You're Not Imagining It, Restaurants Really Do Save the Best Tables For Reservations | Bon Appétit

"This Michelin-starred Portuguese fine-dining restaurant in San José was deliberately designed to avoid seats near kitchens or bathrooms, yet staff acknowledge there are always one or two tables guests prefer less. Problem spots include a table where the dining room meets the bar and waiting area and another that sits in a pathway to the kitchen; depending on how busy it is, one or both may be kept off the reservation map for walk-ins, but hosts always show those tables to guests and get their explicit approval before seating them." - ByMaggie Hennessy