Restaurant Check - Split evenly or pay for what you eat?

When out eating with friends or whoever, do you split the check evenly among how ever many people are eating or do you pay for just what you eat?

Or do you get separate checks?

Normally, if everyone present has been there for the whole meal (not like one guy shows up and has a cup of coffee at the end. Do I hear Father Guido Sarducci?), I'm pretty put off when people try to pay just for what they ate.

When you're out for the company of others, it's the shared experience you're paying for and not just what you ate.

Except if someone orders the $100 bottle of wine.

And separate checks are just out. When I worked as a waiter, I just flat out refused to make up separate checks (we were always busy).

What do you think?

 

Why would I pay for more than I ate?? I'm not interested in paying for someone elses prime rib when I had a salad, or do I want someone to pay for my steak and lobster or whatever, just because we had a "shared experience."

I'll pay for my meal, my drinks, tax, and tip...and a few extra bucks if there were group order appetizers.....

And I can't remember the last time someone tried to decline to make up separate checks for a group I was with....cause guess what- You are going to get three or four different cards and some cash. ::shrug::

 

Eazy To Do Seprate Checks!

 

I'll pay for what I eat, so usually means getting separate checks. If it is a relatively small bill and both people have cash then I just throw in how ever much my food/ drinks cost.

 

Like Brunes said... Why on earth would I pay for my friends $20 steak, when I just got a $5 cheeseburger? A shared experience? Come on, if I have to pay for someone elses food, then thats a bad experience.

 

Never thought it was that big of a deal to order separate (waiters usually ask when taking the order if its together or separate anyways) or just paying for w hat you ate, which is pretty damn equal to splitting it evenly unless someone orders an expensive entre.

 

In some cases I pay for what I eat which is normally not as much as who I am with for I don't eat a lot or drink,
When the check is close to even I will just split it.
I have had experiences w/ co-workers who think a micro brew costs as much as a bud draft or someone who doesn't pay their share. The best is when you get treated which is not a choice here but happens for me. I like that

 

Shoot, 4th option SHOULD have been: freeload!

 

I've never really had any problems getting separate checks. Otherwise we generally pay for what we had and haven't had any problems with that.

 

Ask for separate checks. Everyone is afraid to look cheap by asking for them...but everyone really wants them. So there is relief when someone steps up and asks for them. Plus the wait staff love separate checks because they make out much better when everyone tips their own bill and drinks.

 

It all depends who i'm with and where I'm at.

 

How about that friend that never has cash. What the hell is up with that? That's usually when the separate checks comes up, because some dumbass has to put it his on his debit/credit card.

 

Sorry OP, but you must have been a pretty bad waiter. I managed a restaurant with 25 servers for 2 years and splitting checks was never an issue. POS systems are so advanced, they make it easy for the server. Before these systems, it was an issue because you had to add them all up separately. Now, the point of sale system does it for you.

And I would never PREFER to split a check evenly with other couples. Yes, it happens sometimes but I'm pretty observant about who is a selfish ass (orders prime rib when everyone else gets salads). I wouldn't say anything but I take note of it.

And I NEVER carry cash. I use my credit card for almost every single purchase I ever make. Its safer, easier and just the way I roll.

Ask for separate checks....it's better for everyone.

 

Separate checks... when I was a waiter I loved a party of 10+ people who wanted their own checks. This was before credit cards were used 90% of the time so the separate checks meant $10-20 more in tips for me since people would leave whole dollar amounts rather than something like $3.15 as a tip.

 

on a first date; pay for what you eat.. down to the cent.

 

I think you would flat out not get a tip for being a dick.

 

This is what's so AWESOME about TW: every thread becomes a personal attack!

It's wonderful!

Sorry, but I waited tables long before POS systems were set up for separate checks and working in restaurants doing 400+ covers/night absolutely ruled out divvying up checks and keeping track of who ordered what.

One table, one check. And I was very good at it.

 

My friends and I usually just split it how ever many different ways...unless someone got alot of drinks or something like that, then we'll just get separate tabs

 

I voted for separate checks. I have seen some bad things happen. People that end up putting in extra to cover for a no or rude tip, and people that order high end like others have mentioned. Even new POS systems that total by seat (awesome btw) you will have people seriously short the tip. I am usually the one that makes up the difference. Hate that.

It is a great social experiment if you think about it. Put everyone in a pool and you will have people that take advantage of it. Make everyone pay their share and the behavior is more responsible. As a rule, it holds true ime.

 

I can understand the past but to say seperate checks are out is foolish. Systems are set up to handle it. Not back then but now. So seperate checks were out.

I do seperate checks. Because back in the day I had a good job and my friends didn't so if I invited them out to eat I would cover them. But then they invited dates and would get a pretty good buzz on me. So now that everyone is grown and has jobs they can feed themselves.