Listen, I’m not here to tell you how to live your life, but if you’re one of those people who leaves a restaurant table looking like a crime scene, we might have beef. Or at least a side of soggy fries.

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See, I’m the type who stacks my plates after a meal. Not because I’m a hero or because I care deeply about making a waiter’s life easier (though they deserve the world), but because leaving a mess makes my eye twitch. My brain physically cannot handle the chaos of scattered ketchup-stained napkins and abandoned ranch dressing cups staring at me as I walk away. It’s like leaving my dignity behind with the check.

Apparently, this little quirk of mine has sparked a civil war on TikTok. One video from @vegangirl1987 shows the stark contrast between two tables: one stacked neatly, like a Pinterest board for OCD enthusiasts, and the other a post-apocalyptic wasteland of crumbs and sadness. Predictably, the comments section was a battlefield, with people passionately defending their dining habits.


@vegangirl1987 There’s always two types of groups. #servertok #texasroadhouse #bekind #fypppp ♬ original sound - Vegangirl1987

The Great Stacking Controversy

As it turns out, not everyone agrees that stacking is the ultimate good deed. Servers on Reddit chimed in, some with praise, others with tales of stacking disasters. “I love when people stack plates… as long as it’s not a Jenga tower of leftover spaghetti and mystery sauces,” one said. “But cups? Don’t stack cups. Just don’t.”

Another server described the unholy act of shoving napkins into glasses. Look, folks, if your goal is to traumatize the poor soul who has to fish out your soggy paper graveyard, mission accomplished. Let’s not.

But the real key to being a stacking saint? Scrape the leftover food onto one plate. Keep it simple. Don’t create a leaning tower of leftovers that collapses in the server’s hands. Stacking is an art, not a free-for-all.

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Why I Stack

For me, it’s not about making a grand statement. It’s about silencing that little voice in my head screaming, “LOOK AT THIS MESS!” My OCD kicks in, and suddenly I’m performing plate origami while my friends give me side-eye. Sure, it’s a little compulsive, but it feels right.

I get it—servers are split on whether they love or hate this habit. Maybe I’m not actually helping, but at least I’m leaving the table without feeling like I committed a war crime against cleanliness. And for that, I sleep soundly at night.

So, to stack or not to stack? That’s up to you. Just promise me one thing: no soggy napkins in the glasses. We’re not animals.

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