# How to order food **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498 "2019-06-13T21:57:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/1 "2019-06-13T21:57:12Z")
I have noticed there are two main ways people order food. I often hear people _ **asking** _ if they can have such and such, like, “Can I have a cheeseburger and fries?” as if they may not get what they want unless they ask nice enough. That’s not the way to do it. Just politely order the damn food. “I will have a cheeseburger and fries”. Period. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/2 "2019-06-13T22:14:48Z")
I typically say, I’d like a cheeseburger & fries please. There’s always a small chance they’ve run out of something. I’ve had it happen at IHop several times. I order the Smokehouse Combo and sometimes they’re out of the sausages. I guess it’s a popular option. I just tell them to give me ham when they’re out of the sausage. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/3 "2019-06-13T22:16:02Z")
You’ll get nothing and like it! ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/4 "2019-06-13T22:34:39Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > “I will have a cheeseburger and fries”. Period. Sorry sir, we’re all out of cheese and our bun shipment came with all tops, no bottoms. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/5 "2019-06-13T22:38:12Z")
Andy Kaufman used to say (in a Latka voice): I am so hungry, I could eat a horse–please pass the salt. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/6 "2019-06-13T22:57:08Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > That’s not the way to do it. Just politely order the damn food. “I will have a cheeseburger and fries”. Period. > > Dennis Awwww…the cat’s eaten it. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/7 "2019-06-13T22:58:54Z")
^ Has he? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/8 "2019-06-13T23:02:56Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ Has he? She, sir. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/9 "2019-06-13T23:21:38Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > She, sir. Gouda? ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/10 "2019-06-13T23:37:10Z")
I was in a bar in Carmi, Illinois that had this sign over the register: “This is not Burger King. You do not get it your way. You get it my way or you don’t get the son of a bitch at all!” ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/11 "2019-06-13T23:52:17Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I have noticed there are two main ways people order food. I often hear people _ **asking** _ if they can have such and such, like, “Can I have a cheeseburger and fries?” as if they may not get what they want unless they ask nice enough. > > That’s not the way to do it. Just politely order the damn food. “I will have a cheeseburger and fries”. Period. > > Dennis Why do you give a shit? ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/12 "2019-06-13T23:52:49Z")
I hear “I need a burger…” more often. No, by the way a lot of those people look, you really need some exercise instead… ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/13 "2019-06-14T00:00:50Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > That’s not the way to do it. Just politely order the damn food. “I will have a cheeseburger and fries”. Period. Why? It’s a normal and common turn of phrase, and it makes the exchange flow better if they are out of something. “I will have a cheeseburger and fries.” on the other represents an overconfidence in the immutability of menus and supplies. The future is fluid, man. It’s fluid! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/14 "2019-06-14T00:02:43Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I have noticed there are two main ways people order food. I often hear people _ **asking** _ if they can have such and such, like, “Can I have a cheeseburger and fries?” as if they may not get what they want unless they ask nice enough. > > That’s not the way to do it. Just politely order the damn food. “I will have a cheeseburger and fries”. Period. > > Dennis I ‘ask’. It probably doesn’t really matter one way or the other This is the first time I’ve ever given it any thought but if I had to argue that side of the debate, I’d say that I ask for the food because I’m _asking_ them to bring me my order, not demanding that they do it. And, really and truly, that’s what it is, you’re asking them to do something for you. They could decline your request. And, I think it sounds more polite. I also, to some degree, thing the grammar sounds better to say “Can I get a burger and fries” vs “I will have a burger and burger and fries”. They may very well both be correct, but the latter sounds like an incomplete sentence. In the end, I’d assume most people just order the way they hear others do it. maybe it’s even a regional thing. It also wouldn’t surprise me to find that the “I’ll have”/“I’ll take” group averages higher on the self confidence scale than the “Can I get…” people. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/15 "2019-06-14T00:12:13Z")
^^Well said. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/16 "2019-06-14T00:37:01Z")
Language police such as the OP tend to have a difficult time of it in prison. Just sayin’ . . . ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/17 "2019-06-14T00:46:05Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Language police such as the OP tend to have a difficult time of it in prison. > > Just sayin’ . . . What’s the proper way to order food in prison? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/18 "2019-06-14T00:52:37Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Gouda? No… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/19 "2019-06-14T01:18:05Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > What’s the proper way to order food in prison? You don’t order. Just take it away from the smaller, weaker prisoners. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498/20 "2019-06-14T03:17:21Z")
I go with “Eh, gimme da bergah 'n fries…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-order-food/835498.md?page=2)