wibu to take different food into a restaurant?

[FedupofbeingtoldIcantusemyname]

Dc's and I are going on holiday in the half term, yay!

Dc2 is severely autistic and is very limited in what they will eat. More often than not they will refuse to eat anything that isn't McDonalds when we go out to eat and even then only specific items.

I really want to take the dc's out somewhere for lunch/dinner while we are away but I'm really worried that there will be nothing dc2 will tolerate eating.

Wib completely u to take McDonalds in to another 'food place' (restaurant, cafe, etc) for dc2?

I would never normally do this as I know its extremely rude and obviously I would explain to the staff and apologise in advance but it would just be really nice for dc1 to be able to go somewhere that isn't all about dc2 and their food issues. Wibu to do this?

I think a lot of places would agree actually if you asked nicely beforehand and explained.

You could consider taking the children to eat at McDonald's first then go to the restaurant for your own meal and just get the children a desert? This is what I usually do.

I didn't expressly sat eldest dd is autistic- perhaps I should. Sorry

We do it for food allergy reasons. It's a pack up of all dd's favourite foods.
Everywhere has been very accommodating

Phone and ask. Remove all packaging and put in a food container.

I always ring and ask first.

I would quite happily put the McDonalds in/on something else so it isn't identifyable as McDonalds but unfortunately dc2 will not eat a packed lunch. Its frustrating because he normally eats quite well at home (although still very restricted) but he will not eat the same things outside of the house.

The only things I can say will some degree of certainty he might eat is either crisps or chips of some kind.

Ive never had an issue doing it, I always ask in advance I never use packaging from another venue and I always pay the cost of a children's meal for the person who needs the substitute and ask the, to just not cook or bring it out.

And by in advance I mean at least 5 hours before so nobody is put in a uncomfortable position by me asking just as we are about to be seated

I think as long as you ask in advance and give them the chance to say no it not unreasonable if that helps alternative if they don't agree would ordering chips then stopping by McDonald's on the way to/home from the meal be a compromise?

McDonald's has a very specific smell which is very recognisable and might not be what the restaurant wants to portray, aside from the fact that it is food from a different place. So they WNBU in refusing your request.

I would go with pp suggestion of stopping by McD first, then continuing to the restaurant.
(not really relevant, but an ex-bf from many years ago got chucked out of Burger King for bringing chips from the chippy which were half the price, twice the quantity and much nicer. They sniffed him out.)

Wow that sounds tricky to manage for you, and I would like to think most restaurants would help out.

However the smell of McDonald's is distinctive and over powering, are there no other options of food to take in at all?

I work in a very family friendly pub restaurant and we would do absolutely everything we could to accommodate this. The problem would be as we are run by a large company we would get into trouble with you bringing branded McDonald's food in, I like the idea of removing the packaging, that may work. Definitely ring up and speak to the manager

I agree with many of the others - pack up ok, McDonalds not. The smell apart from anything. A shame he won't eat the pack up.

Could you go somewhere that you know does chips and just accept he will just have that?

yes that would be extremely unreasonable

Pop the mac Donald's in a little Tupperware box and I think it would look ok. I'd phone ahead.

Alternatively could he just eat beforehand and have a dessert at the restaurant. By the time you have bought the macdonalds then got to the restaurant and ordered his good would be getting cold o he might as well eat it when he gets it.

Ask them. My partner works with young adults with severe autism etc. One of the chaps will only eat 'fries to go" from the freezer (along with very few other things I believe). They go out to eat as a group once a month (to the local Harvester type place). They speak to the manager earlier in the day, take along the "fries to go" and he microwaves them for the chap in question, no problem. It's worth a try.

If he will eat a portion of chips then call ahead, explain and ask if some could be prepared, let's face it very few places don't serve chips anyway, even high end restaurants tend to have chips as an option even if those chips are hand cut to mm precision and stacked in a jenga styley

I've seen children eating McDonald's in our local Indian Restaurant so it's worth asking.

batman Did I used to be your boss? I use to let kiddies in to my Pizza Hut with other meals! ( South East)

I've never had trouble with a packed lunch. I always say "he has allergies" because it sounds better than "he is extremely fussy...." But I would never dare bring in a McDonalds! I would never even think of it.

YANBU
I've done so for my ds who has autism. As long as you check it will be ok beforehand I don't see a problem.
The places I've been have been extremely kind and understanding, 9 times out of 10 we eat where ds eats but there have been occasions where I reaaally haven't wanted to eat that same meal again myself.

I agree with other posters that the smell is the real stumbling block. I have a weakness for a quarter pounder from MD's so I'm not being snotty, but it is a very -rank- distinctive smell that would be completely out of place in a restaurant, and smell is so important to taste.

If he might eat chips, could you ring ahead and ask for them? If he prefers a particular brand they might well bung them in for you in the circumstances.

If the restaurant do burgers/nuggets etc ask if they will put in macdonalds bag ... Explain first. Have done similar with ds friend - restaurant pizza in dominoes box