25 Reasons We Hate Dining Out, in GIFS

You should have stayed home and ate Chinese in your underwear.

February 20, 2013

Not Available Lead — Image via Complex Original

Dining out is a privilege. Considering the difficulty of cooking things that are actually edible, and how washing dishes is akin to Chinese water torture, it's hard to be unhappy when you're faced with a piping hot, delicious meal. The strong drinks don't hurt either.

Still, sometimes our hopes of what we'll experience at a restaurant don't quite meet our expectations. Sometimes it's our severs fault, and sometimes the kitchen is to blame. But most of the time, it's the people sitting at our very table.

Here are a few reasons why we regret not staying home and eating takeout in our underwear: 25 Reasons We Hate Dining Out, in GIFs.

LIKE COMPLEX CITY GUIDE ON FACEBOOK

Here are a few reasons why we regret not staying home and eating takeout in our underwear: 25 Reasons We Hate Dining Out, in GIFs.

LIKE COMPLEX CITY GUIDE ON FACEBOOK

When the server tries to take your food and/or drink when you weren't finished.

When the couple at the next table over (all of 3 inches away) is either arguing and/or crying.

When the couple at the next table over (all of 3 inches away) is arguing and/or crying.

When someone you're with asks the waiter to compare two dishes that are completely unrelated and assumes his/her personal taste will match their own.

When the server hits on your significant other.

When drink refills aren't free.

When you go out with friends who insist on splitting the bill, despite the fact they had eight drinks to your two.

When your server forgets about you.

When you're sat right by the door on a cold day.

Tiny tables that require Tetris skills to fit your dishes.

When your server's suggestion turns out to be terrible.

When your steak is undercooked.

When the gratuity is decided for you, even when you're just with two other people.

When your drink takes forever to arrive.

When you realize that if you were eating at home you could be watching TV and wearing no pants.

When you realize that if you were eating at home, you could be watching TV and wearing no pants.

When the waiter spill food and/or wine on you (and you're inevitably wearing something awesome).

When the waiter spills food and/or wine on you (and you're inevitably wearing something awesome).

When someone you're with asks 20 questions about the menu.

When couples pretend their booth has a cloak of invisibility and kiss and grope one another inches from your table.

When couples pretend their booth has a cloak of invisibility, and proceed to kiss and grope one another inches from your table.

When your appetizers arrive with the main course.

Crying children.

When the table adjacent to you insists on talking loudly about personal subject matter, to the point that you can't help but overhear, and be disgusted.

When the table adjacent to you insists on talking loudly about very personal subject matter.

When someone doesn't step up and pay for an appetizer split between friends, forcing you to do obscure calculations for half a fried calamari strip.

When the people dining with or near you spend most of the meal taking photographs of the food.

When the people dining with you spend most of the meal taking photographs of the food.

When the waiter condescends to you for not knowing the difference between pinot gris and pinot grigio.

When your food comes out ice cold, but you're too hungry to complain.

When the bill comes and it's twice as high as you expected it to be.

Editor's Pick

Magazine cover with bold text "Complex's Best Albums of the Year...So Far" and images of fire and a person in a white dress.

Music The Best Albums Of 2026 (So Far)

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, we offer up some tips for how to properly wear and style soccer jerseys.

Style How to Style Soccer Jerseys

Magazine cover featuring rappers Drake, Jay-Z, and Tierra Whack, titled "Complex's Best Rap Verses of the Year So Far."

Music The 15 Best Rap Verses Of 2026 (So Far)

Four individuals are featured in a "Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking" graphic, with bold text in the background. The figures are Fat Joe and Jadakiss, DJ Akademiks, and Loren LoRosa.

Music Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking: The 2026 Edition

Air Jordan 11 'Space Jam,' Air Jordan 13 'Flint,' Air Jordan 4 'Bred'

Sneakers Every Air Jordan Releasing in 2026

25 Reasons We Hate Dining Out, in GIFS

You should have stayed home and ate Chinese in your underwear.

When the server tries to take your food and/or drink when you weren't finished.

When the server tries to take your food and/or drink when you weren't finished.

When the couple at the next table over (all of 3 inches away) is either arguing and/or crying.

When the couple at the next table over (all of 3 inches away) is arguing and/or crying.

When someone you're with asks the waiter to compare two dishes that are completely unrelated and assumes his/her personal taste will match their own.

When someone you're with asks the waiter to compare two dishes that are completely unrelated and assumes his/her personal taste will match their own.

When the server hits on your significant other.

When the server hits on your significant other.

When drink refills aren't free.

When drink refills aren't free.

When you go out with friends who insist on splitting the bill, despite the fact they had eight drinks to your two.

When you go out with friends who insist on splitting the bill, despite the fact they had eight drinks to your two.

When your server forgets about you.

When your server forgets about you.

When you're sat right by the door on a cold day.

When you're sat right by the door on a cold day.

Tiny tables that require Tetris skills to fit your dishes.

Tiny tables that require Tetris skills to fit your dishes.

When your server's suggestion turns out to be terrible.

When your server's suggestion turns out to be terrible.

When your steak is undercooked.

When your steak is undercooked.

When the gratuity is decided for you, even when you're just with two other people.

When the gratuity is decided for you, even when you're just with two other people.

When your drink takes forever to arrive.

When your drink takes forever to arrive.

When you realize that if you were eating at home you could be watching TV and wearing no pants.

When you realize that if you were eating at home, you could be watching TV and wearing no pants.

When the waiter spill food and/or wine on you (and you're inevitably wearing something awesome).

When the waiter spills food and/or wine on you (and you're inevitably wearing something awesome).

When someone you're with asks 20 questions about the menu.

When someone you're with asks 20 questions about the menu.

When couples pretend their booth has a cloak of invisibility and kiss and grope one another inches from your table.

When couples pretend their booth has a cloak of invisibility, and proceed to kiss and grope one another inches from your table.

When your appetizers arrive with the main course.

When your appetizers arrive with the main course.

Crying children.

Crying children.

When the table adjacent to you insists on talking loudly about personal subject matter, to the point that you can't help but overhear, and be disgusted.

When the table adjacent to you insists on talking loudly about very personal subject matter.

When someone doesn't step up and pay for an appetizer split between friends, forcing you to do obscure calculations for half a fried calamari strip.

When someone doesn't step up and pay for an appetizer split between friends, forcing you to do obscure calculations for half a fried calamari strip.

When the people dining with or near you spend most of the meal taking photographs of the food.

When the people dining with you spend most of the meal taking photographs of the food.

When the waiter condescends to you for not knowing the difference between pinot gris and pinot grigio.

When the waiter condescends to you for not knowing the difference between pinot gris and pinot grigio.

When your food comes out ice cold, but you're too hungry to complain.

When your food comes out ice cold, but you're too hungry to complain.

When the bill comes and it's twice as high as you expected it to be.

When the bill comes and it's twice as high as you expected it to be.

Trending

Editor's Pick