Would you eat in a restaurant alone?

[sassafras]

I just like to be cooked for and cleaned up after sometimes. And/or enjoy a nice, quiet, well-prepared meal by myself.

Plus... my husband has some food allergies and there are certain places I like where he simply can't eat anything on the menu. So if I want to eat there I either go by myself, with a friend, or not at all. And sometimes I can't make schedules work with friends, so... alone I go with a book.

 

[CharlieDog]

Before Indy I never went anywhere alone. I usually have to have someone with me. If I was going to go out to get food, it's to a fast food place with a drive thru. And it usually sucked because going to stores required someone free to go with me.

Now I actually go shopping by myself.

 

[PlottMom]

Occasionally. I go to the Mexican restaurant in the same shopping center as my work every now & then... I find it relaxing for my one hour lunch break during hours of chaos.

 

[Xandra]

How do people cut their food and hold a novel open at the same time? This is a skill I haven't mastered yet lol

 

[Dobermonster]

How do people cut their food and hold a novel open at the same time? This is a skill I haven't mastered yet lol

Tch. Order something that can be diced with a fork/grasped in one hand/folded and speared without risk of springing off the fork. If it can't do any of those things, it's not worth eating. What happens next is much more important.

 

[milos_mommy]

This thread is interesting! Ice never eaten alone at a restaurant, and it's unlikely I ever would, although Fran points out lots of good reasons.

It's not because I'd be embarrassed or find it awkward...I do plenty of things alone people might find weird, like shows or concerts or something...

But to me, the only reason to dine out are social ones. Maybe if I was a foodie or it was a really interesting restaurant I wanted to try and had no one to go with...but otherwise I couldn't justify spending that money on food/service just to read in public.

 

[Dogdragoness]

I have been to a sit down restaurant many many times as well as subway, fast food & the movies back when I was single & never had an issue or felt like it was weird ... But that being said ... I did ask them to always sit me (if it was possible) in a corner booth/table lol

 

[BlackPuppy]

I used to do this often when I lived in Chicago. Saturdays were my night out with myself and it usually included dinner and a classical music-type concert.

Now I prefer to save my money so have little occassion to eat at a nice restaurant at all.

Gosh! Totally forgot. I travel to Europe by myself and what better way to enjoy the local cuisine.

 

[tzigane]

I think I do that more than I do with other people, haha.

 

[sassafras]

Oh I rarely if ever have a problem justifying spending money.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

I do quite a lot actually. Probably a few times a week because I'm on my way to school, work, whatever and have absolutely no time to cook which doesn't leave me with much choice.

However, I wouldn't eat at a fancy restaurant by myself. Usually I just go to places like small sushi restaurants, burgers, sandwiches, pho, ramen, pizza, etc.

A lot of people eat by themselves here. Especially in the downtown areas where people go to work. It's pretty common to see at least a few tables of 1 person around lunch time, a little less for dinner time but it happens too.

To put it into perspective, I probably eat in a restaurant alone 10-15 times for every time I eat with someone else in a restaurant.

 

[Grab]

It's only annoying if I am enjoying a bit of peace, my own thoughts, and/or a good book and the waiter feels a responsibility to form a bond with me since I'm sitting alone lol..

This happened to me the last time I had lunch by myself. Sooo annoying, I was clearly reading!

I have eaten by myself, I don't mind it and it doesn't feel awkward.

 

[noludoru]

I do all the time.

I bring my phone or a book or I people-watch. The only time it's awkward is if the waitstaff or random strangers fuss over me being "a poor dear, all alone." I actually stopped going to a diner near my house in Fairfax when a waiter there just wouldn't leave me alone. He thought I needed company and would interrupt my reading with incessant chatter and just sit down at my booth - polite hints weren't enough to make him leave.

If you can do it at a panera, you can do it at a sit-down place. The only difference is the surprised looks you get at a fancier place.

 

[katielou]

I took myself out for breakfast this morning