To feel like I cook better meals at home!

[WilsonMilson]

Went out for a bank holiday meal today with the family. Tried somewhere new. Same thing as usual happened when we go out for mid priced meals - felt disappointed and underwhelmed by the food.

It was a gastro pub. I had fish and chips - the oil it had been fried in tasted old, the batter was hard and burnt, the fish had bones and overall it was just edible but average. I cook much better and tastier food at home. I find this happens more often than not, unless we go to really expensive restaurants, which is not realistic to do all the time. The place gets great reviews on Tripadvisor too, so I was looking forward to it.

Anyone else feel the same way when eating out and think you make nicer food at home? I am a keen cook, and for the money we spent I could have cooked an absolute feast at home.

You don't even put a sprinkle of salt and pepper on your veg, woman

I have never put salt or pepper on my veg! 🤮

I never compare or think about it, sure I probably could but the whole point on going out is someone else cooks for me, no washing up and a lovely social occasion with family or friends, I don’t sit there thinking oh my cooking is so wonderful I could do it better, I find it odd. It’s not a competition and eating out is about much more than just the food, it’s the social occasion, it’s being cooked for, going out out etc.

Totally agree - as the cost of living has bitten, quality has gone down, but worse it’s lukewarm, or cooked in old oil….often crappy service. The chain places are getting worse and worse, prices horrific and food mediocre. More expensive places trying to cut costs.

There’s a chain carvery who need to hang onto their head chef - for the carveries only - and a garden centre with lovely food. But they’ve just been bought out by another garden centre chain, so will no doubt change.

The not needing to prep, cook and clean etc is lovely, but we’re more and more giving it a miss.

I can cook better food than I can get in many restaurants.

But I get sick of cooking all the time and want to go and let someone else do it for me and I don't even care that much if I could have done better because that is entirely not the point (for me)

I find this is often the case with so-called 'gastro pubs' where the food is just bought in.

I prefer to stick either really lovely, good restaurants as a treat, or places like Nando's or Five Guys, or Itsu if we're out with our children-at least they are consistent and tasty!

Yep I agree - so much bland overpriced food now I get really excited if I don’t hate food in a restaurant!

@Snugglemonkey ha, ha - it was totally delicious- and huge!! An absolute bargain for the quality and its a beautiful old pub too ( and I have no connection) ! Proper homemade yorkshires too I think. We used to eat out a lot but like others it's crept up and I'm a decent cook myself- I'm also gluten free which can be a bit challenging. ( husband got all the yorkshires ) so now we tend to do quite a few breakfasts/brunch out, and the odd quality Sunday lunch. If I want a nice meal out at night for birthday etc will tend to go to the Ivy chain- food very acceptable I feel if not amazingly adventurous and it's a very nice decor and vibe- worth putting my glad rags on for

Absolutely cook better at home however sometimes I don't want to, but I expect minimal decent food levels as a 'treat' and yes sometimes disappointed

I always feel like this as did my father

Yes we only dine at expensive restaurants now because the taste is so much better.

Depends on the restaurants you frequent and your taste buds. In my experience most home cooks could not match a good restaurant, its the levels of flavour and little extra touches that make good restaurants stand out.

I'm lucky to live near a city which is renowned for good independent restaurants so I am very lucky that I can choose to eat well when we do go out.
I find cooking very mindful so I don't mind doing it, and I only work part time so have a bit more time. DCs are a bit older now too, so help out with clearing up etc.

I don't agree that it's since covid. For years me and DH would say almost every time we ate out that we could cook it as well or even better.

We hardly ever eat out now. Maybe three or four times a year and only ever italian or indian now. We can cook good indian food and certainly my onion bhajis are far better than just about any indian restaurant we have been to but just can't do good bread (my puris are pretty good though). We both love dosas and they are difficult to cook.

We are both pretty good cooks and can't see the point of paying good money for food we don't enjoy.

One of the worst meals to eat out is a roast. It has to be cooked fresh. So many places have soggy yorkshires and not crisp enough roast potatoes and as for some of the veg!

