There’s something so nice about a great dining out experience. When the drinks are flowing, the food is hot and delicious and the atmosphere is special, everyone leaves the restaurant feeling good and anxious to return for a second visit.

But, as you and I know, it doesn’t always go like that. Sometimes your water glass stays unexplicably empty for half the meal. The food comes out, and you have a fries instead of the side salad you ordered (or worse, vice versa). You leave feeling frustrated and grumbling, “well, I’ll never try that place again.”

With so many new restaurants popping up all the time, a positive dining experience is what every establishment strives to offer their guests. But it only takes one off night to turn customers sour. Unfortunately, there is one person who usually bears the brunt of a restaurant patron’s misery – no, not the chef or the manager. It’s the server.

I’ve had several jobs waiting tables. My first was at Pizza Hut in Park City and my last was at the now defunct west side Piccadilly Grill. I think serving is a job everyone should experience because it makes you a more forgiving diner. I now know that if food is not quite right, there is no need to take it out on the server. I know that the wait staff enjoys it when diners treat them as equals and not slaves. And I know that when you find service that seems effortless, you should tip big, because waiting tables is not easy.

I think I was a decent server, but not great. However, I have friends who were great waitresses in their day, and I know good service when I see it. So here are some of the things I really appreciate in a server, and some of the things that rub me the wrong way. (I’ll name names when it comes to places with good service, but the guilty shall remain nameless.)

Dislikes:

-Asking “Would you like more water/tea/pop?” or any other kind of refill that is free. If it’s during the meal, just refill. I probably don’t want to eat my hamburger as my mouth gets completely dry. The exception is after the check has been paid.

-Not communicating when food is taking a long time to come out of the kitchen. I have had servers refuse to meet my eye, or refuse to come near my table when service is slow. It’s always better to communicate when problems are going on in the kitchen. Offer a free drink or appetizer, or, if you can’t get away with that, just be sympathetic. It goes a long way.

-I think this was a more popular tactic a few years ago, but I hate it when servers squat down to table level to take your order. Very few people can get away with this without seeming disingenuous.

-When servers rush the table through the dining experience, that’s pretty annoying too. This is tough though, because most restaurants want high turnover for tables so they can serve more people and (duh) make more money. It is a balancing act to keep service smooth and not make it feel rushed.

Likes:

-Friendliness that seems moderately sincere is always nice. It seems like an obvious thing, but it’s appreciated.

-Anticipating needs. Keeping drinks refilled, clearing excessive dirty plates, bringing another loaf of bread without asking.

-Seeming like you enjoy the food. I love it when servers tell me “good choice” when I order. It builds confidence when a waiter seems to really like the food that they’re selling. I once worked with a girl who told a table who asked for recommendations, “I don’t know. I don’t eat here. I like McDonald’s.” Yikes.

Here are some local places where I pretty much always get great service:

The Candle Club - This private club at 13th and Woodlawn is really in a league of it’s own when it comes to food, atmosphere and especially service. The servers are almost invisible, and seem to know what you need before you can say a word.

Bella Luna - All the servers at all the locations of this restaurant just seem so cool. They are quick to fix a problem with your order, which is a rare occurrence.

Playa Azul – I’ve never had a server who couldn’t answer any question I have about this Mexican restaurant’s extensive menu. Also, they are great at keeping the chips and salsa flowing, and they can carry like 10 steaming hot plates at once. Impressive!

Waiting tables is hard, y’all. It just is. And it’s a pretty thankless job. People are usually quick to criticize and slow to praise. Even when a server does one (or several) of the things I dislike, I don’t use those as an excuse not to tip. I can only think of one or two instances in my life when I have left less than 15%, and I have never stiffed a server. 20% is my norm. These people make $2 an hour, OK? Give them their $5. Oh, and a verbal tip (i.e., “You were such a great server!”) is not a substitute for a monetary one.

And on that note, check back in a couple of weeks, when I talk about the does and don’ts of being a restaurant patron.

I want to know, where have you had great service in Wichita?

(Image Credit)

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