# Restaurants that don't serve essential dishes/items **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 18, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451 "2025-02-18T13:21:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/201 "2025-02-23T00:14:43Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > No, as the post I was replying to laid out, literal white bread rolls that Massachusetts Chinese restaurants would give out with your order. The same rolls you’d get at an Italian restaurant, in a bar and grill. Just a weird local thing we do here. They’re also served in Rhode Island and other New England states, I think. > **[Why Is Massachusetts Chinese Food Served With Dinner Rolls?](https://www.thetakeout.com/why-massachusetts-chinese-food-comes-with-bread-butter-1849163141/)** > > The Bay State’s takeout tradition is an odd mishmash of pan-Asian, Italian, and Irish dining. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/202 "2025-02-23T00:32:53Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Hell, my _parents_ were both older than sliced bread. Only my father was older than sliced bread but I’m far from being the oldest one here. I’m a few years short of 60. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/203 "2025-02-23T15:50:27Z")
I didn’t realize they served them with margarine at the time. Unlike many, I have never been to a Waffle House. I read that and thought they did not provide either. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/204 "2025-02-23T15:52:08Z")
If you start serving something like real butter, customers might start expecting something crazy like real maple syrup. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/205 "2025-02-23T16:41:17Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > As I understand it, it is illegal to resell unused food once served to a customer. If they don’t eat their cookie, it goes in the bin. Or the staff can take it. I’m not sure that applies to food in sealed packaging, so long as the seal hasn’t been broken. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/206 "2025-02-23T17:01:40Z")
I’m sure it doesn’t . I see creamers and sugar packets and butter packets and even opened containers of syrup and ketchup left on the table from customer to customer all the time. I think this line > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I used to wonder how many times the average cookie was left unwrapped on a table before it finally found a taker. is the problem. It doesn’t really make any sense to ask how many times the unwrapped cookie was left on the table for a couple of reasons - first, there’s the fact that I have never seen a fortune cookie served unwrapped and second, why would unwrapped fortune cookies just be left on the table when untouched bread baskets or ramekins of condiments are not? So I believe the question was _meant_ to be about wrapped fortune cookies but it was actually wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/207 "2025-02-23T17:15:10Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > So I believe the question was _meant_ to be about wrapped fortune cookies but it was actually wasn’t. Yeah. That. I meant unopened. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/208 "2025-02-23T21:45:50Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > And let’s not forget [imperial rolls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%E1%BA%A3_gi%C3%B2). I have never found any great consistency in English naming schemes. I’ve seen chả giò referred to as imperial rolls, eggrolls or even imperial spring rolls from Vietnamese restaurant to Vietnamese restaurant. That’s it. I’m sticking to lumpia from now on. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/209 "2025-02-24T02:58:09Z")
I had to laugh when my Midwest daughter visited me in San Diego and asked me what was local; when I said “fish tacos” she was shocked, Dad, Mexicans don’t put fish in tacos. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/210 "2025-02-24T13:18:29Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > As I understand it, it is illegal to resell unused food once served to a customer. If they don’t eat their cookie, it goes in the bin. Or the staff can take it. A Chinese restaurant in the town I grew up in used to take the uneaten white rice that customers left on the table and turn it into fried rice. This according to my sisters who both worked there for a time. Decided not to eat there anymore after that. Which was a shame, because they had some damn fine eggrolls. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/211 "2025-02-24T13:47:15Z")
