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Lee--

In the past, I begrudgingly put up with it at places with good food. These days, I'm simply choosing to dine at restaurants that are just as good but without the added hassle and expense of valet. :)

One might argue that even if you don't think valet is essential in Downtown or Midtown, it isn't unexpected. There are some places which simply have no parking lot, so your options are valet or a walk. I'll gladly choose the walk, but the valet option doesn't offend me there like it does at a low-key Mexican restaurant with a huge parking lot.

Agreed. The needlessness of having a stranger park your car also leads me to avoid certain restaurants. Watching someone park your car 10 feet away from you is incredibly annoying, and having to wait 10-15 minutes to get your car (still 15 feet away) is worse.

Also, on one occasion, we had to use the valet and we realized much later that my husband's sunglasses had disappeared from the glove compartment during dinner. Maybe he shouldn't have left them in there, but it wouldn't have been an issue if we hadn't been forced to valet. I'm not saying theft is a major problem in Houston valets (only happened once, although we don't leave anything in the car now) but still.

Houston restaurant owners: Valet is a hassle and an annoyance. Let us park our own cars if you have ample parking spaces!

Katherine, I agree for the most part.
One thing you missed is when valet parking you get to make "an entrance." While this is not important to me, it is to the legions of "Seensters" whose pictures populate the cheezy papparazzi scene in 002, Paper City and their ilk.

Personally, I have a pretty nice car (I'm a car guy) and I do not like other people driving or parking it. When I can, I ask the valet if I can park my own car and give him the keys. That means he still gets his tip and I get to park my car.

Now that you have put it in my head, I'm going fo fire off a few emails to some restaurants about this.

You forgot the worst part of the valet parking mess. The punks they hire to park your car could care less if they scratch or dent your car. By the time you notice it, the argument becomes one with the restaurant owner and then the insurance company, then small claims court. And of course, they know nothing about it. What a mess. Damn extortionists.

Simply put, I don't eat at restaurants with forced valet. Great article!

Wishbone--

I'd never heard of the landlord-mandated valet before. Interesting, and worth looking into.

For places in Midtown where parking is actually available (I'm not talking about places like Fish or Farrago, etc.) and along Washington Avenue, how about simply placing signs in the parking lot that indicate it's for customers only and enforcing it through towing?

I don't like valet parking of any kind. I understand it in certain locations, but I dislike it in general. I have a beat up old truck, but that doesn't mean I want someone driving it and I don't want to have to stand in a line waiting for someone to bring it to me when it's time to leave.

Most of all, it bugs the hell out of me when I pull into a lot where a restaurant has valet parking but I'm not going to the restaurant only to see those cones taking up half the spaces in the lot and only 1 or 2 spots reserved for the place I'm going.

Thanks for that!

I understand that in places like midtown or downtown, it makes sense. It's tough, though not impossible, to find spaces there and the protection from the rain can be handy. But, generally, it's just overkill.

My wife and I have gotten to a point where we are avoiding places that have forced valet more and more, or avoid it at the hours they have it.

Many places where they do also have self parking, we've found the valets totally cool with us doing that. You always wonder if they'll be pushy, but they haven't been.

I have a friend who refuses to valet, and parks it herself, driving right over the cones if need be. Perhaps this is something we should all do and start a movement.

I'm just adding my voice to the chorus of me toos. I hate the forced valet, especially when it is completely unnecessary. There's nothing more annoying than watching a valet park your car 10 feet away from where you got out. I generally avoid those place that do this. I don't about seeing and being seen, and there are plenty of great restaurants that don't force valet on you.

My husband and I will purposely park on the street and walk several blocks just to get back at "the man." Looks like a lot of Houstonians are also passionate about this waste of money at local establishments. They even have valet at hospitals now, where you have to pay for parking on top of tipping the valets. Like you don't have better things to spend your money on (especially if you're visiting a medical facility).

And the "just don't tip them," comment is pretty harsh. I don't blame the valets for working and trying to make a living. They shouldn't have to suffer b/c a landlord is forcing restaurants to have them on premise. It's just that cash is no longer a necessity, and many of us don't think twice about not having any on hand.

I totally agree...we, too, will walk blocks just to avoid the valet (unless, of course, it's raining, then they're a welcome sight). Or, we will drive right past the restaurants with the orange cones.

My main issue is with the fact that my vehicle is my livelihood and I carry all of my needs for my work in it. I'm hardly likely to unload it all just so I can have some random guy park it and I'm sure not going to let same random guy have access to all my expensive equipment!

Also, I have had bad experiences with dents, scratches and just general lack of respect for my vehicle. I pay my car note every month and it's a big expense to me. I would prefer not subjecting it to questionable people and their questionable driving/parking skills.

I would love to hear back from some of the restaurant owners about this issue, too. Are they really held hostage by their landlords????? I'm calling BS on that.

Okay, so what should we do to change it?

Valet parking is not a service. It is a scourge.

