# Things you always order if you see it on a menu **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [August 14, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680 "2024-08-14T02:53:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/41 "2024-08-14T15:10:49Z")
I’ll usually go for a grilled fish fillet. Gimme some mashed potatoes too. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/42 "2024-08-14T15:17:37Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Places that have a Reuben often also have a Reuben with some kind of twist, and I — go with the Reuben, because, c’mon: what are the odds that you’ve improved on perfection? Reuben for me too. My favorite sandwich, and I like to see how well (or poorly) made they are. Sometimes I’m surprised, but more often than not I’m disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/43 "2024-08-14T15:23:06Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > Patty melt or liver and onions (my partner can’t bear the smell of fried onions). That sentence did not end the way I expected it would. 😉 As to the overall thread, it’s been interesting to see different ideas for different sorts of restaurants. One of my primary rules of thumb when eating out at a nice / fancy restaurant is “Never turn down a chance to eat a duck.” Only rarely will I skip the duck on the first visit to a particular restaurant. For any restaurant if I’m going back there regularly I’ll develop a list of 3 to maybe 10 different items and more or less rotate through the whole list before repeating. The idea of getting the exact same thing every time at someplace I frequent is just wrong. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/44 "2024-08-14T15:43:54Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Whitebait (small whole fish - typically herring - floured and fried) are hard for me to resist. Couldn’t get enough of this when I was in New Zealand. The best I had was at a small place in the Re:Start shopping mall in Christchurch. They were cooked in bacon grease. Other foods I like to try include corned beef hash and biscuits and gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/45 "2024-08-14T15:44:15Z")
Duck Pretzels Scallops ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/46 "2024-08-14T17:52:20Z")
I always get fried plantains because I can never make them at home like I can get them at a restaurant. And they are delicious. Living in Michigan there are not a lot of places that make them. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/47 "2024-08-14T17:56:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > For breakfast, eggs Norwegian (Benedict with smoked salmon). I’ll go with crab cake Benedict almost every time it’s on the menu. For dinner, I’ll have the duck. (these threads make me hungry) ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/48 "2024-08-14T17:57:24Z")
Eggs Florentine Fresh-squeezed orange juice French Dip Onion Rings Dim Sum: Cha siu bao (steamed) Spanish Tortilla Key Lime whatever. Key Lime ice cream, Key Lime cheesecake, Key Lime pie, etc. I see Key Lime, I order. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/49 "2024-08-14T18:17:24Z")
Falafel. In California I could find good falafel almost everywhere and truly magnificent falafel three blocks from our house at the Lebanese restaurant. (Well, everything that woman made was amazing.) In Texas, well, not so much. To the point that I have not experienced good falafel anywhere in Texas. The Great Greak restaurant that opened here near Austin has ok falafel (and according to my husband their lamb is wonderful). If anyone in Texas knows a good falafel in any sort of restaurant please PM me! ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/50 "2024-08-14T18:23:20Z")
I’ve tried to cook duck twice in my life, and both times the smoke detectors all went off and the house was filled with smoke while I juggled a pan of boiling grease. 😱 I tried. I TRIED. I will leave it to experts, as I do deep-frying things. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/51 "2024-08-14T18:25:36Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Most of my family does NOT like seafood so if I see it on the menu I will usually get it. My favorites being: > > Fried shrimp. Fried clams. Fried oysters. Yowza. I would add fried okra. Sometimes offered as a side dish by barbecue joints, but not often enough. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/52 "2024-08-14T18:27:00Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > creme brulee Yep. Even bad creme brulee is good, but good can be transcendent. