FabSwingers.com forum: Stingy menus

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Went out for some lunch with my friend. She chose the chicken in a mediterranean sauce I chose the steak with the pepper sauce.

The menu said the potatoes were sauted on my friends choice and my steak came with chips.

When the meals came out thats just what they were - not a bit of veg or salad in sight. The chicken had one tiny sliced and sauted new potato next to a small chicken breast. We just looked at each other and said is this it?

I eat out a lot and they either ask what sort of potatoes you want or with rice etc. I expect veg as standard - the steak was £19.95 and the chicken £14.50. The waiter brought some veg after I complained and said he would waive the charge for them (£5.95 on the menu for a couple of pieces of broccoli, cauliflower 4 string beans and a few carrot batons).

Do you consider veg as a separate side dish or part of a meal costing as much as ours did?

I have never had such a stingy meal and these were lunchtime main menu prices.

The couple next to us said they had all had pizza and a soft drink and it came to nearly £60 and the pizza was miniscule. The only outcome is that 6 people will never eat there again.

Whats the worst meal you have ever had to pay for - or have you ever refused to pay for poor value in a restaurant?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I would expect vegetables with a meal as standard unless it's on a skillet in which case it might come with grilled tomato as opposed to garden peas.

If the meal was poor I would complain

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Once while touring in Scotland, some friends an I stopped for Sunday Lunch at a Restaurant/ Café’ in Fort Augustus , we all ordered a full Sunday Roast Dinner which promptly appeared at our table concealed under individual plate covers,,,,

To our collective amusement each serving consisted of a full meal which had obviously been prepared and plated in advance, then deep-frozen in readiness for blasting with a microwave oven when required…

It would seem on that day…!! "Chef" forgot to get his pinger timing correct on the Nuke as the meals were still completely froze solid …..

The poor waiter serving table, did not know where to put the gravy boat in order to hide his embarrassment …..

So we left the establishment still rather hungry.

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By *unky monkeyMan
over a year ago

in the night garden

I love the term 'Mediterranean sauce' like that is a clear indication of it's contents.

A sauce made up of used condoms, syringes, toxic jelly fish, a bit of sun tan oil and a 5 day old Sun newspaper (Spanish edition). Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I love the term 'Mediterranean sauce' like that is a clear indication of it's contents.

A sauce made up of used condoms, syringes, toxic jelly fish, a bit of sun tan oil and a 5 day old Sun newspaper (Spanish edition). Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

Well I changed the name of the sauce - as the sauce was the name of the restaurant and I was not naming and shaming... but using your thought pattern (god help me) no, a suace by the restaurnt name doesnt sound appetising either

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

can't be doing with a la carte or michelin starred shite - gimme a proper plate of grub any day

keep your 'jus' and your sugar cages, give me gravy and custard (tho not on the same plate)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

or stingey taster menu's

47 courses and you still have to call in at the chippy on the way home

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I love the term 'Mediterranean sauce' like that is a clear indication of it's contents.

A sauce made up of used condoms, syringes, toxic jelly fish, a bit of sun tan oil and a 5 day old Sun newspaper (Spanish edition). Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

Eek-gads .... you see !….. Now I know for certain, your not the real Funkious Monkious at all......

The real Funkster would never have missed this opportunity to wheel out the old mediterranean gag about what type of pepper do you prefer?…..is it….. News-pepper or toilet-pepper !!!!

Monkey Mk2 …….. You (Sir or Madame)are an impostor, !!!!… and I demand too know what you’ve done with the real FM !

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By *unky monkeyMan
over a year ago

in the night garden

"Well I changed the name of the sauce - as the sauce was the name of the restaurant and I was not naming and shaming... but using your thought pattern (god help me) no, a suace by the restaurnt name doesnt sound appetising either

'Pizza Hut Sauce' is hardly naming and shaming mon Petit Pois.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If I feel that any meal I've been served is not up to standard I will tell them, and on a couple of occasions, I have not only told them how bad the meal was but refused to pay as it was so inedible.

My rule of thumb is if I can cook it better at home, why then am I paying for this?

On the other hand though if a meal or service is good I'll tell them and also tip well.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Vegetables should be part of a meal.

But salads more and more ,seem to be an extra.

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By *unky monkeyMan
over a year ago

in the night garden

"I love the term 'Mediterranean sauce' like that is a clear indication of it's contents.

A sauce made up of used condoms, syringes, toxic jelly fish, a bit of sun tan oil and a 5 day old Sun newspaper (Spanish edition). Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Eek-gads .... you see !….. Now I know for certain, your not the real Funkious Monkious at all......

