Question for diners: How do you approach the new fast casual dining concept that more restaurants seem to be embracing? I’m talking about restaurants like Pizzeria Fondi, which require you order at the counter, then find your own table. A server shuttles the food to you. Sometimes they come by to check on you, sometimes you never hear from them again after they drop off your food. Sometimes you pay at the beginning of the meal, sometimes you pay at the end of the meal.

My most recent experience with a hybrid restaurant was this week at Blazing Onion, which opened in Gig Harbor’s Uptown shopping center in September (we reviewed four restaurants at Uptown, including Pizzeria Fondi, recently. Read the story here).

My problem is that I feel like I don’t know what to expect anymore as a diner at these kinds of restaurants. And the experience has left me baffled. And here’s why… Read more »