USA Gratuity And/Or Tip?

[Panamax]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Finding a true independent is very very very hard for most Brits going to the states.

Check out Tripadvisor.

We have no difficulty finding excellent restaurants in the US. If you're in a restaurant with pictures in the menu you're probably not doing it right.

[redrabbit29]

I've just got back from Boston after spending 4 nights there. I'm planning a separate post on this but one of the main things I will focus on (apart from the food and alcohol costs) is the tipping.

After 4 nights I was thoroughly ffflipping sick of it. It's exhausting and by the end you just feel like you're being taken advantage of. I know the staff are underpaid but I was just sick of buying a coffee and being asked for a tip, or a slice of pizza from a takeaway stall and being asked for a tip.

At one place, a BBQ restaurant we went to at lunch there was a "Kitchen Appreciation Fee". Wtf... I thought me paying nearly $80 for Burger, Chips and Coke (x2 for us) was the bloody appreciation.

The cost and tip combined put me off going back, £13 for a glass of wine in a standard bar plus the 20% tip they ask for (which of course you can reject) just annoys me

[RayDonovan]

I do think the tipping will start to have an effect on people making regular trips to North America.

Agree with some of the posts, used to feel like it was just rolling along with how they operate, but now it feels as it's a real burden. I guess it was more acceptable when the exchange rate favoured is more in the UK.

Stories of people being chased out of restaurants etc when not leaving an 'acceptable' tip is worrying..

[DodgyGeezer]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Never mind

Most American restaurants don't do "good" food but they do enjoyable food.

If they do "good" food they get very pretentious about it and start sticking a dress code on to it.

A sport jacket and slacks shouldn't be a requirement to have nice food.

The issue is finding places that arngt chains can be hard within tourist areas especially Florida unless your driving even then you just keep coming across olive garden, IHOP, waffle house, golden corale, tgi's, panda express, chillys, chipotle, pf chang, chick fil a, pollo tropical, zaxbys, applebeys, Texas roadhouse, hardeys, sonic, chedders, BJ's, bob Evans, cheesecake factory, cracker barrel, coopers hawk, Denny's, hooters, twin peaks,Perkins, bubba gump, benihana, beef obradys, millers Ale house, yard house, smokey bones, tony Roma's, first watch, Bahama breeze, uncle Julio's, bond fish, Joe's crB shack, capital grill, fogo de chao, outback

Finding a true independent is very very very hard for most Brits going to the states.

It is possible but not what most tourists want to do either

Just a quick tog up 253165 chain eateries in the states 473 different chains

This is not exhaustive as it's pulled from wikipedia

Edited by Trustmeimadoctor on Monday 20th May 15:54

Tbh I quite both Cracker Barrel & Texas Roadhouse - ironically enough I don't have an issue paying a tip there as the service ranges from very good to excellent and (whatever the foodsnobs say) the product is rather pleasant too

[Trustmeimadoctor]

Panamax said:

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Finding a true independent is very very very hard for most Brits going to the states.

Check out Tripadvisor.

We have no difficulty finding excellent restaurants in the US. If you're in a restaurant with pictures in the menu you're probably not doing it right.

What do you class as excellent?

And a lot of places people think are independent are also chains.

I've been to the states enough to find good food (20+ times) but I resent dress codes and usually we have been so busy pretty much anything will do bar Denny's and that level. Must say I don't mind Olivd garden bread sticks and salad but the rest of the food can gtfo

[paulguitar]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Panamax said:

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Finding a true independent is very very very hard for most Brits going to the states.

Check out Tripadvisor.

We have no difficulty finding excellent restaurants in the US. If you're in a restaurant with pictures in the menu you're probably not doing it right.

What do you class as excellent?

And a lot of places people think are independent are also chains.

I've been to the states enough to find good food (20+ times) but I resent dress codes and usually we have been so busy pretty much anything will do bar Denny's and that level. Must say I don't mind Olivd garden bread sticks and salad but the rest of the food can gtfo

I think food in the USA at a 'sensible' level, price-wise, tends to be at a much higher standard than the same in the UK.

The tipping thing is a bit irritating initially, but you get used to it soon enough. Their country, their rules.

[phil-sti]

redrabbit29 said:

I've just got back from Boston after spending 4 nights there. I'm planning a separate post on this but one of the main things I will focus on (apart from the food and alcohol costs) is the tipping.

