I *do* mind tipping when it's required, which it really is in the USA. I tip 20%+ any American place with waiters, unless the service wasn't good, and then I tip them 15%, unless they are horrible enough to earn nothing. Because the waiter is being paid $2 an hour. The tip is part of his salary. It's stupid, but that's how it works in good ole USA.
I actually *like* tipping culture when it is optional. In most other countries the staff is either paid a normal wage or there is a service fee added to the bill for the wait staff. A small number of countries have an optional 10% tip.
I *DO* like that tipping culture where if I want to leave an extra 10% for a job well done, I can. I DONT like forking out money to pay an employee's wage and pretend that it's an optional "tip".
As for restaurants, with few exceptions, they are serving you low quality Sysco food, made to taste good with lots of butter and/or salt. Read Anthony Bourdain's expose on this. Chefs also famously love chicken, because it is mostly tasteless and just adopts the flavor of whatever sauce they put on it (usually loads of butter). Of course they are using industrial mass produced bulk butter, not the organic high fat European stuff I buy.
I've had mildly upset stomachs the next day after $40 dinners at nice restaurants. I *NEVER* get an upset stomach cooking at home.
I used to enjoy eating out. Now the only places I really want to eat out are places where it is impractical for me to reproduce the meal: that's usually ethnic foods (the Indian buffet is not something I could affordably recreate), sushi, or believe it or not, a really good salad. Sometimes a sandwich place because I rarely eat bread so it's not practical for me to purchase a loaf of bread and make sandwiches at home.
Of course, I still socially eat meals out because it's one of the most common ways of socializing and I'd rather pay for an overpriced meal than down $8 beers that cost a dollar in a bar with buddies.
But you can buy premium organic ingredients and still eat for less than the cost of a restaurant and have a much better experience. I made homemade eggplant parmigiana the other day and it blew me away how good it was. WAY better than any version I'd had before. Even a nice Italian restaurant is probably going to use bulk cheese and canned tomatoes and pre-made sauce. Pizza is a huge money maker. Mostly bread and some cheese with a very small amount of "topping" that probably costs them $3 a pie. This is why even fancy restaurants serve pizzas. Huge markups.
The biggest markup is on drinks (even nonalcoholic) and desserts.
American tipping culture is stupid and needs to die, but until it does, a tip for table service is not optional.
Question for those in the restaurant biz: Is it rude to not tip for pickup orders? Isn't the staff in kitchen and at pay counter paid a normal wage?