Is it rude to share a meal when eating out?

[BackLogJoe]

My girlfriend and I are vacationing and we have been eating out often. We have also been watching our portion sizes as we are trying to drop some pounds.

I suggested that when we go out to eat, we split an appetizer and an entree. She said this could be perceived as rude as it lowers the tip. I had never heard of this so I thought I'd bring this question up here.

What say you?

 

[BringBackSonics]

My girlfriend and I are vacationing and we have been eating out often. We have also been watching our portion sizes as we are trying to drop some pounds.

I suggested that when we go out to eat, we split an appetizer and an entree. She said this could be perceived as rude as it lowers the tip. I had never heard of this so I thought I'd bring this question up here.

What say you?

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Tip more 🤷‍♂️?

 

[Hound]

Fuck the tip, it's a stupid system. I say, do it. If you feel bad just tip a tad more.

 

[∀∃:ETURNA]

Not rude at all, IMO. My GF and I split meals all the time.

 

[BottledLightning]

Does the country you're vacationing actually have a tipping culture?

 

[Rapscallion]

You're still supporting the restaurant. You're a paying customer and you can choose what you order. If your concern is for the waiter, tip slightly more?

 

[Cenauru]

Everywhere I've been to doesn't force tips to be a certain percentage

Also my family have had shared meals in restaurants ever since I can remember

 

[Mcfrank]

There is nothing wrong with doing this. The tipping worry is silly. Just tip more if you are worried about it. Nicer restaurants may have a few dollar fee for doing this.

 

[WascallyWabbit]

No, if that's all you can eat then how can anyone get mad?
It's like saying it's rude to be skinny and go out to dinner lol

 

[BackLogJoe]

Does the country you're vacationing actually have a tipping culture?

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We are vacationing in Orlando, specifically at Disney where a hamburger is like 20 bucks.

 

[Bizkit Krueger]

eat how you wanna eat, tip more if you're concerned about it

 

[Fat4all]

my parent used to share meals all the time, my dad would get sommit they both liked and my mom would get a side salad and they'd just treat both as one meal and pick and choose

and i'd always get chicken tendies

 

[Watershed]

It's not rude. Order and eat what you want, not what you think the staff or restaurant expect.

 

[GrimGrinningGuy]

We are vacationing in Orlando, specifically at Disney where a hamburger is like 20 bucks.

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Oh shit split away
Also get kids meals at QS locations

 

[Mechaplum]

Depends which country and culture.

 

[nsilvias]

no. do whatever the fuck you want. you'll never see those people again anyways since your vacationing

 

[Stath]

Tipping more sounds like a good way to address that concern. I dunno though, you're vacationing, maybe worry about losing weight later haha.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

The fuck? My wife and I split meals out at restaurants all the time. Just tip however you want.

 

[Zeliard]

I don't even understand this. You eat what you eat and the tip is commensurate to the total and whatever else you want to add. What exactly is the problem? You're not tipping based on food portions. If a single appetizer and entree is enough to feed you both then that seems totally fine to me.

It's no different than if you had gone out to eat alone. It isn't like the server is having to do massive leg work to bring one extra person their water.

 

[SpottieO]

My wife and I always split meals. Portions are too big.

 

[SinnyIndonesian]

As someone who lives somewhere with no tip culture, it's utterly baffling to me that something like this needs to be thought through at all. Do people not share meals all the time?

 

[Fuzzery]

Not rude.

 

[Squarehard]

At Disneyworld specifically? Nah. Those theme park meal prices are already a scam, so don't trip over yourself on that.

 

[Cheesebu]

There is no issue imo, but don't ask them to split the entree between two plates themselves, that's rude af.

 

[TheStebe]

How is choosing whats on the menu and sharing the meal that you want rude?

Seriously its your evening out and thinking about the tip should be the LAST thing on anyone's minds.

It drives me crazy to see people think about the tip first on top of their evening out together

 

[wideface]

It's not rude if you clap after you've finished eating. That makes up for the tip.

 

[Trouble]

You can order whatever the hell you want. There's nothing rude about splitting an entree. Most of the time, if you mention you are sharing they'll bring an extra plate without having to ask. Some restaurants will even split an entree evenly between two plates for sharing purposes, that is pretty rare, though.

There is no issue imo, but don't ask them to split the entree between two plates themselves, that's rude af.

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Yeah, as I mentioned above, some restaurants will do this if you mention you are sharing, but don't ask.

 

[Welfare]

The tip is a percentage off the total order. There is no minimum cash order requirement if you have two people. Just split the meal.