Once again, Katherine, you're my hero. The worst part about all this is the Valet Tip Guilt-- worse than Catholic Guilt and White Guilt combined. Not having the cash to tip the poor schmuck parking cars used to rip at my heartstrings. These days, I blame the restaurants.

In most cases, agreed, BUT:

I would really love to have valet at Anvil. Negotiating that little parking lot after a cocktail is nerve-wracking, as is trying to find a legal spot amidst the minefield of street parking around it.

I probably mind the whole thing less as my car is 9 years old, totally paid for, with more than a few nicks & scratches on it already. More just adds character, and with more age & scratches, I'll just eventually paint it and enter it into the Art Car parade :)

"Just don't tip them"?!?!? Really? So, you're actually suggesting that I not tip the person that is going to be responsible for my vehicle while I'm away from it for an extended period of time? Methinks this is not conducive to maintaining a scratch/dent free car, not to mention the items contained in the interior.

While I'm at it, why don't I just insult the kitchen & wait staff? The answer to that question would be, I don't do it because I prefer my food spit-free, thank you very much.

I'm of the "drive right over the cones" school myself. Just like back in the day, when I had to regularly hop out of my car and remove cones that were placed in front of downtown parking meters by valet "services". Then, I would have to not-so-politely point out to the valet driver that was threatening me that it was illegal for him to shanghai FREE PUBLIC PARKING for his personal monetary gain.

One issue we're facing is landlord not enforcing lease agreement. With a shared parking lot, the lease forbids tenant employees from using parking lot - which makes sense, leaves more space for customers. Landlord provides off-site parking very close by, but one tenant consistently ignores - their employees take up 20% of the parking every morning. So, the other tenants do what they can - hire valets to "protect" remaining parking spaces.

But, we totally agree - we hate valet parking too, especially when it's "forced" valeting, by coning off ample parking spaces right in front of the restaurant! In places were parking is aplenty, the use of valeting is pretentious.

I despise valet parking. 3 bad experiences. 1 valet at La Strada had an uncapped pen in his pocket - wrote all over my car seat. 1 valet at Hobby Center stole the credit card I had carefully hidden for emergencies. 1 valet at Rich's tried to claim he owned the street in front of the club. Seriously???

You should have included Gravitas on your list. Entire front is valet parking. Valets do U turns at their convenience and block Taft. The "seenster" effect definitely in play there.

It makes no sense why a landlord would "require" valet parking.

Why does valet parking persist? Because most Houstonians still have a suburban mindset. We drive everywhere and want the princess parking by the front door.

I avoid valet parking at all costs, because "just don't tip them" isn't in my vocabulary. If you can't pay to appreciate the service, you don't pull the asshole move. You simply don't use the service at all.

I personally don't drive a car nice enough, and it makes me feel uncomfortable having it valet parked. Not to mention that I have two functioning legs and I'm a crafty girl. I am also very short, and I don't like my seat moved back, and I don't enjoy falling into my car.

With that being said, I normally pull up to the valet station anyway - to pick their brains. "Oh, you valet here? What if I don't want to valet? What are my options?" Usually, I have options. And they're the best resources for that. I mean, this is America, after all. And if I don't have options? Well, I STILL have options. Houston has a cajillion billion bazillion restaurants. I'm not tied to yours or the agreement you have with your landlord. Sucks to have such a provision in your lease agreement (I would've contested it, myself), but know that you're being avoided because of it.

I personally like the exercise - not to mention the smug satisfaction - that I get when finding my own spot and showing those valet jokers that I don't need them anyway.

There's an old saying in Texas law, as I was taught, at least, that says you can, "arm yourself and seek an explanation." I figure it's just a phone call or twitter away for you.

I think for some restaurants, it's a neccessary evil. Will you not valet at Feast? Even if its slow, the lot in the back is absolutely cramped and it takes a bit of skill to really scrunch those cars in there without damaging one. If the a restaurant can fit thirty cars in their lot but because some people don't exactly park very well (and I don't, sorry, just a bad parker), the restaurant can only get in say 25, do they lose those 5 cars and the possibility of 8-10 customers?

Now if it's a place say like Benjy's on Washington who obviously has enough space, I don't get the point of orange-coning every single spot.

Dick--

I drove over to El Tiempo again tonight and -- guess what! -- cones everywhere, no spaces for self-parking. Sorry.

I will not go to any restaurant that requires valet parking.

I'm not a fan of valet, but I can't understand why everyone here talks about restaurants "FORCING" everyone into valet parking. No one is being "forced" to do anything. Park on the street. Ride a bike. Take a cab. Get a clue. No restaurant ever "forces" anyone to use their valet parking. I don't use them, but I still eat where I want to eat.

restaurantloverhouston, I don't think you quite get the cost factor; riding a bus for two, round trip, is more than a valet tip. And a cab? Puh-leeze.
A bike? In Houston humidity? Just what I want to do on a date.

It's true, no one is *forced* to valet park; we may go elsewhere.

