Wagamama

[Stoveding]

Aibu to think they are not a cheap restaurant and therefore could afford to have a decent number of waiting staff.
The service is ok, but the levels of stress of waiting staff seem to be off the scale. They are like blue assed flies poor things, and I always feel awful when I have to get their attention for something.
Aibu to think the nations favourite restaurant could use some of their bottom line profit to make their workers job less awful?

I like Wagamama every now and again. My local one is well staffed and they always tell you that food will arrive as its ready. Certainly wouldn't imagine it's the nation's favourite though. Surely that title must go to Nandos!
Chiquito is the winner for me though.

I love Wagamama. Our nearest one always seems pretty well staffed, the waiters often perch on the benches to chat to customers so don't look particularly stressed and busy.

Yabu to make me want my teriyaki chicken donburi when we live too far away to pop in. 😩

Yeah sorry I don'y get the nations favorite thing, I've been once and hated it

Having to share a table with other people who just talked louder and louder over our conversation, and then started butting in with their views on ours. Having food arrive at different times, probably one of the most horrid dining experiences I've ever encountered.

Tampopo for the win .

They tell you every time food comes out as it's ready.

It's Asian canteen style.

Storm I've often wondered why they chose that name too. It's a largely negative word in Japanese. I can only imagine they Googled "over indulgent" or something similar and came up with it rather than asking a native speaker. For example if a child is piling their plate high with food they might be told not to be wagamama whereas in the west over indulgence can have positive connotations.

Now, I've only been to Nando's once.

I was put off because the staff seemed to think we knew how it all worked. It was really confusing and felt very unwelcome.

Food was ok.
I'm too scared to try again

When it came out in the UK it was really novel and we went as it had communal benches and not tables and was a new thing to try. I remember the queues out the door for a place!

Now I don't go there. Food is generally good but I don't want to be sat next to some randoms.

They treat the staff like shite apparently.
I used to like it but went off it when I heard this.

I love Wagamama's!

Ours doesn't appear to have staffing issues and whilst food does arrive separately, there's never much oaf a gap between everyone's dishes arriving. Maybe I've just been lucky.

It has one of the most extensive gluten free menus I've seen in any of the big chains

I don't really see it as a restaurant I'd go to in the evening with friends. It's more like an Asian McDonald's. So the seating and service don't bother me. Last time I went my food was very bland tasting so not keen to go back.

It was London’s fave restaurant about 10 years ago!

Still pretty popular, but I can see they don’t seem to treat their staff well.

The last I went was for my birthday despite being asked before hand if it was OK to bring a cake and if it would be OK for them to pop it in the fridge, they left it to stand I a hot kitchen. At the end of the meal the staff brought out a chocolate puddle with a candle stuck in it.

The service at the Edinburgh one is great. It's my favourite place to eat at.

I think YAB a bit U. I’ve never really noticed a lack of staff. However, I have a fondness, based on queuing to get into the original branch round the corner from the British Museum back in the day. I loved the bustle and the communal benches and the novelty. I was young, then...
I hardly ever go now, but it’s still one of the few evening-hot-food places where I feel really comfortable eating alone.

Most of the things people are complaing about on here are the USP of Wagamamas.

The staff/system is a little loose sometimes although it depends on the rush just like any other restaurant.

but communal tables, food arriving when ready etc is just what wagamamas is.

I like it.

they seem fine round here the 3 ive been to anyway

they tell you the food comes when its ready not together

I hope you guys do not go to east Asia then because all times veing out there the food is always bought out when ready and people just eat.

I love the foxdenton plum gin, tastes so fruity! not keen on most other kinds though and It's the only kind I have in the cupboard. It's just the new prosecco , the fad will go away and be replaced with something else soon enough. I prefer gin with juice, I hate tonic.

I've never been to Wagamama. I have eaten in a noodle bar and the brining food out when it's ready seems odd. I wouldn't go again.
There is a reason why people say grace before a meal, or wait until everyone has been served.
I thought Nando's was the favourite and I've never been there either.

apparently I can't post in the right place, damn you open tabs!

I love wagamama, not cheap by any stretch, I'm too cheap to take the kids there often that's for sure. Our local has great service though.

We went for lunch yesterday, had great service and the food was the nicest we've had in there for a while. I'm a fan generally though.

I hope you guys do not go to east Asia then because all times being out there the food is always bought out when ready and people just eat

Not true of all east Asia. I've spent a lot of time in Japan and there the meals for the table are always brought at the same time. And they have proper chairs! Hate wagamama for the ridiculous ideas it's promoting if nothing else!

But surely it is a cheap restaurant-can you actually name a cheaper restaurant. I can't think of one. All the chain restaurants seem to charge the same these days.