Restaurants are a wonderful place to gather with friends and family, share some laughs, and enjoy a delicious meal. But let’s be honest – sometimes the wait for your food can be agonizing. Especially when you’re starving! Here are 10 tips to help you get your food faster at restaurants.
- Call ahead and order
Instead of waiting in line to order your food, call ahead and place your order before you get there. You will avoid the wait time for them to take down your information and put your order together. And because you already placed it over the phone, when you arrive at the restaurant, simply go straight up to the pick-up counter to retrieve your meal. You can also make a reservation on https://app.dinesurf.com/ before your arrival.
- Get the express lane
If you don’t mind eating fast food, try to get your meal from the “express” or takeout section of a restaurant. They serve take-away portions that are already prepared faster than meals that require preparation in the kitchen.
- Check out menus online
Check out menus for local restaurants online before you go so you can make wise decisions about what to order. That way, you won’t feel the pressure of not knowing what to pick when you get there. This is why you need a restaurant recommendation app, you can see other benefits in this post.
- Eat at off-peak hours
This tip is all about timing. The best times to eat at restaurants are generally during the “off-peak” hours of 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can avoid waiting around for your food if you time it right!
- Make friends with the manager
You can get your food faster by talking to the manager at your local restaurant. Making friends with the managers increases the likelihood that they will prioritize your order when it comes in – even if other customers have placed orders after you. Many people may not like this but well… it’s one of the ways to get your food faster.
- Takeout is faster than delivery
When you’re craving food, don’t order delivery if you can avoid it. The time it takes for the restaurant to deliver your meal will probably be longer than the time (most times these orders can take up to 30 minutes depending on how busy it is) it takes for you to pick up that same meal in person. Takeout is almost always faster!
- Order signature items
If you are at a restaurant that offers daily specials, stick with the most popular or signature dishes on the menu. Chances are these specialties will be prepared first because they are made with simple ingredients and require less prep time.
- Be flexible
Be flexible when you order, and don’t be afraid to change what’s on the menu if it means getting your food faster. If you have a hard time making decisions about what to eat, try ordering a couple smaller dishes instead of one big entree – that way, each dish can be prepared as quickly as possible.
- Communicate
If the wait time at your local restaurant is too long for comfort, communicate this to your waiter or waitress politely and professionally. They might be able to speed up your order or get you a discount on your bill.
- Eat street food
Street vendors often have less overhead than restaurants because they don’t pay rent and use cheaper cooking equipment. Street food is great because it’s normally cooked to order, so you won’t have to wait long for your meal!
So there you have it – 10 ways to get your food faster at restaurants. Of course, not all of these tips will work in every situation, but hopefully they’ll give you a good starting point for getting your meal without waiting forever. Got any of your own tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!
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