Have you ever seen an actor in a restaurant?

Oh my GAAAAD, OP!

He bent over, farted, and then walked out.

Of course.

I was drunk at Canter's and saw a rough looking Adam Sandler in the next booth.

In NY and LA, it's a common enough occurrence. I live in NYC and it happens often. The weirdest was seeing Keanu Reeves sitting alone at a decidedly blah Italian restaurant on the UWS. I once sat directly behind Chase Crawford at a Soho restaurant once and he kept apologizing for bumping into my chair. He seemed nice.

The most surprising one for me was when I was kid living in Ohio. My parents took my brother and I to a Stuckey's or something. And sitting across the dining room was Paul Lynde, hunched over a bowl of soup, looking miserable as hell. I was incredibly excited cuz I LOVED him. I asked my mother if I could meet him. "No," she said quickly. "He clearly wants to be alone." Looking back, I think what she meant was that he was drunk and best avoided.

Too many times to count.

R5 or that his homosexuality was contagious.

Gerard Butler pissed in the urinal next to me at the Chateau Marmont. Average dick but it was soft so who knows.

I saw Marilu Henner at a vegan restaurant in LA.

Jason Robards pissed next to me at Lincoln Center. Anything but average dick even though it was soft.

[quote]I saw Marilu Henner at a vegan restaurant in LA.

And she remembers every detail of that encounter to this day.

R11 Lol, I saw her on that 60 Minutes episode.

Who cares?

I saw John Goodman once at a Ruth's Chris steakhouse in New Orleans.

I saw Robert Redford once (next table over) at an outdoor restaurant in Santa Fe.

Someone my mom and dad knew as a famous tv actor when I was a kid. It happened at the Lincoln Sq. Café. Does it even exist anymore? I can't remember the name, I think it was Converse, like the shoe. I was about 12 or so.

I was having lunch at Morrison's Cafeteria at Ansley Mall one day back in the late 70s. Staff came in and moved several tables together. A few minutes later a large group of men came through and sat down as their trays were brought to them.. I immediately recognized one of them as Doc Severinsen (the band leader from The Tonight Show during the Carson years for you young'uns). Some star struck guy walked over and said hello to Severinsen who told him he and his band were in town playing a gig. They ate like they hadn't had food in a week.

And yes I know Severinsen isn't an actor. So don't start with me. I'll cut a bitch.

Yes OP. 90% of the waitstaff

It may have been Frank Converse, R15.

He was on a ton of tv shows back in the day.

I was changing planes in Canada, it was late, the terminal was dead because nobody goes to NewFoundland in the winter, but who do I see but Bruce freaking Hornsby. And I was taking the cheapest route. I didn't say anything to him mostly because I didn't give a shit. He reaches into his backpack (I think it was a Jansport) and pulls out a tiny apple, like the cheap bitter ones from bulk bags, and deep throats it, mowing it in a frenzy for 5 minutes. I couldn't look away. He pulls it from his face and he had EATEN MOST OF CORE. Only the bottom was left. Who would've thought Bruce Hornsby, of all the people in the world, is such a fucking pig?

I rode in an elevator with Blair Underwood. We had a nice, cordial conversation as we were the only ones in the car.

Very handsome man. Great smile.

Oh, he was headed to a restaurant after his meeting. So my reply is indirectly relevant.

Yes.. several

Whoopi Goldberg in Joe Allens.

Keep it to restaurants.

I flew from San Diego to Newark, NJ and had a brief layover on my way to Boston. I saw Nick Jonas in the Newark airport food court. Turns out he got on the same puddle jumping small plane with me on his way to Boston too.

Lansbury at Petrossian, Merman at the long-defunct Backstage, Glenn Close in Joe Allen's, John Cleese at Cibreo's (Florence), Jerry Seinfeld at the late Supreme Macaroni Company....I'll chime in again if the synapses start clicking...

All the time.

I was 12. On a trip to LA with my aunt and her husband. Went to a delicious but funky Chinese place. There sat Carmine from Laverne and Shirley in all of his glory with a couple of friends. That's all I've got. My claim to dining near fame.

We played it very cool as we basked in his A-list presence, I'll have you know.

Fucking RIVETING, R28

Sadly the Kardashians all the time, all over Woodland Hills and Encino. They don't count. They always eat the most basic, white-bread foods without a hint of sophistication. Real hicks along with Bruce Jenner pre-Caitlyn at BJ Brewery and Starbucks. I do see Will and Jada in Calabasas and, besides Panera, they also eat froyo and overly priced pasta or seafood with too much butter and garlic to mask that what you are really paying for is the rent of the restaurant rather than the quality of the food. Hell, Stixx next door has better noodles.

