’s also annoying to any nearby diners within earshot. For the same reason, you should also never raise your glass and shake around the ice inside if you need a refill. Servers deserve respect. Instead, a simple hand raise or a bit of eye contact will do just fine in getting their attention. Just be patient, as they may be busy tending to other tables.

Stay Too Long

Nobody is trying to rush you through your actual meal, but staying long after paying the bill is considered rude. There may be some flexibility if the place is reasonably empty, but if there’s a line of people waiting to sit down, you should get up and exit after paying. If you want to continue talking with your friends, consider going to a nearby bar with a hangout vibe or some other similar social establishment.

Arrive Just Before Close

Restaurants don’t magically shut down at the snap of a finger, as it takes a long time to shut everything down and clean everything up at the end of the day. Knowing that, it’s rather rude to show up 5 minutes before close and request a table. By showing up late, you’re just keeping the staff there longer than they need to be. If you arrive at an eatery just before they close, consider going somewhere else or requesting takeout and bringing your meal home.

Flirt With the Staff

People in the service industry are trained to act nice in order to please their customers, but you should never mistake that kindness for flirtiness. Servers and bartenders are just doing their jobs and shouldn’t be pestered with raunchy comments while at work. You should also never leave your phone number on the check, as many servers consider that skeevy as well. Save your flirty comments for dating apps rather than restaurants.

Let Kids Run Amok

If you’re dining with young children, it’s important to keep those kids in check. If they’re being too loud, tell them to quiet down. Also, keep them seated at the table, as it’s rude to other diners if you let the kids scream and run around. If your child can’t behave, it may be worth waiting to dine out until they can act more appropriately in public.

Hold a Table

Let’s say you arrive right on time for your reservation, but your five friends are late. You shouldn’t sit down and hold the table until they get there. You’re just preventing the restaurant from doing business by sitting down and refusing to order until your friends arrive — even if it takes 30 minutes for everyone to get there. The restaurant will be able to hold your reservation for 15 minutes or so, but after that they have every right to give your table away rather than allow you to hold onto it indefinitely.

Help Yourself

You may be frustrated with the service at a restaurant, but you should never stand up and grab anything for yourself. This includes walking to the bar and pouring yourself a glass of water or going toward the kitchen and snagging some cutlery. As a diner, you’re expected to make requests to the waitstaff if you need anything. Taking matters into your own hands is rude and insulting to the people who are working hard.

Ignore the Server

If a server is reading the specials to you or anything else that requires your attention, be focused rather than ignoring them, even if you’re not particularly interested in any of the specials. It’s generally good etiquette to make eye contact and listen when someone is talking to you, and that advice extends to restaurants. Treat the server with deserved attention rather than treating them like they don’t exist.

Undertip

Tipping is a complicated science. If the service was bad, then it’s perfectly fine to tip less to show your displeasure. But if the service met your expectations, tipping 10% for is an insult. You can argue all you want about tipping culture in America, but there’s an expectation of tipping 15% to 20% — preferably the latter — for good service. Servers rely on tips to earn a living wage, so don’t undercut them just to make a point.