Hi everyone. I need some input on this. My husband and I usually tip 25-30% for good service and 15% for poor service. When we went out for dinner last month, we went to a Russian restaurant by the boardwalk in Brighton Beach in NY for some seafood. Our waitress could hardly speak English so we just pointed to her on the menu what we wanted. We had to wait for our food for 30 minutes which we didn't mind. In the meantime, we asked for some water but the waitress never gave it to us. My husband stood up, went to the counter and got the water pitcher himself. And when we got the food, it was the wrong order. We had to wait for another 30 mins., and at this time, I was getting impatient but decided to wait. When we got our food, it was the best seafood we ever had. We also enjoyed their desserts. When we finished our meal and got our bill, there was a 10% fee included. We asked them what is it for, they said it's for the "kitchen". So I said, "Then, it's part of the tip?" and they replied, "No, not tip, for kitchen". Since we were still delerious from our good meal, we proceeded to add 15% tip on the bill plus the 10% fee they included. When our waitress took our money, she looked so happy seeing the tip we gave her which made me think we overtip her. When my husband went to work the next day, he asked a co-worker who's Russian if the 10%fee they billed us is part of the tip and he said yes.

Last week, we went back to this restaurant and had a different waitress but still, poor service. When it was time to pay, they included that 10% fee again so this time, we just gave her 5% of the bill. When our waitress saw it, she had this look of disgust in her face as if we're cheapskate. Are we totally wrong about this? I know we'll go back to this restaurant again so please advise me. Thanks.

Sounds like you got ripped off by the first waitress, and the second was upset that you figured it out.
Interested to see if someone else has a justification for why the kitchen gets 10% on top of regular menu prices.

Why would you keep going back to a restaurant with poor service and a rude staff? You deserve to be ripped off if you don't have the common sense to find a new restaurant that will treat you right.

Amen to "why". Obviously this is a troll post. No one in the world would convince me that in an area like that with hundreds of good restaurants that anyone would be so stupid as to go back to that restaurant a second time. Either Ruth is a troll or the world's stupidest woman.

No matter how good the food was, there's no reason to keep giving them your hard earned money to be treated so poorly. You're crazy to keep going back. There are a number of other good restaurants in the area to select from that will provide you with both good food and service.

Why - it sounds like they really, really like the food. But the service is terrible. It's a dilemma you sometimes have to deal with. I would have to agree with X that the second waitress understood the idea. That's the way it's supposed to be. Tipping isn't a matter of being a cheapskate, it's a comment on what their service is like. I've always been an upfront kind of person - if the second waitress understood enough English, or even if a translator is needed, tell her that you expected more. If she looked at you badly then you did your job with the tip - you let her know you weren't happy.

I very much agree with the 10% + 5%. Waitresses often are underpaid and are forced to make it up with tips. So nothing is not just an insult, it's cruel because she might not be paid a real wage at all. 5% is enough to give her an OK wage, but not a cent more. That sounds like the message they deserved. If you want to go back to this place over several times because of the good food, strike a deal with one of these people. Let them know you WANT to come back, but you want a certain kind of treatment. Ask for a waitress/waitor name and promise them when you come back that you'll give them the 10% plus another 20% if they do it right. If they agree, come back and insist on getting the person you made the deal with. I'd bet you see a real turn around if they understand what they have to do for the tip and the fact that they can be sure of their reward.

Ruth aka Leslie: Enough! You have played w/ us all day w/ the tipping questions. Now turn off your computer, go out for dinner & leave 15%! That's what I'm about to do! Bon Appetit!

Which "Russian Restaurant"-? My experience in Russian restaurants around Brighton is that the food is always fantastic and the service is so-so at best. UNLESS you have someone with you who speaks a little Russian-then you can atlease communicate.

The other thing I'll mention, is that in every Russian Restaurant I've been to there is always a PrixeFixe menu which 99.9% of the patrons are having. I've never seen the menu, so that could be why the food took so long -just my theory. As for the tip? I've only gone in groups of more than 5 , so it was included and can't help you there. Did they atleast have the customary dance-show?
JK

JK, the restaurant is called "Tatiana's". Twice that we've been there, we were there around 4 or 5pm so we didn't see any show but I think they have it at a later time. Do you have a restaurant that you can recommend?

Here's an idea:

Leslie divorces her Latino husband. Ruth marries Latino husband. Together their tips average 15-20%. They marry at the Four Seasons (of course). Leslie and her dad go to the Russian restaurant to comiserate. How's that for symetry?

I've been to Rosiya on Neptune Ave,
The National on Brighton Beach Ave,
and Aspheron on Nostrand Ave.
All were quite good.
JK

I don't care how good the food is, if the service sucks I won't go back. Any place that supposedly charges a 10% kitchen fee is ripping you off and was most likely a service charge. I rarely tip more than 20% unless it is excellent service and if it's horrible service we give them exactly what they deserve.

Speak Russian and carry a big tip.