I saw Jermaine Jackson at Starbucks, Rite Aid and Wal Mart pharmacy buying Alka Seltzer and hair gel. He was pretty mellow and some people greeted him and he said hello back. One young black guy outside Rite Aid said "your brother is a legend" and he said "thank you baby" in a pretty simpatico way.

I sat near Colin Firth, his wife and kids at a fish and chips reataurant in Central London a few years ago just before Christmas. Some Canadian approached Firth and asked if she could have her photo taken with her and he said “I’m in a restaurant with my family so it won’t be possible, sorry.”

R19, yes, that's the guy! No moustache then, but that's him. What I remember was I was looking at the menu on the table, and then I saw these cowboy boots on the floor next to our table. I thought, someone from back home (Arizona), then I heard the voice ask the waitress, if he could sit at a booth. I looked up and saw him, as did my parents and brother. I had no idea who he was but my parents went on about how we just saw a famous person. Thanks for providing a name to the face. I hadn't thought of it until this thread came up.

I do remember another time, same café. I was in high school or college then, sitting at a booth, and in walks in Stanley Drucker, the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. I was a clarinetist in school at the time so I know who he was. He sat at the booth next to us, and I was speechless. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't .

I was lucky to see many famous people in NYC on our trips to the city. Beverly Sills in front of Lincoln Center waiting for a ride, Liberace at a bookstore signing, Andy Rooney and Christopher Reeve out on the streets. Those were fun and exciting times for me.

I walking down Prince St downtown NY and passed John Leguizamo sitting by himself at an outdoor cafe.

Dennis O'Leary at China Grill (when you could still smoke, and, boy, did he). Rachel Griffiths at Cavolo Nero (Florence)...saw post-Superman Christopher Reeve take a seat in the mezzanine (!!) at a performance of AMADEUS...but that's not a restaurant, is it?

Now THAT is a man, R19. Hell yes.

OP, it’s nearly impossible to remember all the times we New Yorkers have seen quotable notables in dining establishments. A close friend of mine saw Michael Avenatti having dinner late at night with Anderson Cooper at a certain low-key restaurant in the theater district last year (or maybe it was even 2018... it was when Avenatti was still a thing).

A number of years ago, I was waiting for a table at Shermans in Palm Springs, and Carol Channing and her late in life husband tottered up and got in line. They were extremely frail and so I asked them if they would like a table outside, to which they said yes. I escorted them to the table and then ran inside and told Sammy the owner what I'd done, that they were about to fall over and that I'd superseded the hostess and seated them anyway.

Did she order corn?

Many times. Back in the 80's, Roy Scheider in The Saloon. Elton John in London at an Indian restaurant called Tamarind sometime around 2006. Sidney Poitier several times here in LA. Colin Farrell at the Ivy Shore. (He was nice.) Rod Stewart at the Ivy in BH. That's just off the top of my head.

I OWN THIS THREAD.

In San Francisco, Penelope Cruz and Nicolas Cage dining together at Zuni’s, Robin Williams at a cafe in the Inner Sunset that has since closed, and Chris Isaak also at now-shuttered restaurants in the the Inner Sunset.

A number of years ago I was having brunch with a friend in a West Hollywood restaurant. Behind us was Shelley Winters with her posse of gay men. I didn't realize that she was a gay icon of sorts. Perhaps she relished their attention?

In the 90s a friend and I went to Il Fornaio in Beverly Hills. The tables were close together and next to us sat Nick Nolte and an attractive woman. He was trying to impress her and told her to take her fork, dip it into her water glass, and then splash a few drops into her wine. He said it would really open up the wine's flavor (I think he said tannins). Who knows but I thought he was being perfectly ridiculous.

WW for R18!

R29 That’s a great one! I loved Carmine!

Every time I ate at the Silver Spoon in West Hollywood.

The Schwab's Drugstore of the 1990s.

David Duchovny took up two tables at our neighbourhood breakfast place, reading the Sunday edition of the New York Times. There was no other table available. He was wearing a ratty neon lime green sweater. This was before he paired with Tea Leoni.

Julia Roberts at Veni Vidi Vici in Atlanta. Great with Teeth!

Roy Clark from Hee Haw had the table next to ours at the restaurant that's part of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (Jean LaFitte's?) at Disneyland when I was LOTS younger. He was very nice and smiled at us when he realized we recognized him.

Many, many times.

Does Alexis Arquette count? It was a diner in Silver Lake, I don’t remember the name.

