home style restaurants

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
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not sure what else you would call them, but places where they would normally make food from scratch.

anyway, my question is, do you find more and more of them are using pre-packaged frozen food now instead of fresh food? there are 2 restaurants like this near work. wo go there occasionally and they started using the frozen pre-packaged hamburgers and chicken patties.

it sucks, because you want a good fresh cooked meal and you're just getting the crap you get in a grocery store freezer section.

is it a money and/or time thing or what?
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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In the resturant business, money and time are often one in the same.
 
L

Lola

There are places in our area that make almost everything from scratch. They are not chain restuarants and have been around for years and years. They are popular bceause people know they are making homemade soups and the like.
I would think that places that are using pre-packaged food are doing it to save time and the cost of buying all the ingredients.

I have begun to hate places like Applebees because all of their soups are prepackaged. THey just heat them up and plop them into a bowl.
Hooters does this with their soups too. Olive Gardens meals come prepackaged and frozen. The restaurant just heats them up and serves them.
 

alien42

Lifer
Nov 28, 2004
12,771
3,166
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i think its called 'comfort food' and they are probably saving money and time.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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One advantage to buying prepared is that you are almost guaranteed consistent taste(so long as it is still being sold/distributed).

When you "make from scratch", there are a lot of things that can be done to make it different from the last batch. One could turn out great, one could kind of suck.

When you get the potato soup from Bennigans, it tastes the same at a restaurant in Iowa as it does one in Rhode Island.

It's consistent, it's easy to prepare, and it's most likley much cheaper to buy in volume than make yourself.
 

theknight571

Platinum Member
Mar 23, 2001
2,896
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Originally posted by: vi_edit
One advantage to buying prepared is that you are almost guaranteed consistent taste(so long as it is still being sold/distributed).

When you "make from scratch", there are a lot of things that can be done to make it different from the last batch. One could turn out great, one could kind of suck.

When you get the potato soup from Bennigans, it tastes the same at a restaurant in Iowa as it does one in Rhode Island.

It's consistent, it's easy to prepare, and it's most likley much cheaper to buy in volume than make yourself.

Exactly.

That's why you can go to any of the chain's locations and it will taste and look the same.

I do think though, that more mom and pop places are getting food from GFS, or Sysco, type suppliers. Just to help cut costs.

It's not an easy business to be in, and survive.
 

Mellman

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2003
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There is a place in vegas that is 'homestyle' like this. called Blueberry Hill or something like that - it is OMG delicious. Its cheap, and everything is made from scratch. YUM YUM :)
 

blazerazor

Golden Member
Aug 28, 2003
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This is the exact reason I hate eating out, out of town. I dont know the secret spots, and what to order on the menu.
It really irritates me when I go to a resturant and order something i like, only to one day have them change it. (for instance, chicken strips, I like them to be hand battered, not that ARAMARK crap from a bag.) But unless it's straight up fast food, 95% of my eating is in a small local owned place that I know I get 'good' food at.

Things that cant be faked::
Real Country Fried Steak/pork chops/chicken
Real pizza, one with feta and other cheeses I have no clue about
Real giant Cheddar Cheese Burger with thick Oven cooked bacon along side Steak Fries
Real Chicken Dumplins made from scratch
Real Lasagna made from scratch
Real Muffaletta
Real Fresh cut of AmberJack properly Blackened along with grilled veg's
Real oven popped popcorn throughly covered in 'real butter' and salted (this i have yet it find done anywhere right)

I'm getting hungry
 
Nov 5, 2001
18,366
3
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Originally posted by: blazerazor
This is the exact reason I hate eating out, out of town. I dont know the secret spots, and what to order on the menu.
It really irritates me when I go to a resturant and order something i like, only to one day have them change it. (for instance, chicken strips, I like them to be hand battered, not that ARAMARK crap from a bag.) But unless it's straight up fast food, 95% of my eating is in a small local owned place that I know I get 'good' food at.

Things that cant be faked::
Real Country Fried Steak/pork chops/chicken
Real pizza, one with feta and other cheeses I have no clue about
Real giant Cheddar Cheese Burger with thick Oven cooked bacon along side Steak Fries
Real Chicken Dumplins made from scratch
Real Lasagna made from scratch
Real Muffaletta
Real Fresh cut of AmberJack properly Blackened along with grilled veg's
Real oven popped popcorn throughly covered in 'real butter' and salted (this i have yet it find done anywhere right)

I'm getting hungry

"REAL" pizza doesn't have feta.

Popcorn is made on the stove or in a popper, not an oven.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,234
1,722
126
I too hate all the prepackaged crap many restaurants serve.

That said, There are a LOT of excellent places near me where I know they are making everything from scratch, it just usually costs a bit more, but it's still affordable.