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/53 "2024-08-14T18:27:13Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > (these threads make me hungry) I’m making notes for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/54 "2024-08-14T18:55:38Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I would add fried okra… Oh God, yes. One of the things I missed. Okra falls under things to eat in Greece, specifically Crete, where it is [stewed in a tomato sauce](https://cretanhealthylife.net/2019/02/12/cretan-okra/). Divine. j ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/55 "2024-08-14T18:58:09Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > In general, at any decent restaurant the “appetizers” section of the menu always interests me most, and I’ll always order at least one, or sometimes several to share. > > I agree. > > And, once upon a time, they were comparatively inexpensive to the mains. I don’t eat out often enough to really worry about the cost. What I like about appetizers is that they’re often more interesting and flavourful than the mains, even at the very best restaurants. I guess what I like about appetizers is they resemble one of my favourite styles of dining, the many-course tasting menu, which isn’t a menu at all but an order for a long sequence of small tasty and beautifully presented dishes, often more than a dozen or as many as 20. Japanese _omakase_ is the embodiment of that, which can be done with sushi, sashimi, or with any combination of Japanese dishes, but can also work well with just about any kind of elegant food. It’s basically an instruction to the chef to surprise you with a long array of small dishes showing off the best he can do. The only downside is the inevitably huge bill at the end! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/56 "2024-08-14T19:13:48Z")
French Dip I get burgers a LOT at restaurants. I’m not a fancy restaurant guy, and burgers are usually tasty and attractively priced. Calamari if we’re sharing Italian Ice if we go to an ice cream place for dessert Ravioli, especially if it’s a new italian place, it’s my go-to test of the restaurant’s sauce. Pass the test, I’ll come back. 1 Plain cheese slice and 1 Sicilian slice for lunch. I’m not ordering a cheesesteak if I “see it on a menu” I’m ordering a cheesesteak if I went to a place for their cheesesteak. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/57 "2024-08-14T19:15:14Z")
Bone-in fried chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/58 "2024-08-14T19:25:43Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I guess what I like about appetizers is they resemble one of my favourite styles of dining, the many-course tasting menu, which isn’t a menu at all but an order for a long sequence of small tasty and beautifully presented dishes, often more than a dozen or as many as 20. We have a goofy little place here you’d probably love. > **[Izakaya Meiji Company](https://www.izakayameiji.com/)** > > Izakaya Meiji is essentially a Japanese tavern - a neighborhood drinking house offering a seasonal menu of Japanese comfort food and small plates for snacking while drinking. Our bar features a dynamic cocktail list, rotating beer selection, over 100... They specialize in whiskeys and spirits, their cocktails are fun and different. The tasting plates are impressive for where we are. Their vibe is pure country and Japanese. The place is always packed – make a reservation. Quite a feat to pull off in podunk Oregon! I love going there because they have things I’d never try to make at home. And it’s not cruelly expensive. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/59 "2024-08-14T19:45:03Z")
Looks interesting – I like the focus on alcohol as well as food! 😃 Reminds me of a place I went to a few months ago for an organized event. It was held at a microbrewery which included a bar and a large private area on the second floor where we were. I understood it was to include dinner which I imagined would be a sit-down dinner ordering off the menu. Well, we got to sit down, but the food was actually an endless procession of miniature versions of much of the stuff that the bar served, all of which turned out to be really good. It was delightful! They even managed to turn out a miniature version of their marvelous Cajun burger, perfectly done (medium) on a tiny bun. After enough courses of these miniatures, I was well and truly full, and reveling in the tasty experience! 😋 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680/60 "2024-08-14T20:12:24Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Patty melt. I’m a sucker for a patty melt. That’s my wife’s go to as well. It used to be Monk Fish which I loved, but one time I got very ill after eating it–not sure if it was the fish but it was after that meal–and haven’t eaten it since. We were on vacation and had to find a drug store open at like 1am to get some pepto. Ooof. And if I see Chicken and Waffles on a menu–I’ll ask if it’s a thin waffle (which is correct) or Belgian (which is effing wrong)…its 99% a Belgian so I do not order it, but I always ask. If I’m at a bar and they have a Painkiller on the menu, I’ll order it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-always-order-if-you-see-it-on-a-menu/1005680.md?page=4)