10 Reasons Why Your Waiter Is Judging You

L.A. WeeklyFood

10. You ask for drinks without ice.

?Unless you have an awful toothache or other predisposition against cold beverages10. You ask for drinks without ice.

?Unless you have an awful toothache or other predisposition against cold beverages, a waiter will take this as you being cheap, trying to get more bang for your beverage-buck by leaving the ice out. Oh, you want your cocktail without ice, or with "just a tiny bit of ice?" That's cool, the barkeep will be happy to pour the same six-count of vodka he'd normally pour, top it off with tonic and a lime, and watch you enjoy a tepid, weak-tasting drink. Whatever you like, but gross.

Here's some cold hard truth: Your waiter is judging you. And it's not because you scanned our restaurant's list of preachy, precious dishes made with esoteric (but local!) ingredients and then asked what celeriac or chimicurri are. Waiters don't care about that. Answering questions like that is their job. No, it's not about what you know, it's about how you act, and your waiter is surveying you to determine whether you're a badly behaved diner. How do they know? Presenting the 10 most obvious signs. By Hannah Palmer Egan. Follow her! @FindThatHannah




All illustrations by Kevin Cannon, cartoonist



See also:

5 Drink Orders That Let Everyone Know You're an Asshole

The 10 Worst People in NYC Restaurants

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