12 Worst Types Of People To Dine With At Restaurants, Hands Down

Meeting up with a good friend, a favorite family member, a treasured coworker, or even that super-fun neighbor you don't often get to chat with can be a great pick-me-up. It gets even better when you meet up at a tried-and-true favorite restaurant or that new spot you've been wanting to visit. However, when strangers or even acquaintances get thrown into the mix, things can get complicated, awkward, and sometimes downright embarrassing.

We've all been there. Whether it's a first date gone horribly wrong, a company holiday party that's left you mortified for Monday, or that time you met extended family and were reminded why you're always busy when they call, we get it. Even the best restaurants can turn into a terrible experience thanks to inconsiderate companions, so let's talk about some of the worst types of people to visit a restaurant with.

Because sure, there are a lot of old-timey etiquette rules that you can (and should) forget about. These days, it's absolutely fine to share plates, as well as the bill, and many might not remember there was a time when men not only paid for women but were expected to order for them, as well. We're glad those days are long gone, but there are still behaviors that can lead to you walking away and swearing to never hit a restaurant with a certain person again. If you've been sitting at the table with any of these types of people, just know that we see you.

Professional chefs will say that there's a proper way to modify an order, and that involves letting servers know about any allergies or dietary restrictions, then asking — politely — if your changes are possible. There's a lot going on in a restaurant kitchen, after all, and changing too much can throw off timing and pace in a big way. While there's nothing wrong with asking to drop tomatoes off your salad or burger, no one wants to be at a table with someone who selects a dish and then makes entitled, rude demands for changes to each and every element.

We're not alone in saying this, and some countries take their menus very seriously. Substitutions are widely frowned upon in Italy — unless there's an allergy or intolerance concerns. And honestly, it can get worse. No one really, really wants to sit at a table with someone who insists on ordering something that's completely off menu like it's some kind of weird power play. That person who agrees that the new Chinese restaurant in town sounds great, only to get to the table and insist to waitstaff that they're really just in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs? Can we agree they're terrible? Yes? Thank you!

There are a lot of restaurant chains where kids can eat for free, and sure, you might even be looking forward to seeing those mischievous nieces and nephews of yours. Because it's been at least a few years since that birthday dinner where little Hayleigh smashed Kinzleigh's face into the cake, Braxton threw the neighbor's cat in the swimming pool, and someone — probably Ryatt or Khalessi — stabbed a hole in the bouncy castle with a chef's knife. Surely, they're a bit older and things are more under control now, right?

Right? Oh... oh, no. Now, you're sitting at a table with all eyes on you as Kinzleigh dumps her soda on Hayleigh, Ryatt's running around other tables screaming, and for the love of... who gave Khalessi a steak knife? Even those in a family- and kid-friendly spot are going to be staring at a table where kids are loud, unruly, rude, and out of control. If you're sitting at that table, you're not only at ground zero, but you're complicit in the chaos... even if you're spending your rather unpleasant meal debating on whether or not to tell Braxton's parents they've been coloring on the chairs for the last 20 minutes.

We really, really wish this one didn't have to be said, but here we are. When one of your dining companions has rudeness as their default setting, it's pretty much a guarantee that the meal is going to get off to a cringe-worthy and uncomfortable start, and then just go downhill. That's so much the case that, honestly, when things begin with your companion being rude to the host, demanding specific tables, or not being happy with the spot you're shown and kicking the superiority complex up a notch, it might not be a bad idea to bail then and there.

And it's not just the humiliation of being associated with someone who's good at being a jerk. (Do you apologize for their behavior? Settle for an exasperated sigh and eyeroll that suggests you're all in this nightmare together? Leave an extra-large tip and try to forget the whole thing ever happened?) Ask restaurant employees what customers might not know, and you're likely to hear some suggest that rude customers are going to have their tickets bumped to the bottom of the to-do list. That means that not only do you have to sit there and undoubtedly watch things escalate, but you're going to have to sit there for a long, long time. Lesson learned.

It's a sad fact of modern life: We're busy, all of the time, and heck, there are definitely not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. Having something happen that makes you run a little bit late is kind of the way of the world these days, but there's a limit. When you start to notice a pattern of making dinner reservations with a buddy, and it's a guarantee that the designated time passes with least a few apologetic texts reassuring you that they're definitely, absolutely, for sure almost there, it gets old.