The real Funkster would never have missed this opportunity to wheel out the old mediterranean gag about what type of pepper do you prefer?…..is it….. News-pepper or toilet-pepper !!!!

Monkey Mk2 …….. You (Sir or Madame)are an impostor, !!!!… and I demand too know what you’ve done with the real FM !

Dude I am a time traveler, we all have to re-generate at some point. You can't surf a quantum wave without it taking it's toll. When we do, bits of us are left behind a bit like a psychic snake skin.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

'Pizza Hut Sauce' is hardly naming and shaming mon Petit Pois."

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

'Pizza Hut Sauce' is hardly naming and shaming mon Petit Pois."

Guess not - Romanos it is then.

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By *unky monkeyMan
over a year ago

in the night garden

"Guess not - Romanos it is then."

I've not been but had heard good things. You wont be recommending it then?

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Guess not - Romanos it is then.

I've not been but had heard good things. You wont be recommending it then?"

I love the one in Cleadon Village but not the metro one. It used to be on par foodwise.

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By *iz78Woman
over a year ago

wirral

and the moral of the story is.....

next time find a hungry horse chain of pubs lol

20oz steak for £11 with all the trimmings included

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Monkey Mk2 …….. You (Sir or Madame)are an impostor, !!!!… and I demand too know what you’ve done with the real FM !

Dude I am a time traveler, we all have to re-generate at some point. You can't surf a quantum wave without it taking it's toll. When we do, bits of us are left behind a bit like a psychic snake skin.

I’m figuring prosthetic skin maybe the more likely answer …..

So Monkey Mk2,, know this, we at the newly formed fake time traveller investigation bureau have got our trained eye on you (the other eye is doing something else)…..

But just one false move and your cover is blown….. We are watching

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Worst meal I had was in one of those pretentious chain restaurants. Special occasion time- ordered a steak and trimmings and salivated until it arrived. Two mouthfulls later I was crtain the meat was off and felt so sick I couldn't eat another thing. Politely told the waiter who returned the plate to the kitchen then had the absolute cheek as I turned greener by the moment to return and argue I was imagining it! Everyone turned to look at him but I quietly insisted and he flounced off. The nerve

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By *arnayguyMan
over a year ago

Durham Tees

I had a one course business lunch in the Savoy Hotel about 20 years ago. I forget what main we chose but the veg was £8, I still remember. When it came it was six tiny baby carrots, all perfectly lined up, complete with the lttle green tops. The northerner in me couldn't hold it in and my female guest was visibly shocked as I blurted out, 'Eight quid for 6 carrots?!' I think if she'd been a date I'd have blown it.

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By *urreyfun2008Man
over a year ago

East Grinstead

Personally if a place is bad food wise i do name and shame.

Some fancy places are just fancy but have ate at a few where the difference was very noticeable. If going on a 'meet' and eating never go anywhere i dont know.

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By *ornyHorwichCpl aka HHCCouple
over a year ago

horwich

"and the moral of the story is.....

next time find a hungry horse chain of pubs lol

20oz steak for £11 with all the trimmings included

Funny that, we were just looking up where our nearest is

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Seperate veg/salad is becoming the industry standard in places that consider themselves to be "high end".

Firstly they can make extra profit and secondly shocking as it seems there are a large amount of people who just don't eat vegetables.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Seperate veg/salad is becoming the industry standard in places that consider themselves to be "high end".

Firstly they can make extra profit and secondly shocking as it seems there are a large amount of people who just don't eat vegetables. "

It's been standard practice abroad even in some countries paying for chips with a steak.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Seperate veg/salad is becoming the industry standard in places that consider themselves to be "high end".

Firstly they can make extra profit and secondly shocking as it seems there are a large amount of people who just don't eat vegetables. "

Yeah I can understand those not keen on veg unwilling to pay for something thats included and they're not going to eat and therefore a waste. But if restaurants want to stop the waste they should reduce the price of the meat part of the dish and then have vegetables as a side for personal choice and less waste.

I think a chicken breast and one sliced sauted potato does not command nearly 15 quid in a bog standard Italian restaurant, nor does a pretty ordinary steak and chips represent good value at almost 20 quid.

Im not stingy I pay for quality but without a crystal ball you don't know what the food is going to be like until it appears, so its a chance you take with dining out. I lost my Britishness and complained for a change I might do that in future if I'm not happy again

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Seperate veg/salad is becoming the industry standard in places that consider themselves to be "high end".

Firstly they can make extra profit and secondly shocking as it seems there are a large amount of people who just don't eat vegetables.

It's been standard practice abroad even in some countries paying for chips with a steak."

I never eat 'english' food abroad for this very reason - I'd rather taste what the country has to offer anyway

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