Americans love to dine out.

In 2016, the National Restaurant Association reported collective sales of nearly $799 billion. With over one million restaurants nationwide, that's a lot of tables being turned.

And as we slowly make our way into the new year, and as we continually flock to new and exciting restaurants, let's all resolve to be better diners in 2018.

So, what follows is a few tips — from a Seattle-area restaurant employee to you - on how to be a better guest this year.

(With reactions from the heros — and villains — of Westeros. Because we servers are always fighting the good fight.)

1. Don't name drop or bribe the host

If it's a Friday night and there is a 30-minute wait for a table of two, slipping the host a $20 or mentioning that you know the owner/manager isn't going to move you to the top of the list or get you seated any quicker. It's likely that the host is going to humor you and pocket that $20 and use it to buy the staff a round of tequila shots later.

Oh, and you mentioned that you know the owner/manager? Unless you're a blood relative, you're gonna have to wait for a table just like all of the other peasants. Because the staff knows the owner too, they work for them.

2. Don't show up to the restaurant with more people than you made the reservation for

I know. You just got promoted and Becky just landed that great new job and Susan's boyfriend finally agreed to move in with her. You made a reservation weeks ago to celebrate Amanda's 30th birthday so who will it hurt to invite a few more people?

Everyone. The answer is that it hurts everyone.

Restaurants staff according to their projected business for the night and that includes reservations. If they are expecting a table of five and you show up with 10 friends, that completely changes the way the restaurant will run for the rest of the evening. They are likely adding an extra table which ruins their turnover rate and the server's section has now become busier than expected which places the burden of business on the other staff members. Not to mention, the kitchen and bar now have to accommodate for longer ticket times, prolonging the service at all the other tables. It's kind of like a domino effect.

So, if you really want to go all out in your celebration, just give the restaurant a couple hours heads up.

3. Don't fake an allergy, just be honest about what you want

Listen, we all have things we don't like. I hate mushrooms and will always ask if it's possible to remove them from whatever dish that I'm ordering. But am I gonna tell my server that I have a rare and unheard of mushroom allergy just to ensure they take me seriously? No.

Restaurants take allergies very seriously. They will avoid cross contamination at all costs, including using separate tools and cooking utensils to ensure that a guest does not leave with lactose-induced-diarrhea or in anaphylactic shock. Lying to your server about a food allergy just to avoid an item that you don't enjoy doesn't make for a good guest or a good experience. Be upfront about your dislike of pork or your lifelong hatred of onions and trust that they will do everything possible to give you the best dining experience they can.

4. Make your server's job a little easier and don't ignore them

Listen, as a server, I don't really enjoy reading the specials. Sometimes they're good, but more often than not they are ploys to get the diner to spend more money on an item they wouldn't buy otherwise.

A pizza with braised broccolini on it? I'm sorry but you can't pay me enough (and you don't) to try and sell that. But it's a requirement of my job just as it's a requirement of yours to attend weekly sales meetings, so please, humor me a little.

One of the hardest parts of server's job is running food - something is almost always made wrong or running behind and the plates are heavy and way too hot. So when I walk up to your table with three steaming plates of pasta, take the extra step and make some room.

And if there are four vegetarians in your party of 12, please listen the first time when I list the vegetarian options.

5. Order for your child...and make them behave

There's one general rule when it comes to children in restaurants: order for them and make them behave.

I know that you're probably trying to get four-year-old Jane to tell the server she wants the Chicken Tenders and you think it's so cute that little one-year-old Tommy has finally learned to use his loud voice, but children in restaurants can either make or break the other diner's evenings.

Restaurants welcome children and families and seek to make them lifelong guests, but that doesn't mean your server needs to cater to them. Unless your child is comfortable speaking to strangers and can sit still for an hour without crying, please find a sitter or head to a restaurant that specializes in children.

6. Don't whistle at your server, snap, wave, call them "hun," "sweetie," or "dear"

And definitely don't get their attention by saying, "excuse me."

Most servers know that a proper dining experience is built on a relationship between the guest and the staff and therefore, they will usually introduce themselves. If possible, try to call them by their name, just as you would be called at you own place of work. And if you can't remember? A respectful "Ms." or "Sir" will do the trick.

7. Asking for a private/quiet space makes everyone's jobs harder

Unless you reserved a private space ahead of time, asking for special treatment and requesting a quiet part of the restaurant often means seating you in an area that has no assigned server. On a busy night, this means that your service will be subpar and that they are working twice as hard as necessary to include you in their rotation.

Part of the dining experience is the ambiance and restaurants are oftentimes noisy places. If you need to have a private conversation or a business meeting, choose a naturally quieter setting, such as a cafe.

8. Decide who's getting the bill before your server brings it to the table

I don't care how funny you think it is to argue over who gets to pick up the tab or how much you promise to tip the server if they take your card. Being in the middle of a battle over the bill is quite possibly the most awkward thing a server can experience - next to waiting on a couple in the middle of a breakup.

Have the conversation before you sit down. If two members of the party want to cover the check, split the bill in half. If one of you insists on paying, pull your server aside away from the table and hand them your card. Asking your server to choose who's card they're going to charge the $177 bill to is unfair.

9. Practice patience, and don't blame your server for something outside of their control

I get it, you're paying for an experience and these days, it's becoming more and more expensive to eat out. However, it's still just as hard to remember 40 people's orders as well as answering phones and running food and bussing tables. And sometimes, the kitchen gets backed up or runs out of clams and the bartender makes the drinks wrong - all of these things are outside of your server's control.

In fact, they're probably in the walk-in trying to avoid your gaze because they've already told you that your food will be out in a few minutes and the kitchen is running 30 minutes behind. If what is happening is truly something that your server has no control over, please have a little sympathy.

They want you to have as good of a meal as you want to enjoy one and unloading your frustration on them will not make any part of your evening better.

10. Your server is a human being, so treat them like one

At the end of the day, your server is a human being trying to make ends meet - just like you.

And whether or not you value their job as being of the same caliber as yours, they do serve (pun intended) a very important part of the economic food chain (pun definitely intended).