Are there foods you just don't order at any restaurants?

[Carson Dyle]

For a dinner or lunch, I can't really think of anything. I'll often have spaghetti when my family goes out to one of the popular Italian restaurants back home. And while I can make a better steak, I very seldom cook steak at home, so I enjoy it in a restaurant. Soups with some bread make a great lunch, but I won't order soup with dinner.

Breakfast, though...

I'll never order bacon if I can have sausage. Never have scrambled eggs, since I'd rather have fried or poached. I don't drink orange juice or any other kind of juice. I never have alcohol with breakfast, so no bloody mary's (until later in the day) or mimosas. I never eat pancakes or waffles or other doughy crap soaked in butter and syrup. And no lox on my bagels.

* Wait* I just thought of one: A PB&J sandwich.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

My wife never learns. She constantly orders the salmon at various new restaurants we try and it's consistently too dry.

That's actually a very good test of a new restaurant. Order a simple piece of salmon or halibut. A 10 year old kid can learn to cook those perfectly if they just pay attention. A dry piece of fish is a sign the kitchen is not doing its job well. Send it back and if it comes out ruined again leave.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Breakfast, though...

I forgot about breakfast. I also almost never order waffles or pancakes on their own. I almost always go for an omelette or some kind of skillet/biscuits and gravy meal. If pancakes or waffles come on the side I'll take it, but I don't order them on their own.

 

[snoopy7548]

Probably chicken sandwiches. It's like what's the point when you can order a burger or a full meal with chicken. Pizza at non-pizza places too. And probably burgers at non-burger places.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Probably chicken sandwiches. It's like what's the point when you can order a burger or a full meal with chicken. Pizza at non-pizza places too. And probably burgers at non-burger places.

Ditto. Avoid the afterthought menu items. I'm not walking into Little Ceasar's and ordering the wingz. (I recommend the Italian Cheese Bread.)

 

[snoopy7548]

Ditto. Avoid the afterthought menu items. I'm not walking into Little Ceasar's and ordering the wingz. (I recommend the Italian Cheese Bread.)

And stay away from those Chinese buffets that have french fries, chicken tenders, and pizza (there is one near me like that and I'm never going back again)!

 

[Carson Dyle]

Pizza at non-pizza places too. And probably burgers at non-burger places.

If you just walk in off the street and don't have a clue what the place is good at, sure. But some of the pizza from "non-pizza places" and burgers from "non-burger places" are some of the best I've ever had.

 

[Exterous]

Despite it being one of my favorite dishes I never order Fish & Chips near home. I've had too many amazing options in places that do it well (England\Alaska\Belgium\etc) to find the small, bland and expensive local servings appealing

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Farm raised Salmon - I'll gladly pay $28 for salmon but it damn well better be wild.

 

[kn51]

Farm raised Salmon - I'll gladly pay $28 for salmon but it damn well better be wild.

Crazy thing is there are around three vectors of getting shafted ordering fish. Salmon is quite trivial to spot if it is correct but a lot of folks don't understand what Amazon Sea Bass is.

 

[ultimatebob]

I usually do not order fish at a restaurant. I'm a beef guy, and my wife usually orders the fish so I can just have a bite of hers if I'm curious as to how much better my beef dish is 🙂

 

[Majes]

I'm one of the unfortunate many with food allergies. Lucky for me they aren't too severe, but I know I'll generally need a restroom shortly after eating out. This means when I'm out with friends I often order the bland menu item or something I'm familiar with. Burgers, salads, and chicken are all go-to items for me even though I can cook them at home just fine.

 

[Chapbass]

I don't order chicken out anywhere besides Grecian style chicken at a Greek restaurant occasionally. Most other chicken is always dried out and overcooked.

Same with most pork dishes.

Spaghetti I won't order unless it has some sort of non-red sauce, like Alfredo, a wine sauce, or something similar.

 

[dasherHampton]

I rarely order steak in a restaurant because I prepare quite a bit of steak at home.

