large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

duchy

Most Wetherspoons have a seperate dining only area so you can choose to sit there or in the mixed area.

Both are worth a try and are reasonably priced.

silvercar

pollypenny wrote: »

Popping into MacDonald's for a quick lunch is nothing like a pre-arranged meal for a particular occasion.

Does anyone, other than teenagers, arrange to meet for a meal at MacDonald's?

Even teenagers round here seem to choose Costa over McD. Go there at the wrong time and the array of school uniforms make it look like a school canteen rather than coffee shop.

At least it is PAYG so no need for teenagers to venture onto this thread!

Pollycat

pollypenny wrote: »

Popping into MacDonald's for a quick lunch is nothing like a pre-arranged meal for a particular occasion.

Does anyone, other than teenagers, arrange to meet for a meal at MacDonald's?

I've never eaten anything from McDonalds (or KFC).

mumps wrote: »

I thought I would pick your brains, I have never been to Weatherspoons is it any good? Also we have a new Harvester that opened quite recently, anyone know if they are any good? I am tempted to try the Harvester as it seems to have been done up nicely but I don't find the Weatherspoons so appealing. Any advice?

I think it depends which Wetherspoons you are thinking of visiting.
We've been in quite a lot up & down the country, some are decent, some are OK, some are dire.

Food is cheap and cheerful - and mostly 'dinged'.

Mexican Monday
Steak Tuesday
Chicken Wednesday
Curry Thursday
Fish Friday

I think they may have stopped doing Sunday lunches.

In ours (I think prices vary across locations) you can get a 8 oz rump steak with a choice of chips or jacket potato, peas/flat mushroom/tomato or side salad for about £6.95, Aberdeen Angus 14oz for £2 more.
That comes with a drink - pint of beer/cider/Guiness or 175ml glass of wine or soft drink.
That's on Tuesdays, you'll pay more on a different night.
'Special' nights are the best value.

Lots of other stuff on the menu.

So pretty good value imho.
Ours is heaving on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

duchy wrote: »

Most Wetherspoons have a seperate dining only area so you can choose to sit there or in the mixed area.

Both are worth a try and are reasonably priced.

Neither of the Wethersppoons in our town have a separate dining area - it's a free-for-all.
Great fun to watch a 12-strong crowd who aren't used to eating there turn up and expect tables to seat them all together be available - because it's a pub and you don't need to book a table in a pub. :rotfl:

onlyroz

pollypenny wrote: »

Popping into MacDonald's for a quick lunch is nothing like a pre-arranged meal for a particular occasion.

Does anyone, other than teenagers, arrange to meet for a meal at MacDonald's?

Fundamentally how is it different? Multiple main, side and dessert options are available along with a variety of drink options. So you still have to contend with a mixed group where one just wants a coffee and another wants a Big Mac meal plus onion rings plus apple pie plus milkshake.

Just because the amount of money changing hands is less doesn't mean that people are happier to subsidise somebody who is eating more.

There is a lot of snobbery on this thread, particularly from people obviously used to fine dining in large groups with wealthy friends. That is not the only way to dine out - and it says a lot about people who look down sneeringly at anybody who doesn't do things their way.

And for the record I put the whole fork in my mouth, not that it matters at all.

Pollycat

onlyroz wrote: »

And for the record I put the whole fork in my mouth, not that it matters at all.

The whole fork? :eek:

Ames

Oh dear, are we moving into the 'tines up or down' debate now?

onlyroz

Pollycat wrote: »

The whole fork? :eek:

Yes, of course


Even the wooden ones you eat chips with.

onlyroz

Ames wrote: »

Oh dear, are we moving into the 'tines up or down' debate now?

And then there are the Americans who don't use a knife at all, apart from at the beginning of the meal when they cut their food up into small pieces, before shovelling the food into their mouth using their fork like a spoon.

Pollycat

Ames wrote: »

Oh dear, are we moving into the 'tines up or down' debate now?

No, we're still at the stage of tines fully in, part in or just touching the lips.
The other debate comes later once we've exhausted this one.

Personally, with the last option, I'm sure I'd end up with most of my meal in my lap. :rotfl:

Feral_Moon

pollypenny wrote: »

Popping into MacDonald's for a quick lunch is nothing like a pre-arranged meal for a particular occasion.

Does anyone, other than teenagers, arrange to meet for a meal at MacDonald's?

Am I the only one who has never stepped foot in a McDonalds? Nor a Pizza Hut for that matter. We used to hang out in the local Wimpy bar or coffee shop when we were kids.