Waiter Rant

Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter

By: Steve Dublanica

Narrated by: Dan John Miller

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

According to The Waiter, 80 percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining 20 percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths.

Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places.

Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age 38, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's really thrived.

Public Domain (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The other shoe finally drops. The front-of-the-house version of Kitchen Confidential; a painfully funny, excruciatingly true-life account of the waiter's life. As useful as it is entertaining." (Anthony Bourdain)
"I really enjoyed Waiter Rant. The book is engaging and funny, a story told from my polar opposite perspective." (John DeLucie, chef of The Waverly Inn)

Simply loved it

The book admirably narrated by Dan John Miller who brings it to life in all it's splendour. So much more than just a collection of waiter's anecdotes, it leads you into the intricacies of the food serving world, the delicate balance, power struggles and all aspects of the restaurant business.

" You're ready to do something when you're ready to do it. "

Most of the book takes place at a New York City restaurant named "The Bistro" (pretty generic, no?). The waiter gives us a composite picture of his life as the waiter by observing the mesh of interactions between the management, fellow workers, and customers. The good, the bad and the more than often ugly.

I enjoyed the psychological angle. I love the way the Waiter analyses his doings and feelings, manages his relationships with others, and draws a philosophical portrait of the waiter's trade. Most of which can be applied to other trades and people. I love how he balances his criticism with empathy for all and how he shares the truth about sanitation, poverty, relationships, self-confidence and bad customers. It's a tale of a man who chose an occupation out of despair and became excellent at it while preserving hope for the future by tuning out his passion.

" Cocooned inside our private dramas we often don't realize life is rolling by us like it should "

I read that a number of the weblog readers were disappointed by the book. I can't speak for them, but I've added the weblog to my blogroll since.

He's a waiter. He's really a writer. Refreshing. An engaging read (or listen).

Very informative

A MUST read for anyone who dines out.
I love these stories, and respect my servers more having read this.
The recording is over modulated, but not unlistenable.

Amazingly written

I have read this book now 5 times. I found it while deployed in Afghanistan and the book helped me through some very difficult times there. It is a very good read and I highly recommend the book and writer.

Be a cocky server vicariously and have fun

As many others mentioned, the author seems to have a big ego and his cocky tone can be grating at times. But that character trait and his quck-temper are the very elements that lead to inevitable friction which makes for intriguing stories. If he were a modest, always even-tempered waiter, this book would've been as bland as a weak cup of coffee. He's not and thanks to that, this read / listen is quite a scrumptious concoction. Nothing insipid or stale about it for sure.

Written by a blogger

This book isn't terrible and it's easy to listen to while doing other things - you don't need to worry about missing any of the plot! The author seems to think very highly of himself, and it's apparent throughout the book, which does get a bit irritating. Overall it's an easy listen, and a bit of an insight into the world of America's hospitality industry.

Long on the Lectures - we get it already!

How could the performance have been better?

I think that if the author read this book himself he would have put in more energy into the performance. This reader sounds like he is reading the back of a penut bag at the end of a long red-eye flight to Newark.

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book as a result of listening to "Heads in Beds". I enjoyed that book so much that I wanted to see what else, like this book, was out there. While both are about the lives of men in the service industry they couldn't be more different. I wanted to like this book more but it didn't work for me on a number of different levels.

First there was the tone. This author is a bit of a know it all and spends a lot of time lecturing and explaining everything from waiting tables to the meaning of life. He even explains his own cliché analogies. Exaggeration? Perhaps, but this book is the result of a blog - 'nuff said.

Second was the plot. I know that there may be no plot in these types of stories but for me a good memoire has some character arc that shows the character moving from one point to another. Heads in Beds does this well. The character starts naïve and good and eventually is corrupted by the hotel industry until ultimately it climaxes in a way that leads to change and rebirth. This story is woven behind the vignettes and is subtle and clever. This book just reads like the author’s personal journal. There is no real arc because the author already starts perfect (see my first point).

Third was the lack of entertainment and educational value. If there is no plot then I want at least some of this. I didn’t learn ANYTHING new about the restaurant industry - hard to believe about a so called rant. People have sex in the bathroom and illegal aliens work in the kitchen. Wow. I probably could have figured that out without having to work in the restaurant biz.

OK so I have been pretty tough of this guy. Is this book really that bad? No. It is entertaining enough to listen to as you mow your lawn or wash the dishes or snake the drain or whatever other task would be hell without some droning on about something in your head. I put this on the level of reality TV. This is “reality fiction” and just like its counterpart on TV it is not worth much but can be entertaining if you're only half engaged.

(Now watch this guy go out and become the next genre fiction mega author celeb)

A surprising and interesting listen

Coming from Denmark, Scandinavia, Europe I find the book informative, entertaining and well told. American culture seen from a certain personal and funny viewpoint. Lots of insights worth knowing before visiting the US.

Fun, Informative Read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - I already have. Anyone who has worked in the industry or eats out will enjoy this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Waiter Rant?

When the writer's girlfriend was stiffed by two girls (who turn out to be servers themselves!) and how she reacts to it. We've all been there!

Which scene was your favorite?

Many - but what stands out right now was the rich man with the cheap hooker.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No guffaws or tears on this one, it was just an easy enjoyable read. Very similar to Heads in Beds.

Any additional comments?

I appreciate some of the things I learned from this book.
Also, I relived some of my own experiences both as a former server MANY years ago, and as a co-customer with some of the arrogant people he writes about. I've been embarrassed by some of my dining partners in my years. It's funny to hear a server's perspective.

you'd better tip the wait staff

Where does Waiter Rant rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

3 terrific book.

What other book might you compare Waiter Rant to and why?

none

What about Dan John Miller’s performance did you like?

He really got to the 'meat" of the matter LOL

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yeah, that Waiters actually do spit in your food if you've been a naughty patron.

Any additional comments?

i'm tipping 25% instead of the usual 20..

Interesting story...

Pretty good book...not quite what I expected but enjoyed the story. Interesting insights into restaurant operations.