I sat a table away from Joel Schulmacher at a McDonald's in Toronto! This was in the morning during breakfast and I think he was in town for the Toronto International Film Festival

He was with some woman and they were chatting about Julia Roberts and the names she gave her twins.

[quote]. Behind us was Shelley Winters with her posse of gay men. I didn't realize that she was a gay icon of sorts.

She would be if only for "The Poseidon Adventure."

Burl Ives in the old Beaver Club (really!) in the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal

Steve Martin and Carrie Fisher on different evenings at Musso and Frank in Hollywood

The Reagans at Chasen's in West LA before he was officially gaga: early 90's

Whoopi Goldberg, presumably on a sedative, brought around by the owners to introduce her to guests at Antoine's in New Orleans

Madonna and Rosie (filming "A League of Their Own"); Sunday breakfast in the Pump Room, Ambassador East, Chicago

i shared a small local coffeeshop with robert wuhl on a daily basis, until the shop closed. billy connolly was an occasional visitor. UES.

One of the Arquette girls (Roseanna?) al fresco at the long-gone Merchants on 7th Ave....

Visiting a friend in LA a few years ago, we got a holy trifecta. As we were being seated, we passed Annette, Warren and Anjelica on their way out.

Yes, my waiter. He was badly acting as a waiter.

My family and I sat about two tables over from Florence Stanley and her husband at UNO on Columbus Ave in Manhattan. The waiter told us it was her, but I never would've known it until I heard her laughing. It was in the early '90s and she was white haired.

Matt Dillon lived across the street.

I loved Florence Stanley, and I lived around the block (well the next block) from that Uno's.

I always wondered who went there!

Betty Buckley at Joe T Garcia's in Fort Worth.

r9 was that on November 12th, 1999 at around 7 PM?

Jared Leto and Kylie Jenner @ Nobu's Malibu.

Brendad Ickson at a Dairy Queen in Orange County. She was applying for a night shift position.

Kevin Spacey- Chuck E. Cheese in the Valley- looking for a play date, minus other adults.

Lea Michelle- Digging around in a Panera dumpster in Palm Springs looking for bread and her fleeting fame.

Miley Cyrus- Asking for extra packets of tarter sauce at a Long John Slivers in West LA as a way to distract customers from the smell of real tuna coming from her cooch.

Mel Gibson- Showing the cook at a mom and pop pizza joint in Glendale now to get their ovens “Jew Hot” to get the crust, “Anne Frank” crisp.

Beyonce- Asking for extra hot sauce for her eggs at a IHOP in San Diego. She then asked her black waitress if the #BLM t-shirt the girl was wearing stood for “Beyoncé Looks Magnificent”.

George Clooney with Richard Kind, Grant Heslov and other friends at Marix in Weho many years ago.

Deb Messing, Timothy Olyphant, Adrian Grenier and others together at Angelini Osteria in Los Angeles about 8 years ago

Brenda Vacarro at Empress Pavilion in Chinatown around 2000

Betty White with a large group at a Mother's Day Brunch at a hotel in Burbank about 30 years ago

Jack McBrayer having lunch at a restaurant on Hillhurst, Los Feliz

Cher and Rob Camilletti at the old Dukes location

I'm drawing a blank because in LA and NYC it is inevitable to have star sightings and you sort get used to it so it doesn't leave a huge impression after awhile. But here are some highlights:

Beverly HIlls: Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills Hotel, all different times: Eddie Izzard, Chris Rock, Sandra Bernhardt, John Travolta; McDreamy whats-his-face, Patrick Dempsey, at the Avalon Hotel

Santa Monica: Edward Norton dining WITH John Travolta at a hotel brunch (15 years after the first Travolta sighting); Juliette Lewis at a vegan restaurant

Hollywood: ; Ben Stiller's ex Christine Taylor at "La Conversation" French brunch bistro years ago, she wast talking/mildly complaining about Ben to her friend (I wish I could remember what she was saying!); Urth Cafe - PJ Harvey (not an actor)

Weird Al at Hugo's in the Valley; Jason Bateman and his wife and kids also at Hugo's at the same time;

Venice: Zach Braff at the rooftoop bar and restaurant at The Erwin acting smug, and this was this past summer lol;

NYC: David Cross

Bill Clinton at Books & Books Cafe on Lincoln Rd in Miami Beach.

Sandra Bernhardt at brunch in a farm to table restraurant in Chelsea Market and Molly Shannon at a diner on 14th Street. Both times our table was close enough to overhear their conversations and they were very funny, but I have a predisposition to like both of them.

I saw Shelley Winters chowing down on a burger at a place that is no longer there called Hampton's Hollywood on Highland. Yes, she was still fat from her roll on the Poseidon Adventure 20 years later.

