Booths vs. tables in restaurants

[Turd Ferguson]

I'm a server and this is something I see everyday. The host(ess) will go seat a group of people and they walk up to a table and ask if this is okay. Flabbergasted at the very notion of having to sit at *gasp* a table, they say it's unacceptable and demand to sit at a booth. Sometimes, people will even wait for booths if all the booths are full instead of sitting at a table. Why?

It doesn't matter to me which I sit in. If I'm with several people, a table is preferred so if someone has to get up, everybody isn't inconvenienced by having to get up and let them out. With a table, you can adjust your chair in relation to the table to get as close or far away as you need to be. A booth is in a fixed position.

I guess my question is, why are people so obsessed with sitting in booths?

 

[GabyBee]

Personally, it depends on who I'm with. Often in a lot of restaurants or bars, booths seem more private, and so if I'm with my fiancé and/or some close friend's, I'd prefer a booth so that we can have a more intimate meal or drinks together. Tables can also sometimes be spaced very close together, and so other diners and waitstaff can occasionally bump into chairs or the table itself without intending to. Honest mistakes, but occasionally it results in a spill.

It's not that I'm opposed to sitting at a table if there's one available. But as a general rule of thumb, if there's a booth open, I'd almost always prefer that. I wouldn't wait more than 5-10 minutes for a booth over a table, though. I'm not that picky.

 

[Timewalker]

Some people like booths because they're more private and/or because they're different. We sit at tables every day at home. When going out to eat, why not take the opportunity to do something different?

And if you see someone you don't want to see you, it's easier to hide if you're in a booth.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Booths aren't that common where I live so generally we only have a choice of tables.

 

[Amaris]

I prefer a booth, but would take a table, much for the same reason @Timewalker mentions. Booths are cozier, more comfortable, and it's good for a secluded spot to sit with your friends compared to tables out in the open.

 

[MacLeod]

Doesn't really bother me. Sure I can understand the appeal of a booth and if I knew I was going to a particualr restaurant ahead of time and I want a booth I would book it.

As for which are more comfortable, your size can play a factor as booths are fixed unlike a chair wich can be moved to suit you.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I usually prefer booths because they tend to be more quiet, and they're out of the traffic pattern. However, I can't imagine waiting to get a booth when there were tables available. And there have been times, like when I was recovering from surgery, that I have chosen a table for the ability to control how close I was sitting to the table.

 

[Doom Shepherd]

Wife and I both have back issues (hers stems from having been broken, mine from a hereditary lower back weakness). Booths generally provide more - and softer - back support, and are infinitely preferable to tables.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

^I could understand if the booths were cushiony. Where I work, they're made of wood

 

[auntiehill]

My husband is 6'4". The tables are usually a little too cramped for him and he hits his knees, trying to fit under the table. We try to get a booth, just because it's usually more comfortable for him. The seats come up higher, giving him more back support and the tables are usually high enough.

 

[B.J.]

I'm not going to wait for a booth if a table is available, but I do prefer a booth mostly because it makes wrangling the kids a lot easier. Booths also tend to have a bit more table area per person, since a table is usually in the middle and they seat people on all sides.

 

[scotthm]

I guess my question is, why are people so obsessed with sitting in booths?

That's a good question, since they place you that much closer to those unruly children who invariably want to bounce around in their seats.

I prefer a table if it's against a wall rather than out in the middle of the restaurant.
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[wew]

I prefer booths to tables. I'm not sure that I would wait for a booth, but given a choice, I would select a booth. Primarily I like the privacy of a booth and like to read during my visit. Obviously, if the restaurant is not busy, there usually isn't a problem if I sit and read while eating. However, if busy, I still prefer a booth but will leave so others can have a place to eat.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I'd go with "too much traffic around tables" in saying I prefer a booth. I realize it's near impossible to get a feeling of privacy or coziness in most restaurants.

I know Gordon Ramsey seems to have something against booths, since he always replaces them with open seating, but I have to disagree with him on this one thing

 

[Sibyl]

Most booths around this area are heavily cushioned while most tables have hard or generally uncomfortable chairs. I also prefer to be on the edges of a room rather than in the middle, not to mention traffic concerns.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I usually prefer booths.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I prefer booths but won't wait for one if only tables are available.

Like others said, I like the added privacy and the reduced traffic around it.

Fortunately, booths are common where I live.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Depends on the seating arrangements. It's about comfort. Some places have tables that are set too high with the seats being little more than stools and if you're with a small group of people, that's not going to be ideal, and the posture not as relaxed. A booth is generally more relaxing and inviting and if I know I'll be spending a lot of time sitting around, I prefer a booth.

 

[Velocity]

When out with my girlfriends we usually choose a table because they all have to make trips to the ladies' room at some time. Sitting in a booth means skootching out of the booth for each trip which gets really annoying. My husband insists on a booth and refuses to consider a table because he feels like he is "on display" no matter what the reality is.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Booths are cozy. I will always pick a booth except in one place where they seem to have hand made them and the table is literally pressing into your stomach

And yeah, they aren't common here so when I see them I'm like.. OH YEAH!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If I'm eating alone, I usually take a table because I suspect I'm wasting space in a booth. Especially if it's a small restaurant and the crowd level is high.