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Not every dining establishment has a bar, and it's really not on the patron if a particular place isn't set up to accommodate single diners or small groups.
I've never been eye-rolled at for being a lone diner. I would imagine that competent waitstaff knows that they're affecting their odds of being tipped decently by engaging in such unprofessional behavior.
I do think a lot of it is a tipping issue. They think 1 person-small tip. There could be a party of 4 at your table eating. Larger check=larger tip.
I find when dining alone I either get rushed through (which I usually don't mind, beats the alternative) or the server just ignores me because they think I'm not worth very much in a tip. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because I don't tip well for bad service
I have never experienced any problems dining alone but i don't eat out alone much. Also I see many people dining out alone when I do go out (even when I am with others) and I have never heard anyone complain that they get worse service when dining solo. Perhaps it is a matter of geography!
I usually don't get any problems dining alone. But then again I like to eat at hyper-ethnic places so many times waiters are more surprised by the fact that a gringo would walk in there haha. One of my interests is exploring little known cuisines, and it can be really hard to get people to go halfway across the city to explore Honduran/Bhutanese/Uruguayan restaurants. So many times Im just like f*ck it and end up dining by myself.
As one of houstons most handsome single and eligible bachelors I'll weigh in... single customers get the shaft at restaurants period. It's a single cover, 1 entree 1 drink... they're going to give you the worst seat in the joint and relegate you to their own "Pay No Mind" list. I let it be known from jump that I tip well and want a great seat and a good experience.
I decided to go out to dinner late one Sunday afternoon when I had recently moved to a new area and didn't have anyone to go out with. It was a chain restaurant at a nearby mall. I specifically thought that when I went at that time I would not be taking up a table that they could use for more people. I was right. The place was two-thirds empty. I had brought a paperback with me, too.
I walked in, and the little twerp of a hostess, just past the fetal stage, said to me, "Wouldn't you rather eat dinner at the bar? It would be so much more fun, wouldn't it?" I looked over at the bar. Three couples, each at one side of the three-sided bar. Gee, which of those couples did I want to sit near? Yeah, fun.
I said, "No, I will sit at a table." She looked sort of perplexed, but led me to a table. Fortunately, the young man who was the server was much more personable and treated me as if I were a valued customer, which is probably how he earns his tips. I had a glass of wine, and appetizer, and dinner. He got a nice tip. Which he probably has to share with the twerp.
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