Most restaurants won't even seat you until your whole party arrives, and the humiliation you feel as you stand there awkwardly and make excuses is just the start. Restaurant space is valuable, and making ends meet means turning over tables and keeping up at oftentimes breakneck speed. You're not going to be imagining that side-eye when you're asked for the third time if your party is running late, as it's not just a matter of trying to decide what to do while you stand there and try to fill the time. If a restaurant ends up turning away walk-in business because of your party's late arrival? That's pretty awful.

There's a lot to be said for relatively modern advancements like refrigeration, antibiotics, and Netflix. At some point, though, society ran right past useful and lifesaving into pointless and occasionally asinine, which brings us to the terminally online. Meeting up at a restaurant for any meal means a chance to reconnect, and there's no reconnecting going on if you're always on your phone, Nevaeh. Seriously, can you put that down for just... oh, right. One more photo.

While there's nothing wrong with snapping a few pics to remember the event, dining with someone who just can't disconnect from the Misinformation Superhighway isn't just frustrating, it's boring, uncomfortable, and what's even the point? Unfortunately, there's a whole host of people like this. There are those who want to take perfectly lit foodie photos to try to make it as a social media influencer, there are the amateur food critics who post reviews and videos, there's the one that's constantly online chatting with various groups... and so on, and so on. Feeling like you're nothing more than a set decoration for whatever online image someone is trying to curate just feels — to use a technical term — icky. Can't we just enjoy the moment?

Just how far you need to go in terms of navigating dining etiquette rules and mistakes obviously depends on what kind of restaurant you're at. A Michelin-starred restaurant is going to be a different experience than Dave & Buster's, and yes, fancy restaurants are going to have some unspoken etiquette rules that might not apply in other types of places. Still, there are some things that are universal. Even at Dave & Buster's, sitting opposite someone who insists on chewing and talking with their mouth full is going to lead to a stomach-turning meal, because seriously, no one needs to see that. Like... ever, and we cannot stress this enough.

That's not to say everyone's expected to be perfect all the time. Things like spills and the occasional dropsies definitely happen, and accidents are just that — accidents. However, when you're at a meal with someone who views "table manners" as just an assortment of random letters, it's tedious. These are the people who constantly interrupt others, help themselves to someone else's plate, decide to take care of some personal hygiene issues at the table, and think that louder is better when it comes to bodily functions. Dine with one of these folks, and you're no longer enjoying a meal, you're just trying to get through the ordeal.

Sometimes, it's super fun to hit a restaurant that has an appetizer menu that's packed full of delicious, oftentimes fried small bites, order a slew of dishes for the table to share, and call it dinner. But that only works if everyone understands the concept of sharing. Although many of us might have learned that in our earliest days at school, sometimes, there's just that one person who decides a platter meant for everyone is really good, and it's now theirs and theirs alone.

Was that good, Haedyn? It certainly looked quite delicious; it would have been nice if everyone had gotten a sample. Especially since, you know, we're all splitting the bill here.

There's another type of dinner guest that we have beef with: The ones that agree to split the bill equally and see an opportunity. These are the people who opt to order an appetizer (for themselves), surf-and-turf with an extra side of lobster, five top-shelf cocktails, and the most expensive dessert on the menu, while everyone else is opting for burgers and a beer, resulting in a massive bill that's mostly the fault of one person. The prospect of splitting the bill shouldn't be a green light for one person at the table to get an ultra-expensive meal subsidized by everyone else, and it's the kind of move that leaves everyone else just feeling taken advantage of.

Some terrible dining companions have something of a one-dimensional chance to embarrass the heck out of anyone unfortunate enough to be seated with them, but that person with no sense of how loud they're talking brings almost endless opportunities for humiliation. That just starts with the fact that restaurant dining is a communal experience, and with that goes respecting other diners' wishes to have a normal conversation without trying to be heard over the person sitting three tables away.

That falls into the category of common courtesy, and if you're sitting at the table with Shouty McShouterson, you're definitely getting the eyeball, too. But in addition to the inconvenience to other guests, there's also the potential that things are going to get very personal very quickly.

Ever notice that it's the people who talk the loudest that want to discuss something like medical symptoms and test results, that icky thing the dog hacked up the other day, the neighbors that they are at least 75% sure are having an affair, or their kid's potty training successes and failures? If you're lucky, that's all they'll want to talk about. If you're unlucky — and if you're in that position in the first place, unlucky is more likely — they're going to want to ask you about some personal things that everyone in the restaurant can now help you work through. Congrats?

