To think It's not THAT odd to order a baked potato instead of chips, with a burger?

[Marygoround22]

Went for a pub lunch with my friend on Sunday.
Ordered a burger and asked for baked potato instead of chips.
I just don't favour the chips in this particular pub, and it saves fat/calories.

When my lunch arrived my friend was aghast (not exaggerating) kept repeatedly telling me how odd it was, that 'burgers go with chips that's that!' and 'You can order a baked potato on the menu anyway, so that's like you've got TWO meals!'
I see the point there but, a baked potato has fewer calories than a portion of chips, so doesn't that sort of negate that point at least?

I had the same comment a few years ago on a work do too-although they just made one comment rather than repeated ones.

There's a pub near me that offers any side with a burger, including baked potatoes, whereas most places I have to ask for a swap.

I kind of proved my friends' point in this pub on Sunday though, because the burger came with guacamole and roast veg on it, and I couldn't fit it into my mouth so I used them as a topping for the potato so I suppose that DID make it into two meals in the end!

I couldn’t eat both it would be too much. I don’t particularly like chips with burgers either as a burger on its own with a bit of side salad is enough for me. I probably wouldn’t have commented though.

Round these parts half chips, half rice, with naan on the side is a common accompaniment to a curry. The friend would probably implode at the sight of that.

The thing is with a baked potato, pub ones are usually massive and covered in butter. You may as well have had the chips.

I’d think it was funny to see a burger and a jacket on the same plate but wouldn’t be aghast. But it’s definitely not normal.

It’s unusual but you’d get over it pretty quickly!

I guess a baked potato is more potato than the number of chips I’d want

It’s always been a jacket potato here - never called it a baked potato in my life!

It’s a bit weird but your friend’s reaction was weirder.

I usually find baked potatoes more filling/ heavier than chips despite the fact they’re fewer calories and to me a side should be light so I think that why it seems a bit strange to me - who cares as long as you enjoyed it tho.

Crikey just read the whole thread.

I never knew people were so rigid when it came to how their potatoes are cooked.

🤣🤣🤣

It's weird, who wants to eat a dry baked potato with nothing on it.

Yes some people are odd about potatoes. I once sparked a huge debate online by serving mashed potato with fish, not chips. Which are equal bedfellows afaic - have you not heard of fish pie?

I didn't realise there were people who 'didn't like chips'.

I think the opposite. Pub jacket potatoes are usually tiny (unless it’s a main served with toppings), and come with packaged butter on the side.

It's still a potato based side dish. Not convinced it is lower calorie by the time it is covered in butter though.

If you had ordered burger with rice or burger with couscous, I would find it a lot more weird!

OP doesn't like the chips in this particular pub.

It's ok to be fussy about chips. Life's too short for shit chips.

It's just too dry as a side for a burger. Is there nowt moist?! Lol
You can't really put ketchup or mayo on a jacket potato (well, I wouldn't) so it's just kind of sitting there, being dry and plain.
I have to say, I was in absolute heaven when I stayed with my Scottish penpal for the first time, her mum routinely served cheese filled jackets alongside pizza! For some reason that seemed to float my carb addled 14 yo boat!

Very usual in the US I think. I loved it there, jacket potato alongside pretty much anything. Steak and jacket potato being my death row final meal of choice.

We do it at home a lot - smallish potatoes - alongside whatever we fancy eating.

People are strangely rigid and very quick to call out other people for breaking the mould (not that I have thought having a burger and jacket potato was breaking the mould until today).

Roast potatoes aren’t a main meal

Reported.

Seriously, why give a monkey's about the opinions of others? It's your body and you choose what you put in it.

Nothing surprises me - there's a miscreant poster who serves big buttery boiled potatoes with lasagne!

*Jacket potato is a traditionally home cooked food whereas burgers are an iconic fast food option and generally served with quick options - fries/ onion rings/ salad etc.

It's like having sweet and sour chicken with penne pasta. You just don't*

That is a good point-about one being fast food and one being traditional-although 'spud vans' still exist around my nearest large town!

And yes to mixing traditional cuisines I suppose. But then I dip poppadums into hummus, so I am clearly a heathen.

Yes it would be fewer calories with salad but I'd probably be dissatisfied with that if I was very hungry (which I was) and there are still a lot fewer calories in a jacket potato than there are in chips (and from a health perspective, less saturated fat).

I do baked potatoes at BBQs. Sometimes with burgers.

Nobody has complained yet.

This is exactly it! I do like chips, but this particular pub's chips, nope. A lot of folk do (including my friend who had them with her gammon!) but they're just a bit soggy/thin for me.

Years ago I worked in a Beefeater restaurant, similar to a Bernie Inn . All main course could be ordered with a choice of chips salad or a jacket potato including the burgers.

Just eat whatever you like.
Who cares about man-made rules about what food is supposed to go with what?
It’s ridiculous, just the same with which hand you hold your fork in…who cares!

I don't think it's weird but a lot of my family are Canadian and it is common there, so maybe that is why it seems fine to me