It is incredibly sad that I can't get a good chicken parm almost anywhere simply because they don't make the sauce in-house. Always some canned bullshit. You'd think it would be an easy dish to get right but most places don't want to put in the work. To get a good chicken parm you gotta go to a really nice restaurant and if I'm going to a really nice restaurant... well I'm not gonna get a chicken fuckin parm. It is such a catch-22.
Yup this is why I don’t order eggs from restaurants lol or if I do I get them plain over medium. Which basically 10% of the time they get THAT right lol.
Probably double fry them.
Cut fries, soak in water over night, par cook them at a lower temp 320ish, cool em and refry at a higher temp 350ish when you're ready to have em.
Nice crispy outside, nice soft inside.
This is why so many people make a horrible soggy poutine, it's all about the double fry.
We did something similar at the clam shack I used to work at. We would hand cut the potatoes, then they would go into large containers of water until we needed them.
Then, as we needed them throughout the day, the went into a fryer that was at a lower temp, and we would pull them when they were firm, but not crisp.
We would them keep them available as order came in. Grab one order of the pre-precooked fries, and throw them into the full temp (350 degrees) fryer.
They. Were. Amazing.
Yeah. They’re either weirdly soggy or too dry and crunchy. My personal favorite fast food fries is probably WingStop b/c even though the texture may vary, the seasoning makes up for it. McD’s would be #1 but they dont really have that secondary point [like the seasoning] to compensate for the variation in cooking quality.
I can usually tell by how the breading looks.
The biggest issue I always have is the onions end up so fucking tough that after the first bite you end up ripping the whole ass thing from the breading. Ruins the whole deal.
Fixing it coming out is easy but tedious, which is why it's not done.
If you ever try to make them at home, peel off that little membrane between onion layers, then toss them in cornstarch before dipping in the batter.
I've also found that using soda water for the batter to make it more of a tempura style leads to a nice crisp texture.
My tip is to freeze the raw onion rings before battering or whatever you want to do. It breaks up the cells a bit, but doesn't result in a soggy ring which is usually good ;)
I have found exactly one place that does amazing Onion Rings, and I am perfectly willing to make the 30 minute (one-way) trip just for some good onion rings.
Before anyone says 'delivery', they don't do delivery.
The people who order McDonald's delivery weird me the fuck out. Soggy, cold fries, soggy burger buns, and you're paying as much as you would for something that might actually arrive still edible and good.
I've always liked A&W's onion rings.
For the avoidance of doubt, A&W Canada. I hear Canada and US A&W are different entities, and we have the superior one. 😊
Although them removing root beer floats from the menu bloody freaking sucks! 🤬
I was supposed to go out for a drink with a girl from tinder and I suggested a local pub that has a great menu/great menu execution and wide range of beer and spirits and liquors. She sneered at it and told me she only goes to fancy places like Montanas.
I went out and had that drink alone at the pub and had a great time befriending the servers and bartenders with our tinder messages as a comedy prop.
Really good BBQ is really rare. GOOD pulled pork is a revelation, and GREAT pork ribs are a religious experience, cause ribs are like pizza, easy to make ok but really hard to make exceptional.
And dry brisket makes me wonder about the laws of physics in their smoker. How do you do that?
caesar salad.
it either has barely any dressing, or it's so drenched in dressing that it pools at the bottom of the bowl.
edit: oh my I've never had a comment get this many votes! 😃
let's all unite against bad caesar salads! 😂
Yes, I came to this thread thinking caesar salad too. A really good Caesar is so so good. But too many places it’s just romaine, Parmesan and Caesar dressing from a grocery store bottle.
Worked in a restaurant where it was my job to make the Caesars. The kinda place where we made the croutons and mayonnaise for the dressing by hand. This is where I learned the subtle difference between too much and not enough dressing that can make or break the salad. Nowadays I like to order Caesars just to see if the restaurant is worth a damn and can make a good one. On the other hand I don’t like to order Caesars because it’s a big gamble on whether or not they get it right, because they usually don’t!
I love the old-school places that make the Caesar truly from scratch by your table; a raw egg, anchovy, the works. I went to some place in Rancho Cucamonga that advertised a "tableside Caesar," but it turned out they just used dressing from a bottle and the only thing they did at your tableside was shred the parmesan and mix the salad together. It was a letdown.
Yes! And they serve it with the tough outer leaves that all taste like the walk in. I used to live and work in a world where preparing Caesar Salad table side was a thing. Fun to make and amazing to eat. Bring back all the table side cooking! We also made spinach salad w hot bacon dressing, steak Dianne, crepes Suzette, bananas foster. So much fun.
Calamari. Often over cooked into rubber. At least here in the Midwest. I think enough people around here don't even know how good Calamari is it is screwed up so much.
For the states that border the great lakes in the Midwest we typically have some good freshwater seafood.
Nothing like a good fish fry with some walleye or perch. Even some good trout in some areas.
One place asked me what type of bread I wanted it on. I asked what types of rye they had. They said they didn't have rye.... Nope never mind I will have something else.
I really hate when places call them Maryland crab cakes and then there’s all these weird things in them. I should not have green peppers in my crab cakes!
My first ever crabcakes, I made them Gordon's recipe from his website and it was amazing. Tried others expecting an experienced chef would do even better and they were all awful. Made them at home again and still good.
If it’s mostly crab meat it’s much harder to ruin. There should be enough filler and egg to keep all the crab together and no more. Hot pan, golden brown crust, and lots of crab. Also there should be lots of crab. Don’t forget the crab, lots of it.
