Is it rude to go to a restaurant and not eat?

Majority of responses: "It's not rude because I do it all the time"

Not rude. Period. You were not going out of your way to insult someone, or be mean. You were there for your daughter. I think people need to start taking control of their own feelings and emotions and realize that not everyone is going to do exactly what they want them to...and that doesn't make them rude. Do what you want to do, you are an adult. I have gone to family get-togethers and not eaten much of the food...and some family members think that is rude. Why should anyone have to eat food they don't want to....how in the world is that beneficial to anyone? Now....if you sat there and complained about the food or kept making statements about how unhealthy the food is while other people eat it...then that IS rude.

I dont think it's rude. After all it's not like you're a guest at someobe's house and refuse to eat. Not sure why it upset your wife so much tho and it was a bit silly of her not to order something just because you didn't. I think what your wife did would have made me uncomfortable if I was your daughter. Just my opinion of course.

I've been in the position of sitting with people that did not order when we went out to eat and I did feel very uncomfortable. That is true; but that was my problem....not theirs. And I did not think it was rude. Why should you be forced to eat when you're not hungry!? It is more rude for your wife to sit there and glare and throw a fit and be in protest. If she wanted to order, she should have.

The next time you're in a similar situation, ask the party you're with if they are going to be uncomfortable when you don't order because you're not hungry. I bet no one is going to think twice to answer, "No! Of course not!" They may not want to order and go hungry, but that is not your problem. Your problem is you and YOUR own hunger or lack of it.

I think your wife probably wanted to order and felt that if you didn't, she was going to look like a pigglet in front of the kids but she really wanted to.... and since you didn't... she couldn't. Sounds like a personal problem, doesn't?

Hope you have made up, though. It's not worth the fight.

OMG PEOPLE!!
WHO CARES WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK??!! REALLY?
IF YOU WERENT HUNGRY...BRAVO! WHY WASTE MONEY ON SOMETHING YOU DONT WANT!
NO ONE WILL REMEMBER YOU THE NEXT DAY AS THE GUY WHO DIDNT ORDER ANYTHING!
AS FAR AS YOUR WIFE...SHE COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE SUPPORTIVE
WE PUT TOO MUCH INTO WHAT OTHERS THINK..

I dont think its rude at all but the clear grump people have with you on here is partly the reason who others eat when they dont really want to!! I have been out with friends loads of times and not had food (mainly cos I cant eat wheat and there is never anything on the menu suitable) but neither me or my friends get bothered by it. I still join in with everything else and we all have fun!!

Just give her some chocolate and tell her to stop being so emotional!!

OMG PEOPLE!!

Comments on social etiquette entirely in caps

I think the people who are saying it's rude are completely ridiculous. What are you supposed to do? Sit and wait in the car until everyone is done eating? Come on. It was a social event, for your daughter. Why should you force yourself to eat or buy something you don't want? You did this for her and that's what is important, not whether strangers in a restaurant think you're "rude" for not placing an unwanted order.

Majority of responses: "It's not rude because I do it all the time"

lol, my thoughts exactly.

I don't think that it is rude at all. In fact I did the same thing last Friday. Just because you are not hungry does not mean that you should have to miss out on anything! You shouldn't have to force yourself to eat or pay for something you are going to waste.

Why does it matter if you were slightly rude? You were a parent, feeding your child for her birthday. Restaurants and servers- trust me- do NOT care if you are slightly rude, socially awkward, ugly, smelly, or weird. Short of being intentionally offensive, they just want your money. It's a BUSINESS. Those servers have to deal with the ****tiest people all day long, and if you think that they give two rat's *kitten* about whether or not you eat, you are severely delusional. Especially if you were paying for the meals, but not hungry yourself, they're still happy to have you. Now, if you come in with a party of eight, and only two people are eating, that might be one thing. That's a full table and a half of people who are sitting there, where paying customers could sit. But that was your child. So I see no grounds for refusing you service.

1. It's probably more rude to expect someone to eat/order something when they don't want to.
2. It's rude to sit and send and read texts when you are at dinner with a group of people.

What I don't get is the fact that you have children together, but it sounds like you are two strangers (she has to TEXT you to tell you that she thinks you are rude and even worse, you have to come to a public forum to have random strangers pick sides for you).

Seriously, your wife's perception that you were being rude is probably the least of your problems!

I don't think it was rude. She seemed to only not order out of spite and cos she was pissed off. Immature on her behalf.

A couple of weekends ago me and my friend went shopping out of town. I'd had a wrap whilst walking round a few hours prior, then got an ice cream. My friend decided he was hungry and wanted a sit down meal. I'd already eaten, and so I just sat there and we talked while he ate and I shared some of his drink.
Although if I'd have known in advance he wanted to go for a sit down meal, I wouldn't have eaten the ice cream and would have joined him. But I didn't. No biggie.

However, you knew, so maybe next time skip the popcorn and save yourself for the restaurant?

why would you go out to eat if you aren't hungry?
that's like going to a hooker and not wanting to get a beej.

I assume you missed the part where it was his daughters birthday and SHE wanted to go out to the restaurant, it's not like it was his idea to go just so he can not order food.

If it was just him and his wife, and it was his idea, then yeah...kinda stupid. But if he's taken his kid out for a birthday dinner after having a late lunch and movie popcorn...not weird at all.

To the OP: Not ordering a food when going to a restaurant for your family is not rude. You went there for your daughter. Your wife not ordering something just because you weren't ordering anything is just petty and the response of 2 yr old. Order some coffee or water or whatever you want to drink, enjoy the company of those with you and move on.

It's not weird nor is it rude. You're not hungry, don't order food. I would think eating for the sake of eating is what got a lot of people on this site to begin with. I would also think it's those types of habits we're trying to break. I say if you can sit through an entire meal at a restaurant and NOT eat anything...more power to you.

Here's the ironic part of this: Had the OP said, "My daughter's birthday is coming up and she wants to go for a late lunch, then to a movie, and then to dinner and I know I won't be hungry at dinner and I don't want to go over my calories, what should I do?" Then there would have been a few dozen responses saying, "If you're not hungry, then don't order anything, just let them know you're not hungry but you want to be there for them and then order a drink and focus on your daughter."

Order something small and take it home. Texting at the table is rude too.