Maybe you’ve been out on the town all evening, enjoying a rowdy bar crawl with friends, and you’re all in need of some late-night nosh. Or maybe you simply decided on a whim last minute that you feel like dining out, despite it getting close to last call. You can definitely go out to eat when a restaurant is getting close to wrapping up service for the night, just as long as you’re not cutting it that close. Speaking to Chowhound on the topic, Penny Chua, owner of Lotus of Siam on Flamingo Road in Las Vegas, shared the Sin City Thai restaurant will typically do its last seating of the night around 15 minutes prior to closing time. Though she did note, “it can depend on the manager on duty and how the night is going.”
Chua also said, “We definitely appreciate when guests are mindful of the closing time.” She explained, “As long as you come in with realistic expectations and respect that the kitchen and staff are starting to wind down, to us, you’re not imposing.” There are certain dishes that are easier for the kitchen to whip up without it being burdensome while others can be a pain to make right before the curtains are drawn. Chua said, at Lotus of Siam, it’s not optimal when customers who come in late order something off the menu that needs to be fried. Alternatively, different types of curries, stir-fries, and salads are all ideal options.
Why ordering fried dishes burdens the kitchen close to closing time
If you’re concerned about being a thoughtful customer, it’s a good rule of thumb to avoid ordering fried food in the final hour. There’s a whole process to cleaning a deep fryer that is a bit time-consuming and not something that should be rushed at the end of a long night. “The fryer takes the longest to shut down since the oil has to cool before we can drain and clean it properly,” Penny Chua explained.
Basically, if you order something fried when its about fifteen minutes before closing time, you’re going to end up making workers stay longer than they’d like. When you opt for a dish that doesn’t requiring frying, the workers will appreciate that. “It helps us wrap up more smoothly without compromising the food or the cleanup process,” she said. If you have a hankering for fried food, you’re better off hitting a fast food drive-thru chain that’s open later.