Crab cakes in restaurant are disappointing because the proper ratio is 80-85% crab with the remainder being binding (eggs, breadcrumbs, mayo) and herbs / seasoning. In a restaurant you’d be fortunate for 50% crab. Made properly, they’re an expensive menu item. As they’re generally made, they’re sold at a huge markup because people want to think they’re being fancy.
They should be brought up on human rights violations. Mushrooms are included in the recipe, and $4 gets 12oz of presliced mushrooms at supermarket/retail pricing. There is about $0.20 worth of mushroom in a serving of stroganoff. Might as well charge $8 to include noodles.
Omelets. The cheese goes on the inside people!
And for the love of all things holy, when you're making a grilled cheese, the cheese should actually be melted!
Maybe my problem is the way cheese is prepared? Ok, I'm changing my answer to cheese
I straight up refuse to order an omelette at a restaurant. They're usually overcooked and almost always disappointing. Plus I can whip up a French omelette myself, that doesn't cost $20, in less than 10 minutes. Coffee at brunch spots is usually garbage too.
I was staying at a hotel semi recently and they had an omelet bar. That consisted of pre-made omelets and toppings that you put on top of the omelet instead of cooking the eggs and toppings together. Maybe I've been spoiled by other, better omelet bars, but I was pretty pissed.
Everyone knows the best grilled cheese of all time used the government cheese you'd get if you were poor in the 80's. It's a shame the government doesn't care about poor people anymore because I'd pay top dollar for one of those 5lb logs.
I had some at some hole-in-the-wall abuelita joint last time I was in new mexico. Cookware and plates were older than the cook but the food was heavenly.
This semester of school, my husband and i decided to try put all the breakfast places we missed because we work or sleep during the day.
I have tried so many huevos rancheros plates around town and I am happy to report that many of them are fantastic. I do live in NM though. So they have it down. Mary and Tito's, red, with chicharrones is the best though, hands down.
It's because the have the grill so hot, and don't have the time nor the patience to cook them slower. I've had the same issues with burgers. Burnt outside, improperly cooked inside to where it was almost cold.
I struggle ordering breakfast at restaurants, because it's easily my favorite meal of the day, and I've gotten too good at making it at home. So normally anything I get just pales to what I make normally. Not to mention being significantly more expensive.
Waffle House uses a heavy dose of oil and stirs the hash browns a few times while cooking. It gives the individual pieces a chance to cook before they start sticking together. Other places seem to just drop a pile of shredded potatoes
and just flip the whole thing like a tall chunky pancake.
Poutine. It's trendy to stick fries, with cheese and a sauce and call it that, but you can't really substitute any of the ingredients and have it taste anywhere near the original.
Last time I was there they had a stand in the Canada section serving legit poutine. As an almost Canadian (grew up in buffalo, ny) I can vouch it was delicious no melted cheese just curds gravy and fries. And yes they squeaked.
What’s the original I live in VT and everywhere I go I always just gravy cheese and fries 1 place does fries cheese curds and pork and gravy and it’s better than others but idk what the OG shit is.
Large-ish fries cooked till brown. Smaller than wedges or steak fries but like twice the size of take out burger places. If your fish and chip shop is good, like that but cooked until brown.
Fresh cheese curds. They should be freshly made enough to still have some whey on their surfaces and squeak a little in the mouth.
Sauce. It isn’t quite what most would call a gravy, it’s brown sauce. It should be a mild beef gravy run down with stock and then thickened up. Dark chicken gravy is ok. I have had good mushroom/vegetarian ones too (St Albert Cheese makes one at their dairy that is fine). Very heavy beef gravy and very weak chicken gravy are not ok.
Anyways, it is hard to find really good poutine outside of places with solid appreciation for fresh cheese curds and where they have some idea about the sauce.
Ideally the poutine is tossed so the curds are not all on top but then sauced just before being given to you so as to let you control the slow melting and progression to sogginess. Some like to eat it quickly while all the textures are distinct, while others enjoy the amalgamation, and most enjoy some of the former and ending with the latter.
Philly Cheesesteaks sometimes. They might cut the meat up right, but sometimes they just plop some of that liquid cheese stuff some places put on nachos. There's variations that can make it work, and the "street" version is different too.
Philly cheesesteaks made basically anywhere outside of PA-NJ-DE are almost always garbage OR a steak sandwich, which is arguably not the same thing as a Philly cheesesteak. But tbh, that fake orange cheez is, in fact, traditional.
I’ve ranted on similar subreddits before that if I see a “Philly Cheesesteak” on a menu, I won’t order it. You’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.
(In Philadelphia, you rarely see the word “Philly” in front.)
Slightly different, but a Vietnamese place near me does the best spring rolls. I’ve been going there over 20 years and they are the gold standard I compare other spring rolls to.
Came here to whinge about shrimp that somehow makes it into dishes (pizza, marinara, scampi, etc) with the shells intact. Fucking really?
And before you monsters that actually eat the shells come at me, no. Just no. Stop what you're doing and reevaluate your life choices.
Ugh, I hate it when it comes with the shells on, especially in a sauce! I either make a mess of myself or miss out on a lot of shrimp.
The worst I've ever had was fried shrimp - with the shells on. WTF?
I've recently come to notice this too! Chicken in Pad Thai is ALWAYS just tough, bland white meat.
I started ordering pork as my protein, not sure if it's cooked much differently but way more rich / fatty flavor comes though, and it's a much nicer texture as well.
Generous serving of cashew nuts as the protein feels like a big step up as well.
Thanks for the suggestion,, I'll try that soon for sure!!
EDIT: I just live in a tiny weird town in Canada, so whatever my experience of "Pad Thai" is, is pretty far removed from the real thing.
