Almost as bad as splitters are those who eat all but 4 bites then complain about their meal and want a replacement!

I am a splitter and I always pay! Or I take the other half home. I am surprised people try to "get away" with it... Weird.. I just can't eat the portions...

I'm a splitter, but with my two year old daughter. She's turned out to be the best dinner "date" I've had in awhile! :) Better table manners than my Hub, on occassion, too.

Ok, now see...I'm cheap, so I do the opposite...I order a huge whatever, and then it's cheaper overall! And I have lunch the next day! And if my dining companion tries to sneak any of my food if I haven't offered him/her a taste, s/he'll pull his/her hand back bleeding.

I've blistered more than one waitron butthole for daring to put up a ticket with the word 'split' on it.

If yo don't do the splitting in the kitchen, then why charge a fee? Isn't the work done in the kitchen the usual justification?

I usually can't eat a full restaurant portion, but I don't splot; I take the leftovers home and eat them the next day. The exception is when I am travelling. When my partner and I were on vacation, we split entrees because we didn't have a place to take leftovers.

I tend not to eat an entire meal, but I'm not shy about taking it home, either :)

Uh oh - now I feel like an ass. But my husband and I don't split in the way you described. We very often order a few appetizers and a salad and split all of them AND split an entree and dessert. Does this make us bad people? We aren't trying to be cheap - we just want to try a bunch of different stuff. Please advise. Because now I am worried!

Hmmm interesting, never heard of the splitting fee before. If i'm not hungry i'll usually order a salad and garlic bread or something, then steal food off the main.
I've spent a total of a year in the States, and thinking of moving there from Australia with my American husband for a while. Still get stuck on the whole Entree as the main meal. Here entree is the appetizer...you people are weird..;)

I'm having a hard time picking a side here. Instinctively I'm with you -- I heard a woman and her daughter talk proudly about their sharing habit at a social gathering a year or so ago, and I practically retched. I try very hard not to be a "problem patron." I've quietly put up with a lot of horrible service, and the only times I've ever sent something back were when the kitchen's version of "rare" was "medium well."

But when I stop and think about it, the splitting fee seems a tad obnoxious as well. That chair spot could just as easily hold an infant, or someone who just ate but is along for the company, or someone who feels too ill to eat. Do you charge a "minimum" in such cases?

And I've always rolled my eyes at diners who complain about being "discriminated" against when they don't order wine or liquor, but now I'm thinking maybe there's something to their whining.

I, too, love the big portions but can't eat them. Yes, the King Henry portion of rare roast beef or the 20 oz. Porterhouse are my choices. I usually eat the salad, half the baked potato and a few bites of the meat. Then the rest is my take home treat.

If I were not allowed take out, I'd go back to a Caesar Salad for dinner, and maybe, only maybe, dessert, like a scoop of ice cream. You're not going to win with me. Although, I love Caesar Salad so much, I once ordered it twice at one meal. :G:

Ann,

I always do the same. Firstly, I find American portions way too big, much bigger than in other countries and what I am used to. Secondly, I love variety on the table. So when my friends and I eat out, we always order one entree each, making sure nobody orders the same, and we share everything. That way, everyone gets a taste of everything. It makes for a very fun, lively, diverse and delicious meal!

I've never been charged for splitting, and quite frankly this is the first I hear of a splitting fee. Is this common throughout the US? Very interesting, and good to know.

I've lived in the USA all my life and this is the first time I've ever heard of a splitting fee as well. But if the establishment stated that there would be a fee, I'd willingly pay for it. I hate the waste of food.

My mother and I routinely split meals for that very reason. I find that when I take food home in a doggy bag it just gets shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten. (Again a waste)

Now when dining with my husband it's a whole diffrent story. I eat my half of an entree, he eats all of his, and then he eats the rest of mine. *sigh* Not so good in the manners department, but it does solve the wasting. :-)

I have never, ever seen, or heard about, a "splitting" charge at a restaurant. I have never, ever been hassled in any way by anyone at a restaurant as a result of my wife and I splitting a meal. We often do so because the typical restaurant serves a "meal" that is enough to feed three people.

Wanna make more money and discourage splitting? Serve meals that are sized for one person and charge extra for extra-large portions.

Oh, and when a customer buys a meal, it's THEIRS, not yours, and what they do with it is their business, not yours. So set your prices such that you make money even if some of your customers split now and then, and quit your bitching. You have no grounds for complaint.

this is the first time i've heard of splitting fees.. in europe, most table has cover charge per head instead.. luckily, ireland hasn't quite caught on with either although they do have fix service charge added at the bottom of the bill based on percentage of totaly price, especially if you have party of 6 or more.. which is fair...

anyho, i have tendency to split, but not split split but more like sharing different entree with my dining companions... it's fun, and i get to try more than one item as starter..

I've heard of splitting fees (I live between NYC and Philadelphia), but I've never been charged one because I just take the extra home and have it for lunch the next day. If I can't or don't want to take leftovers, I order salad. It's not that difficult. And I figure the restaurant can charge what they want.

As for sitting strangers at the same table - I've actually had that experience in NYC and New Orleans. It's kinda weird....

Yeah, I'm also not a fan of the splitting fee. Like someone else said - what if I'm just there to drink a glass of water? Am I going to be charged for my chair? When splitting, especially if I'm having to do the work, the only extra effort is that an extra plate is being brought out and will need to be washed. And silverware. So if there must be a charge, I think it should be minimal. The restaurant I worked at charged for splitting, but it was an Italian place, and its messy to split pasta - so it was always done in the kitchen.
What bugs me more than splitting though, is the places that absolutely refuse to sell the kids' portion to an adult. Or an appetizer as an entree. I've always had a tiny appetite. Whenever there is something I want on the kids or appetizer list, I'd prefer to get that instead of paying double for a lot of food I just won't eat. Especially now that I'm pregnant and appetite-less, I think my 3 yr old eats more than I do.
I DO however almost always order one kids' meal and the kids split it and get a few bites from my plate too. My 5 yr old is about to outgrow that though.

