I prefer booths because they're more spacious & you're the perfect distance from the other person (if it's a work lunch, for example & it's not a friend/family member). My BF & I like booths too though. Yes, sitting by the window is nice, but I'm not that picky.
If a booth is unavailable and the wait would be too long we leave and eat somewhere else. It's one of our "things".
My family prefers tables, but we are also a family of 8 so if we get a booth, we need 2 and can't all sit together.
That's funny Sarge ..... because I will never, never sit with my back to the door...... We prefer a booth but a table might do.... and I want it to be in the "back of the room."
I prefer a table. Booths never seem to make me comfortable, and I dislike the non-adjustable seat. We recently ate at a restaurant that had booths with chairs so close to the table that I thought I wasn't going to fit in there. The padding was shot in the seat, so I was sitting too low, and my boobs were sitting on the table. Last weekend we ate at Outback, and the seats were too deep. When I sat back with my back against the seat, my legs stuck out in front of me. I ended up sitting with my legs crossed in the seat. I like tables with chairs that actually move. DH prefers sitting by a wall, so we often end up in booths. I hate tables in the middle. I feel like everybody is watching me.
I do not like my back to the door or to an empty room, either. I prefer a booth and BF prefers a table. I think I like the booth because then my back isn't really to an open room, esp if it is a high backed booth. The best table is one that's a booth on one side and then a chair on the other side - then BF can have his chair and I can have my booth. I do NOT like high chairs.
I prefer tables also because I can adjust how close or far I want to sit from the table and I have the same problem, Ima Teacher-I HATE when my boobs are on the table! I like the high tops because I like to dangle my feet!
I like to sit away from the entrance and windows. Our town has restaurants built right on the main road, and I worried a car could come through the front. Sure enough, a car DID come through the front of the restaurant! Nobody hurt thank God!
Booths are bigger & I like facing the person directly. Plus, it's easier to put my purse right next to me. I don't like hanging my purse on the back of my chair or in another chair if it's not directly next to me. Tables w/ 4 chairs around them aren't usually big enough. A friend & I had lunch & once you put a few plates on, it's too crowded on the table. I HATE sitting next to someone who's facing the same direction I am, like at the table of the bar area. I don't like sitting too close to the entrance or too far in the back...too much foot traffic walking past all the time.
LOL DITTO! I go out to restaurants so rarely that I'm just happy to be there and don't care where I sit.
Anywhere away from children, the bathroom, or the kitchen...and yes, I will ask for different seating if offered one of those.
My mom hates how in restaurants, hosts/hostesses sit the patrons. She doesn't see why we can't just sit where we want & I totally agree!
I've worked in the food industry...it's about evening out the wait staff's workload...you don't want a seat in a section where the waitress is overloaded when you could have gotten better service in another section.
To add to my earlier response, I like booths for a couple of reasons, one being privacy. With a chair you're just so exposed. I also sit on one of my legs which is much more comfortable and easier to do in a booth. Also, I like sitting the far right hand back corner of any room, restaurant or not.
Yes, I've thought about that. Well, Hometown Buffet, Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes & other buffet-style restaurants seem to be able to work it out where we sit where we want, so more restaurants should implement their system!
Some people like dining....not buffet, serve yourself kind of restaurants...I can stay home for that. Truthfully, hardly any restaurants I frequent have booths...and none have buffet lines.
If I had to choose, I would say booth if I'm on a date or with small children, and a table if I'm with a group. As a server, I don't ever care where I'm seated...I only care about the service. I can't count the number of times people have not wanted to sit at my table when I am in an area that is less desirable, only to see them get seated in a booth with the worst server ever, and their meal all kinds of messed up. I am always more than happy to move someone somewhere else, but I always ALWAYS want to say, "Are you sure? I give great service, and all that person cares about is taking your money." :lol:
I hate to be seated by the kitchen when there are tons of tables available in nicer areas. This is a big one for me.
Aside from DisneyWorld, we never frequent buffets either. As to booths: almost every Sunday after mass, we go to the diner. But the booths there only accomodate 4, so we're at a table unless one of the kids is at a sleepover. And we do hit places like Applebees and TGIFridays on occasion. When their booths are available, they're usually large enough.
There's something for everyone! I actually love being by the kitchen, because I know that whatever I ask for is only steps away.
That's great if you don't mind the loudness of cling-clanging of dishes, hearing the faucets, employees talking/laughing, & maybe a broken dish or two fall to the floor!
Noise doesn't bother me. I think the only thing that really bothers me at a restaurant is seeing other patrons chew with their mouths open or engage in other gross behavior.