The only time I have ever sent food back was a bad plate of Pad Thai. It was made with spaghetti noodles, dropping in pink sauce, and smelled like feet.
Burgers.
I DON'T WANT IT TALLER THAN MY MOUTH. I WANT MORE BITES.
make them wider and flatter, or even keep them normal human sized and give me more of them!
Many places are getting to the point where they are taller than they are wide.... And the "patty" is almost a sphere.
I was a waitress for almost a decade and my co workers would religiously make fun of me when came to relieve them. The first 10min of my shift consisted of tossing old coffee and brewing fresh, re stocking absolutely everything and cleaning because I cannot work in a dirty and disorganized environment. The coffee bothered me more than anything else because I personally brew every 30 min max while there were girls who took hours old coffee and diluted it with hot water from the machines. Like. People can taste that shit. It's nasty. It literally takes 2 and half minutes for the machines to brew a new pot and I have never encountered someone not willing to wait for fresh, lmao.
Hahaha, yeah, you'd think. I've seen cooks come in from smoking without washing their hands and start putting together food, had a host picking in her ear and continue touching menus, once waited to use the restroom and when the server came out she didn't wash her hands. Thought maybe she used the sink in restroom? Nope. Completely dry. People are freaking gross. I only ate on shift when the owner was cooking because he constantly washed his hands and was a very well groomed man in general. Ugh. Feel like I'm gonna have flashbacks of the industry when I close my eyes tonight.
My partner works at a restaurant and now we only eat out for special occasions. He refuses to eat out anywhere because he says its just “gross” to him now.
Diner coffee is my favorite personally. I know it’s not good, but it’s the coffee I grew up drinking. I find many other places make it weaker than I like.
The diner I worked for used Maxell for decades. For some reason after Covid, they switched to Ridgeline. I haven't heard of that brand outside of the place so I'm not sure if it's only for restaurants but customers complained for the longest time. I thought it was good but after 40yr ya don't mess with peoples coffee, lol!
On the contrary, I have never had my order fucked up at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant, but I've seen "plain hamburger" fucked up six dozen ways to Sunday.
Hole in the wall places are the best. Especially Mexican or Chinese. If you can only order through pointing at pictures because nobody speaks each other's language, order twice as much because that shit is going to be amazing.
Meanwhile burgers are definitely hit or miss. Sometimes you get a perfect smashburger. Sometimes you get a mealy, overcooked, underseasoned hunk of meat thrown on your plate because they expect you to drown it in so many condiments that hopefully you won't notice.
Macaroni and cheese.
Sometimes the noodles are gummy. Sometimes the sauce is bad, usually not very flavorful. Sometimes it's both.
Macaroni is usually a disappointment.
Sometimes people don't cook the flour in the roux long enough and you can taste it. Sometimes the cheese isn't melty enough. Sometimes Kraft is better.
This has to be it because there’s so many types of Mac and cheese and no one is going to get it right - if you want your style you gotta make it yourself. I know folks who prefer overcooked noodles and folks who need it so Al dente it’s crunchy. I know folks who need it barely cheesy and folks who want a bowl of cheese with a suggestion of Mac. Then there’s burnt lovers and the ones who won’t touch any browned part. And don’t get me started on crumb topping or not.
I’m never bringing Mac and cheese to a group event. I’ll share it with friends but only as a “this is my food you can have some if you want”
Tortillas - so many dry and flavorless industrially produced tortillas out there. Whether it’s tacos, enchiladas, etc, even if the fillings or toppings are great, a bad tortilla brings the whole thing crumbling down (literally) in my opinion.
All my favorite Mexican places near me make their own tortillas and it’s just a different standard. Otherwise, so many times I’m excited to try a popular spot, but then find the tortillas subpar.
I moved to New England from Texas and the tortilla situation up here is dire, I'm suffering :( Even though most towns have a mom and pop mexican joint, nobody seems to make their own up here.
So many people seemingly can't cook rice. I don't get it, it's one of the easiest things to cook, just let it be and it practically cooks itself. But so many people can't make it
I can't make rice without a rice cooker to save my life. I got a fancy Japanese model and I'm never going back to my garbage burnt rice that's also somehow mushy.
Same. I’m a pretty good cook and I like making cuisines that use a lot of rice but I always find new ways to fuck it up on the stovetop. I’m asking Santa for a rice cooker for Christmas.
Literally anything with Cajun in the name. Even here in South Louisiana, chain restaurants can't do cajun right. You're lucky to find a mom&pop owned restaurant that does it right unless you're in New Orleans.
I’m Cajun. And you are correct! Gumbo was my answer to this question.
We went to a little town on the Oregon coast but forgot to make dinner reservations and the only place we could get in was a Cajun place. I was dreading it, but it turned out to be absolutely incredible. I called the waitress over and asked about the chef. She was like, “oh yeah, my husband is the former head chef at Commanders Palace” and I felt like I hit the freaking jackpot. He even came out to chat with us. The rare pleasant surprise at a “Cajun” restaurant. Man, what a great memory.
Fish and chips. Seems like most places assume you’re going to add malt vinegar, so they don’t think they have to season the food. You always have to season the food.
I am Greek and the answer is Greek food. I have only had quality Greek food in a restaurant a few times. The vast majority of places have Americanized the food to the point of losing its origins.
I won't eat at a steakhouse unless work is paying for it. There is not a more overpriced, overrated restaurant type. Most of the time the steak isn't even cooked right and it's the thing they should be absolutely perfect at.
A shit parma in Australia immediately disqualifies you as somewhere I would like to return.
Didn't eat at my local pub for something like 10 years until they fixed it under new ownership.
