7 things you do at brunch that instantly tell everyone you're working class

I'll never forget the first time I went to brunch at one of those trendy downtown spots with exposed brick and $18 avocado toast. My friend had invited me, and I thought I was prepared. I'd dressed nicely, showed up on time, and was ready for a nice meal.

But within the first ten minutes, I could feel the subtle glances from other tables. The way the server paused when I ordered. The slight raise of an eyebrow from my friend when I asked if we could split the bill evenly.

It hit me later: I'd been broadcasting my working class background through dozens of tiny, unconscious behaviors.

Here's the thing about class markers. They're not about how much money you currently make. They're about the habits, mannerisms, and expectations you grew up with. And nowhere do these show up more clearly than at brunch, that peculiar middle-class ritual where people pay restaurant prices for breakfast food at lunchtime.

If you've ever felt slightly out of place at brunch, these might be why.

1. You check the prices before ordering

Your eyes go straight to the right side of the menu. You're doing quick mental math, calculating what you can afford while still appearing normal. Maybe you're even planning to skip an appetizer so you can afford the main dish you actually want.

Meanwhile, people who grew up with money barely glance at the prices. They order based on what sounds good, not what their budget allows.

I used to think I was being financially responsible by always checking prices first. And maybe I was. But it's also a dead giveaway that you grew up in a household where every dollar mattered. Where ordering the wrong thing at a restaurant could throw off the weekly budget.

There's no shame in being budget-conscious. But it's one of those invisible markers that immediately signals your background to people who know what to look for.

2. You ask if the coffee refills are free

This one got me every single time.

At diners and casual breakfast spots, free coffee refills are standard. So when I started going to nicer brunch places, I automatically assumed the same rules applied. I'd finish my first cup and look around for the server to top me off.

The confused look on their face said it all. At upscale brunch spots, each coffee is a separate charge. Sometimes $4 or $5 per cup. People who grew up going to these places know this instinctively.

These small cultural differences create invisible barriers between social classes. What seems like a simple question about coffee refills actually reveals an entire set of learned expectations about how restaurants work.

3. You thank the server every single time they come to the table

I'm not saying you shouldn't be polite. Of course you should thank your server.

But there's a difference between basic courtesy and the kind of over-the-top gratitude that comes from genuinely viewing service work as difficult, undervalued labor. Because you've probably done it yourself. Or your mom has. Or your best friend from high school still does.

When you say "thank you so much" every time the server refills your water, clears a plate, or brings you extra napkins, you're revealing that you see them as a person doing hard work, not as an invisible background fixture.

People who grew up wealthy tend to treat good service as an expectation, not a gift. They're polite, sure, but there's a casualness to it. A sense that this is simply how things work in their world.

Your excessive gratitude, while kind, marks you as someone who knows what it's like to be on the other side of that interaction.

4. You try to order the most "normal" thing on the menu

The menu is full of things like "deconstructed shakshuka with heirloom tomatoes" or "brioche French toast with lavender-infused syrup and edible flowers." You have no idea what half of these things are.

So you order the eggs and bacon. The safest, most recognizable option.

Or worse, you order something fancy-sounding but then feel stressed about whether you'll even like it. You're taking a $16 gamble on a meal that might be completely wrong for your taste buds.

Meanwhile, people who grew up with food adventurousness built into their childhoods order with confidence. They've been trying new things at restaurants since they were kids.

This isn't about being uneducated. It's about what you were exposed to growing up. If your family meals were about filling bellies affordably, not culinary exploration, then a brunch menu full of fusion cuisine and artisanal ingredients is going to feel foreign.

5. You suggest splitting everything evenly

Here's where things get awkward.

The bill comes, and you immediately suggest splitting it evenly among everyone at the table. It seems fair, right? Everyone gets their share, no one has to do complicated math, and you all move on with your day.

Except your eggs and coffee cost $15, while your friend's smoked salmon eggs Benedict with a mimosa flight cost $38. And now you're paying $26.50 for your share of a $53 meal.

But you don't say anything. You just quietly cover your portion, even though you're mentally recalculating your grocery budget for the week.

People who grew up middle class or wealthy are completely comfortable saying, "Let's just pay for what we ordered." They don't see separate checks as tacky or complicated. They see it as fair.

The working class instinct is to keep things simple and avoid appearing cheap, even when it means you're subsidizing someone else's bottomless mimosas.

6. You show up exactly on time

The reservation is for 11 AM, so you arrive at 10:58. Maybe even a few minutes early, because being late feels disrespectful.

But when you get there, you're the first one. Your friends trickle in over the next fifteen to twenty minutes, completely unbothered by their lateness. No apologies, no stress, just a casual, "Hey! Sorry, traffic was crazy."

This is a class marker that extends far beyond brunch. Working class jobs tend to have strict time requirements. You clock in at exactly 9 AM, not 9:05. Being late can get you written up or fired.

Professional class jobs have more flexibility. Meetings start when everyone's ready. A few minutes late is no big deal.

That difference in how you relate to time follows you everywhere, including to weekend brunch. Your punctuality isn't just politeness. It's a learned survival skill from a world where time equals money in the most literal way possible.

7. You feel guilty about the whole experience

Even if you can afford it, even if you're having a nice time, there's this nagging voice in the back of your head.

"This meal costs more than I used to spend on groceries for three days."

"I could make this at home for a quarter of the price."

"This feels wasteful."

You can't fully relax because part of you is calculating the cost-benefit ratio of everything. The working class guilt around spending money on experiences rather than necessities runs deep.

I've seen friends who make six figures still experience this guilt. Because it's not about your current income. It's about the voice of your grandmother, your mom, your younger self who learned that money should be saved, not spent on $14 mimosas and $22 avocado toast.

Final thoughts

Look, I'm not here to tell you that any of these behaviors are wrong.

In fact, most of them are actually kind of great. Being budget-conscious, treating service workers with respect, and feeling grateful for experiences are all positive qualities. The world would probably be better if more people operated this way.

But these small signals do reveal your background to people who are paying attention. And sometimes, being aware of these class markers can help you navigate spaces that weren't built with people like us in mind.

The goal isn't to erase where you came from or fake being someone you're not. It's to understand the invisible rules of different social spaces so you can move through them with confidence.

And honestly? If someone judges you for checking the menu prices or thanking your server too much, that says a lot more about them than it does about you.