The special way to order bread? The right time to order specific foods?
Here are tips and tricks for the next time you head out to an affordable restaurant.
The problem here? Freshness. One way to know if something on a cheap menu is waving
an unassuming red flag at your face, is if most seafood options are fried. Typically,
this is an indication that the fish came in frozen to begin with.
When debating whether or not to go for the oysters, you can assume they are
of quality when served fresh-shucked and arrive on your plate in the half shell.
If a restaurant deems their oyster option "oysters Rockefeller," you're most likely
in for some sub-par tasting grub, as low-cost eateries usually order those frozen as well.
As a rule of thumb, a place that doesn't have fresh-shucked oysters available most
likely isn't serving more common fare like salmon, cod, sea bass, or tuna,
fresh either. A better option is to opt for a restaurant offering local seafood instead… or,
you might end up with some serious regret.
When you think "diner" you're most likely envisioning mile-high stacked
pancakes drenched in maple syrup, thick, frothy vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate milkshakes,
or a hefty helping of warm french toast. Good news: According to Insider,
these are exactly the types of menu items you'd want to look out for if eating at a diner.
Pancakes are a safe bet, particularly if Canadian or Vermont maple syrup is being
offered alongside it. Milkshakes from diners, even when priced low, maintain
their consistency thanks to restaurant-grade mixers. It's a difficult — and potentially
messy — recipe to pull off at home if you don't have this kind of machinery.
Hashbrowns and home fries are also winning items, and that's because most diners have
griddles to cook their potatoes on. This small but essential detail allows for
potatoes to crisp up. You can also count on diner-style scrambled eggs if you're in
search of a nice fluffy meal due to a secret ingredient occasionally added in ... pancake
mix. These options typically give some serious bang for your buck.
Steak can be a tricky thing to order at any restaurant, given that every customer has a
preference for how their meat is cooked. Much like ordering a burger, everyone has their
specific preferences that a legit steakhouse will be much more capable of catering to.
"Hey, tell that cook he better not screw up them steaks, we're kinda particular about our meat."
Forbes says that top-notch steakhouses have resources available to them that
cheaper restaurants don't. The first is utilizing suppliers that offer
prime cuts. A factor like this will often determine the price of your steak. Whereas
low-cost eateries may feature steak on their menu, it isn't likely that
their meat is supplied in a way that can allow them to compete with a steakhouse.
Expensive steakhouses are also likely to be equipped with dry-aging cabinets
for the meat to hang from, in turn letting it produce flavors that are enhanced over
time. This simply may not be an option when dining at a low-priced restaurant.
Smaller, time-consuming steps can amplify a steak’s quality. Many restaurants that specialize
in steak employ techniques such as letting it sit at room temperature before cooking,
using flaked salt instead of table salt to intensify flavor, and pre-seasoning
for maximum taste. Details like this are often overlooked by run-of-the-mill diners.
"Steak cooked medium rare."
"Can I get my steak cooked…"
"That weren’t no question."
There's a few reasons why you shouldn't underestimate a restaurant supplied by
local ingredients, even if the experience is inexpensive. Although it may often
sound like a pricier option, restaurants typically pay less for seasonal produce.
Fruits and vegetables from a local vendor will be provided seasonally. This makes for flavors that
are robust, adding a value you won't get if eating produce that hasn't reached its peak goodness yet.
It's also less likely for seasonal products to have to be discarded due to a lack of quality.
Logistically, restaurants can dodge excess food waste by getting these ingredients for a
great price, as produce that is in season is more plentiful. In some cases, restaurants may grow and
harvest their own produce. Where ingredients are being delivered in season, it isn't uncommon for
the menu to change with it, as well. Take a chance at a sustainable place featuring fresh produce.
While breakfast might be a go-to, you might want to rethink this one particular item.
Eggs Benedict, a popular brunch dish consisting of two eggs atop an English muffin or biscuit,
typically served with thick cut ham, is served under a velvety smooth hollandaise sauce.
And that's the problem: The primary ingredient is egg yolks, which can be a welcoming place
for bacteria to build up, according to She Finds. Hollandaise sauce isn't often made to
order in restaurants serving brunch, meaning you could be challenged with
a food safety issue if ordering from a cheap restaurant whose goal is quantity over quality.
With hollandaise sauce needing to be carefully
kept at a specific temperature to avoid the formation of illness-causing bacteria,
this dish just has a great chance of being served with a side of food poisoning.
You're at a restaurant and there it is: complimentary bread. Laying in a basket,
divided into slices, awaiting your hunger. The dilemma? It might not be fresh,
or even worse, it might not be the first time it's hit someone's table.
So, what does this mean for the cheap foodie? Reader's Digest says that it's
not uncommon for people to leave their bread baskets unfinished,
especially if bread is complementary and comes to the table automatically. As a result,
some restaurants will save the remains for the following guests. And now it's at your table,
wide-eyed and ... not so bushy-tailed. But don't let this deter you.
There's one way to enjoy this pre-appetizer treat
while making sure you aren't getting anyone's leftovers. Try ordering it
presented in a different way than the restaurant is serving it. For instance,
if you notice most customers have their bread in slices, ask your server if you can order
a loaf instead. This will ensure that there's been less tampering with your delicious carb.
There's another practical reason for this: Bread that has been pre-sliced also loses
its texture faster. It's harder to keep it fresh for extended periods of time,
and ordering a whole loaf gives you the advantage of cutting pieces up as you go.
