# Eating out alone



## Unspokentruth (Jun 24, 2017)

The other day I was traveling, (Hurricane Florence made me evacuate), and I ate at a Red Lobster alone lol. Im 24 and I have never ate at a sit down restauraunt alone before, I usually just get take out. I know it can be seen as taboo or abnormal but Idgaf and did it anyway. It was kind of weird tho, the black dude who was the host asked how many was in my party and I told him just 1, and he said " Just one, (grabs menu and utensils)you need to be rollin up here with a lady or somethin, but its all good.. I LOLD after he said that and told him I was just traveling, and then we talked about the storm some. 

I didnt mind the experience at all, I always enjoy being by myself, I was wondering if anyone else has a similar experience or felt judged before by others while doing this, or been deterred from trying it at all. I would say that kinda made me feel weird from the hosts comment but I just took it as a joke, even though I know people judge it wont stop me in the future from doing this again.


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## SofaKing (May 9, 2014)

I've done this many many times, on business and personally. 

The only times I feel weird is in a fully packed restaurants with others waiting for a table. That's when I feel like I'm taking up space, unfairly. Irrational, I know.

Good job on your breakthrough.


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## veron (Apr 29, 2009)

I eat alone at fast food type (casual) places all the time, but there are plenty of people who do that. I think that I ate by myself at a proper restaurant only once, when I was travelling. Now when I go to restaurants with people I see lone diners more and more often. I remember not too long ago seeing this cute guy dining alone... he seemed very confident though, not at all bothered about being alone. I assumed he had friends but none of them wanted to dine out that day and he really badly wanted to...


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## Unspokentruth (Jun 24, 2017)

SofaKing said:


> I've done this many many times, on business and personally.
> 
> The only times I feel weird is in a fully packed restaurants with others waiting for a table. That's when I feel like I'm taking up space, unfairly. Irrational, I know.
> 
> Good job on your breakthrough.


Thank you. I can honestly see how you feel that way, the more people perhaps the more anxiety involved. I think being able to trumph over these insecure feeling though is how we can experience tremondous personal growth. Thats why I believe its something that people should just try. I have so much internal joy while just being me ive never felt ive needed to be around people. However, when I do meet people I can make it a positive experience, and I did find myself texting others while I was doing this, its just not necessary for me to enjoy myself.


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## Unspokentruth (Jun 24, 2017)

veron said:


> I eat alone at fast food type (casual) places all the time, but there are plenty of people who do that. I think that I ate by myself at a proper restaurant only once, when I was travelling. Now when I go to restaurants with people I see lone diners more and more often. I remember not too long ago seeing this cute guy dining alone... he seemed very confident though, not at all bothered about being alone. I assumed he had friends but none of them wanted to dine out that day and he really badly wanted to...


I have seen it some myself, the people who do are definitely still in the minority of course . I remember the first time I saw someone doing it I kind of felt bad for them,now I admire their confidence and try to emulate that. Nobody should be ashamed of enjoying themselves however they please. I hope to maybe show some people who are afraid to try this some time.


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## Textingovertalking (Aug 31, 2018)

Keep it up! Bring a puzzle or a book. Just don’t let the wait staff drain you dry of make you gain weight eating alone


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## mohammed123 (Sep 24, 2018)

yeah that how I feel when I think about going out to eat alone, I can't do it, just thought of sitting alone there and maybe being judged is too much for me to eat out alone or even sit alone and eat if it's not at home .


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

Some people do it. I was at a restaurant with the family a while ago and there was this girl just sitting on her own at a small table working away on her laptop. It was in the middle too - not over near a wall or anything, plus they'd taken any other chairs away from her table. I felt a bit sorry for her but she didn't seem to care at all.

I don't think I'd do it if it was packed like that.


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## Karsten (Apr 3, 2007)

Maybe at a diner or something. I don't know about a full-fledged restaurant.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I would go all the time - actually, once every other week (it was a buffet, though). I got to know the restaurant owners. 
I haven't been in a while because I just got burned out eating similar stuff - plus I'd eat too much :lol.


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## andy0128 (Dec 19, 2003)

I fitst started eating alone at university. At my school you had to sit with classmates at set times so i never had to deal with the possibility of having no one to eat with. At uni though i socialized very little on my course and never got invited to lunch. Since then I've eaten quite regularly alone whether it is at restaurants or at work. It doesn't bother me like it used to. It's a lot more fun having someone to eat with and that does happen as well but I'm not someone who will ever be in a position to always be accompanied to lunch or dinner.


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## roxslide (Apr 12, 2011)

I like to do most things alone but I prefer not to eat alone at a restaurant. I just get take out, or call in an order to go via phone. I have never encountered a restaurant that won't do that for you.

