Self service “Restaurants”

v638sg7k1a92bx

They seem to be everywhere at the moment but I don’t get the point. Feels like I’m in prison, lining up to have my food slopped out and being rushed with the queue behind you and the sever anxiously waiting while you have to make a choice in 10 seconds. The whole idea of going to a restaurant is that your food is served to you but why would you go to a self service restaurant when I may aswell stay at home and get the same for free. At least with pub carvery you know what you get and the price reflects that - roast, spuds the usual. I was in a self service restaurant in rathmines which all the pretentious mums live for some reason and which is closing btw, where you pick your food and salad which is then reheated in the microwave!!! WTF! I’m paying the same price as a sit down restaurant to serve myself, hussle for a seat and have my food reheated in a micro. What am I missing here?

Raconteuse

They don't seem to be everywhere.

A carvery is self service.

Thankfully it's not compulsory to attend them.

Mrs OBumble

You have someone in your house who cooks and does the dishes for you?

I can kind of agree. I generally avoid them. I don't like the constant queuing aspect of them and I find often times carvery-style counters tend to have the food slightly warm instead of piping hot.

I much prefer sitting at a table, and having a menu to order from. But I appreciate there's room for both business models. I just wouldn't ever pick the 'school canteen' option over a 'sit-down' option.

sydthebeat

Apples... Meet oranges

bee06

Is it like a cafe type thing? Like O Briens?

I’ve never heard of a restaurant where you queue.

jimwallace197

I like them. You usually get to choose exactly how much you want, often are able to go back for more if you wish. Also, when the food is laid out for you, you can get a much better idea of what its like, the smell, the look of it.

Hoboo

bee06 wrote: »

Is it like a cafe type thing? Like O Briens?

I’ve never heard of a restaurant where you queue.

Only ever seen something comparable in Yea Burger. You queue to get seated, then you queue to order your food, then you sit and your food gets served on a tray.

It's just another business model. McDonalds is a restaurant you queue in. Albeit a Fast Food Restaurant.

ebbsy

I like chicken.



And minge.

Larbre34

Nandos. Come for the self service and stay for the high prices.

A ridiculous model, went once, food very average, never again.

BeerWolf

Stop going to fast food restaurants, they don't exist in a proper restaurant...

PTH2009

We have a self service bar in Waterford

U go in and put money on a card, get a glass, tap and pull ur own pint

It's a good idea but I'd rather have my pint handed to me

PonchoMcHoncho

Larbre34 wrote: »

Nandos. Come for the self service and stay for the high prices.

A ridiculous model, went once, food very average, never again.

Same. I have absolutely no idea why people were raving about it. Nothing about it is good.

v638sg7k1a92bx

PonchoMcHoncho wrote: »

Same. I have absolutely no idea why people were raving about it. Nothing about it is good.

Just walk past Nando’s and have a look at the clientele.

v638sg7k1a92bx

sydthebeat wrote: »

Apples... Meet oranges

Exactly but prices are the same so.

v638sg7k1a92bx

PTH2009 wrote: »

We have a self service bar in Waterford

U go in and put money on a card, get a glass, tap and pull ur own pint

It's a good idea but I'd rather have my pint handed to me

Are the pints cheaper?

Gynoid

OP, have you ever seen the self service pick and mix in cinemas? There ya are, cheerfully angling the wee shovel to get some nice fudge squares and mostly green and black jelly babies and then some toddler with neon green snots hanging over their lip comes along, licks one of the fizzy cola bottles you were going to get next, and puts it back in the drawer. Traumatic.

aziz

Reuben Tasteless Sunburn wrote: »

Are the pints cheaper?

No,if anything,more expensive

sydthebeat

Reuben Tasteless Sunburn wrote: »

Exactly but prices are the same so.

I don't know what carverys or restaurants you go to, but carverys I've gone to are always cheaper.

I wouldn't pay €20 for a main from a carvery... Anywhere.

v638sg7k1a92bx

sydthebeat wrote: »

I don't know what carverys or restaurants you go to, but carverys I've gone to are always cheaper.

I wouldn't pay €20 for a main from a carvery... Anywhere.

I’m not talking about carvery read the OP before you clog up the thread. We don’t all live in muck savage land, licking our knives and slurping pints for €3:10 on a Tuesday afternoon.

RWCNT

Is OP referring to a buffet?

Im not getting the picture.

Reuben Tasteless Sunburn

Reuben Tasteless Sunburn wrote: »

I’m not talking about carvery read the OP before you clog up the thread. We don’t all live in muck savage land, licking our knives and slurping pints for €3:10 on a Tuesday afternoon.

Carvery is far nicer than the dirt you’re talking about having.

v638sg7k1a92bx

RWCNT wrote: »

Is OP referring to a buffet?

Im not getting the picture.

