I come here for food not not music and ecstasy.

It's way too loud when I can hear what people are hollering about three tables away.
They have to tell at each other because effing music is too effing loud.

If your food were iffy I would not bother coming in.

But that's not the case.
Your establishment is is clean, your employees prompt and courteous, food is way above average
But
Only a few over the age of 45 can stand to eat here.

Raves are for teenagers at midnight not old people at noon.

Pisses me off on a weekly basis.

I hear you. Back when I was in my 20's I took a date to a restaurant that featured a strolling musician. Turned out the musician was playing an accordian, one with no volume control at all. We were bombarded by noise so damned loud the only way to communicate was with paper notes. As for the food, I have no idea at all if it was good or bad, because I was so pissed off by what I thought would be a romantic date being crushed by some asshole playing an accordion.

I would advise you talk to the manager and tell him you won't be back unless the volume gets turned down to suitable numbers. I also expect that if you were to report this noise issue to the State OSHA that they might send someone their to do a noise check who then could close them down for a noise violation.

Have you asked them to lower the volume? The manager might not even be aware that it is annoying -- you might be surprised at how unaware people can be, and if you bring it to their attention, they might correct it.

This kills me. And restaurants with awful acoustics that make the din of ambient conversations and noise so bad you can hear the person next to you.

My hearing can’t take competing noises. Very hard for me to understand someone with overwhelming background noise. Can’t stand it.

I avoid restaurants that have a live mariachi band wandering around. Usually the trumpet player lands up next to my head. The din of restaurants makes it hard to hear anyway and I don't need obnoxious music making it worse.

Went into a Famous Dave's a few years back and the music was deafening. You had to shout your order to the waiter.

Never went back there.

I would not be able to understand anyone in that environment.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
This kills me. And restaurants with awful acoustics that make the din of ambient conversations and noise so bad you can hear the person next to you.

My hearing can’t take competing noises. Very hard for me to understand someone with overwhelming background noise. Can’t stand it.

I think acoustics has more to do with it. If the OP is able to hear people talking three tables away over the loud music, that's what it's about.

I bet the restaurant puts on the loud music thinking it will drown out the noise.

It's more about putting up sound baffles first, then putting on some white noise, and finally some music.

One of my rants here. A great BBQ place that a few times a weel has live music. The interior isn't that large ansd when the music is on, you can't hear yourself think.

So we just avoid it during those nights.

<<I bet the restaurant puts on the loud music thinking it will drown out the noise>>

Yeah, that way you might not notice the racket from the screaming kids chasing each other around the restaurant while the parents sit there oblivious.

Holy crap, this just happened to us yesterday while waiting for the Padres game.

We sit down, order drinks. Drinks come, we order food.

Food arrives and after a few bites, volume goes up from "normal" conversations level to, "I’m drunk and have to yell."

Called the server over who promptly got her manager over and whom i tell, "turn down the volume or take away the food." He refused and thought i was kidding because everyone was "getting ready for the game." He got the hint when we got up and asked the server how much just the two drinks cost.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
This kills me. And restaurants with awful acoustics that make the din of ambient conversations and noise so bad you can hear the person next to you.

My hearing can’t take competing noises. Very hard for me to understand someone with overwhelming background noise. Can’t stand it.

I think acoustics has more to do with it. If the OP is able to hear people talking three tables away over the loud music, that's what it's about.

I bet the restaurant puts on the loud music thinking it will drown out the noise.

It's more about putting up sound baffles first, then putting on some white noise, and finally some music.

Yep, it's obviously a hard room acoustically speaking, with lots of reverb.

It can be fixed.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Have you asked them to lower the volume? The manager might not even be aware that it is annoying -- you might be surprised at how unaware people can be, and if you bring it to their attention, they might correct it.

I've never once had them not turn the music down when I've asked. Have any of you guys tried that?

I spoke with the district Mgr. In person while eating lunch.

He is in charge of five stores.
He says the owner ,
Not the regional mgr.
The owner wants it loud.

He ( the owner) claims that the teens and 20 year olds have to have a party atmosphere or they won't come in to eat.

And yes I ask them to turn it down every single time,
Before ordering
If they turn it down,
I stay ,if not
We leave.

quote:

Originally posted by Jester814:
I've never once had them not turn the music down when I've asked. Have any of you guys tried that?

I did. The waitress said they weren't allowed to do that.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Have you asked them to lower the volume? The manager might not even be aware that it is annoying -- you might be surprised at how unaware people can be, and if you bring it to their attention, they might correct it.

Agreed. For some reason, the TV in my doc's office is always set really loud. The first thing we do when we arrive for an appointment is ask them to turn it off or down. They always do it for us right away.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:

And yes I ask them to turn it down every single time,
Before ordering
If they turn it down,
I stay ,if not
We leave.

That's what I would do. I'm pretty easy going, but can't enjoy myself I have to shout just to be heard across the table. If turning it down is not an option, I can take my business elsewhere.

WHAT?

I hate loud restaurants in general, whether it's music played too loud or customers shouting to be heard over customers shouting.

I swear one reason Kmart went out of business is the music they played while you shopped. It was always loud and annoying, the kind you torture people with. Any request to change the music was met with "Corporate controls all that." I left the store on occasion to drive ten miles to Home Depot for the same item. Christmas music usually started around July.

Yep, I've noticed a lot of places where the music is too loud and it affects my ability to hear the people at my table clearly. It's not really loud, but a couple notches louder than it should be.