AIBU to think that pubs/cafes with a kids' menu should include a plain cheese sandwich? (light-hearted... ish)

[FranklinDelano]

So many times I have stopped for lunch at a pub/cafe with my toddler and even those with kids' menus are all 'fish and chips' 'macaroni cheese' etc which he'll just pick at. My son eats well and a wide variety of foods but some lunchtimes he just wants his favourite - a cheese sandwich.
Not one in fancy bread with artisan chutney and chips for £6.95.
Not a flatbread pizza.
Not a 3-course kids' meal with ice-cream.

Just sliced bread with butter and sliced cheese. Carrot sticks a bonus. And preferably no more than £2.50.

Who's with me?!

I agree. I like cafes that just do simple sandwiches for kids on white bread with no fancy stuff and a bit of normal salad on the side. Not fancy lettuce that most kids won't eat

I'm sure if you asked they would oblige. Personally, I hate kids menus. I wish they just did small portions of the "adult" stuff.

I disagree. Some children like plain and simple food and the adult menu isn't always suitable.

When I did that recently they didn't just do a plain cheese sandwich, they put on inch-thick pickle and crumbly cheese that just fell out of the bread! So I would feel a bit rude demanding the cheese be sliced etc and then asking how much it would cost (often the counter staff aren't able to decide this/make up a price).

Then ask. Most places can do bread and cheese without issue.

Their menu is designed with dishes that children like. It's not their fault that your kid wants a sandwich. Take him to a cafe or just ask if they can do him something off-menu.

This would be an absolute godsend.
Taking DD (4) out to eat is a nightmare because she's insanely picky and won't even try most things and will act like the grumpiest cowbag on the planet because the food doesn't look the way she wants it to. Cheese sandwiches, however, are her favourite food. It would mean we could go out to eat, which is very rare due to the waste of money and astronomical levels of stress involved in finding something for DD. So YES. #CheeseSarniesForAll
Writing to Theresa May right now. This needs to be a legal requirement.

Honestly just be grateful you have a choice. My 4 year old has severe allergies and it's very rare they can have anything at all.

Apart from the squashed sandwich I made that morning and put in my bag. If I forget or food isn't planned they often have to go without while watching other children eating cheese sandwiches, chocolate or ice creams, among everything else.

Your DC will change food habits over time mine don't have that luxury

Didn't mean that as rude as it came out
Sorry OP

Throwaway That must be a nightmare. There isn't much variation on kids' menus as it is so I imagine we're a long way off from allergen-free options.

Totally
Ponsy bastards

I can see where you are coming from.
DD (7) is vegetarian (her choice - she decided she did not want to eat meat or fish when she worked out they used to be a living animal. I am not veggie).

However, although we are working on it, she does not like sauces. In so many restaurants the only vegetarian children's option is pasta in a tomato sauce.
I will though pay for an adult portion of something she will eat if there is nothing on the children's menu, especially if in a café not a restaurant as she will polish off an most of an adult jacket potato or egg on toast.
Throwaway - that must be hard, especially if they have more than one allergy. My nephew has an egg allergy but that can be avoided more easily than multiple altergies. (DD loves eggs, but never has egg sandwiches or quiche if she is with my nephew just incase)

God I would love this. I keep wanting to ask our local fancy cafe that does do kids sandwiches if they could get some regular sliced bread for them. It’s always sourdough, and my son ends up picking at it and looking sad. I’ll take sliced from a nice pan loaf, it doesn’t have to be Hovis!

I also want to ask them to ditch their shitty fancy tea that tastes of nothing and get something that tastes of tea.

YANBU

Surely the idea of going to a cafe is that they make the sandwich there and then, rather than having them pre-made and sitting in a fridge like Greggs do for example?

All the cafes around here (London/Essex) will make whatever sandwich you want while you wait?

There's no difference between an adult cheese sandwich and a kids one, because it's just a sandwich isn't it?

Unless the adult one is fancier, Worra? Agree with you though - Cafés here make the sandwich in front of you so you can usually choose any fillings they have available

That's what I mean Sneaky. Most cafes have 'normal' bread - either white or brown. So they just butter it and slap a bit of cheese in the middle

If they don't/can't do something so simple, the OP is clearly going to the wrong cafes.

Neither of my D.C. would eat a cheese sandwich if they were starving.

They don’t like “and chips” either though.

On the other hand they’ll happily eat off an adult menu in any kind of restaurant.

Expensive little munchkins.

Cafe round the corner here has fancy panins etc but a kids section - cheese sandwich, chicken sandwich, ham sandwich, jam sandwich. Also available in toastie form. Not hard is it

This particular time was a cafe-bar so did lots of pub food and sandwiches etc, but the sandwiches were thick crusty bread (almost cube shaped) that ds couldn't actually fit 2 slices in his mouth!

If you go somewhere tailored to kids with cheap plain food then the adult food is often disappointing too (sometimes I want something for me that I can't make at home, whereas ds likes the familiar).

Most of the time they'll be obliging if you ask.

I ordered a "ham and cheese toastie" off a kids menu the other day. Expected that it would be just that: butter, ham and cheese on bread which had been toasted. But it was actually a panini with mustard, ham and cheese. What the fuck?! If I'd known it had mustard on it, and that it wasn't on bread, I wouldn't have bloody ordered it.

DustandRubble

I love sourdough but wouldn’t choose it as a standard children’s sandwich bread either - far too chewy, you’d be there for ever waiting for them to finish.

I’ve been moaning for years that someone should make just normal sandwiches for anyone, child or adult. I’d like cheese on its own, without mayo, tomato, onion, salad. I’d like sliced hard boiled egg without anything else too. It seems nobody can make a simple sandwich without messing the bastard thing about.

Ooooh I hate mayo. Supermarket sandwiches are always difficult..

OP, get yourself down to you local greasy spoon and they'll be happy to oblige.

It may involve lowering your standards to my level though