“Two words: smile and nod. Your table is going to ask for ridiculous things. Whether it’s cheeseburgers without cheese, dairy-free ice cream sundaes or complimentary salt and pepper shakers, just keep smiling and nodding. They’re ridiculous, but if you tell them that, the only the only thing that will change will be your tip size.” Brett, Austin, Texas

Definitely stranger than fiction.
Servers are constantly dealing with the general public, a public whose behavior can be offensive, strange and downright hilarious. A few seasoned waiters recall some of their more memorable moments.

“I work at a restaurant with a salad buffet. A few months ago an old man asked if he could sit and eat directly from the large bowls that everyone gets their food out of. I started to laugh, then I realized he was serious.” Gina, Los Angeles

“We get really busy during breakfast on weekends. Some kid thought it would be funny to tell the host his name was Seymour Butts, so the poor guy sat there calling out Seymour Butts over the loud speaker to the laughter of all the guests.” Meghann, Washington, D.C.

“If you’re going to steal food from the restaurant, be smart about it. We have really amazing fortune cookies, and one day a server got caught trying to sneak out two giant bags of them to her car.” Amanda, Littleton, CO

Words from the wise.
A few of these restaurant veterans decided to leave us with a little advice.

“Don’t eat leftovers off people’s plates. I’ve seen people sneeze, spit out already chewed food and touch it with their unswashed hands. So not only is it gross, but once a server at my restaurant got caught, by her customers, eating a few of their French fries.” Tara, Encinitas, CA