To ask how you feel about “doggy bags”

[MyKingdomForACaramel]

Went for a meal with Dh this evening. We had some super fancy mixed grill type thing (hours later am still stuffed), think around 7 cuts of meat plus a couple of sides.

We ate about half before we realised that our eyes were most definitely larger than our bellies and both agreed that with so much left we should ask if we could take the remai set home.

Thus ensued a ridiculous conversation over who should ask for the “doggy bag” - we both felt it was entirely reasonable to ask, but both felt a little embarrassed to ask.

So I guess my question is - is it unreasonable to ask to take left overs?

Definitely take home leftovers - tasty no-effort lunch the next day.

No need to pretend you have a dog though. Seriously, the staff don't give a shit why you want it.

I really dont care what judgments staff may make of me.

You wanna take home your food, take it!

Dh and I have no shame - we often take home leftover rice, noodles or chips for our pet chickens!

ALways ask to take it home but never say doggy bag, I hate food waste and think you're helping the planet by doing so

They honestly like you to take the leftovers as it demonstrates that you like the food, but are just full.

Before I realised that I simply can't eat a starter and a main, I had the chef come out to me when I left almost all a main course after a starter that was almost full meal size to see what was wrong with the food.

I explained that it was lovely (and it was, I remember it as one of the nicest meals I had ever had) but I was very full, and it that case I was staying in a hotel so unable to take the food for later, much as I would have liked to.

The other thing to remember is that any restaurant that also does takeaway will already have all the boxes etc to pack it up, and just about any restaurant will have foil if nothing else.

Thanks all (said while digging into my leftover chorizo). I really have no idea why I find asking for leftovers so socially awkward! I’m not a shy person, nor usually awkward in restaurants - perhaps am usually greedy enough not to leave leftovers

On and here were the leftovers 😂

Once was told no to a doggy bag at Hakkasan. Was mightily pissed off.

EVERYWHERE does this in the US, in fact they generally assume you want one if there’s anything left on your plate. Which there will be. Because their portions are ridiculous (and I’m pretty greedy). I’d rather pay less for less food and leave empty handed but I think it’s their cultural idea of good value. I’m not sure what everyone does with it. I assume they all have a second dinner at home about 10pm (they do tend to eat early, outside the big cities). I generally said no as I was young then (sob) and tended to be going on to a bar. Still not sure what the protocol was for taking a doggy bag to the pub...

It’s the norm in the US, isn’t it?

yes, but we don't bother calling them a "doggy bag." We just say we'd like the food wrapped up to go, or we would like a small container. Smart restaurants wrap it up for you, family restaurants give you something to wrap it up yourself.

It's completely normal. I usually cut my food in half before I start to eat so that I stop at a reasonable point. Restaurant meals are often huge.

I was once in New York and we got chatting to a very posh couple on the next table. We couldn’t eat much of our meal (hungover) but were too embarrassed and British to ask. When the waiter came the lady on the next table shouted ‘can they get that to go?’ There wasn’t a modicum of awkwardness about it. I’ve never hesitated since.

Just spotted there are some Americans on the thread! Apols for talking about you like an anthropology experiment. But what do you do with your leftovers?

Absolutely not unreasonable.

You've paid for the food.

It's very common where I am (Australia). Most places will offer to wrap/box your things up for you.

I was of the understanding that leftovers were next day's lunch in places like New York. Many single people or couples hardly ever cook at home and eat out or warm up their leftovers. Maybe keep bread and cereal in for breakfast, if they don't eat out for that meal too.

I can see how it wouldn't work if you were going on for a bar and didn't want to drag a bag of food round with you or were likely to accidentally leave it in a bar somewhere.

I really have no idea why I find asking for leftovers so socially awkward! I’m not a shy person, nor usually awkward in restaurants

Yes OP! I get you. I used to have such anxiety and guilt over leaving food & not being able to ask to take it home for fear of looking “common”.

Around 10 years ago I got over myself though and will always ask now if there are leftovers... especially if it’s a tasty Mediterranean mixed grill 😋

I wouldn't call it a doggy bag, I would just ask if they can wrap it up for us to take home. Absolutely fine for completely untouched food, bit gross if it's been a bit mauled around your plate a bit. I've seen my mil shovel half eaten fish and chips into her hand bag wrapped in a napkin when we were on a day out and I nearly gagged at the thought of the state that would be in after a hot afternoon!!!

of course you should act if you want to take something home.

though i do get a little embarrassed sometimes when eating out with my grandmother, what she tends to do is eat a mouthful or two & then want to take the rest home. only she'll rarely ask for a box or whatever, stuff just seems to disappear into her handbag.

@sara - just why! Chips are rubbish 15 minutes after eating let alone a couple of hours!

I think the only time it's not on is when it's an all-you-can-eat affair.

I always ask for leftovers to be boxed up. Didn't even realise it was something other people get embarrassed about! That said, one of my first after school jobs (many moons ago) was washing dishes in a restaurant and I remember a colleague from one of the old Soviet block countries literally crying as she scraped people's leftovers into the bin, because she'd come from such poverty, and the waste here was so great. That probably accounts for some of my reluctance to waste food.

It costs resturants a lot of money to dispose of waste food so you are doing them a favour.

Whenever I take leftovers home I frequently end up looking at them in the fridge for a couple of days then binning them. I mean, stuff in sauce will obviously taste good the next day but I remember seeing families taking home bags of things like fries which have a limited window of deliciousness. Even a nice steak looks less appetising once it’s off the plate and in a box in the blue light of the fridge. I wondered whether everyone was just doing it to be polite and just chucked it later or whether it was for late night grazing...

@grand - oh that’s made me laugh - have imagined turning up at an all you can eat with my finest Tupperware in hand shovelling food straight from the buffet cart (it’s a slippery slope)

I once went to an Indian restaurant, Late evening to meet some friends. It was a banquet evening whereby you had 3 dishes for at set price. I coukd not eat most of it as it was too late so I asked to take it away. Hell am I going to waste all that food.

MyKingdom, I was at a Chineese buffet, I saw a guy with a big Tupperwear container doing that😂😂😂