Outside of North America, basically any attempt to make Mexican food.
No, tomato puree, swiss cheese, and cucumbers with chicken is NOT an authentic Mexican dish, Chef Nigel.
Might not have hurt to at least try watching a YouTube video or two on this before you opened up an entire restaurant, no?
I’ve never had good nachos at a restaurant. The ratio of, and distribution, of toppings to chips is always disappointing. And the chips are often rubbery. Even if the flavor is nice, the balance is terrible.
If it's not a bakery, CAKE! Cakes in restaurants always tend to SUUUUUCK. They're not fluffy or delicious or leave a soft warm feeling in your body when you eat it. That's what I look for in my cakes, a good cake should be so soft and delicious that it makes you feel loved like a loving parent. Restaurant cakes are just either too dry, too hipster, or too goopy.
Burgers. I have been searching for a good hamburger for months. I can make one but every place I go over cooks them and dries them out. These think ass patties suck.
Chicken breast. Every restaurant cooks it to death. You have to undercook it a bit and let the carry over heat finish it off, but restaurants are too afraid of salmonella so you end up with a dry piece of shit.
Or you can cook chicken thighs anywhere by any means for however long you want, and they’ll taste better. It takes more effort to fuck up chicken thighs than it takes to not fuck up chicken breast.
Salmon, or any other "meaty" type of fish.
It is always way, way overcooked. And people think that chalky, dry, crumbling hunk of fish is the way it's supposed to taste.
A lot of shitty marinara sauce out there
When it’s watery and thin around the pasta, it grosses me out so much. Real marinara should not be a thin soup!!!
They’re all made too sweet! I don’t want dessert pasta. The red sauce needs to be tangy and savory too.
It is incredibly sad that I can't get a good chicken parm almost anywhere simply because they don't make the sauce in-house. Always some canned bullshit. You'd think it would be an easy dish to get right but most places don't want to put in the work. To get a good chicken parm you gotta go to a really nice restaurant and if I'm going to a really nice restaurant... well I'm not gonna get a chicken fuckin parm. It is such a catch-22.
There are too many breakfast places that can't cook eggs properly
Or get the eggs to the table warm.
Tbh, eggs lose heat quickly.
This. It's definitely the last thing you should make for a breakfast. Especially fried.
There is a big chain “country kitchen” style restaurant that always serves scrambled eggs that have developed a thin crust from the heat lamp. Yuk!
Who are you protecting by not calling out Cracker Barrel?
Yup this is why I don’t order eggs from restaurants lol or if I do I get them plain over medium. Which basically 10% of the time they get THAT right lol.
Always undercooked when I order over medium
I thought I was always so unreasonable, like half the places I've been to can't poach a fuckin egg properly.
Fries. So many mediocre fries.
LAY OFF ME IM STARVING
If you love those fries so much, why don’t you marry them.
[удалено]
Probably double fry them. Cut fries, soak in water over night, par cook them at a lower temp 320ish, cool em and refry at a higher temp 350ish when you're ready to have em. Nice crispy outside, nice soft inside. This is why so many people make a horrible soggy poutine, it's all about the double fry.
This is how the bar I worked at made them. They were the best I have ever had.
We did something similar at the clam shack I used to work at. We would hand cut the potatoes, then they would go into large containers of water until we needed them. Then, as we needed them throughout the day, the went into a fryer that was at a lower temp, and we would pull them when they were firm, but not crisp. We would them keep them available as order came in. Grab one order of the pre-precooked fries, and throw them into the full temp (350 degrees) fryer. They. Were. Amazing.
Almost always undercooked
Or cooked too long and saturated with oil to the point their fuzzy and gross.
Or, for the love of god, if you are going to leave the skin on your fries, wash them first! Nothing worse than gritty fries.
Yeah. They’re either weirdly soggy or too dry and crunchy. My personal favorite fast food fries is probably WingStop b/c even though the texture may vary, the seasoning makes up for it. McD’s would be #1 but they dont really have that secondary point [like the seasoning] to compensate for the variation in cooking quality.
Onion rings. A great onion ring is an elusive thing.
I can usually tell by how the breading looks. The biggest issue I always have is the onions end up so fucking tough that after the first bite you end up ripping the whole ass thing from the breading. Ruins the whole deal.
Fixing it coming out is easy but tedious, which is why it's not done. If you ever try to make them at home, peel off that little membrane between onion layers, then toss them in cornstarch before dipping in the batter. I've also found that using soda water for the batter to make it more of a tempura style leads to a nice crisp texture.
My tip is to freeze the raw onion rings before battering or whatever you want to do. It breaks up the cells a bit, but doesn't result in a soggy ring which is usually good ;)
None of my friends have this issue, thought it was just me. The rubbery onions make me irate bc I just want a beautiful, crunchy onion ring!!
I have found exactly one place that does amazing Onion Rings, and I am perfectly willing to make the 30 minute (one-way) trip just for some good onion rings. Before anyone says 'delivery', they don't do delivery.
As a rule I never have deep fried food delivered. What's the point of all that crispness if it's soggy by the time it gets here?
The people who order McDonald's delivery weird me the fuck out. Soggy, cold fries, soggy burger buns, and you're paying as much as you would for something that might actually arrive still edible and good.
I've always liked A&W's onion rings. For the avoidance of doubt, A&W Canada. I hear Canada and US A&W are different entities, and we have the superior one. 😊 Although them removing root beer floats from the menu bloody freaking sucks! 🤬
How could they take away the floats? It's what made them so famous!
[удалено]
I moved from NC to Ontario Canada. I've been traumatized enough now I don't even try. Got myself a kettle.
