There is a (fairly large, nice) restaurant we go to sometimes. Always crowded. But we learned to beware. Swinging doors leading in and out of the kitchen. Hallway leading to the restrooms, which intersects with the hallway from the bar also to the restrooms. The Waiters carry Trays, large ones and regular size ones. A note to customer, keep your head down, closer to your soup, keep you elbows tucked in, and be prepared to duck and cover. Cacophonous, catastrophe, craziness.
Another time, when they wanted to seat us in that area, we asked if we could wait for another table. That's the time we also learned there is a reason one should make reservations.
And that's where I would seat the wife, and the waiter could lead the husband into the bar for a little fortification.