Maybe the paranoids are after me, but at age 84 I am beginning to detect an old-age discrimination among the young people that seat you at RL. Hadn't been there in a long time, but wife and I felt like some of those biscuits, so we went to the one in St. George, UT.
We asked for a booth, so the kid takes us past all the nice ones with a window and places us at the last one, a closed in spot near the men's lavatory. Halfway though the meal I start to notice how isolated we are (situation awareness not working that day) and I start to steam. Can't do much about it at that point, but it started to eat at me when I got home until I b!tch-slapped my self out of it.
A month later we went again, fully prepared to say OUT LOUD "This is not acceptable!" if they tried to pull that again.
This time it was a young girl and she steered us towards the same area. However she stopped one booth short, still a bit out of the way, so I told her we preferred on further out in the open. I didn't get "the Look" but I sensed a bit of exasperation, and were seated out with the rest of the luncheon crowd.
We go there because of their "Seaman's Platter" with, except for the fried/breaded shrimp, the seafood is all grilled.
As I said, maybe I'm just too sensitive, but, by choice, we don't eat out much, but have noticed this tendency as of late. It's as if they don't want the "old folks" in view of the younger crowd.
You’re not paranoid. Some restaurants do want to project a certain image.
OTOH - it’s possible you look like a ‘nice guy’ who wouldn’t complain when seated near the lav or near the loud kitchen noise. Or maybe they wanted to seat you in a quiet area away parents who haven’t taught their children manners or taught them about indoor voices vs outdoor voices.
Your post reminds me of when I was in college I met my mother in another city and she wanted to take me to lunch at a restaurant she went to on her honeymoon with my father. It was a very nice restaurant with finger bowls and all. Yep - we were seated way in the back! Actually, Im surprised we were even seated, I was wearing shorts. Neat shorts and I looked good! but not appropriately dressed. ;-)