While almost everyone has a favorite restaurant that you visit for all sorts of occasions, it’s nice to mix things up from time to time and opt for a different place. Given the ever-increasing number of restaurants in the area, it can be difficult to choose a different place, which is why when you finally do make a pick, there are some things you should be aware of. In this article, you’re going to learn more about different secrets before you visit the new restaurant.
Don’t make email reservations
Nowadays every restaurant has its own website primarily because strong online presence is crucial for the business to survive. Besides general information about the restaurant, a multitude of these places also offers the opportunity to make reservations via email. While you might find this option quite practical, you should still avoid it.
What most people don’t know is that the restaurant staff doesn’t like when people make reservations. Why? It’s because people who use this option are more likely not to show up. That’s why they prefer scheduling the time over the phone. Also, email reservations come from individuals who are more computer-literate. These individuals are members of multiple websites and are more likely to leave a negative review than those who do it over the phone.
You might think twice about asking for lemons
Okay, this info is useful regardless of where you’re going; new restaurant or your favorite place. Most people want a wedge of lemon in an ice tea or water, but you might think twice before asking for it. Why? The answer is simple; those lemon wedges might be the most unhygienic things in the entire place. In most cases, the stickers are just peeled off, and they get thrown in your drink. Everybody touches them which isn’t that “attractive.”
The special might not be so special
When you have a favorite restaurant that you always go to, you’re familiar with their menu. You know what specials they offer, quality of food, and other important factors. That said when going to a whole new place you don’t know anything about it just yet.
For example, if a waiter is pushing that special, and you finally order it, but it turns out to look awful, it might be food the restaurant is trying to get rid of. What to do then? Order what you want, not what the waiter is pushing you to do. It’s their goal to make sure the food doesn’t go to waste or to motivate customers to opt for pricier meals.
Reviews don’t depict the reality
The first thing you do when looking for a new restaurant is reading reviews. While it’s always useful to read those, you shouldn’t blindly believe everything they say. For example, some people are overly critical and write bad reviews making out all sorts of problems with the place, even though reality might be different.
On the other hand, there are also people who are generous with their reviews and strive to write a lot of positive things about the place. What you can do is to read them carefully, bear in mind what they said, and visit the place to experience it for yourself.
Lunch time is always busy
In the restaurant industry, lunch is the busiest time of the day. This is something you should bear in mind when going to a new place; if it takes longer to get your food, it’s primarily because the entire place is too busy and doesn’t mean the serve is poor. In fact, when the order is taking too long it might be due to multiple factors.
While the goal of every waiter is to treat each customer like he/she is the only one in the room, sometimes it’s impossible. For instance, another waiter or bartender might be sick meaning another team member had to step in or juggle more functions at once.
Don’t arrive before closing
If you want to experience the best that a specific restaurant has to offer, then you should avoid arriving before closing. It’s not uncommon for people to arrive too late and personnel in the kitchen have to whip up one last dish quite fast. This affects the quality of the meal and service at the same time.
Waiters, chef, and other staff are tired at that point, plus taking out all the ingredients, and practically transforming kitchen just when they were about to close prevents them from doing their best. The takeaway message here is to arrive earlier for the ultimate experience.
Learn to love rare meat
Here’s the secret that restaurants won’t ever tell you; when you order a steak well done, you’re highly likely to get a cut that could be on the verge of getting tossed. That’s why ordering steaks that are rare or medium-rare allow you to get fresh meat. When the steak is that charred as in well done, who can tell it’s not fresh?
Although the restaurant might promise they only serve fresh meat you have to be realistic – meat can waste just like vegetables, and if it didn’t go bad entirely, they have to use it, they paid for it.
Second-cheapest bottle of wine isn’t, actually, THAT cheap
When it comes to your favorite restaurant, you know their wine card by heart, their offer, and prices. In the new restaurant, it might be tricky. The last thing you want is to leave the impression of the cheapskate, and that’s why most restaurants easily skip offering the cheapest wine by jumping to the “second-cheapest bottle.” That second-cheapest wine is, in most cases, the restaurant’s biggest seller.
Count on hidden charges
Some restaurants can be quite pricey which is why people try to save up as much as they can when they go to eat there. So, if you order a tap water or avoid expensive wines, cocktails, and stuff like that, you should count on hidden charges anyway. For instance, some restaurants might charge for bread (seriously!) or even a cover charge.
Menu has secrets too
When you’re about to order food in a restaurant, read the menu thoroughly and critically. Restaurants use subtle tricks to ensure that every item on the list looks like it came right out of Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen.
They can make menu items seem appealing just by naming them right way even though it’s not something you’d like. To avoid menu traps, ask your waiter different questions about the meals.
Conclusion
Before you go to the next restaurant, bear in mind these little secrets that nobody would tell you otherwise. It’s important to be open-minded and avoid simple traps that every restaurant has. When leaving the review online, make sure it’s helpful to the person who’s going to read it when he or she browses that place.
References
http://www.clark.com/6-dirty-restaurant-secrets-waiter
http://www.readersdigest.ca/food/cooking-tips/13-things-you-should-know-about-eating-restaurants/3/
- 10 Specials Middle Easterners Can’t Live Without - January 9, 2019
- The top 7 best restaurants in the US you have to try in 2019 - January 3, 2019
- 10 Shocking Fast Food Myths You Should Know - January 18, 2018