Working in the restaurant industry can be stressful. In particular, there's one time of day that all waiters hate working. This is also the worst time of day to go out to eat because the wait is long and the staff is under a lot of pressure. The food also isn't as fresh. Click to find out which time of day you should avoid going to a restaurant.
Rob Gunther, a waiter in NYC, wrote an entire piece for Thought Catalog claiming lunch hour is the worst time of day for everyone at a restaurant. This is because most customers only have an hour for lunch, so they want fast service. Customers can be demanding and this is a stressor for the wait staff and cooks.
According to Gunther, the lunch rush "It brings out the worst in all of us." Both customers and wait staff are rushed and "nobody’s cutting anybody any slack." It isn't an enjoyable experience for anyone.
You might think, "How is the lunch rush any different from dinner?" Gunther explains, "As a waiter, dinner’s pretty easy. People start rolling in around five or six, and the dining room stays pretty full until closing. That’s plenty of time to make money, to let people eat, finish chewing their food, the whole restaurant experience."
This source worked at a busy chain restaurant for over 10 years. According to them, "The best time to eat in a restaurant is about an hour before said rush time. This is when the servers are fresh, clean, and still in good spirits." Apparently, the food is also fresher and will arrive at your table in a more timely manner.
