I have, too. For me, personality of the service is one of the reasons why I'd eat in a restaurant so I didn't think it would work out (yet), but I'd gladly be proven wrong here.
The key for me is the stuff like "fill my water glass" and "check please" - you can never get the waiter's eye for those, it seems.
I like what the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co does in this regard - a simple red/green two-sided sign that you flip to red when you want a waiter, otherwise they will ignore you. Beautiful.
I agree. That also takes care of the overly attentive server as well. I had lunch with some co-workers a few weeks ago and the server stopped by our table so many times that we could barely have a conversation. It was mostly to ask us how everything was... over... and over... and over. I appreciate check ins but there are upper limits to their effectiveness. :)
I like what the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co does in this regard - a simple red/green two-sided sign that you flip to red when you want a waiter, otherwise they will ignore you. Beautiful.