Avoca, fallow & Byrne, garden centres, hotels, and basically any establishment you go to on a weekend has a “restaurant” where you line up with your tray and get a pick n mix that is then heated in a micro and handed to you on a prison tray and all for the same price you would pay in an actual restaurant.

barneygumble99

Not quite a restaurant but I’d never eat bread or baking from any supermarket unless I see it being put out by a worker and I get it straight away. The amount of ******s, sorry, parents that allow their children to molest the loose food on display in supermarkets is criminal.

v638sg7k1a92bx

barneygumble99 wrote: »

Not quite a restaurant but I’d never eat bread or baking from any supermarket unless I see it being put out by a worker and I get it straight away. The amount of ******s, sorry, parents that allow their children to molest the loose food on display in supermarkets is criminal.

Never mind the kids what about the adults?

Super-Rush

Reuben Tasteless Sunburn wrote: »

Avoca, fallow & Byrne, garden centres, hotels, and basically any establishment you go to on a weekend has a “restaurant” where you line up with your tray and get a pick n mix that is then heated in a micro and handed to you on a prison tray and all for the same price you would pay in an actual restaurant.

That is a carvery you fcuking idiot.

bee06

Reuben Tasteless Sunburn wrote: »

Avoca, fallow & Byrne, garden centres, hotels, and basically any establishment you go to on a weekend has a “restaurant” where you line up with your tray and get a pick n mix that is then heated in a micro and handed to you on a prison tray and all for the same price you would pay in an actual restaurant.

Is someone forcing you to eat in these places? Blink once for yes.

Assetbacked

Steak on a stone where you cook it yourself is a great way to part idiots with their money.

Miss Elizabeth

The new Mc Donald's order system is a joke. It takes longer and you end up standing around with a ticket like a ****ing eejit. Its not any faster!!! Its just less personal but not in a good way.

Its Mc Donald's, you don't expect much but I don't like it and I've been twice since the one near me changed. The first time they forgot to give me a hamburger. The second time they gave me extra chips. I said nothing about it the second time.

v638sg7k1a92bx

Super-Rush wrote: »

That is a carvery you fcuking idiot.

No it isn’t you wet brain. A carvery is where they served freshly cooked meat that they cut in front of you or carve in front of you. These places I’m talking about refer to themselves as “Restaurants” as described in the title you knucklehead.

SCOOP 64

Miss Elizabeth wrote: »

The new Mc Donald's order system is a joke. It takes longer and you end up standing around with a ticket like a ****ing eejit. Its not any faster!!! Its just less personal but not in a good way.

Its Mc Donald's, you don't expect much but I don't like it and I've been twice since the one near me changed. The first time they forgot to give me a hamburger. The second time they gave me extra chips. I said nothing about it the second time.

Never use it, i just go to till as normal.

Ted_YNWA

Super-Rush wrote: »

That is a carvery you fcuking idiot.

Reuben Tasteless Sunburn wrote: »

No it isn’t you wet brain. A carvery is where they served freshly cooked meat that they cut in front of you or carve in front of you. These places I’m talking about refer to themselves as “Restaurants” as described in the title you knucklehead.

Mod
Whatever style of restaurant you are in, it is common decency not to throw insults around.


Cut it out.

Miss Elizabeth

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Never use it, i just go to till as normal.

Yes so did I but they still give you a ticket. You stand and wait at a counter that's facing the kitchen and there's o only two tills, usually only one person serving. The kitchen is tiny and there's about 20 employees tripping over one another trying to get the orders.

Also in the one near me they redesigned the whole place and now there's less seats in it and they added some stupid computer touch screens that take up space and i suppose are suppose to give an internet cafe feel to the place.

PonchoMcHoncho

Miss Elizabeth wrote: »

The new Mc Donald's order system is a joke. It takes longer and you end up standing around with a ticket like a ****ing eejit. Its not any faster!!! Its just less personal but not in a good way.

Its Mc Donald's, you don't expect much but I don't like it and I've been twice since the one near me changed. The first time they forgot to give me a hamburger. The second time they gave me extra chips. I said nothing about it the second time.

I love it Bang out the order on the machine, pick table service and go sit down. Or stand and wait for your order the same as you always would. Do what you always did or do it better. There's no downside.

Miss Elizabeth

PonchoMcHoncho wrote: »

I love it Bang out the order on the machine, pick table service and go sit down. Or stand and wait for your order the same as you always would. Do what you always did or do it better. There's no downside.

It takes longer and you end up having to make small talk with the other waiting people.

Last 3 orders I got off those McDonalds machines didn’t print the receipt. I still got the food because they never asked me to prove the order was mine but if scobes cotton on to it then they’re going to have a mess.

Miss Elizabeth

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Last 3 orders I got off those McDonalds machines didn’t print the receipt. I still got the food because they never asked me to prove the order was mine but if scobes cotton on to it then they’re going to have a mess.

