The waiter was rude and hostile from our first interaction, and the way he treated us felt…read morediscriminatory. Upon arrival, I told the waiter I waiting for my husband and children and wasn't even asking to be seated without them, yet he acted as though I was inconveniencing him, by asking when they would arrive and then sarcastically pointing out that it had been "more than a minute" a few minutes later. (This was walk in, not a reservation we were late for).
Once we were seated, he took his sweet time to come our table, and then, when he saw my 6-year-old had a small sandwich from elsewhere, let out an exaggerated sigh, and told us we couldn't stay. We explained that he's a young child and there was nothing on the menu he would eat, but the waiter was dismissive and inflexible, so we left (politely, not wanting a confrontation).
I can't know what was in his mind, but as a South Asian family, the hostility and difference in treatment made the experience feel racist. We were polite throughout and were made to feel completely unwelcome.