Splitting A Restaurant Bill

[StockTrader6080]

I had this happen to me also. It was the last time I went out to eat with those people. I too, had to pay about $35 for my $10 meal.

I agree with your solution. Chalk it up to "experience".
The older you get, the wiser you get.

These problems will go on until the end of time.
We may learn our lesson, but there's no way to erradicate the problem.

As they say "there's a sucker born every minute", and they too will learn the hard way.

ST

[cicy33]

what do you mean by that? glasses of wine should be poured a standard drink amount - it doesnt matter what size the glass is, but the amount in it should still be the same


onto the actual topic though; i've only ever had to split the bill once, when we all shared pizza. I had to pay $12 for two slices of pizza because they never made it down our end of the table!
every other time we go out we always pay our own portion.

What I mean by this is that our glasses are filled to the top, I have seen many restaurants fill them about half full and they are larger than average wine glasses too. Not the thin little flutes. I have had several of my customers say that our place gives the best pour for their money.

[disneysteve]

What I mean by this is that our glasses are filled to the top

Wine glasses shouldn't be filled to the top.

"Be sure not to fill a wine glass too full, one third to one half full at the most. You want to leave room to capture the bouquet in the upper bowl as it rises from the swirled wine, and to allow the glass to be tilted — at approximately a forty-five degree angle — to evaluate and enjoy the color of the wine."
Wine glasses – Choosing, Buying, Serving, Temperature, History

[Scanner]

This is somewhat OT but something that has always annoyed me at restaurants. When there is a larger party, like 8 people, why do they insist on assigning only one waiter? What always ends up happening is that half the table is nearly done eating before others are served because one waiter can only carry so much stuff at once and has to make multiple trips back and forth to the kitchen. Why not split the table among 2 or more servers. You'd get the customers served more efficiently which would also turn over the table quicker which is part of the goal of the restaurant.

DisneySteve,

I don't know. . .all I know is there are 4 perspectives at a resteraunt:

The patron: They want their food to come out hot (or cold) all at the same time, whether one person orders a Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings and the other orders Fried Eggs. They want it served in a timely manner and they want separate checks.

The waiter/waitress: Wants a good tip and to please the patron but not piss off the grumpy cooks. Doesn't want to risk giving bad service and serves as a guide, order-taker, spill cleaner-upper and collections officer.

Chefs/cooks: They want to make their salary, practice their skill, and maybe a compliment or two. They have to juggle about 2 dozen tasks at once and listen to the waiters complaining they have 3 plates up but not the 4rth.

Management: They want to have a good reputation to please corporaate while keeping costs low.

Every perspective is valid.

I hereby decree tht everyone here work in food service for 1 day.

[melinuxfool]

The other day I went out with a bunch of my girlfriend and her friends for a birthday celebration. It was a medium priced restaurant and I ordered one of the less expensive meals. Some of the women ordered rather expensive meals.

When the bill arrived, one of the women that had ordered a very expensive meal suggested that we split the bill between the 8 of us and pay for the birthday person. All the others agreed.

I was taken aback. My meal was about $15 while the woman that suggested splitting the bill ordered a meal that was above $40 when the two glasses of wine she had were added in.

Since all these women were friends of my girlfriend, I didn't want to seem cheap in front of her and embarrass her so I didn't make a fuss. I ended up paying over $40 for my $15 meal.

Did I do the right thing. Was it better for me to not make a scene in front of my girlfriend's friends even though I really wanted to? Or what should I have done differently? How could I have protested without appearing to be cheap in that situation?

That is why I always inform the waiter/waitress that my meal is on a separate check, and if I'm paying for someone else, I make it known beforehand.

Incidentally, I cannot imagine eating at a place where one persons meal costs $40, and where $15 is a "cheap" meal. We must be from different worlds here. For $40, they'd better be getting at least 3 pounds of steak, along with a pound or two of lobster!

[disneysteve]

Incidentally, I cannot imagine eating at a place where one persons meal costs $40, and where $15 is a "cheap" meal. We must be from different worlds here. For $40, they'd better be getting at least 3 pounds of steak, along with a pound or two of lobster!

I think this is important to keep in mind. When I go to some cheap diner where my meal is under $10, I have a very different expectation of service than I do when I go to a nice Italian place for $40-$50 and that's different than a fine French restaurant where my meal may be well over $100. Even though all of those places are in the same industry, you really can't compare them or expect the same thing from each of them. To a large degree, you get what you pay for. You also can't compare a national chain to an independent family or chef-owned restaurant. They just aren't the same creatures.

[melinuxfool]

I think this is important to keep in mind. When I go to some cheap diner where my meal is under $10, I have a very different expectation of service than I do when I go to a nice Italian place for $40-$50 and that's different than a fine French restaurant where my meal may be well over $100. Even though all of those places are in the same industry, you really can't compare them or expect the same thing from each of them. To a large degree, you get what you pay for. You also can't compare a national chain to an independent family or chef-owned restaurant. They just aren't the same creatures.

I'd question whether such places even exist in Maine.

Incidentally, "getting what I pay for" means what I said before. If I'm spending $40 for one meal, I darn well better be getting at least 5 pounds of food! The idea of paying $100 for a meal out actually makes my heart flutter. I wouldn't do that if I were a millionaire!

[Ima saver]

When this happened to me, several people got appetizers, desserts, drinks, etc. I order a cheap meal, nothing else, and drank water. I never order anything extra cause I can't eat that much.

[disneysteve]

If I'm spending $40 for one meal, I darn well better be getting at least 5 pounds of food! The idea of paying $100 for a meal out actually makes my heart flutter. I wouldn't do that if I were a millionaire!

Typically, higher prices don't correlate with volume of food. In fact, usually just the opposite is true. If all you want is to be stuffed silly, plenty of cheap buffets can provide that. Higher prices, however, bring something far more important: quality and service. If I'm going to pay for a meal, I want something good, at least better than what we typically make at home. If I'm going to pay a lot, like $40/person or more, I expect it to be top notch, even memorable, the kind of meal I would still be talking about months later. And not just food but attentive and responsive service. Not some surly high school kid who grumbles when I ask for more water but a professional server who pays attention and provides things before I even have to ask. That same pro will likely remember my name and preferences when I return to that restaurant even weeks or months later.

I'm not saying we go out for meals like that regularly but we do it often enough to appreciate the difference between the $10 meal and the $50 meal.

I think I've only been to one place that was over $100/person. It is one of the top restaurants in the country. Dinner is a 7-course experience and the dessert cart is to die for. We've had the privilege of dining there several times. Fortunately, I was never the one paying.

[cschin4]

I actually prefer quality over quantity. I would rather have a really well done and well prepared small meal than a large all you can eat buffet of average quality. And, I rarely go to buffets for that reason. I don't mind paying for a really good dinner. To me, it is worth it and certainly worth enjoying.

[cschin4]

I can more than understand splitting the birthday girls check between everyone, but the idea of splitting the total bill between everyone is a completely foreign idea to me.

Really? I think I found this out the hard way when I was young and poor when I went out with friends a few times and ended up subsidizing their alcohol tab and finally wised up!