What dishes would you never buy in a restaurant?

I do try to stay away from foods which I know I could make myself without too much hassle. For example pasta carbonara... it's so fast and simple to make that I'm not going to eat it at a restaurant since I can make it myself. When I eat out (rare) I go for something that I'd choose not to do at home, either because I don't know how to or because it's just too much hassle to make it for 1 person.
 
I would say, traditional dishes in my country, that I have learned how to make at home from family members. Those kind of dishes are almost always better when made in your own kitchen then bought in a restaurant.
 
I rarely order simple sandwiches at restaurants, partly because I don't really like sandwiches all that much, and also because I can put it together at home and put in a lot more filling than most restaurants serve. I still order them occasionally, though, as I don't really consider it a strict rule, but I tend to avoid it.
 
I grew up in a family of great cooks like my grandparents, mother and my aunties. They love cooking that is why we don't eat in a restaurant too often only on some occasions. Up to now that I had my own family already I also do the same. But if there are dishes that i will not buy in a restaurant are fish dishes because when it comes to cooking fish I am very meticulous. I always see to it that it is well cleaned before I cook it and as well it is well cooked. I am just making it sure that the foods we are eating are safe to eat so I better cook this dish at home.
 
Pasta dishes. The markup on them is ridiculous, they make way more money off of them than what they actually cost to make. Plus many restaurants pre-cook the pasta, so you are not even getting it cooked fresh. I am pretty adept at making a variety of sauces at home, so I don't bother ordering this when I go out to eat. The only exception would be perhaps some home made ravioli.

Salads. There is only so much you can do to dress up some greens. Again, this is something I can easily make at home. I don't care how much you try and foo foo them up at a restaurant for presentation, it's just stuff chopped up over lettuce.

Anything that is traditionally slow cooked/slow roasted. Obviously this is made way in advance, and is likely refrigerated and reheated a number of times before you get a serving of it, no thanks. Coq Au Vin, for example, is something I would pass on.

Unusual dishes that don't fit into the theme of the restaurant. Fish at a steakhouse? No thanks.
 
OhioTom76 said:
Pasta dishes. The markup on them is ridiculous, they make way more money off of them than what they actually cost to make. Plus many restaurants pre-cook the pasta, so you are not even getting it cooked fresh. I am pretty adept at making a variety of sauces at home, so I don't bother ordering this when I go out to eat. The only exception would be perhaps some home made ravioli.
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So true! You will never see me order something simple like spaghetti in a restaurant any more. I have done it in the past and it's just never very good at all.

I will order tortellini in a restaurant, although it still sometimes ends up tasting pre-cooked and microwaved. I now make my own ravioli, so I don't order those in restaurants either.
 
Yup, I popped in to say pasta as well. Unless it's something properly complicated or with ingredients I'm just never going to have laying around, I am very resistant to ordering pasta. You spaghetti and meatball type dishes are right out.

Salads are the reverse for me, I love a nice salad full of fresh stuff but, I live on my own so I simply can't keep enough fresh veggies around to make anything halfway decent. But then again that might be a Bay Area thing, the salads here are big and bountiful ;)
 
The fact that pasta is so easy to make and so very easy to combine with just about anything, really, makes it a definite waste of money if ordered from a restaurant. I love to go crazy with my pasta and sauce combinations and I`m currently learning how to make homemade pasta, which will surely beat anything a commercial Italian restaurant would deliver me and charge me for.
 
Chris_A said:
The fact that pasta is so easy to make and so very easy to combine with just about anything, really, makes it a definite waste of money if ordered from a restaurant. I love to go crazy with my pasta and sauce combinations and I`m currently learning how to make homemade pasta, which will surely beat anything a commercial Italian restaurant would deliver me and charge me for.
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When I learned to make a rouch and pesto, that was pretty much the end of Italian restaurants for me except when I want lasagna. Pesto in particular intimidated me for years, once I discovered how ridiculously simple it is to make I could have kicked myself XD
 
zestery said:
When I learned to make a rouch and pesto, that was pretty much the end of Italian restaurants for me except when I want lasagna. Pesto in particular intimidated me for years, once I discovered how ridiculously simple it is to make I could have kicked myself XD
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For a long time, I did not even know what pesto really was, until I found out its basically chopped basil and olive oil. I always thought it was some kind of fish cream or something. :D Lasagna though, is also very easy to bake at home, it just involves a lot of work and the ingredients can be a bit costly. However, home made lasagna, when done right, can be really awesome and you will surely have some leftovers for the next day.
 
I seldom eat on restaurants cause the foods there are pricey while I could prepare those at home using affordable ingredients. When dining out, I prefer fast foods since I am not good on preparing burgers and pizzas.
 
When I go out, which is rarely, I try and order things that I would normally not cook at home. I love trying different cuisines and going out is the only chance I have to do so.
 
I have a really weird thing and about ordering rice at a restaurant. If I'm at a Mexican place, I'll ask for beans only or if we're at a Chinese restaurant I just won't eat it haha. It's not that I don't like rice, it is just such a simple thing for me to make at home that I don't see the point in paying for it!
 
If I'm going out to have breakfast, I won't order scrambled eggs. It's far too easy for me to make myself. And there's no pizzazz. There are so many omelet, french toast, or pancake options (red velvet pancakes? Heaven), but scrambled eggs are always just scrambled eggs.
 
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