Another restaurant question

[AllieK]

Would you complain to management if they didn't offer a portion size that you wanted?
I swear that so many places do not offer a choice for elderly people, people on diets, and children just above the age of "childrens plates".
Not every dieter wants to eat salads....just less food. Why should we have to pay full price for something that we do not want and cannot eat?

[janabanana]

Re: Another restaurant question

I'm just the opposite.... I get mad at places where I dine in, they have big portions, but you order the same thing for takeout, it's a much smaller portion for the same price. That makes me mad..
But what you're asking, most of our restaurants here offer senior menus, smaller portions and smaller prices. I always alter my meal to fit my diet needs, such as no cheese or mayo, etc....

[SouthernCookn]

Re: Another restaurant question

Most of the time they'll let you order off the lunch menu which offers smaller portions.

[roset]

Re: Another restaurant question

Applebee's is having smaller portions, Red Robin the hamburgers are too much for me but we ask for small burgers and they do it for us. I think you got to ask, most chains now have lunch portions/ or dinner portions, I never seem to finish all of it & take it home but I do eat it for lunch the next day. Why can't they just all make less size with dinner? Some dinner plates even make me over whelmed just looking at it. Less size & less price?? How easy but sometimes they don't seem to figure it out.

[shumway]

Re: Another restaurant question

You could make a suggestion, but not a complaint. There is more to serving a smaller portion than just cutting your order in half. What should they do with the remainder of your prder? They can't be expected to just write it off. And how do they price it if it's not on their menu? If the items is 2 chicken breast with baked potato and a salad, do you only want 1 breast, half a potato and half a salad too? They'd have to be able to enter it in their computer to, not just as a misc. item for inventory concerns. Some places offer senior citizen meals or you could order off of the childrens menu.

[Ginger]

Re: Another restaurant question

Unfortunately, many restaurants say you have to BE a senior to order off the senior menu. A couple of years ago, my sisters, their DH's and I went out to dinner. I had just turned 55. We all made a big joke about me being able to order off the senior menu. What surprised me was that the portion seemed just as big as the regular menu, even tho it was a couple of dollars less expensive.

[AllieK]

Re: Another restaurant question

I've tried ordering off the childrens menu and they say ...sorry, you have to be under 12. I've tried ordering a half-order of pork chops (there were 2 large ones on the order). NO. It just makes me not want to eat at those places and go somehwere that they do offer the service, or to a buffet-style restaurant.

[SHEL]

Re: Another restaurant question

you could always ask for a doggie bag right away with your meal. pack 1/2 away to eat at another time and enjoy your smaller portioned meal that way. or you could share a meal with whom ever you are dining with. dh and i share meals alot when out to eat.

[AllieK]

Re: Another restaurant question

I've often wondered if you could order something and ask for another empty plate and then divvy up between another person. I might try that next time.

[Stella]

Re: Another restaurant question

you can sometimes order the lunch portion. I do that often.

with weight watchers they teach you that most restaurants are giving you 3 meal portions when you order out. they teach you to ask for a to go box when the food is brought to you, pack up half before you start eating. I always ask for the to go plate that is what they use for take out, those foil pans that crimp the lid around the edges....

my kids split regular size meals all the time. they'll order one dish and ask for a seperate plate as well. we're gonna share they say. and that's fine.

DH and i split sometimes as well. this does not effect her tip by the way.
I don't lower her tip based on the fact we had 5 people there she had to serve and only brought 3 or 4 meals out.

[lampladies]

Re: Another restaurant question

AllieK, often times, you will be charged a "plate fee", to serve two fom onelunch or dinner. But, my experience, gives me a doggie bags to eat next day, or freeze for lunch later that week.

[krubinic]

Re: Another restaurant question

Right, Stella, I was about to post that WW makes you cut your serving in 1/2 immediately and take the rest home. They say compared to European countries and some other countries in the world, we American have portions that are waaaaay to big......obviously since we don't walk everywhere like the Europeans do which helps keep their obesity levels in check.

DD and I went to one restaurant awhile back and wanted to "split" a meal (meaning ordering one plate and splitting it, asking for a second plate to put it on) and we could not believe it, but they charged us extra just because we were splitting! The same restaurant also had extra charges if they caught you "sharing" your meal, which DD and I often do if we each order something different and want to taste the other's food.

Needless to say, we haven't been back there since. We were nice to the server because we knew it wasn't "her" policy, but we hinted to her very politely it sees like a rather absurd policy.