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I'm talking about ordering appetizers and then not ordering your entrees until the appetizers have been delivered, which is a thing I see people try to do with alarming frequency.

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I also prefer to order everything at once, but wait staffs often encourage this! They’ll ask if we want appetizers when ordering drinks (within minutes of sitting down)!

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Thank God. I can at least wrap my head around people behaving this way, even if it falls short of best practices.

(It is a very weird asterisk of modernity that I'm replying to you in a comment chain in the very instant as I am listening to Serious Trouble--I had to pause. It was just too weird.)

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This seems like it would be unsatisfying even to most of the diners who order this way.

But, basically every waiter initially asks for a drink order. Is it OK to order drinks first or should we be ready with the full order at that point.

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No, of course it's fine to order drinks first.

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Is it permissible to order a shared appetizer along with the drinks, so that it’s in progress while you’re perusing the rest of the menu? E.g., a plate of nachos or whatever.

That seems like normal behavior, whereas yes, everyone ordering an individual appetizer and then refusing to order entrees until they’ve all arrived seems like space-alien stuff.

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I don't think this is a best practice, but I've noticed waiters increasingly prompting diners to order in this way, which I guess must mean it's not a problem for their workflow. We did this the other day because one of our dining companions had gone to the wrong restaurant and was late. It happens.

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"Can I start you off with anything?" is something I hear not-uncommonly, which seems like a house invitation to do that.

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Drinks usually go to the bar and not the kitchen so it’s different

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