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

I've been a loyal reader of Waiter's blog for a long time now, and I'm a real fan of his work. As such, I was excited to read the book, and to contribute to someone who I feel has been producing really excellent content for years.

That said, I was honestly disappointing. The book seemed to contain a lot more stories and confessions more suited for a therapist than readers. Sure, I care about this man, but I was hoping for entertainment and the occasional thought-provoking anecdote, the sort of thing I read on his blog. Instead, the book seems to be filled with soul-barring confessions and introspection.

In short, I think Waiter missed the mark with what people want to read. I would have been just as happy to pay for a collection of the best stories from his blog instead.

Therein may be the problem. Perhaps all the best work is already available for free, and with the editors calling for fresh stories Waiter was forced to start scraping the bottom of the barrel. Whatever the reason, the book simply doesn't measure up to the standards of the blog.

So, my suggestion is to consider this less of a purchase and more of a donation. The free archives at the website are certainly worth more than the contents of the book, so I propose looking there for real content rather than having high hopes for what looks to me to be a mediocre collection of everything he never got around to posting about.

I don't read blogs much. I feel like it's cheap voyeurism but I loved the waiter rant blog. I'd recommend reading the blog BEFORE you get the book. You really get to know the writer much better and you see how he grows as a person and improves his writing. I enjoyed the book, but if I hadn't read the blog I probably would have given the book three stars instead of four.

I read this immediately after Kitchen Confidential. If I was to give that book 4 or 5 stars, then all I can give this one is 2 (at most).
I was expecting RANTING from a waiter about customers, cooks, GM's, and examples of funny, sad, thought-provoking, disgusting, loving, crushing, etc. episodes. They were there, but in between the lines. This book reads more like an intelligent, thoughtful memoir of a 38 year old man looking for definition who happens to be a waiter. It should be entitled Wax Poetic Waiter.
Probably would recommend to skip this one. Nowhere as addictive as Kitchen Confidential.

I was hoping for more of the inside story of the restaurant business, especially with Anthony Bordain's review of the book on the cover "a front of the house version of Kitchen Confidential." Waiter Rant is much more about this anonymous waiter and this specific restaurant and less about the business as a whole. Unlike Bordain, "The Waiter" really hasn't experienced restaurants other than The Bistro which limits his insight. The one positive this gives him is a perspective on the comings and goings of restaurant personnel.

Still it's a good book and a quick, interesting read. I'm still waiting for something that can really compare to Kitchen Confidential though.

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.