Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am always considerate when someone else is paying and I try to order from one of the less expensive items on the menu. Even when I go out with my Sons, I will pay sometimes and they will reciprocate the next time, we all order the less expensive items just to be fair to one another.
If I am going out by myself, or treating someone, then I do treat myself to whatever I want, but on someone else's tab I just can't bring myself to abuse their generosity. After all, it is only a meal and in 8 hours I am going to be hungry again, so why get all concerned about it.
I agree that it is best to order modestly when one is not paying the bill, but I would not consider your friends' meals extravagant. The only thing that was questionable, under the circumstances, was the buffalo wing appetizer. I really wouldn't think it reasonable to take people to brunch and be surprised that they ordered coffee and various omelets. Honestly, if you're not comfortable providing coffee or any non-vegetarian food at brunch, you probably shouldn't be picking up the check.
In West Vancouver the restaurent brought my date the menu with no prices on it.
Or at least it felt that way!
That's very old-fashioned and very proper etiquette. The lady should then ask the gentleman what he suggests. If both menus have prices the same question should be asked and his response sets the price point he had in mind.
Alas, I fear such niceties of etiquette have all but vanished.
When I was working in advertising for our newspaper, our department's secretary had a birthday. I took her to lunch first (several others were taking her out, in some sort of order - she was going to be having birthday lunches for over a week). It was something out of a Seinfeld episode. LUNCH came to about $100. My part was under $10. There were only two of us. It was LUNCH. I couldn't believe it. I also let everyone know what happened. All of her other birthday lunches got postponed - and eventually dropped. Hope she enjoyed that one lunch.
Later, a male friend asked me to set him up with her. Once I told the story, he changed his mind. Greed isn't pretty and can cause you to lose out.
Normally, I'd look at what the person paying the bill is ordering. Honestly, it sounds like you may have ordered the simplest and least expensive item on the menu. I think it would have been hard for your friends to order comparable items unless they picked out the same exact meal that you did. The buffalo wings and cheesy fries might have been a bit extravagant for a brunch, but not everyone can handle an omelet at that time of day either. Hopefully, they shared with everyone.
When I was working in advertising for our newspaper, our department's secretary had a birthday. I took her to lunch first (several others were taking her out, in some sort of order - she was going to be having birthday lunches for over a week). It was something out of a Seinfeld episode. LUNCH came to about $100. My part was under $10. There were only two of us. It was LUNCH. I couldn't believe it. I also let everyone know what happened. All of her other birthday lunches got postponed - and eventually dropped. Hope she enjoyed that one lunch.
Later, a male friend asked me to set him up with her. Once I told the story, he changed his mind. Greed isn't pretty and can cause you to lose out.
Was it greed or need? Did she leave the restaurant with a well-stocked "doggie" bag?
I order more modestly on someone else's dime than I do on my own. If I know what they're getting I try to order something the same price or less. But I wouldn't go so far as foregoing my coffee in the morning, though, just because the host only had water.
I probably get treated to dinner more often than the average person. Since my friends know I don't drink alcohol, they know my part of the tab will be the cheapest. If I'm dining with one other person, I'll always offer to leave the tip if they're paying. But I had to learn not to do that for a whole table. Take four or more people who are drinking with dinner and the appropriate tip will be cost more than the food I ate.
I think $33 for four people is really reasonable, but I am assuming two had omelettes and one had a hot dog and then they shared the buffalo wings and chili cheese fries? Or the person who ordered the hot dog had chili cheese fries as a side?
It is were me, I'd have ordered an omelette and a drink or a hot dog and regular fries and a drink. I would feel like it was kind of rude to add buffalo wings and chili cheese fries in addition to a meal.
But still, $33 is not much for four people. Now if you ordered a grilled cheese and they ordered steak and lobster, that would be rude!
Was it greed or need? Did she leave the restaurant with a well-stocked "doggie" bag?
Greed. No doggie bag - she ordered the most expensive things she could order. Even had it been need - out-spending me 1:9 was crossing the line. I ordered a typical lunch. She ordered lobster, with the crab add-ons, etc. Also the most expensive wine on the menu, although she doesn't normally drink wine - just went for the money. Like I said, I felt like I was in a sit-com.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