I have tried to eat alone a few times at sit down restaurants but the waiters are usually pretty rude about it. I don't see why they have to be taken off guard, I work in service myself and I've seen everything under the sun. Hardly anything weirds me out anymore... so I don't get it. Almost every time I've eaten alone at a sit down place I get a weird comment or poor service, awkward looks from the staff etc. A few times it was fine though (places that were near hotels or inside hotels, they seemed totally indifferent).

Hm. I'm thinking maybe the waiters were rude because since I was one person they probably wouldn't get a large tip out of me?? Maybe that's it?


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## truant (Jul 4, 2014)

Never eaten in a fancy restaurant alone. I have eaten in a family restaurant by myself a couple of times, but it was usually empty so no one seemed to care. I don't eat fast food or in restaurants in general.

Back when my anxiety wasn't bad (in the 90s) I used to go to the cafe almost every day by myself. I would just sit and read and write and drink gallons of coffee. But it's not unusual to do that sort of thing in a cafe. I'd get back into doing that but I can't really afford to.


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

Only places I can sit and eat alone without feeling weird is eating lunch on a workday. Because it just comes off as getting a quick bite to eat out of convenience and go. But lunch or dinner on a non work day or weekend, that's when I feel weird doing so, because that is when one is suppose to only do this when you're with people. Although with me, if I am in the situation where I am eating alone, I will just cook and eat at home. It's cheaper and there really isn't much of an incentive to go out and eat if I am not with people anyways. For people who don't know how to cook or are too lazy to, I can see why.


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

I didn't think I had but I have actually eaten alone in very fancy places too sometimes. I was probably pretty manic though so the anxiety is pretty much gone then. I stayed at Sofitel one time and it was okay because the layout of the restaurant made it reasonably comfortable to be at a table on your own. I remember I ordered one of those waigyu steaks and it was slightly undercooked. Couldn't be bothered sending it back. It was actually okay being on my own - the place was pretty quiet and I had this waiter just standing near me waiting to see if I wanted anything.


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## Excaliber (May 16, 2015)

Nicely done, I've never sat down at a fancy restaurant alone I think that would just draw too much attention to myself. I have however gone to the local coffee shops by myself but I'll have my laptop with me then too. Fast food places like McDonalds don't really count if I'm going there during work hours.


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## Alex4You (Jun 19, 2017)

I personally would not go to a sit down restaurant if I was alone. I don't see anything wrong with doing so, but I just don't see the point if it's just me. Restaurants seem to me like social places you go with others. If I'm hungry and alone there are plenty of other options instead of spending the cash to sit and dine alone haha


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

Excaliber said:


> Nicely done, I've never sat down at a fancy restaurant alone I think that would just draw too much attention to myself. I have however gone to the local coffee shops by myself but I'll have my laptop with me then too. Fast food places like McDonalds don't really count if I'm going there during work hours.


Yeah, I normally wouldn't go to a decent place on my own - it's embarassing. But when I'm manic I'm basically doing some pretty ridiculous stuff to start with so it doesn't even enter my head that it could be a problem. Eating on my own would be the least of my problems. :roll


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## Mnster (Oct 2, 2008)

I sit at the bar areas and never have a problem as it's typically where individuals sit. But, when the bar is full that's when the problems begin. Like I could never sit forever alone at Chipotle or even Taco bell listening to all the disturbing loud commotion around. But, those places I usually carry out simply because dining in there is a less than great experience anyways


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## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

McD

never

holiday alone?

cannot produce children alone


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## shyguy07 (Mar 22, 2015)

99.9% of times when I go to fast food places I'm alone and don't feel out of place doing it. I've never been to a sit down place with a wait staff, etc alone though. If I'm going to spend the money at a place like that and leave a tip, it's usually because I'm going to dinner with a friend or something. I also rarely if ever see people eating alone when I go to those restaurants.

And if I'm eating alone I generally like to get something quick and be out the door fast. Eating at a nice restaurant, is supposed to be enjoyable, but I'd get bored fast without someone to talk to and want to be on my way. No real point in me going alone.


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## Rains (Jan 20, 2016)

No I do this constantly and I see tonnes of other people doing it too. Like often everyone I see is alone too, that’s how common it is here. But that’s more for casual dining. I would like to have the confidence to eat in more fancy places though... I think people who go to bougie cafes and feast by themselves are kind of cool.


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## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

*eating out whole refridgerator*

why out?

from inside out???

eat across, within, up through, eat between, eat around???
underground

t


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## Nick Attwell (Jun 16, 2014)

SofaKing said:


> I've done this many many times, on business and personally.
> 
> The only times I feel weird is in a fully packed restaurants with others waiting for a table. That's when I feel like I'm taking up space, unfairly. Irrational, I know.
> 
> Good job on your breakthrough.


My sentiments exactly Sofa King. Other people coming in & you feel you're taking up a whole table


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