We all know that person who takes pride in making a statement with everything from their clothing to their attitude and opinions. Unfortunately, that statement is often meant to be polarizing, over the top, and edgy in a look-at-me kind of way, and you've already got someone in mind right about now, don't you? If you've ever gone to dinner with them, you probably know exactly where we're going here. While a meal at a restaurant should be a comfortable experience, it's a simple fact that a number of chain restaurants have strict dress codes that are absolutely enforced.

When someone in your party shows up in underwear-revealing clothing, a shirt with offensive or vulgar graphics, workout clothes that imply they came straight from the gym, or sporting an aroma that we'll call eau de marijuana, there's a chance that they're going to be outright turned away. There's really no good way for the night to continue on from something that's not only likely to split the attitudes of everyone involved, but was very, very easy to avoid in the first place. 

Do you all leave? Do you ditch the inconsiderate friend at the door? Even if they don't get turned away, the stink from that vulgar shirt or baseball cap is going to linger like a rash.

Whether or not someone agrees with tipping practices in the U.S. restaurant industry is pretty irrelevant when you're sitting down at a table. There are a number of things to keep in mind when tipping, but the bottom line is that 15% of the bill is the absolute least you should consider leaving, while going above that is the more acceptable thing to do. Being a server is oftentimes unforgiving work, and those tips are their livelihood. When you're with someone who puts down a few bucks on a whole dinner bill, it's a cringey move that's a slap in the face for the one who worked so hard to make sure you had an enjoyable meal.

Generally speaking, the only time it's acceptable to leave a bad tip is when the entire restaurant experience — beginning to end — is a bad one. And honestly, if it's a bad one because of your dining companions, maybe consider going above and beyond with that tip. 

Interestingly, studies have found there's something of a trend when it comes to tipping, and a hesitancy to leave a generous tip has been linked to the boomer mentality of frugality, value, and service. It's by no means a guarantee that if you take your elderly neighbor out for a nice meal that they're going to fall into this category, but it never hurts to set a little extra aside no matter who you're dining with.

Again, we wish we didn't have to say this one, but here we are. Imagine, if you will: The meal is wrapping up, everything's been fine so far, and you and your companions are getting ready to make promises of doing this again soon, absolutely. That's about the time one of them swipes all the sugar packets and fun flavored creamers from the table, because they're included in the meal, right?

There are also those that decide it's perfectly acceptable to snag a souvenir pint or wine glass, slip a branded cappuccino cup into their bag, or swipe one of those neat dessert plates. Can it escalate from there? Absolutely, because no matter how many times we've told Paisleigh that it's not acceptable to score yourself a new set of steak knives by taking one from everyone at the table and jamming them into your handbag, guess where most of the dishware for her new apartment came from?

Here's some additional food for thought. Restaurants need to replace dishware a lot: Even from normal breakage, many estimates suggest that a restaurant can expect to spend thousands of dollars each and every year replacing table settings. When people think they're entitled to a few pieces as a part of the meal, you're only making an already tight budget stretch even thinner, and yes, servers know exactly where those dishes went.

Many of the different types of diners we've been talking about share something, and that's a sense of entitlement. That's definitely the case with this one. It's possible if you find yourself stuck at a table with someone who's insisted on trying to bring in some or all of their meal from home; this might be the most mortifying faux pas, and it's also one of the most likely to result in a very unpleasant scene. Not only is that person taking up a seat in a restaurant that could be used by a paying customer, but there are also issues like food safety concerns and uncontrolled allergens.

That's true for those with kids, too. Look, we get it. Being a parent is tough, but no matter how picky your kid is, there is virtually no scenario where it's acceptable to stroll into a restaurant with food in your pocket. If there are kids or picky eaters involved, pick an appropriate restaurant for everyone instead. 

And can this one get worse? Absolutely. Because going one step further and asking a restaurant to heat up your Tupperware container of plain chicken and whatever, or this tin of SpaghettiOs that's all little Broc'coleigh will eat at this age (isn't she just a precocious little darling?), that's just adding insult to injury. And you'd better believe that the whole table is getting judged for this cringe-worthy display of arrogance.