My Thoughts on Restaurants

There seems to be a shortage of decent menu items at most (adverage) restaurants these days. The prices of meals continues to increase, as does the over-sized portions, whereas the actual quality of the meal is, how shall I say, lacking.

At the typical restaurant you'll find the adverage meal per person costs about $20+, not inculding drinks or anything else. Myself, I consider this expensive for what you actually get. You look at the pictures on the menu, the meal looks appetizing, so you order it. When your meal comes to your table, it rarely looks like it did in the picture. But unless it looks gross, you'll probably eat it even if it doesn't look like the picture. Your meal is served to you not an a normal sized plate, but on an over-sized platter with enough food to feed a small family! Because of all the food you get, most folks think they are getting there money's worth. If you happened to order a breakfest, chances are most everything is soaked with butter or a butter like substance. If it's lunch or dinner, you may find it hard to find something that doesn't have large amounts of cheese or cream sauce in it. Or something that isn't fried. In short, no matter where you go, most menu items are drenched in fat. Even so-called vegitarian meals served have cheese, butter, mayo, etc... And people wonder why obesity is an panedemic?

Salads would seem a good choice, however, did you ever notice how most salads you order are made with primarily iceberg lettuce? Yuck! That has to be the worst; it doesn't taste good and it doesn't have much nutrients it in. They use it because it is cheap. Also, there's the matter of dressing; most choices are full of so much fat you might as well just order from the main selections.


Now, on to the issue of drinks. Most restaurants do not have a good selection of beverages to order. Commonly they have some soft drinks, tea, watered down over sugared lemonade, and water that tastes like, well, city water with ice in it. For kids, this isn't good; kids want drinks that taste good with their meals, so they aren't going to pick water. The soft drinks and lemonade often have too much sugar or are sweeted with nasty artifical sweeters such as aspartimine or corn syrup. Adults of course, also what good tasting drinks to enjoy with their meals. But even if you order an alcoholic drink, chances are their bartender won't know what it is or how to make it unless it's listed on the menu. What about wine or beer? Well, I don't know about you, but to me the adverage American restaurants wine tastes like it's been open for awhile and tastes as if it's started to go bad. Yes, the beer is fresh, but its next to impossible to get anything other than lite. What is up with that? I don't understand why people would be so conserned about a beer having a few more calories it in when their meal is bogged down with fat! When I do have a beer, I want one that actually has some body to it, and tastes like a beer, not watered down piss.

I used to enjoy going out to eat, but these days it seems harder and harder to find a decent restaurant. I find that the meals don't taste very good, are over sized, and over priced. Myself, I would rather have a really good tasting meal in a small portion even if I have to pay more for it. Where I live, I have to drive about 45 miles to eat at a one such "good restaurant"; for two people to eat dinner there costs about $60 to $80. Due to the cost and the long drive, I'd just assume fix my own meals at home. But I do understand that not every American has the time to do such, and that most people enjoy having a meal fixed for them. I can't fault people for that and I don't believe it has to do with being lazy. But I do wish my fellow Americans would not settle for the junk that is being served at the typical family restaurant. When most people think of junk food, they think of McDonalds and the like. But I would also inculde restaurants such as Applebees, Chili's, Cracker Barrel, as serving junk food...there are just more expensive.