Do You Ever Eat Out and Wish You Hadn't Bothered?

moggins

MATH wrote:

After 15 years of turning out meal after meal and watching other people shovel my creations down their gullets I'm happy to eat any old crud as long as I havn't had to cook it. I've even been known to whimper with pleasure whilst chowing down a Maccy D's LOL There is a fab restaurant near us that is V expensive but superb, we save up and go once a year, but TBH a cheap and cheerful pub lunch or even a bag of chips on the prom and I'm happy. Mrs MATH says I was such a cheap date she would have been stupid not to marry me.:rotfl:

Math I agree with that so much I could almost have written it, there is no greater treat for me than to take 15 mins out of shopping to head to Maccy D's for a big mac!

Apart from that we have 5 takeaways within 5 mins walk, 1 I won't touch with a barge pole, another does the most amazing Southern Fried chicken, you get a full meal for 4 with a 2 litre bottle of coke for £9.99. The other is the indian takeaway over the road, I could never cook a king prawn korma to match the one that he manages to make.

thriftlady_2

I've rarely been disappointed with supper from the chippie DS2 has requested it for hie birthday meal next week.

Bargain_Rzl

Peem wrote:

One exception "Wagamama" love the food. I had a nose in the wagamama cookbook the other day. I would love to have the time to spend cooking their dishes and (more importantly) time to spend buying the ingredients. I love the food.

Also - love non chain Italians.

My exception - and it is a chain Italian - is Strada. Consistently good, well-cooked food, obviously prepared from fresh and full of flavour.

I agree with lynzpower about Italian restaurants though (even Strada) - there is so much on the menu that I could (and do) cook at home for a fraction of the price. Hence in non-chain restaurants I normally go for one of the chef's specials, or something that sounds interesting.

russetred

Going out for a meal is just so disappointing I just can't enjoy it.I know I can cook it better, I know I could do it sooo much cheaper and I hate having to leave a tip for indifferent/non-exsistent service.Now Mr Russetred and I save up and splurge out at the deli buy some decent wine get a good movie and picnic in front of the fire, very romantic....

houseboatdream

[QUOTE=lynzpower
One place which isnt exactly dining out but I do enjoy is Nandos, the foods at the least freshly cooked, and in a clean environment but the spicy rice is blatantly out of a packet [/QUOTE]

This thread has really struck a chord with me. Before we became ardent MSE'ers OH and I thought nothing of getting a takeaway every friday and indeed any other night we felt too tired to cook...weekend meals out....shopping at M&S.....hmmm, I can see how the credit card bills built up.

Since we have seen the light our dining out days are now restricted to treats only, birthdays and special occasions.

We used to be regulars at Nandos as their food is usually good quality (never had the rice Lynz, always chips!!!) and you could eat out for two for just over £15. However, we have now taken to buying a bottle of Nandos marinading sauce and DIY. You can get a mild one or a hot and spicy, marinade some chicken joints all day (usually reduced free range for Mr T), and serve with oven chips, coleslaw etc. A bottle of sauce will keep in the fridge and I find does two meals for two - cost is less than £5. All the big supermarkets sell the Nandos sauces : - )

pigpen

I go out for dinner with my mother, just me and her.. no children, no siblings and no men and it is heavenly!!! They could serve me up deep fried doggy poop and I would probably eat it!!

I usually have something pasta or a roast dinner, I almost always have something meaty.. my husband is veggie and most of the children will only eaten certain meat (I just lie and tell them it is all the same usually) so I don't often get proper cooked chicken or turkey or pig at home so it is a nice change.

I HATE chips, I LOATHE fast food and can honestly say my children have probably only had 'McD's' junk once.. the day we moved house, my husband took them there then brought them to the new house to sleep. I don't ever go anywhere else either.. all nasty stuff. We occasionally have a chinese takeaway once the children are in bed.. maybe.. 5-6 times a year.. and fish and chips about as often.

We have been out for a meal together twice in the 18 years we have been together.. and both times it was really nice.. huge portions and nicely cooked 'at home' .. I only eat really 'bland' food though.. I have never had anything 'Indian' no curries nhere.. nothing spicy nothing 'alien'

Hard to be disappointed when you enjoy being out.

The only time I refused to go for a meal was at christmas when my family booked to go to a chinese restaurant for christmas dinner... I know!! I did say!! ... They only did chinese food and it was £17 per person and I was NOT paying that for chicken fried rice and a bowl of ice cream, which was basically all i would have eaten so I didn't go.. everyone who did however complained it was rubbish and not good value.. so I even got to gloat!

jobbingmusician

I really enjoy eating out (although I agree the food is sometimes rubbish) - at times in my life when I have been really broke, it's the thing I have missed most.

Nowadays I work as a mystery shopper, so get to eat out quite a bit - and OMG is the quality variable!!! Last night we spent almost £100 for two - food was great but I would NOT have enjoyed it at that price if I'd been paying myself....:eek:

$nake_eye$

organic_wanabe wrote:

My DH... OS.:j

prob a daft question, but whats DH and OS!!?

rach

lil_me wrote:

We usually only go out for a curry now, have a particular favourite Indian restaurant,

it's not shaheens is it, lil_me? i went to uni in durham, and i am salivating thinking of their chicken pathia and peshwari naan

misty

When I eat out, I try to order items I don't make at home otherwise I do spend my time thinking about how I'm being ripped for what I'm getting.

My son and I had our tea in town the other night at Bella Italia - and it was fine not brilliant but ok. They do a childrens menu which is ok - vairous different pastas or pizza. What I did yesterday which I didn't last time we ate there was to order a coke to drink as part of the child's meal (unlimited as part of the deal) and an orange cordial for me - then swapped his with mine. I was only charged 50p for the orange cordial rather than the £1.90 for the coke I ordered last time.

I often find places that serve decent meals to kids often provide value for money. I went somewhere once and the adult sandwiches were say £2 but the kids box was £2.50 and this had the same size sandwiches/crisps/a yogurt and a drink. If I had known in advance the sarnies were the same size I would have had a box myself. I know it would have been cheaper to make them myself but sometimes you need a day off.