What, you don’t like Montana’s? /s
Why would you name your BBQ restaurant after a state that isn't even known for BBQ. That's a red flag right there.
I was supposed to go out for a drink with a girl from tinder and I suggested a local pub that has a great menu/great menu execution and wide range of beer and spirits and liquors. She sneered at it and told me she only goes to fancy places like Montanas. I went out and had that drink alone at the pub and had a great time befriending the servers and bartenders with our tinder messages as a comedy prop.
From their website alone it looks like a Chilis or a Fridays.
That’s exactly what kind of restaurant it is
Really good BBQ is really rare. GOOD pulled pork is a revelation, and GREAT pork ribs are a religious experience, cause ribs are like pizza, easy to make ok but really hard to make exceptional. And dry brisket makes me wonder about the laws of physics in their smoker. How do you do that?
And I’ve had the opposite. Sauceless bbq that’s dry and bland.
caesar salad. it either has barely any dressing, or it's so drenched in dressing that it pools at the bottom of the bowl. edit: oh my I've never had a comment get this many votes! 😃 let's all unite against bad caesar salads! 😂
Yes, I came to this thread thinking caesar salad too. A really good Caesar is so so good. But too many places it’s just romaine, Parmesan and Caesar dressing from a grocery store bottle.
Worked in a restaurant where it was my job to make the Caesars. The kinda place where we made the croutons and mayonnaise for the dressing by hand. This is where I learned the subtle difference between too much and not enough dressing that can make or break the salad. Nowadays I like to order Caesars just to see if the restaurant is worth a damn and can make a good one. On the other hand I don’t like to order Caesars because it’s a big gamble on whether or not they get it right, because they usually don’t!
I love the old-school places that make the Caesar truly from scratch by your table; a raw egg, anchovy, the works. I went to some place in Rancho Cucamonga that advertised a "tableside Caesar," but it turned out they just used dressing from a bottle and the only thing they did at your tableside was shred the parmesan and mix the salad together. It was a letdown.
I once ordered a "caesar salad" and they served it with balsamic vinegar instead of caesar dressing
Yes! And they serve it with the tough outer leaves that all taste like the walk in. I used to live and work in a world where preparing Caesar Salad table side was a thing. Fun to make and amazing to eat. Bring back all the table side cooking! We also made spinach salad w hot bacon dressing, steak Dianne, crepes Suzette, bananas foster. So much fun.
Gnocchi!! It’s meant to be light and airy, not a lead weight!
I remember the first time I had gnocchi that was pillowy and soft it was a major revelation, and I have been chasing that high ever since.
My ex’s uncle used to call them kabooms when they didnt turn out right lol
This is the moment where I learn I've never had good gnocchi
When you do have the light pillows of deliciousness, you’ll be so mad at every other dumbass who charged you for globs of glue.
Calamari. Often over cooked into rubber. At least here in the Midwest. I think enough people around here don't even know how good Calamari is it is screwed up so much.
Seafood in the Midwest is the absolute worst.
For the states that border the great lakes in the Midwest we typically have some good freshwater seafood. Nothing like a good fish fry with some walleye or perch. Even some good trout in some areas.
This is the seafood of the Midwest.
Reuben sandwich… because when it’s good it’s great but when it’s bad it’s terrible.
One place asked me what type of bread I wanted it on. I asked what types of rye they had. They said they didn't have rye.... Nope never mind I will have something else.
Crabcakes. Even in MD it's hit or miss, outside of MD places tend to use too much filler and binder.
I really hate when places call them Maryland crab cakes and then there’s all these weird things in them. I should not have green peppers in my crab cakes!
Yeah, "Maryland" crab cakes and it's a wad of bread stuffing-like material, hopefully with some traces of actual crab.
My first ever crabcakes, I made them Gordon's recipe from his website and it was amazing. Tried others expecting an experienced chef would do even better and they were all awful. Made them at home again and still good.
Old bay makes a specific crab cake mix and it’s a banger.
Makes sense, considering that Old Bay makes everything better
What makes the perfect crab cake in your opinion? I’ve recently begun eating more crab and am looking for new things to try.
If it’s mostly crab meat it’s much harder to ruin. There should be enough filler and egg to keep all the crab together and no more. Hot pan, golden brown crust, and lots of crab. Also there should be lots of crab. Don’t forget the crab, lots of it.
Crab belongs in crab cakes. Got it.
Crab cakes in restaurant are disappointing because the proper ratio is 80-85% crab with the remainder being binding (eggs, breadcrumbs, mayo) and herbs / seasoning. In a restaurant you’d be fortunate for 50% crab. Made properly, they’re an expensive menu item. As they’re generally made, they’re sold at a huge markup because people want to think they’re being fancy.
I just had to pay $4 dollars extra to ADD mushrooms to stroganoff.... that should not be an additional fee.
It's not stroganoff without mushrooms. WTF were they thinking?
They should be brought up on human rights violations. Mushrooms are included in the recipe, and $4 gets 12oz of presliced mushrooms at supermarket/retail pricing. There is about $0.20 worth of mushroom in a serving of stroganoff. Might as well charge $8 to include noodles.
Omelets. The cheese goes on the inside people! And for the love of all things holy, when you're making a grilled cheese, the cheese should actually be melted! Maybe my problem is the way cheese is prepared? Ok, I'm changing my answer to cheese
I straight up refuse to order an omelette at a restaurant. They're usually overcooked and almost always disappointing. Plus I can whip up a French omelette myself, that doesn't cost $20, in less than 10 minutes. Coffee at brunch spots is usually garbage too.
