Have any of you been out to eat lately and seen these new devices on your table? This week, we ate out three times (because we were away from home at Comic Con). At two of the restaurants, they had these tablets on the table. You basically order your own food.

I do not know how I feel about this new fad.

At the first restaurant, appetizers, desserts, and drinks were the only things you could order on the device. When I wanted another drink, I simply ordered it on the little tablet. I could see the bartender get my order on her screen. She quickly made my drink and it got to me within three minutes.

“This is so cool,” I thought.

We also paid for our meal directly through the device. It was neat.

A few days later, we went to a different restaurant. Here, you ordered 100% of your meal through the system. It looked like a lot of fun.

Hmmm.

My order was lost. My food came out twenty minutes after my family’s. Their food came out sporadically before this. Our drinks were never refilled. The waitress was relying heavily on this little gadget.

My children loved this device.

Loved.

My kids were very entertained by the new electronic menus. They wanted to order everything. And I can see, after looking at how much money the shakes they each “made up” on the tablet cost me, why the restaurant is doing this. Over $7 for a shake? Ouch.

I left this restaurant feeling very disgruntled with this new ordering system.

At both restaurants, I felt the tablets took away from the “eating out” experience. It felt more casual. Less special.

So, have you seen these? What did you think?