If you have any customer service experience at all, you should be okay. I've never heard of anyone being turned down due to too much experience. A lot of people wait on tables as a interim job, but don't make it sound like an interim job! They do want people who will stick around a while.

Places like pizza places and B.B.Q. tend to not use trays or only the small ones. The more formal places like Red Lobster use the large trays. You could start at somewhere not so formal and move up. I would recommend going to eat there ahead of time if you can, even if you get something really small, and watch the servers and what they are expected to do as well as is there anything the servers have in common and would you "fit in". Some restaurants like Cracker Barrel prefer an older server while a lot of places like Chilis and Applebees are all younger folk. It will differ gigantically from one place to another.

Also, most restaurants still do paper applications. Go during the lull in business in the middle of the day, between 2-4p.m. to put in an application and fill it out immediately. You don't have to take a resume nor do you have to mention every place you've worked. Focus on anywhere you've worked that involved customer or food service. They don't mind training people if you can show that you can work with people. You don't have to be professional, but dress somewhat nice and don't be shocked if they interview you on the spot. That is common in restaurants. Wear shoes with slick bottoms and when they are walking you around test the floor. If there are any uneven surfaces or it is slick in the middle of the day, you don't want to work there because it'll only get worse as the floors get dirty.

As for food tasting, it's not a biggie if you don't, but be observant about what other customers say about certain dishes and you can use second-hand knowledge to suggest items.