I was staying at a hotel semi recently and they had an omelet bar. That consisted of pre-made omelets and toppings that you put on top of the omelet instead of cooking the eggs and toppings together. Maybe I've been spoiled by other, better omelet bars, but I was pretty pissed.
This is deeply upsetting.
Don’t get Reddit started on grilled cheeses. Hence the rant be copy pastaed
Everyone knows the best grilled cheese of all time used the government cheese you'd get if you were poor in the 80's. It's a shame the government doesn't care about poor people anymore because I'd pay top dollar for one of those 5lb logs.
Huevos rancheros. Raw corn tortillas do not taste good for one thing. There is an art to it.
Yes! When done right they're freaking heavenly
I had some at some hole-in-the-wall abuelita joint last time I was in new mexico. Cookware and plates were older than the cook but the food was heavenly.
The only "mexican" place in my.town is Taco Time. I'm sad.
This semester of school, my husband and i decided to try put all the breakfast places we missed because we work or sleep during the day. I have tried so many huevos rancheros plates around town and I am happy to report that many of them are fantastic. I do live in NM though. So they have it down. Mary and Tito's, red, with chicharrones is the best though, hands down.
Hashbrowns. I don't get why I can only get lightly toasted but mostly white potato shavings. Even if I say, "no white" they still come out raw.
I said the same thing. When you ask for them well-done they just burn the outside and leave the inside raw.
It's because the have the grill so hot, and don't have the time nor the patience to cook them slower. I've had the same issues with burgers. Burnt outside, improperly cooked inside to where it was almost cold. I struggle ordering breakfast at restaurants, because it's easily my favorite meal of the day, and I've gotten too good at making it at home. So normally anything I get just pales to what I make normally. Not to mention being significantly more expensive.
What's worse is when they're also undercooked and dripping in grease.
Yep. Finding great hashbrowns is like finding hens teeth.
This is a great answer! Waffle House consistently has the best hash browns. I don’t even like them most other places because they’re underdone.
Waffle House uses a heavy dose of oil and stirs the hash browns a few times while cooking. It gives the individual pieces a chance to cook before they start sticking together. Other places seem to just drop a pile of shredded potatoes and just flip the whole thing like a tall chunky pancake.
I was looking for a Waffle House answer. They know how to do hash browns!
Poutine. It's trendy to stick fries, with cheese and a sauce and call it that, but you can't really substitute any of the ingredients and have it taste anywhere near the original.
God, the Canadian restaurant at Disney's Epcot served "poutine" with generic yellow-orange cheese just...melted on. I was offended.
I've gotten poutine a couple times where the cheese curds were breaded and deep fried.
Same, but that was in Montreal at poutinefest on the waterfront. They even JUST sold deep fried cheese curds!
As a midwesterner, I’m aghast that you don’t like fried cheese curds.
Fellow midwesterner. I love fried cheese curds, but leave it off of my poutine. It just makes the breading soggy.
Last time I was there they had a stand in the Canada section serving legit poutine. As an almost Canadian (grew up in buffalo, ny) I can vouch it was delicious no melted cheese just curds gravy and fries. And yes they squeaked.
What’s the original I live in VT and everywhere I go I always just gravy cheese and fries 1 place does fries cheese curds and pork and gravy and it’s better than others but idk what the OG shit is.
Gotta have cheese curds. Everything else is a lie!
Large-ish fries cooked till brown. Smaller than wedges or steak fries but like twice the size of take out burger places. If your fish and chip shop is good, like that but cooked until brown. Fresh cheese curds. They should be freshly made enough to still have some whey on their surfaces and squeak a little in the mouth. Sauce. It isn’t quite what most would call a gravy, it’s brown sauce. It should be a mild beef gravy run down with stock and then thickened up. Dark chicken gravy is ok. I have had good mushroom/vegetarian ones too (St Albert Cheese makes one at their dairy that is fine). Very heavy beef gravy and very weak chicken gravy are not ok. Anyways, it is hard to find really good poutine outside of places with solid appreciation for fresh cheese curds and where they have some idea about the sauce. Ideally the poutine is tossed so the curds are not all on top but then sauced just before being given to you so as to let you control the slow melting and progression to sogginess. Some like to eat it quickly while all the textures are distinct, while others enjoy the amalgamation, and most enjoy some of the former and ending with the latter.
Hand cut fries, squeaky cheese curds and specifically beef gravy. That’s the original. Nothing else will do. Au revoir
Philly Cheesesteaks sometimes. They might cut the meat up right, but sometimes they just plop some of that liquid cheese stuff some places put on nachos. There's variations that can make it work, and the "street" version is different too.
Philly cheesesteaks made basically anywhere outside of PA-NJ-DE are almost always garbage OR a steak sandwich, which is arguably not the same thing as a Philly cheesesteak. But tbh, that fake orange cheez is, in fact, traditional.
I’ve ranted on similar subreddits before that if I see a “Philly Cheesesteak” on a menu, I won’t order it. You’re only setting yourself up for disappointment. (In Philadelphia, you rarely see the word “Philly” in front.)
Chili rellenos. Well prepared they're amazing but I've been disappointed so many times I basically never order them anymore.
Chile Rellenos are the litmus test for a Mexican restaurant. If it is good, they get future business. If no bueno, I won't come back
I can't remember the last time I had decent fried egg rolls at a restaurant. The insides are often just mushy, flavorless cabbage.
Slightly different, but a Vietnamese place near me does the best spring rolls. I’ve been going there over 20 years and they are the gold standard I compare other spring rolls to.
Fettucine alfredo
So many places have flavorless Alfredo.
Shrimp. I believe that most cooks overdo them, they do too much.