Do you also charge for soda refills or soda without ice? You don't do any of the work but you charge people for splitting their meal. That is why I go out less and less. Stupid reasons such as this, make the whole dining experience an annoyance.

I think you should have a minimum charge instead that way people know not to waste their time in your establishment.

My gf and I often go to a restaurant, sit at the bar, and order two apps and one entree between us. And yes, we do it because we want to eat less and pay less. Still, I feel justified in doing it. And I'd feel justified in doing it even if the entrees cost less than $30. The food isn't the bottom line for most restaurants-- it's the $12-15 cocktails and 150% markups on bottles of wine.

I do split things or just eat half and take the left overs home. For me it's more of an appetite issue then a "I need to save money" issue. I like to eat good food, I'm willing to pay a reasonable price for it.

My family loves to share desert, we usually order one desert with four forks and have at it, that way you can enjoy your sweets but not have an excees of it (especically after a really good meal)

I think charging people for splitting entrees is outrageous. Restaurants are about hospitality. There's nothing more inhospitable than being charged extra for what really and truly is a *very simple request* (especially if you don't even split it in the kitchen!). My husband and I eat out all the time here in NYC and we never split entrees, but I would never eat twice at a place that penalizes me for wanting to have some control over what ends up on my plate.

I have never heard of a splitting fee or had anyone hassle me for splitting an entree with a dinner date. If I bought the meal, I should be able to do whatever I want to do with it...especially if I'm splitting it at the table MYSELF! In fact, if a restaurant charged me a "splitting fee", I would never go there again because I think it's total B.S. It sounds like Restaurant Owners who engage in this type of gouging are really just trying to cater to snobs anyway.

I see where you're coming from, but you can't control how much people want to order. I think that's one of the risks of business. If I owned a car dealership, I couldn't charge a fee if someone chose a "cheaper" car. I never split, but I am just as offended by a splitting fee as I would be by a cover charge or two plate minimum! It's not any more food, so it really shouldn't cost more. You are in customer service, and have to cater to different kinds of people, not penalize them. Still love the blog-and the other rants. Usually you're spot on.

Last year, Mrs. B and I went into a nice looking restaurant in Ann Arbor (MI). When we were seated and had a look at the menu, we realized we were in a very pricey eatery. We explained to our server that we had been driving all day and would like a "sampling" menu. He was so accomodating. We had two small bowls of the best lobster bisque I've ever tasted, a wonderful salad--big plate between us-- and a marvelous strip steak, served on two plates with duxelles and duchess potoates on each--and three "tasting" glasses of their best cabs. The bill was about 90 bucks and we left a very generous tip. There was no extra charge for any of the splitting--the waiter said they do it routinely--but we would have paid it gladly--the food was that good. Damn me is I can remember the name of the place, but it was downtown on East Main.

I know that splitting is common, and many places do it for free, but hey, give the joint a break and just pay for service rendered, however little or much you eat. It all breaks down to to quality and service in the end. If your server is an ***hole, then stiff them.

Funny. I was just at a restaurant and saw that they had a $2 splitting fee. And now you have a blog on the same. NOt owning a restaurant, I have no opinion of the ethics nor etiquette of this. But, if you feel you should charge this, then post it on your menu & stand by it.

My husband & I frequently split appetizers, but generally order an entree apiece. We generally try to order different things, so we can sample. And I frequently order an order to be split for my kids, when there is no children's menu.

Perhaps, if you charge a splitting fee, you might consider splitting in the kitchen. It would take the wind out of the sails of those who feel that you have done nothing to "earn" it.

Splitting charge iz bad bad karma. no no. i wish you didn't do that. i liked you until now.

Wow, Food Whore, you really hit a nerve with some of these diners. I understand about a splitting fee and I think it's fair. I also think that people who want to split should get their order to go and go home and split it. You're taking up space in an establishment that needs paying diners. It's sort of like carpooling and someone riding with you and using your gasoline and never paying for it.

I'm a lurker here but I feel as though I have to "defend" FW (who can ably defend herself). Restaurants aren't about hospitality - inviting someone to your home for a meal is hospitality. Restaurants are a business just like any other business. Just because you eat there doesn't make it Grandma's house. Tables are money. They shouldn't have to split in the kitchen because, as FW explained, it's the fact that the splitters are taking up a table for 4 or 6 or whatever and only eating for 1 (who could just as easily eat at the bar and then another group could be seated at the table.) If the portions are too large I'm sure the restaurant would be happy to give you a take out container so you can have another meal tomorrow.

If restaurants aren't about hospitality, then why is it called the "hospitality industry?"

Oh well. I'll admit, I keep going back and forth on this issue. I can see the logic from a business standpoint, but jeez ~ if the splitting isn't done in the kitchen then it just seems like a snarky thing to do. When I was waitressing (at a rib joint with huge portions) if people ordered one dinner and asked for another plate, I'd just bring them the plate. No big deal.

On the other hand, two people are ordering one dish but still require service for two people. And the tip will probably be smaller too. So the splitting fee is just a little quid pro quo. Also not a big deal.

I've actually never been charged a splitting fee. However, I have eaten at restaurants that had a seperate price column for half portions, usually about 60 percent of the price of the full portion. A nice compromise, I think.