After 4 nights I was thoroughly ffflipping sick of it. It's exhausting and by the end you just feel like you're being taken advantage of. I know the staff are underpaid but I was just sick of buying a coffee and being asked for a tip, or a slice of pizza from a takeaway stall and being asked for a tip.

At one place, a BBQ restaurant we went to at lunch there was a "Kitchen Appreciation Fee". Wtf... I thought me paying nearly $80 for Burger, Chips and Coke (x2 for us) was the bloody appreciation.

The cost and tip combined put me off going back, £13 for a glass of wine in a standard bar plus the 20% tip they ask for (which of course you can reject) just annoys me

I havent founf it that bad i just add 20% to all my working outs. i only tip on sit down meals, I don't for quick service or starbucks etc. I tip the uber driver and tip one dollar a drink unless im sat at the bar or a table and they bring me the drink.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

I don't disagree ive had more unexpectedly bad meals in the UK than the states

It's one of the benefits of chains, consistency!

[redrabbit29]

Out in London yesterday. Average pub and pint was £6.90 and then prompted for a tip

Really not a fan of this nonsense, especially in the UK when you're buying a pint of beer

[havoc]

redrabbit29 said:

Out in London yesterday. Average pub and pint was £6.90 and then prompted for a tip

Really not a fan of this nonsense, especially in the UK when you're buying a pint of beer

Agreed. A tip for serving a drink at a bar - maybe at the end of the night if you've consistently seen the same bar-person and they've been good. Or if it's cocktails made in front of you.


As for chains / consistency - yep, consistently mediocre in most cases. If the price is commensurate, then fair enough though.

[bad company]

redrabbit29 said:

Out in London yesterday. Average pub and pint was £6.90 and then prompted for a tip

Really not a fan of this nonsense, especially in the UK when you're buying a pint of beer

That’s terrible in a pub. I certainly wouldn’t tip a bar person in the UK.

[HTP99]

bad company said:

redrabbit29 said:

Out in London yesterday. Average pub and pint was £6.90 and then prompted for a tip

Really not a fan of this nonsense, especially in the UK when you're buying a pint of beer

That’s terrible in a pub. I certainly wouldn’t tip a bar person in the UK.

We were at an evening wedding do a few years ago in a local hotel, we were queueing for our first drink at the very expensive bar, the guy behind leans over and whispers into the wifes ear about the "optional" service charge added to all drinks, of course being a bar you just tap your phone without looking, sure enough there was a 15% service charge added to the bill, we asked for it to be removed.

2 sullen looking people, pouring basic drinks or taking the top off a bottle of beer.

[havoc]

HTP99 said:

We were at an evening wedding do a few years ago in a local hotel, we were queueing for our first drink at the very expensive bar, the guy behind leans over and whispers into the wifes ear about the "optional" service charge added to all drinks, of course being a bar you just tap your phone without looking, sure enough there was a 15% service charge added to the bill, we asked for it to be removed.

That is pretty naughty - doubly so if they don't pass some/all of it onto staff.

[Whistle]

I’d like to see them ask for a tip on a pint in most pubs in northern England 😀😀

It wouldn’t go down to well.

[snuffy]

Whistle said:

I’d like to see them ask for a tip on a pint in most pubs in northern England ????

It wouldn’t go down to well.

I've seen it in Liverpool and Chester. I've sure I've said before (but I can't be bothered to go back and check), but one place in Chester, the bar staff press the "no tip" option before presenting you with the tappy machine.

[djc206]

snuffy said:

I've seen it in Liverpool and Chester. I've sure I've said before (but I can't be bothered to go back and check), but one place in Chester, the bar staff press the "no tip" option before presenting you with the tappy machine.

They do that at my local. The bar manager said it’s something to do with the chain having all their machines set up that way regardless of whether it’s a drinks order being placed at the bar or a table service food order.

[snuffy]

djc206 said:

snuffy said:

I've seen it in Liverpool and Chester. I've sure I've said before (but I can't be bothered to go back and check), but one place in Chester, the bar staff press the "no tip" option before presenting you with the tappy machine.

They do that at my local. The bar manager said it’s something to do with the chain having all their machines set up that way regardless of whether it’s a drinks order being placed at the bar or a table service food order.

That would certainly be a logical explanation, I could understand that.