Yet again we passed a Wagamamas with a huge great queue outside at the weekend. It seems most of them are like this, nearly all the time.
Certainly darn sarf they are – Guildford, Basingstoke and a few others round here.

Now I've eaten there once many years ago and it was OK, nothing bad about it, I have nothing against them or the nosh….

But why would you queue outside when there's other places, ohh as close as 10 yards away with space?

Is the food strangely addicitve?
Is it really that trendy?
Is it some sort of bizzare torture?

Somebody on here MUST have done it. C'mon, 'fess up: Why?

did it once at the one next to Selfridges in the west end…. Gets very 'office' busy there on a Friday lunch time!

The answer though is simple! We are british (some of us) and love a good queue! See a queue you just gotta get in it dont ya?

Eaten at one a few times but certainly wouldn't queue…

I like their food, but certainly wouldn't queue to get in to one.

Now, if it's Sophie's….that's a place I'd queue for!

cos we don't have one in Adelaide, so it's was a must do when back in london. (or over in Sydney or Melbourne)

But it's pretty good, pretty cheap and pretty 'trendy' – it works for them, that is for sure.

Plus I'm sure there is a psychological aspect that re-inforces your 'great' decision to go there when there are lots of others trying to do the same

Trendy, end of. As above, the food is nice enough but not that good.

Trendy, end of

Very much doubt that- wagamama's been going for years, trends don't last that long.

Reliable food at cheap prices, fast service, pretty much ideal if you've got somewhere else to go, haven't made a reservation anywhere, aren't sure what else might be good. I think that's why people go there

Not really my cup of tea it must be said, hate the queuing.

The turnover of tables is fast enough that even if there's a queue, it's not going to be long before you're sat down.

As said, ideal if you have somewhere else to be as not many other restaurants (ignoring the greasy fast food place) can have you sat down and food arrive within about 10 mins.

They've not had many branches outside London for long, so maybe it is just the "new and shiny" effect?

fast service,

Obviously not fast enough…… 😯

not had many branches outside London for long

Guildford one has been there for years now….

Maybe trendy out in the provinces, but that's hardly the case in London.

People just like to eat there I think. It's cheap and cheerful and you know the food will be quite nice. You can't say that about some places!

I've only been a couple of times but they've always had the fastest-moving restuarant queues I've seen, in fairness.

I like their food, but certainly wouldn't queue to get in to one.

I am deeply sadden that someone from this city would go to a wagamama rather than going to the nice noodle bar behind regent street, hidden in the back street.

Juan, one isn't always near Regent Street, you know. 😉

I agree. So many good independent places that are way better. I thought wagamamas was shite I'm afraid.

Culture Grub now that's some good noodles.

you can't say their service isn't fast enough; it's a question of supply over demand. They have more people wanting to eat than they can seat at any one time, hence people queue for the next available seat.

I use it (the Guildford one) a lot with the wife and kids. It's good value, does kids food that they like, and even if you do have 5-10 mins to get seated they then take your orders in a matter of minutes and you have the food shortly after. In and out in under 45 mins typically which is good news because kids are not reknowned for being ideal dinner conversation!

I know the other local restaurants too, and I'd reckon even with a 10 minute queue you'd still be eating sooner in Wagamamas than in any of the others, which to many is what counts.

And their juices are lovely too.

Juan, one isn't always near Regent Street, you know.

Yes but then what about the public transport all of you londoners sang praises of?
Or you SUV, or (god forbide) a push bike 😉

Rag-yo-mama is sooo 5 years ago…

Juan, if I find myself with an hour to grab a bite in Canary Wharf, I'm hardly likely to schlep across to Regent Street and back am I?

There are, of course, many great places to eat in London. Sometimes, convenience can be a saviour, however.

Reliable food at cheap prices, fast service, pretty much ideal if you've got somewhere else to go, haven't made a reservation anywhere, aren't sure what else might be good. I think that's why people go there

I think that's it really, also turnover is fast enough that if there's only 2 of you you're rarely waiting longer than a few minutes.

On another note, there's something about this that bothers me a bit:

I am deeply sadden that someone from this city would go to a wagamama rather than going to the nice noodle bar behind regent street, hidden in the back street.

Why is a back street noodle bar automatically going to be better? Sure the bigger trendy place isn't necessarily better than the independents, but it's not necessarily worse either if you just want something to eat quick-ish as above.

Office Christmas party season starts halfway through November:

Someone will suggest Chinese, but then the woman who complains about EVERYTHING will object to that. Next, someone will suggest an Indian, but just so they don't feel left out, the person who hates the woman who doesn't like Chinese food will object to that.

Nothing will then happen for two weeks whilst the IT bloke conducts an office poll to see what type of food is least objectionable, by which time all the really nice pubs and restaurants have been fully booked. So it's either Pizza Express or Wagamama. Someone will then complain that they always end up in Pizza Express for birthdays, so Wagamama it is. 😀

Why is a back street noodle bar automatically going to be better?

Well in this case the noodle bar was mucho better, however it was much more adventurous as the menu wasn't in english.

The answer then would seem to be that quite a lot of people are adventurous enough to want some noodles, but not adventurous enough to have a lucky-dip of random noodles when they could queue for a few minutes to get English speaking noodles.

I sympathise with that. 🙂

Waga-what?

Ive eaten in the ones in glasgow quite a bit but its really just a easy way to get reasonable asian food, its like nandos quick and easy but nothing spectacular

If I was going out for a fri or sat dinner there are far better asian places in glasgow

big dummy
tea/screen interface LOL

PP – is there ever a situation in which you don't feel a smug sense of satisfaction about having made a superior choice to other people? 😛

I'm a bit bemused by the way they ask if you've been there before, as if it all works fundamentally differently to every other restaurant you've ever been in.

Only eaten there once and never again, I thought the food was very bland and I spent the next 24 hours dropping the vom bomb.

PP – is there ever a situation in which you don't feel a smug sense of satisfaction about having made a superior choice to other people?

I have made no choice at all. I have merely posed a question.
Is there a situation where you actually read the OP before you reply? 😉

Ah. Grumm has attempted to expose a "Poddy Superiority Syndrome Event" but has instead fallen into the skillfully laid "failing to read the OP to Poddy's satisfaction" trap. Pwned, and more pwned. 😀

Indeed. Possibly. What does that mean?

Just take my word for it. 😉

That's not wise on STW though is it? I know that much already….. 😉

Wagamama = Noodles for the X factor audience.

I have made no choice at all. I have merely posed a question.

Your choice is presumably not queuing up at Wagamamas?

Wagamama = Noodles for the X factor audience.

Should be quiet on Saturday night then.

I thought it was simply a posh pot noodle? 😉

Your choice is presumably not queuing up at Wagamamas?

….And? That's not the point. I asked a question based on what I've seen and oddly for STW we seem to have some answers! 🙂
You've assumed something. You were wrong. Now you're trying to wriggle out of it…. 😉

wagamama and positive eating + positive living are registered trademarks of wagamama ltd

Are – they – really.

More of a Tampopo fan myself. Always reminds me of the hovering noodle bar thing in Blade Runner.

You've assumed something. You were wrong. Now you're trying to wriggle out of it….

What was I wrong about – you being smug and superior? Don't think so. And you are trying to disprove this by being even more smug and superior? Oh ok.

Anyway, screw you – I'm going out on my bike now (for the first time in aaaaaaages) 🙂