Do you have a "place"?

[Lilacs4Me]

Do you have a place, where you are regulars to the point the staff knows you and treats you like family?

I think we officially have "a place" now - we have this little pizza/italian place that has the most AMAZING food. The pizza is the best I have ever had, and I have not had a single dish there that wasn't outstanding. DH and I used to make it a must-do when we would visit Chicago before we lived in IL, and now that we live within 25 minutes of it, we go there at least once a month, sometimes more.

There is a server there that is almost always there. The place is only open from like 3-10 and closed on Mondays, so she pretty much works every shift. The last time she saw us walking in and before she even talked to us, she brought DH a Cherry Coke, DD a sprite, me a water with lemon, and DS13 a lemonade. She knows our drinks lol. And DD ALWAYS order the shrimp fettuccine Alfredo, and "Sally" knew this, and she already knew that with our entrees I wanted a side salad with ranch, DD wanted lettuce only with ranch, and DH wanted whatever the soup of the day was.

And she wrapped up 3 cannoli to take home at the end because she knows we love them but are always too full to have one right after dinner, and gave them to us for free.

Last night we just ordered a pizza to go since we were on the run after football/cheer practice and needed something fast. "Sally" was bummed that we weren't staying to visit, as she put it.

I never thought we were the type of people that would have a "place"

Do you have a place where you are considered a regular?

 

[JaxDad]

Yep. It's a sports bar and grill about a mile from my home. I could go in, not say a word, and be served my "usual." I meet lots of new people there too. I went yesterday afternoon and ended up joining a table full of international route airline pilots. It was a cool conversation.

 

[dish rag]

That’s not something I would care for.

 

[soccerdad72]

We used to (also a pizza place), but for whatever reason, we haven't been going there much lately.

 

[L&Lfan]

Me too. I would get annoyed being known as predictable. And I order different things depending on my mood. For example, I’d hate “Sally” rushing toward me with an Absolut Bloody Mary with chipotle Tabasco when I wanted a Grey Goose martini filthy with 3 olives.

 

[Squirlz]

Dusty's Tap Room is about 1/4 mile from us and we go there frequently. Restaurant/Bar with a large eclectic beer selection. They know us by name and we always sit at the bar to eat and converse with the bartender.

As far as predicting what we want, they know better than that!

 

[Julie's Haircut]

My local Wawa.

As for a bar or restaurant, no. We don't go anywhere often enough to be considered regulars. Years back it was a different story.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We have two bar/restaurants where we are regulars - we are welcomed and treated well but they don't just put food down in front of us. The deli we frequent knows what we normally get, I just have to say if one or both of us want a sandwich. Sometimes DH will get something else which I'll mention.

My BIL has a couple of breakfast places where he walks in and they basically put a plate in front of him so when he feels like eggs he goes to diner a. when he feels like pancakes he goes to diner b.

 

[DLgal]

Does Target count?

 

[luvsJack]

A local catfish place. Of course MIL worked there for years and dh grew up around about half the people that work there!

 

[superme80]

Our local coffee shop. DH and I go at least once a week. I already swear I am going to try a different drink, but their Almond Rocha Mochas are too good!!!! If we don't go at least a couple times of month, they start wondering about us. Their doughnuts are amazing, so the boys always want in on the good stuff!

 

[Floridaman999]

We have several places at this point in our lives.

 

[Minnesota!]

Sadly? It's Chili's. The only chain we like. We used to go 1-2/week when my kids were small and ate off the kids menu. We could get full meals, beer, and entertainment for under $40 with tip.

Anyway, the waitress we love knows us. We sit in the bar area so my kids can watch sports. She has our drinks in front of us almost immediately, and the chips/salsa follow right there after.

One of my kids orders the same thing each time (southern smokehouse burger, no tomato and a Cherry Fanta) - she just says "your usual? (When he was a kid, it was the grilled chicken platter, side salad with ranch)

She knows I am a vegetarian and lets me modify till my heart is content.

We went to another restaurant recently and there was a waitress there that said "hey, don't you guys go to the Chili's in XX a lot?" She used to work there and remembered us and our order.

We like it - feels homey. I can go there on a bad day and know I am going to be taken care of.

 

[AndreaDM]

We have a place we like because their happy hour goes until 7 instead of 6 like most places, we probably go at least once a week. But, we don't always get the same thing, sometimes it's beer, wine, sometimes we get food, sometimes not. Last night we split a bottle of wine since their house wines are $10 on Thursdays, every day there's a different special.

 

[L&Lfan]

A local catfish place. Of course MIL worked there for years and dh grew up around about half the people that work there!

I was reared in an area where there were 2 or 3 catfish places which were known as “fish camps”. Most are gone now, replaced by chains such as Red Lobster and Bonefish Grill. But the memories of that delicious fried fish, shrimp and scallops and hush puppies linger on 50 years later...

 

[LSUmiss]

We have several places at this point in our lives.

That’s us. Probably about 4. But, one is more than all the others. It’s a Lebanese/Greek place. They ask if we are getting the same thing & just get our order ready. There are also a few to go places also.

 

[RUDisney]

We have several, but the one that I had vendors take us to wins overall.

I walked into the bar and some of the guys were there. I started talking to them and one said that he was glad to be talking to me, but we should get me a drink. I told him, "that's ok, Alyssa is pouring for me already." He looked at the bartender and she raised the glass for him to see. He said, "I guess you really are a regular here." When it was time to order wine with dinner, he asked for the waitress to get me a wine list. I said, "that's ok. Alyssa knows what I like." They still talk about that dinner.

Now, if Alyssa isn't there to make me an Elder Fashioned, Mike is there and knows to pour a Maker's Manhattan. The two bartenders make these items particularly well. Why would I want anything else when I'm at the bar and they are there?

Another place sends food that they are trying to perfect home for "my DH" to try. That of course means that all of us will try it.

The place at the corner from us knows my voice on the phone when I place an order. They ask if I will be picking up or if it will be Ivan.

 

[RangerPooh]

Where we previously lived there was a Chinese food restaurant that DH and I frequented on our lunch breaks. They knew our orders when we walked in the door. It was fantastic. A girlfriend of mine would call for take out at the same restaurant almost weekly. They would confirm her order without her even telling them it. Great customer service!

These days it's Starbucks. The early morning staff sees DH and I walk in and grab the whole milk and are ready to fill our mugs without us giving an order. They just ask "the usual?" Yep!

 

[L&Lfan]

That was a Sex and the City story. The Chinese Restaurant where they knew Miranda’s order just by her voice...

 

[amberpi]

Yep. There’s a gastro pub type place just down the street from my house and we go there all the time. If it’s me and kids (the place is adjacent to a park) they just ask “cherry sprites or lemonade today” if I go to the outside ordering area. If I take them for lunch they even know what dipping sauces the kids want. They know my husband and I by name if we go in the evening just us. We don’t really have an exact standing order. I may want anything from wine to iced tea.