Wait! A Tiny Robot Waiter Serves Tables At My Local Barbeque Joint in Hiram, GA?

With an LED face and a disembodied, female computerized voice, this tiny robot delivered food at our local barbeque joint.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

When we recently visited Happy Hawg Barbeque on Jimmy Lee Smith Highway in nearby Hiram, we expected our usual experience: walk in, place a counter order, then have a smiling member of the waitstaff bring along our drinks and lunch plates.

But this time, we were in for a surprise! A small, white robot rolled up to our table. It addressed us with a disembodied computerized female voice. "Please remove your order from the top tray" it said. (You can get a full story about our visit at our blog, OurTravelCafe.com, where advertising my earn revenue for the site and author.)

For the full account of our robotic restaurant experience, visit our blog: OurTravelCafe.com

I had seen, then done a video about these curious little robots at the May 2022 National Restaurant Association trade show. But I never -- NEVER -- expected to see one at my local barbeque joint.

Something felt oddly wrong about it all -- including the fact that I had included a 20% tip for the waitstaff when I place my order at the counter.

Let's be clear. Our food was good, portions huge and sides satisfying. But I was surprised by the robot.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Let's be clear: my food was as good as always. It was served freshly cooked and piping hot. There was nothing wrong at all about my order, or the timeliness of the table service. And after the initial delivery, a real, live, human waitperson did come to my table. She made the small service adjustments the robot could not by retrieving extra napkins, sweetener for my tea, and a refill on one of the sauce bottles.

I applaud the proprietors for their innovation. But I think I'll call ahead and return when the robot takes a day off.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

I have absolutely NO complaints about the food at Happy Hawg. Nor was there any problem with the friendly human service. I would readily return for another barbeque lunch.

But, I think I'll call ahead before I return and check to see if the robot has a day off. And if not, I'm definitely reducing or eliminating the robot's tip!

For an extended account of this visit, check out our blog, OurTravelCafe.com.

More from DeanLand

If you enjoyed this local Georgia story, you can follow DeanLand on Newsbreak. You may also enjoy these local and regional posts from DeanLand at OurTravelCafe.com:

Winter Break on the World's Largest Cruise Ship

Hummingbirds Migrating To Georgia Now

Huge Nesting Ospreys Spotted at Lake Allatoona

I Did Not Know That: Marietta's Blue Eagle Volunteers

All Posts and Videos by DeanLand