# Women: Are you embarrassed to eat out alone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 24, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846 "2012-04-24T21:31:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/1 "2012-04-24T21:31:31Z")
[I didn’t know this was a thing.](http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/23/travel/biz-travel-solo-dining-solution/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/2 "2012-04-24T21:34:10Z")
Sometimes. But I do it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/3 "2012-04-24T21:36:18Z")
This is something I never bothered paying attention to. But now that I think about it, I eat out alone on occasion. I remember seeing a lot of other men by themselves, but have no recollection of women dining solo. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/4 "2012-04-24T21:38:33Z")
Hell, no. As a matter of fact, the last few months have found me in several different restaurants eating alone. I am trying to expand my places to go get food since I hate to cook and living on burgers and fries is probably going to kill me. If I didn’t go alone, I’d have to go hungry. I just bring a book, which is a better companion than 98.9 percent of the people I know anyway. ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/5 "2012-04-24T21:39:05Z")
I’m comfortable with it to a point. I don’t think I’d go to someplace really fancy but I’ve often gone out alone to the restaurants in my neighbourhood when hubby is away or if I feel like having lunch out. It’s quite a treat actually to have a nice meal and a glass of wine and read a good book in peace. Service can be sketchy sometimes when you’re alone. They either try and rush you out in order to turn over the table or they ignore you. If they rush me I eat slower and if they ignore me I get more of my book read! ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/6 "2012-04-24T21:41:09Z")
Not a bit. I’ve even taken myself out to eat on busy “Date Nights”…Friday and Saturdays…when I was clearly the only single table there. A few people have looked at me oddly when I’m seated, reading my book, and waiters have a tendency to not check back on you unless it’s busy and they want your table turned, but all in all I’m fine with it. I remember the day in college when one of the “popular” girls on the floor asked if she could go to lunch with me in the cafeteria…me, the nerdy senior in a freshman dorm that everyone pretty much ignored! because she absolutely could NOT eat alone. She told me she was afraid everyone would think she was some kind of outcast (and yes, she said this to my face after I said I ate alone most days) if they saw her sitting alone. Of course, the minute we got into the cafeteria she spotted people she knew and she ditched me… ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/7 "2012-04-24T22:04:46Z")
Hell no. Mind you, I also will cheerfully go to the cinema alone. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/8 "2012-04-24T22:11:46Z")
Huh - I didn’t know this was a thing either. I’m not bothered by eating out alone at all. In fact a meal by myself sounds like a nice treat. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/9 "2012-04-24T22:14:01Z")
Not a bit. Do it all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/10 "2012-04-24T22:15:00Z")
Not in the slightest. I usually have a book with me (hardcopy or ebook) and I’ll happily sit down and read and eat. Not sure whether I’d go to a “fancy” restaurant by myself, but that’s more because that’s usually a special occasion thing than due to any embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/11 "2012-04-24T22:27:54Z")
I eat out alone quite frequently. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten somewhere fancy alone, but if the occasion (and the funds) arose, I wouldn’t let being alone stop me. I also go to the movies alone more often than I go with someone. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/12 "2012-04-24T22:29:06Z")
I’d make use of that website if it allowed men. I have no problem eating alone but meeting a random person might be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/13 "2012-04-24T22:29:10Z")
Doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, when I’d go on travel for work, I looked forward to dining alone after a day of dealing with assorted people. Why should I care what a bunch of strangers think about me, whether I’m eating by myself or walking down the street by myself or shopping by myself. Frankly, I doubt that most people even notice me. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/14 "2012-04-24T22:31:38Z")
I’m not embarrassed but sometimes I get tired of eating alone. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/15 "2012-04-24T22:35:25Z")
Since I’m the only one owning up to feeling embarrassed, I’ll explain: I don’t like being recognized. I don’t like waitstaff to remember me enough that they can anticipate my choices. I don’t like when people are “familiar” with me. Don’t ask me why. All I know is that it has nothing to do with my gender. So I don’t mind going to new restaurants alone. I’m going out of town on business next week and I’m looking forward to visiting different places every night. But after the third or fourth time of going to the same place all by myself, the weird feeling becomes unpleasant. But I don’t eat at restaurants that often. I usually take stuff to-go, because I like eating in the comfort of home. ---
**Author:** ![secretsmile36](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@secretsmile36](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/secretsmile36)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/16 "2012-04-24T22:35:42Z")
Yes and I always feel sorry for people dining alone at fine restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/17 "2012-04-24T22:44:00Z")
> [@Silver\_Tyger](#): > > I’m not embarrassed but sometimes I get tired of eating alone. That sums it up for me, too. I’ve been to rather fancy places alone. I’d rather have some company, but I’m not going to forego good meals until I find some. > [@tr0psn4j](#): > > I’d make use of that website if it allowed men. I have no problem eating alone but meeting a random person might be interesting. It does seem a bit exclusionary, doesn’t it. I might use it, too. I’ve been to Germany, and it’s common to put different groups together if the table is big enough. I kinda wish restaurants here did that. ---
**Author:** ![SnakeBabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SnakeBabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeBabe)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/18 "2012-04-24T22:47:32Z")
Not a bit but I rarely do. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/19 "2012-04-24T23:00:33Z")
Not embarrassed, but I have social phobia and I don’t like giving strangers a reason to look at me funny. I will go out and eat at a sit-down place alone \*sometimes \*(when I’m feeling brave or superlatively confident, which isn’t often). But generally I prefer to order take-out instead. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846/20 "2012-04-24T23:03:11Z")
A bit, yes. I do eat out alone, frequently, in fact. However, if I were to be totally honest, I will generally not go to a restaurant alone on a Friday or Saturday night. If I’m traveling, I will, obviously. But if I’m in town, I’ll think twice about it and will generally opt not to go. I feel conspicuous on weekends in a crowded restaurant. (And waitstaff tend to behave really oddly when you do end up in a restaurant on a Friday alone). I also don’t go to high end restaurants by myself, but that’s partially a function of not going to high end restaurants and only partially about not going on my own. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-are-you-embarrassed-to-eat-out-alone/619846.md?page=2)