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Diners' top complaints include slow service, no menu substitutions

May 22, 2014

Restaurant discovery app Urbanspoon has compiled a list of diners’ top complaints from its user reviews. The list of the top 15 restaurant pet peeves includes:

• Unsupervised kids, particularly at fine dining establishments.
• Slow service: Waiters who drop food off and are never seen again, or take too long with the check.
• Fast food: The flip side of slow service is complaints from those who want to be able to take their time enjoying appetizers before dinner.
• No substitutions: Some people have legitimate allergies while others have slight aversions.
• An unexplained wait, especially when multiple open tables are in plain sight and there is no line for seating.
• Menu typos: This signals laziness and carelessness, according to Urbanspoon.
• Overly cuddly couples.
• Take the call outside: Diners agree that people talking on their phones at the table are a major annoyance.
• Dirty silverware or glasses.
• No partial-group seating: Many Urbanspoon users believe that if you plan to sit down and order an appetizer or a round of drinks, a wait shouldn’t be enforced for one person.
• Nosy neighbors: When people are seated a little too close to listen in on your conversation.
• Rowdy patrons: Families or friends trying to enjoy a quiet dinner together can't stand the raucous group at the next table, whose noise level goes up with each cocktail, Urbanspoon said.
• Indiscernible menus: From kohlrabi to sous-vide, restaurants today include ingredients and preparations that can be confusing.
• Weak drinks.
• Can I get … ?: A major annoyance often cited is having to request items that should be on the table, including bread, silverware, salt and pepper, or water.