 

[Carbon]

Do not feel bad in the least.

There is no issue imo, but don't ask them to split the entree between two plates themselves, that's rude af.

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But yeah, just ask for an extra plate. Or tip extra well.

As someone who lives somewhere with no tip culture, it's utterly baffling to me that something like this needs to be thought through at all. Do people not share meals all the time?

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People often do here, but some restaurants, especially fancier ones ($$$), expect everyone with a seat in the restaurant to order food and tip based on those rich asshole prices. Sometimes they'll charge a "sharing fee" if you ask to split a meal.

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

No, imo.

 

[bananab]

My wife and I once went to a pretty upscale place nearby for her birthday. We didn't completely understand the menu and ordered an appetizer to split. The waiter helpfully brought it out with two forks, zero judgement and absolutely no problem with us sharing it. It was like a single dorito with some dollop of sauce beside it. Funniest experience ever. But yeah they'll tell you if they care. We've also been told we couldn't share the salad bar on a different occasion. So, if you're at a place where they don't like that, you'll know. Salad bar place actually mentioned it repeatedly. We weren't trying to!

 

[Dice]

Do it

Restaurant portions can be huge and leftovers are overrated.

 

[Cheesebu]

You can order whatever the hell you want. There's nothing rude about splitting an entree. Most of the time, if you mention you are sharing they'll bring an extra plate without having to ask. Some restaurants will even split an entree evenly between two plates for sharing purposes, that is pretty rare, though.



Yeah, as I mentioned above, some restaurants will do this if you mention you are sharing, but don't ask.

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Yea sometimes they'll offer. I only say it's rude because they spend all day trying to make every plate look appetizing, and they can't just say "fuck it", they have to try to make your half a plate look appetizing. It sounds easy on paper, but I've been there 😭

 

[ElephantShell]

I don't think so. You tip based on what you buy, if you only want to buy one appetizer and one entree how is that your fault? That's all you want. Much better than getting more than you need and wasting the food.

 

[kaisere]

We are vacationing in Orlando, specifically at Disney where a hamburger is like 20 bucks.

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I am from Orlando, it is not weird at all to split meals. My family does it all the time when we go out.

 

[John Frost]

Do whatever the fuck you wanna do.

 

[krae_man]

Maybe your partner doesn't want to share.

 

[BaasRed]

Anybody that cares about you sharing meals isnt worth caring about.

 

[darz1]

You choose how much you want to tip

 

[pikachief]

Why would this mess with the tip if you choose how much you tip?

 

[Slayven]

my parent used to share meals all the time, my dad would get sommit they both liked and my mom would get a side salad and they'd just treat both as one meal and pick and choose

and i'd always get chicken tendies

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Stop romanticizing your childhood. Your mom would say "I am not hungry, i will get a little side salad". But eat half your dad's food and he would have to go to bed hungry

 

[DaleCooper]

Fuck the tip, it's a stupid system. I say, do it. If you feel bad just tip a tad more.

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It's hilarious how much debate the "tipping system" generates.

I even went on a trekking trip where tipping also turned into a larger debate. Jfc.

 

[kowhite]

It's not rude whatsoever.

 

[DevilMayGuy]

No
Just tip more if you're worried

 

[supernormal]

I can do some mental gymnastics as to why maybe if your occupying a table for 2 at a fancy restaurant and only get single meal and split it it would be kind of rude. It's kind of like hogging a table and just ordering water or the next cheapest thing. But that's why some restaurants only let you make reservations letting you know you must have a full course meal and can only have a table for a certain amount of time. If this restaurant doesn't really have any rules like that, do as you wish.

 

[El Bombastico]

I have never heard anyone ever call it rude.

It's just smart.

 

[Fat4all]

Stop romanticizing your childhood. Your mom would say "I am not hungry, i will get a little side salad". But eat half your dad's food and he would have to go to bed hungry

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did you edit my wiki

 

[hitmon]

It's your money, buy what you want and tip what you think is fair.

 

[Hilarious_Bearious]

They're doing less work because they're carrying less food to the table, so they get less tip. The system works!!

It's almost as if... The livelihood of workers shouldn't rely on the generosity of random strangers?

Edit: my wife and I split entres and a main a lot in the states because the portions are ridiculously big. I was pretty generous with tipping.

 

[MarvelousIntent]

If it matters that much, just tip a flat amount instead of a percentage.

They're doing less work because they're carrying less food to the table, so they get less tip. The system works!!

It's almost as if... The livelihood of workers shouldn't rely on the generosity of random strangers?

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But also, this.