Following up on my dinner at Barney’s with my split appetizer fee. Another frustrating thing about dinner was our wait. We had a 7:30 pm reservation. We arrived on time (in fact, we were 5 minutes early since some people believe if you are early, you are on time). Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. We were finally seated 30 minutes after our reservation time (8:00). During this time, there were no explanations or apologies for waiting. We also saw at least 2 tables that were available by 7:45 that we were not seated at. As I said, this is frustrating.
It made me think what exactly is the reservation for? This reminds me of the Seinfeld sketch…
https://youtu.be/4T2GmGSNvaM?si=g-ZnqvBvlMTjkcQa
My take is that when a restaurant accepts a reservation, it’s making an implicit promise. Not a guarantee that your table will be ready the second you walk in, but a reasonable assurance that your time is being respected. A wait of five or ten minutes is understandable. But waiting thirty minutes or more, that’s a broken agreement.
If the restaurant can’t honor the reservation, then it shouldn’t offer one.
The frustration isn’t just about time—it’s about expectations. Diners make reservations for a reason:
- We plan babysitters around them
- We schedule evenings and events around them
- We choose that restaurant over others because it takes reservations
Standing around awkwardly—often without seating, updates, or apologies—turns what should be an enjoyable night into an exercise in irritation before the first drink even arrives.
By the time you’re finally seated, you’re already annoyed. And no appetizer can fully undo that.
Restaurants often cite the same reasons:
- The last table is lingering.
- The kitchen is backed up.
- We’re just waiting for a party to leave.
All of these may be true—but none of them are the diner’s problem.
Restaurants manage seating every night. Overbooking reservations in the hope that tables turn faster is a calculated risk. When that risk fails, customers pay the price in wasted time.
I understand if you have to wait when you do not have a reservation. Typically, restaurants will tell what the wait time is if you are walk up. Then it is up to you to decide if you want to wait or find another restaurant.
But with a reservation, you’ve already made that decision. You’ve committed. And when that commitment isn’t honored, the wait feels longer, heavier, and more personal. Add to this when there is not communication from the hostess about your wait time.
A restaurant can apologize and offer the reason why there is await time. I am not even suggesting but it was always nice if you offer to buy you a drink while you wait.
I once had the host of a restaurant tell me that waiting for 30 to 45 minutes is not that unusual because it was a Saturday night and they are busy. I responded that it is Saturday night every Saturday and they should know how busy they get and modify their reservations accordingly. I did not make any friends that night.
The Bottom Line is that a reservation should mean something. It doesn’t have to be perfect—but it should be respected. If a restaurant regularly runs 30 minutes behind schedule, that’s not bad luck, it’s poor planning. Diners aren’t asking for special treatment; they’re asking for basic courtesy. Because when you show up on time for your reservation, the least a restaurant can do is show up for you too.