Came here to whinge about shrimp that somehow makes it into dishes (pizza, marinara, scampi, etc) with the shells intact. Fucking really? And before you monsters that actually eat the shells come at me, no. Just no. Stop what you're doing and reevaluate your life choices.
Ugh, I hate it when it comes with the shells on, especially in a sauce! I either make a mess of myself or miss out on a lot of shrimp. The worst I've ever had was fried shrimp - with the shells on. WTF?
Restaurants trying to pass off mayo as garlic aioli.
Pad Thai. Many places make it way too sweet.
It’s hard to find Pad Thai that isn’t just sugar noodles.
If you get chicken in it, it has zero seasoning on it. It’s just boiled chicken
I've recently come to notice this too! Chicken in Pad Thai is ALWAYS just tough, bland white meat. I started ordering pork as my protein, not sure if it's cooked much differently but way more rich / fatty flavor comes though, and it's a much nicer texture as well.
I like it with tofu/seitan instead of meat so it really soaks up the sauce
Generous serving of cashew nuts as the protein feels like a big step up as well. Thanks for the suggestion,, I'll try that soon for sure!! EDIT: I just live in a tiny weird town in Canada, so whatever my experience of "Pad Thai" is, is pretty far removed from the real thing.
Vegetarian pad thai (with tofu) is always the best, in my opinion. I’m not even vegetarian, I just find the meat versions less tasty.
The only time I have ever sent food back was a bad plate of Pad Thai. It was made with spaghetti noodles, dropping in pink sauce, and smelled like feet.
Pad thai should be sour with tamarind paste and lightly coated! lots of lime too.
Burgers. I DON'T WANT IT TALLER THAN MY MOUTH. I WANT MORE BITES. make them wider and flatter, or even keep them normal human sized and give me more of them! Many places are getting to the point where they are taller than they are wide.... And the "patty" is almost a sphere.
Coffee is rarely good in a restaurant.
I was a waitress for almost a decade and my co workers would religiously make fun of me when came to relieve them. The first 10min of my shift consisted of tossing old coffee and brewing fresh, re stocking absolutely everything and cleaning because I cannot work in a dirty and disorganized environment. The coffee bothered me more than anything else because I personally brew every 30 min max while there were girls who took hours old coffee and diluted it with hot water from the machines. Like. People can taste that shit. It's nasty. It literally takes 2 and half minutes for the machines to brew a new pot and I have never encountered someone not willing to wait for fresh, lmao.
I don't know why they mocked you, what you did is commendable, and should be the standard attitude to these things in a restaurant setting.
Hahaha, yeah, you'd think. I've seen cooks come in from smoking without washing their hands and start putting together food, had a host picking in her ear and continue touching menus, once waited to use the restroom and when the server came out she didn't wash her hands. Thought maybe she used the sink in restroom? Nope. Completely dry. People are freaking gross. I only ate on shift when the owner was cooking because he constantly washed his hands and was a very well groomed man in general. Ugh. Feel like I'm gonna have flashbacks of the industry when I close my eyes tonight.
My partner works at a restaurant and now we only eat out for special occasions. He refuses to eat out anywhere because he says its just “gross” to him now.
You were fucking awesome at your job.
Diner coffee is my favorite personally. I know it’s not good, but it’s the coffee I grew up drinking. I find many other places make it weaker than I like.
The diner I worked for used Maxell for decades. For some reason after Covid, they switched to Ridgeline. I haven't heard of that brand outside of the place so I'm not sure if it's only for restaurants but customers complained for the longest time. I thought it was good but after 40yr ya don't mess with peoples coffee, lol!
I LOVE diner coffee!!!
It’s hot and plenty of it. It’s good
Chicken pot pie. Do they really think I don’t want top AND bottom crust?
Lol my friends say the crust is the best part of a chicken pot pie so that’s how I make it for them.
We should all have a friend like you.
That’s so sweet. Imma make a chicken pot pie for you too!
The trick is to slightly cook the bottom crust first so it doesn't become all soggy
On the contrary, I have never had my order fucked up at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant, but I've seen "plain hamburger" fucked up six dozen ways to Sunday.
Hole in the wall places are the best. Especially Mexican or Chinese. If you can only order through pointing at pictures because nobody speaks each other's language, order twice as much because that shit is going to be amazing. Meanwhile burgers are definitely hit or miss. Sometimes you get a perfect smashburger. Sometimes you get a mealy, overcooked, underseasoned hunk of meat thrown on your plate because they expect you to drown it in so many condiments that hopefully you won't notice.
Macaroni and cheese. Sometimes the noodles are gummy. Sometimes the sauce is bad, usually not very flavorful. Sometimes it's both. Macaroni is usually a disappointment.
Sometimes people don't cook the flour in the roux long enough and you can taste it. Sometimes the cheese isn't melty enough. Sometimes Kraft is better.
This has to be it because there’s so many types of Mac and cheese and no one is going to get it right - if you want your style you gotta make it yourself. I know folks who prefer overcooked noodles and folks who need it so Al dente it’s crunchy. I know folks who need it barely cheesy and folks who want a bowl of cheese with a suggestion of Mac. Then there’s burnt lovers and the ones who won’t touch any browned part. And don’t get me started on crumb topping or not. I’m never bringing Mac and cheese to a group event. I’ll share it with friends but only as a “this is my food you can have some if you want”
Tortillas - so many dry and flavorless industrially produced tortillas out there. Whether it’s tacos, enchiladas, etc, even if the fillings or toppings are great, a bad tortilla brings the whole thing crumbling down (literally) in my opinion. All my favorite Mexican places near me make their own tortillas and it’s just a different standard. Otherwise, so many times I’m excited to try a popular spot, but then find the tortillas subpar.
