Being a server is no easy task, and many in the industry have shared their frustrations online. Over the years, servers have sparked lively discussions by recounting their on-the-job experiences, from dealing with difficult customers to finding creative ways to handle tricky situations. Now, one server has gone viral with a fresh complaint—how diners handle the dessert menu.
The Dessert Menu Dilemma
TikTok user @housecatchronicles, known for sharing critiques of customer behavior, posted a video that has racked up over 95,000 views. In it, she highlights a recurring issue with how guests approach dessert orders.
“Oh my God,” she begins. “People do this with a dessert menu at my job, and it drives me [expletive] insane. I swear it’s one of my biggest pet peeves.”
At her restaurant, the dessert menu is on the back of the cocktail menu, which she leaves at the table early in the meal. While some diners are prepared with their dessert orders by the end, others fall into one of two frustrating categories:
- The Staring Contest: These customers look at each other as if they’ve never considered dessert before, often engaging in an extended silent conversation. When offered more time, they insist they’re ready—then continue to stare at each other indecisively.
- The Menu Gazers: This group does the same thing, but their focus is on the menu itself rather than each other.
“In both of those scenarios, I’m supposed to just stand there,” she explains, adding that she finds it odd people don’t know in advance if they want dessert. “This weird behavior of like—they’ve not considered dessert until I ask them and then they have to have the conversation about it. Like, what are you talking about? What kind of weirdos are you?”
Mixed Reactions in the Comments
Viewers were divided in their responses. Some agreed with the TikToker, sharing similar frustrations about customer behavior.
- “The ppl who complain abt us ‘taking too long’ to come back don’t realize OTHER ppl get mad at us for coming too often!” one user exclaimed.
- “If your table is there for an hour, and you have six tables, you only have 10 minutes to dedicate to them. Be considerate!” added another.
Others, however, pushed back, saying the behavior described in the video was entirely normal.
- “Me and my husband do that look! Get used to it; everybody does it,” one commenter wrote.
- “Nobody plans for dessert—it’s a spur-of-the-moment thing,” another added.
- “I think they’re worried you won’t come back for 10 minutes, and then they’ll change their minds,” suggested another.
The Phundi reached out to @housecatchronicles for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
