When you go to a sit-down restaurant, you should leave your fast-food expectations at home. If the restaurant is known for preparing meals only when you order them, you should expect to wait a while for your food. This is especially the case in many European restaurants, at home and abroad.

Your best bet for getting fresh, quickly prepared food in any restaurant is to ask for the daily special. You can be sure that they're ready for your order, and won't have to start it from scratch, since they already expect to sell a lot of that particular item.

If you make a reservation at a particular restaurant, stick to it -- or at least call to cancel when it's obvious that you're going to be late. Some restaurants depend on reservations to schedule their wait-staff, and few will be willing to hold your spot for you if you're late.