Do you ask for doggy bags...portions too big

[80sWaistcoat]

Out the other night in a nice but casual restaurant. Mains are about £18. I only ate half of mine, really lovely fish dish, so I asked for a doggy bag.

My friend was mildly disapproving. I didn't care - the portion was too big and I wasn't going to waste it. It was lovely the next day for lunch.

And DH and I went out for curry and shared a starter and a main and a nan. All at the same time so the starter was like a side dish. Was that weird? It was enough. Neither of us are skinny....this isn't some weird boast.

Everyone does it here (Canada).

If you declined and had a lot left they would ask out of concern if you'd not enjoyed it

ZoFlo same at our Indian, they know I never finish and always ask for the rest to take away so they bag up half it before we get the plates

Kel how do you think it would look? I'm genuinely curious, not being sarcastic :)

Always. We live in Texas and if you don't finish your plate you are asked if you'd like them to box it for you. Even breakfast pancakes can last 2 days

I am a fatty and love my food but often there is too much on the plate when I eat out. I regularly ask for it to take home but my DM has some weird idea it makes you look poor so hates when I do it. This is the same woman who will happily pick at a takeaway over a couple of days. Nutter.

Never have asked to take it home and to be honest I wouldn't ask even if I left most of the meal. It would only end up in my bin as I don't eat food reheated and I don't like cold pizza etc. I wouldn't think you where skint if you asked I would just think it's weird. Apparently a member of dhs family once asked for a doggy bag and the restaurant made them sign a disclaimer to say if it made them ill it wasn't the restaurants fault.

I get a doggy bag - for the dog.

I just wouldn't want to revisit restaurant food the next day.

I always ask if there's quite a bit of food left. Wouldn't when I was younger as I thought I might be viewed as tight but now I don't care. I paid for it, it's mine!

I'm disabled and don't eat in public. Theres a lovely local restaurant, if DF eat there, they give them extras in the doggy bag to bring home for me.
Thank you Reds

Hate the term "doggy bag" Judy ask for it to be "boxed to go".

Yes..one place we love has boxes for this purpose. Though I just would prefer if the portion wasn't so big.

I always wondered why there isn't a female sized meal. Realistically I'm not going to eat as much as dh. Him being twice the size of me.
So I eat half my meal and he eats his and my leftover half.

OMG that would cause uproar!

Not all females have smaller appetites than their husbands.

It reminds me of the 'Ladies steak' you used to see on menus years ago.

I always ask to take away food.

Asking for a doggy bag seems to be slightly stigmatised here, but I think it makes perfect sense, not just because you've paid for the food, but also you're cutting down on food waste and consumption - okay, not by much, but it all counts.

I saw a ladies steak in USA about 2 years ago, I wondered if it was a piss take in our house I'm more inclined to order a burger and pint and DH order a salad and water

I've been to a couple of pubs that did two portion sizes. But actually the smaller portion was "normal" (by pub standards) and the larger portion was enormous

I would never call it a doggy bag as I find the phrase rather icky.

I ask for the rest to be boxed up when we go to our local Chinese. The portions are huge (even my DH who can eat huge portions and still not pit on weight struggles).

Always makes a nice lunch the next day.

I've often wanted to order a kids size lunch for myself but apparently restaurants aren't happy about this? Kids portions wouls be just about enough for me (I'm only 5 foot this isn't a boast!).

Yep. Often.

Even if I won't eat it later, DH, the human garbage disposal, will.

When I worked in a restaurant, we would always offer takeaway containers/pizza boxes if someone left a significant amount of food (or they'd ask first), and most of the time people were happy about that. It's not cheap, and the portions are too big for a lot of people.

I would probably only do this in a place that I know also does takeaway, e.g. Pizza/pasta, indian, Chinese etc. And some pubs. I wouldn't do it in a more high end place, but then the portions are usually more realistic in those places, and the enjoyment is right there and then. Having said that the is a very nice restaurant near is which have played up desserts to take home over the road as we were late for the babysitter!

I've never done it, although I did take home some scraps in a bag once for the dog, then forgot about it and left it in my handbag.

A few days later I open my handbag to reveal a stench and find the bag of liquified meat... oh god I won't do that again.

I did it just now in the Gordon Ramsay restaurant Opal. They gave me some extra bits as well

I couldn't do this as I couldn't bring myself to say "doggy bag".

I say, 'can I take this to go' and pretend I'm in an american diner in the 50s.

You don't have to say 'doggy bag' - you just ask if they can box it up for you to take away!

I ordered a lovely but massive (and quite expensive main) in an Indian restaurant a few months ago. Asked if they could box it up for me. Sure, sure... then dumped the other diners cutlery and side plates on top. I was like "I said I wanted to take that home!" And the waiter was just like "yeah I'm going to box it up for you" not after you've just put the underside of other plates in the and other people's dirty forks . Made me question the hygiene of the kitchen TBH.