The main thing I don't like about the "Welcome Wagon", is that if you're not paying attention, the game notices that you're enjoying lunch with your new neighbors, and decides to demonstrate negative emotions by giving you instant BO. You have to basically waste most of the event in the shower. I guess it balances out, since often one of the guests will eat a slice of fruitcake & be grumpy, too. The only Sim in my game, that seems to actually like fruitcake is Liberty. She enjoys enthusing about fruitcake.
As far as drinks, you can sell drinks that your Sims make. You can even sell the empty glass, after they are through. They can drink a ProseNPop, or an Amygdelight, then sell their drink for at least 100sims, after they are through. That doesn't bother me so much, other than it's time that they could have used for something else.
What I do hate, is the date situation. It seems like the flirtier your dinner guest is, the more likely that guests at the other table will get involved in your conversation & turn the conversation awkward. It seems like a date is the most popular time, for stranger Sims to INTRODUCE themselves to my Sim. This seems to be really common, with "Dine Out". On the bright side, it's less likely that an unseated stranger will wander in & introduce himself or herself. It's mainly behind the back conversations with other dinner guests. When it's just a normal dinner, the other table rarely interacts. Having a flirty date just seems to make other Sims chatty. Being flirty seems to cause that, too.