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How to Be A Good Dinner House Guests Etiquette

Being a good guest for dinner at a friend's, coworker's or boss' house can turn any relationship sour if you don't have the right dinner etiquette.

Here are some things that you should do to be a good dinner guest.

First of all, even before you get there, make sure you ask if there is anything you can bring.

 Usually you can offer to bring a drink or dessert.  Sometimes but rarely, you can offer to bring a side dish, especially if you have a signature dish that many people know about.

If you offer to bring a drink, make sure you know what they are preparing for dinner so you get the appropriate beverage.  If they are having fish, seafood, chicken or some other white meat bring white wine.

 If it is also something else that is light, like a salad and the like, bring white wine.

If the main course is something heavier like red meat, bring red wine.  Also, if it is Italian with a red sauce, you generally want to bring red wine.  If it is Italian with a white sauce, you want to bring white wine.

If it is a barbecue and they are grilling out, you might offer to bring some beer or ale.  Wine would be okay for this occasion too.

Even if they say you don't have to bring anything, bring something.  Just bring that bottle of wine or just bring some flowers. It can even be a box of chocolates.  It's just a nice gesture to do so.

When dinner starts, make sure you wait for the host to either start eating or request that you being to start eating.  It's not a big deal, but it's just a gesture of respect and honor to wait for your host. Let them lead the dinner event, it's their house and their event.

During dinner, offer compliments about the meal.  Don't just say in general, "this is a good meal."  Offer specifics on why it's a good meal and why you are enjoying it. 

  If you don't like it, obviously don't say so.  

Even if you don't like it, there is usually something about it that you will like.  Even if it's a small aspect of the dish, say it, even if you didn't like the dish overall.  Unless a meal is incredibly awful, there is almost always something positive about it that you will like.

Don't eat too fast.  Enjoy it slowly and engage in conversation during the meal.  I know certain cultures stay silent during the eating part, but not in the US.  Dinner is a time of relating and conversing.  So relate, and converse away.

Just remember, when you go over to someone's house for dinner, you're not going there to eat.  You can do that at home or at a restaurant.  You are going their for relationship, to spend time with people and to interact. Make sure that is always happening at any dinner party.

Never ask for salt, pepper or hot sauce if it is not already set on the table. Some cooks are very particular about their recipes and don't take kindly to people altering them, even if it is just salt and pepper.

How much you should eat.    Some cultures leave a little food to show that they had enough to eat.  Other's eat everything to show that they liked the meal.  Again, this depends on your host and what the culture of the house is like.