Itâs a hot take I can't get off my mind: Last July, Grub Streetâs Chris Crowley argued that anyone who can afford to eat out during a pandemic can afford to tip at least 50 percent, contending âitâs the bare minimum you can do if you decide you must eat a burger al fresco or get tacos delivered.â That percentage haunts me. Before reading it, I considered myself a generous tipperâusually leaving between 20 and 25 percent in restaurants. I tipped baristas and food trucks and have even returned to tables covertly to throw down extra money after watching stingier friends tip 10 percent to the penny.