Used to be a waiter at a slightly more "upscale" Italian restaurant in suburban NY that was constantly packed. It was unjustified, in my opinion, because the food wasn't worth $25 a plate.

I completely agree with your points. The menu was horribly complex, such that orders were always wrong. Getting things remade took forever, and it often wasn't my fault. Either the customer would forget to specify something, or the cook wouldn't read the ticket correctly. In a less busy restaurant, things can be fixed easily, but not in this one.

Payment was also quite slow, as you noted. Constant trips, constant check errors. Constant haggling about wanting things for free because of some slight error.

The place should have offered 10 standard dishes. The amount of food inventory and wine inventory spoiling because of disuse/no space was abominable.

The kitchen was always a frantic mess and the cooks frequently undercooked things or cross contaminated. There was no room for carefulness because the line was always out the door.

I ultimately left because at 7.50 an hour, supporting myself was hard. Tips were frequently better at lunch because the kitchen could prepare meals better. But $400 a week was not cutting it in NY, with no health insurance.

I praise automats as the future!!