We also find restaurant food so often just tastes of salt

The meat is rarely seasoned to my taste - always over or under. Last night's steak had good texture, but it lacked seasoning and of course, there was no salt on the table. It was served with an interesting onion sauce - but there wasn't enough of that and the rocket was wirey. And what's with the French and Italian's big hunks of dry bread on the table with no butter?
Been travelling for a few weeks and I could do with a home-cooked meal.😂

A lot of old fashioned chefs genuinely hate vegetarians and resent having to put something for them on the menu, I think that sometimes comes through. I saw it when I worked in catering and now I (only occasionally) can tell when I eat the bloody thing. Recently had a dish that was literally a square of pastry with some beetroot on it, baked. No seasoning/sauce/other ingredients so it was dry as a bone and inedible. Totally clear no one had actually tried it before doling it out to people for nearly £15. (Did complain and got it knocked off the bill)

I still find it totally worthwhile to eat out. A delicious roast as a PP has said has so many fiddly bits to do it would barely be more economical to cook it at home unless you have a huge family. Curry. Japanese food. Complicated salads that again have lots of elements.

I would never go out just for something like a burger or lasagne as what’s the point.

I don’t bother to

We've just been on holiday in the UK and had 4 lovely meals out -but not cheap .It made a nice change and a treat but generally I'd agree with you OP.We do still eat out occasionally. Special occasions or catching up with friends but not as often.Partly cost.Partly quality.And if we do we stick the few independent restaurants we like and want to support.With me it's takeaways we never get anymore.Even the better ones I always regret and have so many quick recipes that are cheaper and healthier.Plus batch cook so can pull my own lasagne,moussaka curry etc out for an easy meal.

We are talking about a huge range of cooking abilities and aspirations here so we are not going to reach any kind of consensus. If you can't/won't cook, it will be more worth it to eat out then if you can. Foodies may have a different level of discernment from people who just want to shovel a load of hot grub into their stomachs. People who live in larger towns and cities with diverse cuisine available will have a different palate to those who don't. Even though standards have fallen and the shortage of decent chefs is a thing, it still remains subjective.

My red line is deep frying. When my DC seem unenthusiastic about air fried chips which do not retain the heat quite so well, they know that I will never deep fry so they have learned to accept that they can have proper chips when they are out.

@Blueisthecolour1 - I completely agree. My DD vegetarian and my risotto is better than she has ever had in a restaurant. And I'm always put off restaurants if they charge £17ish for a basic vegetable risotto

Yanbu. There are a few local cafes here that definitely make proper "home made" food that is clearly made on site,and a few very high end places we go to occasionally, but otherwise we are tired of paying lots to basically have a reheated ready meal (and thats even in places people seem to rave about)

Never had a decent roast in a restaurant. As I said, a roast needs to be cooked fresh and dished up straight away. Restaurants can't really do that.

We do lots of veg with our roasts and don't just boil or roast the veg and don't see it as "fiddly". I make my own yorkshires as I hate frozen ones and lovely crispy roast potatoes with fluffy insides straight from the oven

I know it is a bit mean but I sometimes ask to have an ingredient removed from a dish when I suspect that it is a frozen ready meal. I love the "yes, but. No, but" responses. "It comes like that" " We cannot change the recipe because of the nutritional details stated in the menu" but never "It was all batch cooked at a faraway factory"! 😆

I am a good "Home Cook" But like everyone I like a break every now and then! Eating out is often disappointing .ATM probably worse as food is expensive ,lack of Restaurant staff and high fuel costs contribute to this as well. Even the chip shop about £11.00/£12,00 pp!

I don't eat out much for this reason, but when I do prefer to choose dishes I wouldn't cook at home.

For example:

I'd never pick pasta or risotto as I make them all the time and do them well, but a proper woodfired pizza beats any homemade pizza I've ever cooked.

I love chips but hate the frying smell so we never have them at home - so a halfway decent burger & chips in a pub does still feel like a treat.

And I'm not very confident with SE Asian flavours so a Thai meal is usually better than one I would make (as I don't really make them). Although I did have a disappointing Pad Thai in Pho (chain) the other day which simply wasn't served hot enough.

I have always eaten out for the occasion/ambience/lack of effort rather than because the food is better. It's the reason I don't bother with takeaways though.