Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter

In "Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter," Steve Dublanica chronicled his life working as a waiter in a high end restaurant. The author wrote about the challenges of being a waiter, with its irregular hours, inconsistent pay, and the difficulties of satisfying customers. This read like a memoir, and the author started the book by explaining how he became a professional waiter.

It was a fascinating read for me as the author provided gossips and information from the front end of the restaurant, unlike Anthony Bourdain who provided the perspective of the kitchen staff. It was just interesting to learn about how the restaurant business work, and life from the waiter's perspective. The writing was clear and conversational, which makes this a quick and fun read. Highly recommended.

It took me a long time to get through this book and the author's journey as a waiter. A few bits were entertaining, but too much complaining to read about as what occupation does not have its pitfalls and when you interact w/ others of course some won't be saints. He should try to be a hospital staff nurse or an inner city public school teacher for a week. I did not come away from the reading experience enlightened nor did I bother to visit his website. Frankly I wished I had passed on this one, but the premise of the book did catch my eye.

I never finished this book. It would have worked better as a long essay. The author doesn't have enough interesting information to fill up a book, and the writing is workmanlike. I could have done without it.

This is a funny, extremely accurate account of waiting tables and the things that happen, people you come across and the hilarity that ensues. I found the areas about how to be a good customer and items to always have with you at the end of the book good for anyone to read - whether a customer that frequently eats at restaurants or a server who works part time or full time. Definitely worth the read - a front of the house Kitchen Confidential!

I enjoyed reading this book for the memories it brought back of my table-waiting days, even though mine weren't in a fine-dining establishment. It also reminded me that, now as a critical care nurse, I haven't come all that far from those days. The parallels are astounding (and disheartening)! An entertaining read, if a little too much soul-searching for my taste.