Salads can be a healthy option to choose when dining out, though it's smart to check how
it's being made first. Why? It's common for cheaper places like diners to serve
pre-cut green leaves, instead of a fresh option prepared in-house, Insider tells us.
As for your salad dressing, it's not unusual for inexpensive places like
diners to provide mass-produced dressings instead of making them
from scratch. Why go out for something you can get at home?
Reader's Digest interviewed past restaurant workers about food safety
concerns they noticed while on the clock, one worker expressed a sad truth about why
it's best to rethink the salad bar. While lettuce may get replaced daily,
toppings like olives, beets, and beans may not be changed out for weeks at a time,
mainly because they aren't as popular. It's perhaps best to try your luck elsewhere if
you'd like a salad, preferably at a local spot serving seasonal greens.
"Maybe you could bring me back something."
"Sure, all right, what do you want?"
"Umm… I don't know…. A big salad."
Ordering à la carte proves to be an effective option for cheap dining.
How does ordering this way keep your wallet happy? Ordering à la carte is
a French term used to describe a method in which customers order items individually.
Some restaurants offer this option, and with it comes more flexibility.
An à la carte menu will offer smaller plates, so you can get a little bit of everything
should this suit your fancy. With a system like this, menu items are also individually priced.
Popular in fine dining, this manner of ordering food is not limited to expensive
eateries. Cafeterias and family restaurants also have this option,
which allows you to get exactly what you want.
"If you have any questions about anything at all, I am more than happy to assist you."
"Jean, I got it. Merci beaucoup."
Specials offered on a menu could indicate a couple of things for the hungry customer.
According to Reader's Digest, specials can be a way for a restaurant to showcase its creativity
with different ingredients and coming up with new ways to prepare them. It also allows chefs to use
pricier ingredients they normally wouldn't be able to include on their everyday menu.
In essence, it offers an opportunity for eateries to see if a new idea could take
off with the potential of being offered more consistently, without spending as
much money as would be necessary if it was offered as a regular menu option.
Unfortunately, it's not all good news. On the other hand,
the New York Post says that specials are also a stand-in for restaurants to get
rid of expiring ingredients. If a restaurant has over-ordered a batch of vegetables, for example,
it is likely that they will be incorporated as a temporary menu option to save some money.
While avoiding food waste is something every restaurant should strive for,
the best time to try a restaurant's special is when it's seasonal,
featuring ingredients whose time to shine is the present.
When deciding what to order that'll be worth your time and money, there's one thing to try
that'll be sure to narrow down your choices: go for the restaurant's most popular items.
"Ok, it's done. Megan? May we have an Awesome Blossom please? Extra awesome?"
Here's some hints. Firstly, try a place whose name includes a specific food. This is a surefire
way of seeing what they're known for. Even if aiming for inexpensive eats, try a place
like the T-Bone Cafe instead of a place that doesn't specify what they're famously serving.
Now, keep in mind that a restaurant's most popular items are a reflection
of how well-received they are by customers. If you notice that, say,
a certain chain's Bloomin' Onions are frequently praised in online reviews, your best bet is
to see for yourself. If it's a best-seller, there's likely a very good reason for that.
In other words: Is this place known for their ooey, gooey,
get-an-extra-order mozzarella sticks? Definitely don't give them a miss.
"You know, I've been working here for 44 years.
Ain't nobody ever order nuthin' but T-Bone steak and a baked potato."
You'll want to carefully assess your choices if you're craving something from the comfort of
your own home. Although the quality of most food isn't helped when traveling from the restaurant to
your sofa, there are some popular menu items that you're better off avoiding altogether.
Anything fried, particularly when ordering from cheap chains, isn't super travel-friendly we
learn. You might experience soggy calamari if time was not on the delivery person's side,
and we're sorry to say that french fries are in a similar boat. They just won't
be the golden deliciousness they once were before being trapped into a box.
Chicken wings also have a delivery shelf life as they'll choke under the captivity of a to-go box,
leaving the skin floppy, and losing its crunch factor. If they are drenched in sauce,
this will also contribute to a loss in texture.
Nachos and other dishes featuring cheese are not ideal either, as corn tortillas and fries
are meant to be a vessel for toppings, and will retain the cheese's dampness.
The message here? Sometimes the tried-and-true standbys are a win for a reason. Avoid foods
that don't do well when hanging around too long: Your future self will thank you.
"That is a resounding yes for cheesy crust on the third, Claire says you read her mind."
For restaurants serving a high volume of customers, there's a chance you may
be sacrificing taste for a microwaved meal. Here's the thing: some places claim dishes
as their own creation despite it having been purchased from a large food supplier.
While this option ensures that menu items will taste the same every time,
this isn't why you're going to a restaurant. You can heat things up at home, right?
How can you avoid foods that may be pre-made? Ask how long those appetizers are going to
take to get to you: If they arrive at your table quicker than expected,
this could indicate a previously frozen meal.
It isn't uncommon for food suppliers to deliver desserts and entrees to cheap
restaurants like chains. Previously made cakes, muffins, soups, and appetizers are
commonly supplied to restaurants with one thing in mind — consistency. From recipe development
to serving sizes, this guarantees customers will always get the same thing… but if you're
looking for an affordable night out with an experience that's not easy to get at home,
ask yourself this before you order: Is this something that came in frozen?
And remember: You don't have to go fancy to get some delicious food.