Oh yea. Never thought of doing that. Perhaps this Mc Donald's thing will work out after all

PonchoMcHoncho

Miss Elizabeth wrote: »

It takes longer and you end up having to make small talk with the other waiting people.

I haven't noticed it takes longer as soon as you place the order it's sent to the kitchen.

You also know where to wait and when to go collect too instead of the old method of giving your order and standing awkwardly to one side in front of the till and people having to ask if you've been served or if you're waiting. So it lessens people interaction!

Potential-Monke

There was a chinese in Limerick not too long ago, down by the old savoy area. Can't remember the name, but it was bloody brilliant. You go in, pay your €15 or whatever it was, and take whatever you want, as much as you want. All laid out lovely, all the different dishes, some 'dry' chicken if you didn't want it covered in sauce, different types of freshly cooked rice, noodles, etc. I loved it, and I think more places need to have this as an option imo. It's like chinese tapas!

I'd love to go into a 'normal' restaurant and be able to get a little bit of everything, variety is the spice of life!

JohnCleary

Potential-Monke wrote: »

There was a chinese in Limerick not too long ago, down by the old savoy area. Can't remember the name, but it was bloody brilliant. You go in, pay your €15 or whatever it was, and take whatever you want, as much as you want. All laid out lovely, all the different dishes, some 'dry' chicken if you didn't want it covered in sauce, different types of freshly cooked rice, noodles, etc. I loved it, and I think more places need to have this as an option imo. It's like chinese tapas!

I'd love to go into a 'normal' restaurant and be able to get a little bit of everything, variety is the spice of life!

You mean a buffet?

Smart Bug

barneygumble99 wrote: »

Not quite a restaurant but I’d never eat bread or baking from any supermarket unless I see it being put out by a worker and I get it straight away. The amount of ******s, sorry, parents that allow their children to molest the loose food on display in supermarkets is criminal.

Remember goin into a shop with my friend & his dog when we were young. Fresh bread stacked on those wire shelves from the floor up. Dog cocked his leg & drizzled on a loaf of bread. We said nuttin.

Potential-Monke

JohnCleary wrote: »

You mean a buffet?

Not really. In my experience, a buffet is still one dish per course, ie: beef or chicken with spuds/veg/whatever. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think you could get a quarter portion of chicken, quarter portion of curry, etc at a buffet.

Or I'm just making up a word I can't think of to describe what I want, rather than using the probably correct term of buffet. I dunno. It's quite early...

Edit: I do now remember it was called an 'all you can eat buffet'... Still, I consider a buffet like above. I consider that chinese a chinese tapas restaurant!

JohnCleary

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Not really. In my experience, a buffet is still one dish per course, ie: beef or chicken with spuds/veg/whatever. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think you could get a quarter portion of chicken, quarter portion of curry, etc at a buffet.

Or I'm just making up a word I can't think of to describe what I want, rather than using the probably correct term of buffet. I dunno. It's quite early...

Edit: I do now remember it was called an 'all you can eat buffet'... Still, I consider a buffet like above. I consider that chinese a chinese tapas restaurant!

Hate to p1ss on your cornflakes, but you were in a buffet, hence the name

I can't do buffets. Not that I'm a snob and "wouldn't be seen in one", but I just don't have the appetite. I feel left out

(And yes, you often get people saying the above... read it often here on boards.... Go figure)

Patrick2010

Miss Elizabeth wrote: »

Yes so did I but they still give you a ticket. You stand and wait at a counter that's facing the kitchen and there's o only two tills, usually only one person serving. The kitchen is tiny and there's about 20 employees tripping over one another trying to get the orders.

Also in the one near me they redesigned the whole place and now there's less seats in it and they added some stupid computer touch screens that take up space and i suppose are suppose to give an internet cafe feel to the place.

Yeah, went to the one in the ILAC centre at Christmas and ordered 2 coffees at the till. Used to get them in a few minutes, timed it at 17 minutes just for 2 coffees. Saw 2 people looking for refunds because their food was taking too long and some returning food as it was cold.

v638sg7k1a92bx

Smart Bug wrote: »

Remember goin into a shop with my friend & his dog when we were young. Fresh bread stacked on those wire shelves from the floor up. Dog cocked his leg & drizzled on a loaf of bread. We said nuttin.

Me, my friend and his dog...

Markcheese

barneygumble99 wrote: »

Not quite a restaurant but I’d never eat bread or baking from any supermarket unless I see it being put out by a worker and I get it straight away. The amount of ******s, sorry, parents that allow their children to molest the loose food on display in supermarkets is criminal.

Top shelf .
. The chocolate croissants are on the top shelf ,far from small hands .. now it's just the grubby adult hands to worry about ...oh well