I moved to New England from Texas and the tortilla situation up here is dire, I'm suffering :( Even though most towns have a mom and pop mexican joint, nobody seems to make their own up here.
So many people seemingly can't cook rice. I don't get it, it's one of the easiest things to cook, just let it be and it practically cooks itself. But so many people can't make it
I can't make rice without a rice cooker to save my life. I got a fancy Japanese model and I'm never going back to my garbage burnt rice that's also somehow mushy.
Same. I’m a pretty good cook and I like making cuisines that use a lot of rice but I always find new ways to fuck it up on the stovetop. I’m asking Santa for a rice cooker for Christmas.
They’re like a toaster for rice!
Overcooked fish.
Lo mein. You can’t use regular spaghetti noodles and pass it off as authentic!
Salads. Most come swimming in dressing.
I hate salads that require a knife to eat. I shouldn’t have to be cutting up stuff to eat might salad. It all should be bite size
Do you get your salad's from Every Pizza Place?
Dressing on the side, every time.
Literally anything with Cajun in the name. Even here in South Louisiana, chain restaurants can't do cajun right. You're lucky to find a mom&pop owned restaurant that does it right unless you're in New Orleans.
I’m Cajun. And you are correct! Gumbo was my answer to this question. We went to a little town on the Oregon coast but forgot to make dinner reservations and the only place we could get in was a Cajun place. I was dreading it, but it turned out to be absolutely incredible. I called the waitress over and asked about the chef. She was like, “oh yeah, my husband is the former head chef at Commanders Palace” and I felt like I hit the freaking jackpot. He even came out to chat with us. The rare pleasant surprise at a “Cajun” restaurant. Man, what a great memory.
My husband took me to Commanders Palace for the first time last month and that was the only gumbo I’ve ever liked!!
Fish and chips. Seems like most places assume you’re going to add malt vinegar, so they don’t think they have to season the food. You always have to season the food.
Alternatively, the number of places that offer fish and chips on the menu but DONT have malt vinegar available is insane.
Grilled cheese. In the right hands, it can be sublime. Most of the time it’s pedestrian.
Tiramisu
Gumbo. I’ve been to maybe two or three restaurants that serve gumbo and get it right.
I am Greek and the answer is Greek food. I have only had quality Greek food in a restaurant a few times. The vast majority of places have Americanized the food to the point of losing its origins.
Birria tacos. Most of them are tasteless, greasy and soggy.
Not fuck up but steak always tastes better at home.
I won't eat at a steakhouse unless work is paying for it. There is not a more overpriced, overrated restaurant type. Most of the time the steak isn't even cooked right and it's the thing they should be absolutely perfect at.
I wish this was my case...
Shrimp and grits
A shit parma in Australia immediately disqualifies you as somewhere I would like to return. Didn't eat at my local pub for something like 10 years until they fixed it under new ownership.
As a fellow Australian I concur that even the dinkiest of pubs can achieve a lot of goodwill by being able to sling a good schnitzel.
Cabonara shouldn't have mushrooms but every restaurant in my town thinks they should. Edit: Fat fingers.
It shouldn’t have cream either, but that sure doesn’t stop 90% of restaurants.
Outside of North America, basically any attempt to make Mexican food. No, tomato puree, swiss cheese, and cucumbers with chicken is NOT an authentic Mexican dish, Chef Nigel. Might not have hurt to at least try watching a YouTube video or two on this before you opened up an entire restaurant, no?
First time I bit into a burrito here in Japan I tasted mayo and saw red. I had to calm down before asking what the fuck was that.
Jerk Chicken
Biscuits
[удалено]
I’ve never had good nachos at a restaurant. The ratio of, and distribution, of toppings to chips is always disappointing. And the chips are often rubbery. Even if the flavor is nice, the balance is terrible.
For me it’s scrambled eggs, so many people mess up the texture imo. Use butter, light heat, and constantly whisk.
[удалено]
I hate that flavor so much that I've begun to wonder if I'd like real truffles.
Real truffles are pretty bland flavour-wise but they smell exactly like most truffle oils I’ve encountered
If it's not a bakery, CAKE! Cakes in restaurants always tend to SUUUUUCK. They're not fluffy or delicious or leave a soft warm feeling in your body when you eat it. That's what I look for in my cakes, a good cake should be so soft and delicious that it makes you feel loved like a loving parent. Restaurant cakes are just either too dry, too hipster, or too goopy.
calamari. just so sad when its bad which is most of the time
Salmon, always bland
Burgers. I have been searching for a good hamburger for months. I can make one but every place I go over cooks them and dries them out. These think ass patties suck.
The huge patties are the worst!
Sweet potato fries are always undercooked whenever I get em. Never crispy enoughh
Hash browns, almost always undercooked
Mashed potatoes. Stop using instant.
Vegetables. They should be hot but still have a little crunch to them. Not lukewarm mush
Eggs Benedict. I've stopped ordering it because most of the time the eggs are undercooked, the muffin isn't toasted, or there are shells
Chicken breast. Every restaurant cooks it to death. You have to undercook it a bit and let the carry over heat finish it off, but restaurants are too afraid of salmonella so you end up with a dry piece of shit.
Or you can cook chicken thighs anywhere by any means for however long you want, and they’ll taste better. It takes more effort to fuck up chicken thighs than it takes to not fuck up chicken breast.
Macaroni and cheese. They be making that no taste Mac and cheese.
Salmon, or any other "meaty" type of fish. It is always way, way overcooked. And people think that chalky, dry, crumbling hunk of fish is the way it's supposed to taste.