Dead jealous of R42!!!

I was with friends at some two-story restaurant at The Grove (I don't recall the name as I'm not from LA) when Britney Spears and Kevin Federline were seated next to us along with their bodyguard. She was so plain and unremarkable in person that I actually didn't even recognize her initially. I actually recognized Kevin first and then made the connection. She seemed quite shy.

Also met Anna Nicole Smith at The Abbey that same year. She was an absolute mess.

r39 here. I also saw Shelley Winters at the Silver Spoon. I think she used to go there just about every day. She was wearing a trucker's cap and looked, well, rather rough.

Angie Dickinson at Anthony's Pier 4 in Boston, the only female at a large round table of men.

Composer John Williams at Davio's in Boston, dining with a young woman while reviewing sheet music.

Rip Taylor at the French market in WeHo

When I was working at the Wynn here in Las Vegas, the doormen went on strike once and some of us from the front desk were asked to work the doors going into the Encore Tower Suites. (Just like a Vanna White thing; you merely waved your hand in front of the sensor to open and close the doors.) People familiar with the property would know that the Sinatra restaurant is only about 10 yards away, in the corner of Encore. Anyway, I gladly volunteered, just to have a change of scenery (and plus, one of the girls I worked with had seen Beyonce a few of days prior when she was working the doors). In the same two-hour "door duty" on an otherwise idle Tuesday evening, I saw Susan Lucci and her husband go into the restaurant (I saw them coming from a distance and had to keep my composure...La Lucci!), and then I opened the door for a guest coming out of the Encore Tower Suites, who ended up being Joe Jackson. He stared me right in face as I said, "Good evening," and then he hobbled to the restaurant with a very young female and a flamboyant young gay guy. This was about six months before he passed away. La Lucci, of course, is still with us...I can honestly say she looks the most like a porcelain doll of any human I've ever seen in person. Very petite, trim, and perfect skin. I know, I'll "Mary!" myself.

I have a friend who has seen them not only in restaurants but in his kitchen.

Famous vegans who needed to scarf down some meat mostly.

Diana Ross once dined in the kitchen so that she could make sure here teeth were clean before going out to a reception.

[quote]Rip Taylor at the French market in WeHo

LMFAO that queen with the bad taupe and even worse sense of humor was all over WeHo trolling for desperate twinks need cash. I saw him once at Hamburger Hamlet gorging on fried chicken as his hair piece was slipping down the front of his greasy head. The real question is who DIDN'T see him in West Hollywood.

A few times despite living in the Midwest most of my life. Weirdest one was Jerry Van Dyke at a place called Heritage Buffet I think, in Springfield Missouri. Early 1980s. He was talking to an uncle of mine who had been B- or C-list famous in the 1940s and I wanted to go up and say hi, but my dad was estranged from that side of the family so we had to pretend like none of it was happening. Awkward and weird.

Barbra Streisand at the Biltmore in Santa Barbra. I used to work there when I was a lot younger. I actually poured a glass of water for her. Ohhh I know, so stupid. She was so famous though a handful of us waiters in that section of the restaurant decided to take turns serving her. But hay, at least now I have no desire to spend 400 dollars in a back row seat of one of her concerts.

Johnny Carson at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s restaurant in Venice, Ca. Dustin Hoffman at a restaurant just off Columbus circle in Manhattan. Comedian Tom Parks at a restaurant in Georgetown.

R 80, Who the hell is Tom Parks?

Eddie Cibrian with Leann Rimes eating brunch at Casbah restaurant in Pittsburgh. About 6 or 7 years ago.

Van Cliburn at an upscale Italian restaurant in Ft Worth. I was with my father who was a fan. Very long fingers.

R82, I would rather have seen LeAnn Rimes eating Eddie Cibrian.

Yeah, I was waiting for a table, when Kevin Costner walked by, leaving his table heading out. Passed within two feet of me.

He was a lot shorter than I thought he would be (but then, I'm pretty tall).

John Waters at the cafe at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, OH.

R85, Where was this?

[quote]Does Alexis Arquette count? It was a diner in Silver Lake, I don’t remember the name.

Was he the waiter?

[quote]Was he the waiter?

Or the waitress?

Not an actor but, a while back I was staying in Pasadena and the hotel breakfast was served by the pool. It was posh, quiet and relaxed. Until Debbie Gibson showed up for an interview. We had to listen to her prattle on endlessly about herself. Mood killer.

Not a restaurant, but George Clooney outside my pilates studio, wolfing down a burrito.

Michael Douglas and CZJ at a restaurant on Columbus near the Natural History Museum.

