8 Things Your Restaurant Host Wants You to Know

food pics are great, whether it's Restaurant Week or not

Restaurant Week seems early this year, at least in Boston. It runs March 1st – 6th and 8th – 13th and I’m pretty excited. Actually, it stopped being called restaurant week years ago, probably because it’s longer than a week, and b/c it happens twice throughout the year, both in March and August. Everyone still calls it Restaurant Week, but that’s to be expected. The only thing you really need to know about Restaurant Week/Dine Out Boston is where you’re going to eat.

Restaurants will be busier than usual. Wait times will be longer. Hangry happens, so I decided to be proactive with a list of ways to make your experience go smoother.

Full disclosure: this list is not about you. This list is from the perspective of the staff. As much as I’m a back-of-house kind of girl, the front-of-house have to deal w/ the public, and for that they deserve all the tips they get. Look at it this way; the better your treat the service staff, the better your experience will be. Most of these are common courtesy anyway; it’s shocking how little of this there seems to be in the world, especially around dinnertime. 

1) Call if you’re running late

You’re running 5-7 minutes late and it’s a Tuesday night, and who cares, right? If you read the confirmation email when you booked the reservation, they tell you right there that they only hold the table for 15-20 minutes. If it’s a Friday or Saturday, you’re lucky if they hold it that long. Whether it’s restaurant week or not, you don’t know what the reservations look like for the restaurant. Most apps like Open Table or Resy have the option to let them know you’re running late so you don’t even have to talk to anyone. 

2) Just b/c you show up early doesn’t mean you’ll be seated early

Showing up more than 15 minutes before your reservation isn’t a guarantee that you’re going to get seated earlier. Most likely you’re going to be told your table will be ready closer to the time you booked the reservation; funny how that works. 

3) Let them know if your party is increasing/decreasing in size

Even plus/minus 1 guest can affect your wait time. If you’re going from an odd number to an even number, it’s probably not a huge deal; most tables have to be set for an even number anyway and they remove a setting for 9 versus 10 people. But if you’re going from 4-5, that’s an additional table they now have to find. Expect to wait if you just show up and tell them there’s a change to your party size, and don’t be rude b/c you didn’t have the courtesy to let them know ahead of time.

4) Don’t make rude comments

The absolute WORST is when walk-ins come in around 5:30- 6ish, see a fairly empty dining room and assume they can get a table. An empty dining room doesn’t mean the restaurant is destitute; it means they’re holding tables for people savvy enough to have made a reservation. They can’t seat you at that table at 5:30 because they have a reservation at 6:15, and doing so would be a rushed, unpleasant dining experience for you. So when you walk in and see a not-so-hopping dining room and the host can’t seat you, don’t say, “Really?” or “Are you serious?” or any snarky version of this. 

5) Don’t sit at a table randomly

You’re walking into the dining room and you see it: the most beautiful row of booths in the most intimate alcove of the restaurant with the most breathtaking view. Instead, the host stops suddenly and pulls out a chair for you at a table in the middle of the dining room. If you’d like to move, ask; don’t slide into one of the booths you were eyeing and say, “we’re good here actually.” This is rude AF for a bunch of reasons. Restaurants want you to love the dining experience and come back; if they’re not seating you at the best table in the house, there’s a reason for it. You can ask to move, but don’t make yourself at home at a table you weren’t shown to.

6) If you don’t like the table, tell the host immediately

No one wants to be the bad guy, so you have the silent conversation with your date about how you both hate the table b/c it’s right next to the window or a baby or whatever but you both smile politely and say it’s fine. If you want another table, speak up. Depending on how their ticket system is, it can be a pain to move tables anyway, and the earlier the better. If you wait until your server comes over and you have a round of drinks, they might be seating someone at the table you had your eye on. 

7) If you’re a walk-in, be patient 

Brent makes fun of me for making reservations, like, everywhere we go, but I’m just being considerate to my fellow industry vets. Even if you’re on Open Table and see all the times available, make a reservation. But the reality is no one makes reservations for every single meal, it happens. I can’t believe I have to spell out this basic human behavior, but just be nice. If you have to wait a little longer b/c you didn’t make a reservation, that’s not the restaurants fault. Of course they want to take your money give you a nice meal, it just takes a little longer w/o a reservation. 

8) If your reservation is after 7pm, you’ll probably still have to wait

If your reservation is between 5pm-6pm, it’s early enough in the evening that you’re probably fine. But if you’re dining after 7pm, you might be waiting b/c the people at the table from their 5:30 reservation are lingering over coffee and dessert. Diners are unpredictable; sure they say they’ve only got the sitter for two hours, or they’re meeting friends after, or they’ve got a flight to catch. Then the cocktails start flowing and the time restraints get a little fuzzy. If your reservation is at 8pm and you’re not seated by 8:15pm, order a drink and calm your ass down. Unless the restaurant is empty, then you have the right to scream at the host and demand to see the manager, Karen or Susan or whatever your name probably is.