Poor misguided soul. Fish tacos are, like, the best. A friend of mine from Merida and Cozumel (grew up in both places) used to make my absolute favorite fish tacos. His little twist on it (or maybe it was what he grew up with), was a smear of cooked black beans, like refried beans, on the tortila in addition to the usual battered fish, finely chopped cabbage, pickled red onions, with a chipotle-lime (or maybe it was sour orange juice) crema, with a dab of Yucatecan fire-roasted habanero salsa (roasted habaneros, sour orange juice, garlic, salt – no tomato.) Perhaps the best tacos I’ve ever had, though his cochinita pibil tacos are very close. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/212 "2025-02-24T13:53:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Fish tacos are, like, the best. Anytime I’m in a restaurant with fish tacos on the menu, that’s what I’m having. Easy decision! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/213 "2025-02-24T14:47:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > cochinita pibil tacos I wasn’t familiar, so I had to look up a recipe. Sounds delicious-- I’m putting this on my list of things to try making in the near future. > **[Cochinita Pibil (Yucatán-Style Barbecued Pork) Recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/cochinita-pibil-yucatan-barbecue-mexican-smoked-pork-recipe)** > > Make Yucatán-style cochinita pibil with a zippy marinade, banana leaves, and a grill to reproduce the sweet, earthy flavors traditionally gained by cooking in an underground oven. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/214 "2025-02-24T15:35:01Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > Dad, Mexicans don’t put fish in tacos. Reminds me of the “No Reservations” episode where Tony Bourdain first encountered fish tacos in Baja. It was fun watching his world change, bite by bite. Gods, I love fresh fish tacos! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/215 "2025-02-24T20:24:16Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > I am still getting over the shock of no butter served with the waffles at Waffle House. Not everyone wants butter, but you can add some if you prefer. I like butter, but just a little syrup. > [@silenus](#): > > Reminds me of the “No Reservations” episode where Tony Bourdain first encountered fish tacos in Baja. It was fun watching his world change, bite by bite. Yep, they can be wonderful if the fish is fresh. It is more a regional dish, but yeah- Mexicans most certainly put fish in tacos. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/216 "2025-02-24T20:39:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > My grandmother was from Italy, and one time, someone took her to an authentic Italian restaurant as a special treat. Grandma ended up horribly offended, because it was a southern Italian restaurant, and she was a proper Roman. When I was 12 I read a Time-Life book, _The Cooking of Italy_ (1968) by Waverly Root. It said to traditional Italians, an “international” restaurant was one that served cuisine from different regions of Italy. A recent innovation from the old ways, when each restaurant served only the cuisine of the region it was in. Locally-sourced ingredients and all that. Italy has 20 regions, 20 different cuisines. Regional identification is deeply ingrained in the Italian mind, and the unification of Italy has been a very gradual ongoing process since 1861. But when Italian-Americans become deracinated enough, they become unaware of the importance of the regions in the old country. In a sense, Italy is just the sum of its parts when seen up close, but from this distance, it looks like a solid whole. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/217 "2025-02-24T20:45:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Not everyone wants butter, but you can add some if you prefer. I like butter, but just a little syrup. I’m not a regular at Waffle House but I remember the last time I was there (last year) they gave you whipped “spread” if you asked for butter and “pancake syrup” if you asked for maple syrup. My breakfast companion, a New Englander who grew up next door to a dairy farm, was outraged. But I got her bottle it. The staff at Waffle House don’t suffer fools gladly. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/218 "2025-02-24T20:49:46Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > I’m not a regular at Waffle House but I remember the last time I was there (last year) they gave you whipped “spread” if you asked for butter and “pancake syrup” if you asked for maple syrup. Real 100% Maple syrup is expensive and I dont know any place that serves it. But I checked and that stuff they serve is not real butter so you are correct- That is unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/219 "2025-02-24T21:09:29Z")
Butter and maple syrup are luxury products. So is honey, wasabi, crab, olive oil & truffles and expecting the real stuff at ultra-lowend restaurants is not realistic. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes there’s an available upcharge ( esp wasabi & truffles), but expect enshittification at all times! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451/220 "2025-02-24T21:25:00Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Butter and maple syrup are luxury products. So is honey, wasabi, crab, olive oil & truffles and expecting the real stuff at ultra-lowend restaurants is not realistic. It is very reasonable to expect butter- you can get that for $4 a pound. Maple syrup appears to be at least a dollar per oz. So, quite a difference. Not to mention, in pancake houses they give you a LOT of syrup, but only a couple patties of butter. _Real_ wasabi is outrageous but most of us are used to the green horseradish variant, and that is used sparingly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurants-that-dont-serve-essential-dishes-items/1014451.md?page=12)