I eat only in non-forced valet restaurants, or I park and walk however far I need to to. Upon reading the comments here, it makes me realize that with the latter choice, I'm not helping to fix the problem; I'm simply avoiding paying for parking.
Time to boycott them altogether.

And I wouldn't dream of not tipping the valet. That's like not tipping the bartender because you can only afford the drinks. *Really*? Do you not tip the waitress because you can only afford the meal? Stay home. OR do as I do - spend the would-have-been-valet money on another cocktail. Perfect!

You make a good point, but you cut off your nose to spite your face. I'd gladly pay $1 to eat at El Tiempo over La Mexicana. One isn't marketedly better than the other, but its personal preference.

A lot of you know you can just ask them to let you park your own car? That way you don't have to worry about it.

The problem with Valet is the service, when and if taken seriously, its both a convenience and a pleasure. A few of my female friends have take a different stance, that when you own a nice car, its safer to valet than park on the street.

I hate to use valet. The fact that it takes at least 3 times as long to get your car back as it would if you just walked is the most annoying thing ever.

I really like how they "interpret" street parking codes. They will tell you that you can't park somewhere (on the street) when it isn't signed that way by the city. If you pay attention you will see them do this all the time. Valet parking areas are clearly indicated by street parking signs every time. If there is no sign indicating the area is valet, the law simply does not apply. That has happened to me so many times I can't tell you. If you tell them to go F themselves after they threaten to have your towed, they will pull some BS like park cars so closely to you that you can't move when you leave. That happened to me at the HOB, by the HOB valet guys, believe it or not. Something should be done about these parking nazis.

That said, you can't beat it if you are running late, it's raining or there is a legitimate parking problem in that area.

Well since you mentioned El Tiempo Montrose in the beginning of the column I should let you know that they valet only because they park customers’ cars across the street where they are safe so that more customers can self park in the back of the restaurants. I know that if you would of stopped and asked the valet were you could self park they would of let you know in the back parking lot of the restaurant. I think before you make a restaurant look bad you should mentioned that their valet isn’t mandatory is complimentary and by tips if you choose.

Count me among those who would simply prefer to avoid someone else messing about in my car. I'm not going to stop going to Catalan, though.

You mention Reef as a place where valet is a necessity. Once upon a time, the big lot behind that restaurant was open and free to customers. Now it is roped off for valet.

At least one actual restaurant was kind enough to post here - thanks, Glass Wall.

Katharine - perhaps someone at the Press needs to call the other restaurants (we know who you are) and see what they have to say for themselves.

personally, for the two or three bucks, i prefer to valet, especially anywhere along washington. as for not eating at good places with valet, i would pretty much starve to death.

"We do not have an abundance of spaces as the article suggests. In our case, without valet, guests would have to park up and down the streets infuriating our neighbors." -- Shepard Ross

Excuse me? Not only do the guests' vehicles clog the street because of your ridiculous lack of parking, but your own EMPLOYEES' cars do, too.

I can't park in front of my own damned house, because your staff takes up all the available space from the hours of about 3pm to 1am.

"No valet conspiracy here, I assure you. Just a fun, affordable, neighborhood restaurant trying to entertain people." -- Shepard Ross

At least you've stopped having the beeping and blaring garbage trucks come at 3am to empty the clanging dumpsters--people actually get to sleep through the night now.

The Domain in Austin is a great example of this. The taxpayers of the city subsidize the mall to create jobs, etc. and all of the parking close to all of the restaurants, none of which are moderately priced, is valet parking.

Downtown Austin, too, valets consume all of the out front spots. You park at 5 pm and come back at 8 and find our you're towed, even though you were at metered parking. It is purely arrogance and shakedown.

They are just obnoious panhandlers in vests and bow ties.

I dont see what the big deal is. When people are allowed to park themselves some are idiots and take up more then one space thus leaving the lot with less spaces to park. You do not have to tip if you wish not too, but it is a way of showing gratitude. Indika come on that is one of the smallest parking lots for a restaurant as well as next door at Dolce Vita. In comparison to most major cites valet parking is much cheaper here then New York, LA, Boston, Chicago. It is a benefit as the valet parkers use every inch of the parking lot to maximize parking. As for extra cost in the food, well some restaurants are more expensive then others so their prices are higher its very simple.

A couple of folks mentioned restaurants that have self-parking if you ask. Well, why should you have to *ask* where to self park? For example, at Gravitas there is self-parking in the back, decent number of spaces; but there is no sign, no directions. (Though you might get warned that you can't park on the side streets) By the time you pull up to the valet to ask, the access it's behind you.

Valets *always* have signs, stands, and attendants that make it obvious. If restaurants can't put up a sign with an arrow for the self-parking (if available/not obvious) it says they want their customers to valet.

i'll add el tiempo to my list of places not to go eat b/c of the whole valet only policy. i'm with a lot of the posters on here in saying they rarely have cash on them and don't feel as though i should have to tip someone to drive my car 20ft or less. not to mention, i don't like the idea of other people driving my car and be having to worry about things turning up missing while trying to enjoy my dinner.