When visiting Austin I make it a point to take my family to the Catfish Parlour. Last night, we went and were in the mix of a charity event being held. There were a lot of elementary school children and the restaurant was busy and noisy. We had a wonderful catfish meal and the waitress (Cherie) was very tentative. However, when we were standing in line to pay the cashier, I noticed a tip jar on the counter. I asked the woman behind the counter if we were supposed to place tip money for the waitress on the table or in the container. She (Karissa) said that it was all the same and tapped the tip jar on the counter in a demanding fashion, although it had a note attached to it regarding the event. I walked back to the table and asked the waitress which was the best thing to do and she politely explained what the difference was. I left the tip on the table as the cashier watched. She glared at me as I left, and I felt that I did something wrong when I just wanted to tip my waitress. We probably won't be back with that type of ending to our visit. What a shame because the food is wonderful and the service is usually very friendly- all the way up to paying the check.
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