Which restaurant is the best place to wait tables?

Question

I'm a server at Cracker Barrel. I have been there almost 5 months. It's a little far to drive and the tips are not that great. Which restaurants are the best overall to work at including tips?

Answer 1

I highly recommend working your way up to fine dining.

When I was younger I worked casual dining and I would hope to walk to with $75 a day. That would be so ideal.

But with fine dining I never walk with less than $200 a night. I also like that I work for a place that's closed one day a week. Hey man, even the most high got a day off.

Take the time out to learn proper serving techniques, learn about different wines, beers & liquors.

Cracker Barrel is nice if you're in high school, but you're right the money there won't cut it. I remember 4 of us eating there and our bill was $25. I'm not sure if you guys pool tips, but I left $10 because there was no way she was getting by on $5 a table.

Answer 2

There are a few types of places to scout out, depending on how you want to make your money. The first would be a top-of-the-line dining establishmet. These are considerably more difficult to get a job at, but you can make some good money. I had friends in college that worked at the local steakhouses (which are $40/plate and up, without drinks, desserts, etc.). They would take home anywhere from $300-700 a night, dependingon how busy they were. People at these types of places go into the establishment knowing they are going to spend money. This type of work does require a better knowledge of food andwine, though.

The other places that pay well are diners and coney islands. You'll work a lot harder, and not make as much as you would at a 5 star restaurant, but you can still make decent money because people are usually there to get a quick meal and the table turnover is much higher. You'll get smaller tips at all the tables, but you'll have a lot more tables overall. Friends that did this in college usually made $100 per day, but the scheduling was more flexible.

Then there is a third option- bartending. I know it's not really "serving" per se, but you can make some good money doing it a basically any bar that has a decent amount of customers.

Answer 3

Do you have an Austins Steakhouse near you? The tips are great and it is mostly buffet so the work is not too bad.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Small, local restaurants are probably a great choice. You know, restaurants there are only one of.