Eating at a restaurant can be an incredibly fun experience. Whether it’s for a special occasion every once in a while or something you enjoy doing on a regular basis, there is usually something on the menu for everyone. Because of marketing techniques and little-known industry secrets, sometimes being a customer at a restaurant and choosing what to eat can feel like blindly taking a shot in the dark. Can you really trust that what you order will meet your expectations? And if they were in your shoes at the same restaurant, what would a culinary expert order or avoid?
To better understand how chefs ensure they receive a meal they really appreciate when dining out at a restaurant, we consulted a few industry pros to get their take on which menu items they’d dodge. Here are some things that chefs say they would never order while eating out at a restaurant.
Something that isn’t the restaurant’s specialty
According to Jacoby Ponder, an Atlanta-based chef and former finalist on the Food Network’s Chopped, if you’re going to go to a restaurant that’s known for something in particular—like a steakhouse or seafood restaurant—you’ll usually want to stick to ordering something in accordance with what the establishment claims to be their specialty.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
“I wouldn’t order something like a burger at a seafood restaurant,” Ponder tells Eat This, Not That! “This could be a problem for many reasons. For example, there are more than likely only one or two fryers in the back, which means everything is likely to be fried in the same oil. I would much rather stick to the main attraction rather than deviate.”
Raw food
Unless you’re going to a highly-rated sushi bar or another restaurant that is known for it’s raw food, Ponder recommends avoiding the raw choices.
“I would never order raw or undercooked food at a restaurant that was not known to have a raw bar of some sort,” he explains. “If you do choose to proceed, please do so with caution—because many establishments will promote any style of service to get your business. I would much prefer a restaurant that is known for their raw food or raw bar.”
