Should I Stack the Dirty Dishes in a Restaurant?

Should I Stack the Dirty Dishes in a Restaurant? | Manners &Etiquette

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Linda Barrett

Miss Meredith Sweetpea encountered a manners dilemma the other day when dining out in a restaurant when her dining companion proceeded to stack the dirty plates and push them to the edge of the table following the meal.

When you stack your dirty plates, are you helping the waitstaff or committing a manners infraction?

Miss Manners Weighs In on Plate Stacking

According to Judith Martin, “Miss Manners” herself, it is bad manners to stack plates for the wait staff to remove from the table. In her words, “Miss Manners knows that you were only trying to help. A waiter who takes pride in his professionalism would never stack plates at the table, and could be in trouble if you made him appear to have done so.” Make it a practice never to scrape or stack your plates at the table. It isaestheticallyunappealing, dirties both sides of the dishes, and could damage the dishes.

What to do When You’re Finished With Your Meal

When you are finished with your meal, do not push your plate away from you or stack your dishes. Place your knife and fork together in the “twenty minutes past four o’clock” position, picturing your plate as the face of a clock, with the knife on the outside, or place your used utensils side by side in the middle of your plate, fork to the left, knife to the right with the sharp blade turned inward toward the fork. Keep your napkin on your lap until you rise from the table. Upon leaving the table, fold up your napkin loosely and place it to the left of your plate. Do not refold it. Nothing is more pleasant than sharing a good meal with good friends. Good etiquette only makes the experience sweeter.

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Should I Stack the Dirty Dishes in a Restaurant? | Manners & Etiquette (2024)