Pepper.

[MWB]

Why do restaurants only serve white pepper & never black pepper?

[ummmm]

They will bring you black pepper if you ask for it.

I can't understand it either. I love black pepper. I think I'm a bit addicted :-)

[MWB]

Same. I find white pepper not strong enough.

[ummmm]

And white pepper is like fine dust and goes up your nose.

[heathfield]

It's like in Italian restaurants where the waiter dishes out the black pepper from a grinder as though it was diamond dust. To be fair, most will leave the grinder with you if you ask them.
I often wonder if this is a historical hangover from days of yore, when pepper was incredibly expensive

[stewey]

Interesting question. It must be a British custom; where I live (Ontario), I only see black peeper on restaurant tables.

[stewey]

They also provide "pepper":)

[ummmm]

lol Stewey.

Some restaurants do have black but more often than not it's white.

[simoneparks]

read this: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/309518

[milliepops]

How odd, where I live I find quite the reverse, I don't like black pepper and am constantly having to ask for white,to be told no.
Was only on about it the other day, wondering why it was.
Could it be a regional thing ? I'm from Derbyshire btw x x

[theonlyone]

I just ask for black pepper , and you should
get it ..i've never had a problem ...

[Jugglering]

I set up a Dining Club a few months ago and we go out to restaurants and pubs with food about twice a week. I have found that the better quality Italian restaurants have salt and black pepper mills on the table whilst the cheaper Italians offer you black pepper from one of those giant mills. Pubs rarely have pepper or salt mills, just ready ground white pepper and ordinary table salt (sometimes little packets !!!). Indian and Chinese restaurants rarely have salt and pepper pots of whatever variety on the table as the food is usually already seasoned. The nicer Modern European and British restaurants usually have black pepper mills but ordinary table salt...

[Jugglering]

(I am still trying to persuade my fellow diners to try out a Lebanese or Mexican restaurant.... but they are not tremendously adventurous... it was hard enough work getting them into a good Indian ....)

[NiceCupOfTea]

I can't think of a place I've been where white pepper's been on the table to be honest.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Out of sheer interest, where do you live?

[MWB]

New Zealand.