Ever wonder what food professionals really think when they scan a restaurant menu? These culinary experts have developed a keen eye for spotting dishes that signal trouble ahead. Their years of kitchen experience have taught them to recognize red flags that most diners miss completely.
Professional chefs can spot overpriced items, poorly executed dishes, and questionable ingredient quality from a mile away. Their insight could save you from wasting money on disappointing meals. Let’s explore the specific menu items that make seasoned chefs shake their heads and reach for something else instead.
Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella sticks are one of those appetizers that’s way easier to buy frozen than make from scratch – so most restaurants do just that. This means you’re paying premium prices for something that likely came straight from a freezer bag. Not only does this mean that they’re not fresh, but it also means that you’re paying a lot of money for something that costs the restaurant very little. Plus, if you can cook a store-bought version of this frozen snack in your oven or air fryer in just a few minutes at home, why would you bother ordering it when you’re eating out?
The disappointing truth is that most restaurants don’t put any effort into making these crispy cheese sticks special. They’re rarely made with love. When you’re dining out, you want dishes that showcase culinary skill rather than reheated frozen foods you could easily prepare at home.
There’s also the fact that mozzarella sticks are arguably one of the heavier appetizers out there. Although they can be great as a snack with a couple of drinks, if you’re ordering them before your entrée, you may well find that you’re completely full by the time it arrives.
Margherita Pizza
“Stop paying for this dish,” she states to Business Insider. “It’s just dough, a little sauce, a few pieces of basil, and part of a log of mozzarella. You’re paying $12 minimum for a dish that costs $1 to make.” This stark cost breakdown from an executive chef reveals exactly why margherita pizza represents poor value for money.
Helton points to her own experience as the executive chef in an Italian restaurant, so it may go to show that even the most traditional eateries can serve up margheritas that aren’t worth it. Even authentic Italian restaurants struggle to justify their pricing on this simple dish.
Instead, you’d be far better off ordering pizzas which have ingredients you can’t get anywhere else, or combine toppings in a way that you’d never thought to do. Go for something different, instead of ordering the same old thing. Smart diners choose pizzas that showcase creativity and premium ingredients you can’t easily replicate at home.
Restaurant Soup
Well, apparently, quite offensive – if you’re Gordon Ramsay, that is. The famous chef is very clear about avoiding ordering the soup in a restaurant, namely because it can be a canny way for chefs to use up old ingredients. This insight from one of the world’s most famous chefs should give any diner pause before ordering that tempting soup of the day.
Soup becomes a convenient way for kitchens to transform ingredients that are past their prime into something palatable. What seems like a comforting, wholesome choice might actually be yesterday’s vegetables disguised in broth. The liquid medium effectively masks any decline in quality or freshness that would be obvious in other preparations.
Professional chefs know that soup is often the last stop for ingredients before they would otherwise be thrown away. This practice isn’t necessarily unsafe, though it certainly doesn’t represent the quality dining experience you’re paying for.
Daily Specials
“When I go out to eat at other restaurants, I never order the specials,” says executive chef and owner Alberto Morreale of Farmer’s Bottega, in San Diego. “Some restaurants put together their specials for the day based on what’s about to expire or what they’re trying to get rid of faster.” This candid admission from a restaurant owner exposes a common industry practice.
“Ordering [it] is code in the industry for ‘the back of the house is trying to get rid of its inventory from the weekend before vendor deliveries come in for the following week.'” The timing of specials often coincides with inventory management rather than culinary inspiration.
Instead of falling for the special pitch, ask your server about dishes made with fresh, local ingredients that arrived recently. This approach ensures you’re getting quality rather than leftovers dressed up as something exciting.
Chicken Caesar Salad
Adding chicken, argued Anthony Bourdain, is a surefire way to ruin a Caesar salad. It’s no surprise, then, that chicken Caesar salad was one of 14 things he advised avoiding ordering at a restaurant. The late celebrity chef felt strongly that chicken corrupts this classic dish.
“Look, if you see a chicken Caesar on the menu, you know that somebody’s made compromises.” Bourdain viewed the addition of chicken as a sign that the restaurant lacks culinary integrity. The reason some critics don’t love the chicken Caesar could be because it’s sold everywhere with little variation. The chicken is usually plain (and sometimes rather dry) grilled chicken.
Chef Julian also warns against ordering a chicken Caesar salad from “low-end establishments.” He says, “They are going to use pre-made dressing, bagged crouton, with pre-cut lettuce and Parmesan, and with so many anti-caking agents and preservatives in it that it will blow your mind!” Quality suffers significantly when restaurants take shortcuts with this popular dish.
Well-Done Steak
Because the meat needs to be heated so much longer for a well-done steak, the natural juices escape the beef, and the fibers can become unpleasantly chewy and tough. Because of its unappetizing results, many chefs consider well-done steak to be a waste of good meat. The cooking process destroys everything that makes a quality steak worth ordering.
Chef Anthony Bourdain shared his disdain for well-done steak in his memoir “Kitchen Confidential,” even saying that his kitchen staff set aside the worst cuts for well-done orders (via The New Yorker). This practice reveals how little respect kitchen staff have for customers who order their steak this way.
But consider ordering your steak medium. This way, the meat will be slightly more well done, but it won’t become tough and dry. Medium represents a compromise that preserves some of the meat’s natural qualities while addressing concerns about doneness.
Lobster Rolls
“I like lobster, but not enough to justify the cost of a $40-50 [lobster] roll,” said Evan Hennessey, chef and owner of Stages at One Washington and The Living Room in Dover, New Hampshire. “I understand there’s a lot of labor involved in harvesting and prepping lobster, but the rest of the ingredients cost very little,” he said. This chef’s analysis breaks down the economics of this popular coastal dish.
He feels people have become used to paying higher prices without questioning them. “I think the market has been driven so high that people are willing to pay astronomical amounts without blinking,” he said. Consumer acceptance of inflated pricing has enabled restaurants to charge premium rates for relatively simple preparations.
“We call that ‘tourist pricing,’ and us locals don’t appreciate it.” The term “tourist pricing” perfectly captures how restaurants exploit visitors who don’t know better pricing standards in the local market.
Pasta Dishes at Non-Italian Restaurants
Spaghetti, fettuccine or penne is common on non-Italian restaurant menus, yet pasta dishes are often overpriced, especially if you calculate the cost of ingredients. Marcus Mooney, executive chef of Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating, has high standards for pasta and rarely orders it at restaurants. He once worked for an Italian restaurant group in Chicago and says, “They were charging $20 for a plate of rigatoni with marinara sauce, and the cost was $1. I can’t bring myself to pay that much knowing what’s involved and how it is prepared.” The only time he orders a pasta dish at a restaurant is if he knows they do it well, such as a lasagna or ravioli, or if they make a great carbonara.
This massive markup reveals one of the food industry’s most profitable tricks. Pasta dishes require minimal skill and ingredients yet command premium prices at most establishments. The profit margins are astronomical because dried pasta costs practically nothing wholesale.
Unless you’re dining at a restaurant that specializes in handmade pasta or has a reputation for exceptional Italian cuisine, you’re likely paying far too much for something you could prepare better at home. Save your money for dishes that showcase real culinary expertise.