Jennifer Tilly and Heather Mattarazo at The Playwright on 8th Ave.

"Ma Clavin" from Cheers at Applebee's on 42nd St.

Jason Alexander (the guy who Britney Spears married for 55 hours, not the guy from Seinfeld) at TJ Ribs in Baton Rouge. He was hawt!

[quote]Barbra Streisand at the Biltmore in Santa Barbra.

The town even changed the spelling of its name for Miss Streisand.

Peter Boyle and John McMartin at Joe Allen on the same evening (but not together). While exiting Joe Allen, I held the door for Roy Scheider (different evening).

R90 “Not an actor....Debbie Gibson.”

You can say THAT again.

"Does Alexis Arquette count?"

"Was he the waiter?"

Stop misgendering her!!

R95 I thought she was transitioning back at the end herself, sounds like a hella confusing thing for her all along.

[quote]thought she was transitioning back at the end

Alexis was probably tired of all the literal violence that comes from misgendering a person.

I don’t think anyone has pointed out the irony that many actors work as wait staff before their big break? I’m interested if anyone recalls having a waiter who went on to become a big actor? I guess that goes for bartenders as well, I seem to recall Bruce Willis and a few other ones being bartenders and maybe even being discovered in that capacity?

Not an actor, but I saw Ann Richards at Gaido's in Galveston back in 1994. She was on the island for a campaign rally during her contest with George W Bush for Texas governor. She and her entourage were escorted through the crowded dining room to a private dining room.

Tim Robbins at a hotdog stand on Burrard street in downtown Vancouver.

Can’t be bothered to answer such a stupid question.

WELL! Smell her!

Grandpa Munster (RIP) greeted me at his restaurant.

My friend saw Peter North eating at Taco Rosa in SoCal. North was with a woman. Hmmm mmm.

Went to the Oprah show, Maya Angelou was the guest. Went to lunch after, and 20 minutes later Oprah and Maya walked in. RL Restaurant in Chicago. Saw Eric Idle eating oysters at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago, he was in town for the try-out of Spamalot. Sent a beer over, and he came to find me and chat. My friends who hadn’t noticed him were quite stupefied. Stills, Nash and entourage at the Holidsy Inn Bar in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Nobody noticed them, but I had just been to the concert. They invited me to join them and bought me a drink.

Oh, almost forgot saw Andy Bell and Vince Clark having Thai food in the Village.

Ahhh well I can see why any NY or LA person would get snippy.

NYer here, won’t get into any LA/award season sightings because that seems a little ridiculous

So many but one that comes to mind...

When I was a kid We saw Matt Dillon at Jim McMullan (so LONG ago). Then, much later in life (around 2004/5) we saw him again twice within 6 months at Serafina 61st street.

Also was once having dinner with my mom at Muholland Drive (Patrick Swayze’s old restaurant) and saw Mary Tyler Moore with who I assume was her much younger husband Dr Robert Levine. My mom was the one who pointed out that she was drinking a club soda because she was a recovering alcoholic. I was like, ok , that’s interesting to know. Probably around ‘92/93.

My very first was Jack Klugman at the Sea Lion in Malibu, in LA for spring break in the early 80s with two friends visiting a third from high school who had moved there with his sister. We're seating in what was even then an anachronism, I returned from the restroom seeing him and running over to my table exclaiming, "You guys, it's Quincy!"

All three looked around the room and finally one of them said, "There are no black people in here."

More memories...Austin Pendleton and Ethan Hawke dining at a Village restaurant....Fred Gwynne in (if memory serves) a kosher restaurant on W 72nd (though neither Fred nor I were/are Jewish)….

Marin in the 80s - John Travolta, Ali McGraw, Carlos Santana, most of Jefferson airplane/starship, Huey Louis, Don Novello, Robert Hunter, Steve Gutenberg, Dennis Quaid and Leah Thompson when they were dating (remember that?) and she was in Howard the Duck. Peter Coyote, Michael Damian, Kurt Vonnegut, Linda rondstadt and George Lucas ( also dating). Yes I am old

James Woods at Dan Tana's in WeHo with a young date. I was pleased he left before beating her.

restaurant?

loathe mr. shaloub.

Bea Arthur, at a diner in NYC we went to for breakfast back in '99. They sat us right next to her booth. She was eating by herself, and did *not* look like she wanted to be bothered.

In a September 1982 trip to NYC, I saw Lori Loughlin - then still a teenager - at the Russian Tea Room.

Julia Roberts and Benjamin Bratt in a London restaurant. This was back when they were a couple in the early 90s. I feel like I was the only one who noticed them.

R115, Ben was lucky to get out of that relationship.