Do you eat from the kids' menu sometimes?

[AlwaysSAI]

My SAI chapter had our province officer visit this past weekend. And, we took her to Ihop for breakfast.

Well, Caroline and I wanted to order from the kids menu because frankly, adult portions are just too much.

THE WAITRESS TOLD US NO! WE COULD NOT ORDER FROM THE KIDS MENU!!

I wanted to look at her and say, well, I am an adult and I can make that decision for myself. Thanks.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

THE WAITRESS TOLD US NO! WE COULD NOT ORDER FROM THE KIDS MENU!!

I wanted to look at her and say, well, I am an adult and I can make that decision for myself. Thanks.

Many restaurants specifically limit the kids' menu to ages 10 or 12 and under.

[Taualumna]

Kids' menus may have smaller portions, but it still has the fat and calories.

From the Globe and Mail:

Cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, pizza and mac 'n' cheese. They're staples on kids' menus at chain restaurants across the country. Oh, and did I mention fries? Most kids' menus offer little variety and plenty of calories, fat and sodium.

What's more, it's next to impossible for parents to make informed choices on feeding their children healthy meals in full-service restaurants. Nutrition labelling does not exist on menus for children (or adults).

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Kids' menus may have smaller portions, but it still has the fat and calories.

From the Globe and Mail:

McDonalds 4 piece chicken nuggets w/apples and applejuice is what my 3 year old gets (and likes better than fries and soda). Yeah, so the nuggets still have some fat, but she's a good 5-8 lbs underweight and stops moving and squirming to take a nap and that's about it, so I'm not worried about it.

[aephi alum]

Cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, pizza and mac 'n' cheese. They're staples on kids' menus at chain restaurants across the country. Oh, and did I mention fries? Most kids' menus offer little variety and plenty of calories, fat and sodium.

... And that's the problem I have with most kids' menus. Starting when I was 8 or 9, I rejected the kids' menu and asked for a "real" menu. If my parents are taking me to (say) an Indian restaurant or a tapas bar, why the hell would I want chicken fingers??! If I'd wanted chicken fingers, my parents would have taken me to Mickey D's. I was a weird kid, though - my parents introduced me to a lot of different cuisines, so I appreciated foods that most kids wouldn't touch with a barge pole. I can see where some kids would turn up their noses at chicken tikka masala and want their cheeseburgers.

One of my favorite restaurants was an Italian restaurant where you could order full or half portions of any pasta item they offered - no matter how old or young you were. Their full portions were ginormous, so I'd get half portions all the time. Sadly, they've closed.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Many restaurants specifically limit the kids' menu to ages 10 or 12 and under.

Or to a Seniors Menu, for the older patron. You can get around a fattening kid's menu with some of the new options, but if you're over 12 and under 55, you're pretty much going to pay full price at a sitdown restaurant.

Which is why I try to get a mini-fridge in my room when I travel!

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Many restaurants specifically limit the kids' menu to ages 10 or 12 and under.

I have ordered from the kids menu at so many sit down and wait restruarants. I've done it at Carabas, Olive Garden, TGI Fridays.....

I just don't see a problem with it. If I have a whole bunch of food on my plate I'm going to feel pressured to eat it all because I don't want to waste food.

A kid's meal is generally enough to fill me up. I don't need all that extra mess.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

I have ordered from the kids menu at so many sit down and wait restruarants. I've done it at Carabas, Olive Garden, TGI Fridays.....

I just don't see a problem with it. If I have a whole bunch of food on my plate I'm going to feel pressured to eat it all because I don't want to waste food.

A kid's meal is generally enough to fill me up. I don't need all that extra mess.

That's fine. But, speaking from experience, many people will throw a fit at a waiter who says, "I'm sorry, I can only order that for someone who is 10 or under." It's not the waiter's fault. It's not the waiter's decision. It is a corporate decision and the waiter has to follow rules. We were even threatened for a time that if we ordered a kid's item for an adult, teenager, etc., and got caught, the waiter would have to pay for the meal.

The other reason the restaurant that I worked for stuck to this rule: We would have 5 16 year old girls or 3-4 SMU girls come in, order 1 and 2 kids items, waters all around, keep asking over and over for more bread, and then leave a $1-$2 tip for their $5-$10 meal. On most nights when I could make $10-$15 dollars on average from a table that only ran me half as much, it gets old real quick.

(AlwaysSAI, I'm not saying you did this. I am explaining why many restaurants have this policy and stick to it.)

[Tom Earp]

Yes and always irks me.

I do not eat that much and I want to order enough to make me full and not let it be thrown away with is a huge loss for eateries and a waste.

I tip on the service and food. Also usually tip very well as that is how they make their money.

But there will always be cheap asses who do not tip or maybe they can't.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Yes and always irks me.

I do not eat that much and I want to order enough to make me full and not let it be thrown away with is a huge loss for eateries and a waste.

I tip on the service and food. Also usually tip very well as that is how they make their money.

But there will always be cheap asses who do not tip or maybe they can't.

....or you could use a doggy bag?

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

The other reason the restaurant that I worked for stuck to this rule: We would have 5 16 year old girls or 3-4 SMU girls come in, order 1 and 2 kids items, waters all around, keep asking over and over for more bread, and then leave a $1-$2 tip for their $5-$10 meal. On most nights when I could make $10-$15 dollars on average from a table that only ran me half as much, it gets old real quick.

And, we all have to pay for sins of a few.

I generally tip pretty well--unless, of course, I got jipped on service.

(Although, I'm sure you would never do that, LaneSig )

[on soapbox]
An adult meal is just too much food for me--is my argument. Like, you wanna talk about the obesity crisis in America-restruants banning us from the kids menu is doing nothing but perpetuating the problem.
[/off soapbox]

[AlphaFrog]

Take-home box, darling. Lunch for the next day.

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Take-home box, darling. Lunch for the next day.

yeah, but it's not always real great left over. You know, some things you can take home and others you can't.

Like, salad that I had already dowsed in dressing-no thanks. Or a half eaten burger with mustard and ketchup and lettuce--we all know that stuff doesn't nuke well.

I'm probably just a whiny face.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

And, we all have to pay for sins of a few.

I generally tip pretty well--unless, of course, I got jipped on service.

(Although, I'm sure you would never do that, LaneSig )

Yep, sorry, but many times in life we all have to pay for what others have done.

I have never been accused to being cocky or having overwhelming self esteem. But, I do know that I am a great waiter. And, when I do have a table like the one I described, I will especially make sure that I give them great service, so if/when I get screwed on the tip, I know it wasn't something that I did. If I know things aren't going well with my tables, every other phrase out of my mouth is "I'm so sorry." There have been times that I have made more in 1 month from waiting tables than I have teaching school. So, yeah, it is something that I never do.