At the bar and at the table

If you are in a crowded bar and people are waiting for their drinks and you don’t like waiting, tip the bartender up front and let them know that you reward good service. This usually seems to help them be able to pick you out of a crowd and remember what you are drinking. If you do spend time waiting at the bar for your table, don’t forget to tip the bartender. The tip you leave at the table might not make it back to them.

How will you know what is best to order
While you are walking to your table, take a look around at what others are eating. This will give you a better idea of what you might want to order and will also show you the size of the portions the Restaurant serves.
Ask the waiter what types of items on the menu are the most popular sellers or the specialties of the house.
Take a look at the dessert selections before deciding on your meal and turning in your menu. You might find a desert you’ll really want and decide to go with a smaller entrée to leave some room for that dessert.

How can you make sure your food is prepared just the way you like it
Once seated, ask some questions. If you find yourself wondering about the spices or if you can get it cooked to order, ask. You may feel like you’re bugging the waiter, but they would probably rather deal with lots of questions than have to return food because it wasn’t what you expected.
If you suffer from food allergies, don’t forget to ask about ingredients and preparations.
If you are making lots of special requests for substitutions or a unique preparation of the meal, remember that your waiter is there to be helpful and the better the dining experience they provide for you should translate into a better tip for them.

Why can’t the waiter grant all your special requests
Don’t punish them if they can’t deliver on all your requests. They can only make an effort and might not be able to change everything to your liking. For example, some Restaurants will not serve rare meat because of problems with beef. The Restaurant has this policy because it is worried about the health of their patrons. The waiter simply may not be able to change this policy.

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