The exception is prime rib. When a place offers excellent prime rib with delicious Au Jus I cannot turn it down. I get it every time.

 

[FeuerFrei]

I...

Spaghetti I won't order unless it has some sort of non-red sauce, like Alfredo, a wine sauce, or something similar.

Ah, that's another one.
I love spaghetti, but not at a restaurant. Partly because of the sloppiness factor, but mostly because I prefer it sans sauce - just sprinkle on butter, basil, creole seasoning, and parmesan. Maybe some vodka sauce now and then. Just don't think a restaurant would match what I prepare for myself all the time.
In fact, I'm eating it RIGHT NOW.

 

[Ns1]

Probably chicken sandwiches. It's like what's the point when you can order a burger or a full meal with chicken. Pizza at non-pizza places too. And probably burgers at non-burger places.

because a chickn' shack is f'n amazing.

 

[DigDog]

Seafood and sushi are something I go out to eat. Probably makes up 80% of my monthly restaurant spending. And I agree it's hard to make real good pizza at home because of the lack of brick oven.

I havent had decent sushi in years, because here in the uk they only got yosushi-quality stuff (or the good stuff is mindboggling expensive).

As for pizza, you can get reasonable results if you use a good, thick pizza stone and are willing to wait 1 hour as it warms up.
Also if you own a self-cleaning oven, you can "hack" it to force it to do higher temps.

Or you could buy a specialized oven from italy that'll do 400c temps... but they aint cheap.

 

[Ns1]

Also: y'all eat at some shitty restaurants.

 

[ponyo]

Spaghetti I won't order unless it has some sort of non-red sauce, like Alfredo, a wine sauce, or something similar.

If I order any pasta dish, it would most likely be spaghetti. I would use it to judge the quality of the food at the restaurant.

I never order ribs at restaurant. Chances are it's just boiled ribs that's sauced and reheated on the grill.

 

[Herr Kutz]

I never order hamburgers from fast food joints such as McDonald’s/Wendy’s/burger king/etc. Chicken sandwiches only.

 

[ponyo]

I havent had decent sushi in years, because here in the uk they only got yosushi-quality stuff (or the good stuff is mindboggling expensive).

As for pizza, you can get reasonable results if you use a good, thick pizza stone and are willing to wait 1 hour as it warms up.
Also if you own a self-cleaning oven, you can "hack" it to force it to do higher temps.

Or you could buy a specialized oven from italy that'll do 400c temps... but they aint cheap.

I live about 2 miles away from really great sushi place so I eat there regularly. I usually spend about $150-$200 /visit for the three of us.

As for pizza, I'm not picky. Costco food court pizza is good enough for me. It's hard to beat 18 inch combo pizza for $10.

 

[DigDog]

I live about 2 miles away from really great sushi place so I eat there regularly. I usually spend about $150-$200 /visit for the three of us.

You know, i'd be happy if once a month i could drop $70 and eat a proper oldskool sushi ... here id have to go to london and then it's about £100 for me alone.

 

[ponyo]

You know, i'd be happy if once a month i could drop $70 and eat a proper oldskool sushi ... here id have to go to london and then it's about £100 for me alone.

yep. Which is why I'm lucky and I go regularly. Usually once a week.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

BBQ. It's all shit. In fact it's so bad I pretty much hated all BBQ completely for most of my youth. Now I just make it myself and it's amazing.

You know, i'd be happy if once a month i could drop $70 and eat a proper oldskool sushi ... here id have to go to london and then it's about £100 for me alone.

I also eventually swore off sushi years ago because it's so bad. Then a legit place opened up near my house and I'm there every month. Not the best place ever, but very good and everything is done correctly and $35/$45 for a 12/15 piece tokujo set is about the best you're ever going to do for real sushi.

 

[sandorski]

You know, i'd be happy if once a month i could drop $70 and eat a proper oldskool sushi ... here id have to go to london and then it's about £100 for me alone.

Not even interested in trying Sushi, but you should come here to Vancouver for good and cheap Sushi.