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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is it acceptable to order a kids meal as an adult ?

175 replies

ThePunnyPeachDuck · 02/05/2025 18:25

DH went out for lunch with his father to a pub his mate runs
He proudly came home and told me he ordered a junior pork meal and only drank tap water—because, you know, it was free.
I just stared at him and asked if he was being serious, because that is some next-level CF energy right there. He shrugged and said the kids meal was massive and why pay adult prices when you can get a solid meal for half the cost?
And to top it off, he actually phoned his friend afterwards to check if it was okay. As if the guy running the pub is going to say, "Actually mate, could you not fleece me next time?"
This isn’t about money—they’re both doing fine. So AIBU to think DH was being a proper cheeky f*?

OP posts:
rocketman84 · 02/05/2025 19:40

I can’t see why you think there is a problem with this. I would expect a kids meal to be a smaller meal which is priced accordingly (less food = cheaper and you are paying for what you get) so not sure why it should be an issue. I have done it in the past purely because I know the adult portions are huge and I wouldn’t be able to eat it all. Why do you think it’s an issue? Do restaurants generally make a loss on kids meals?

Abend · 02/05/2025 19:41

It wouldn't bother me tbh, better than wasting food if you're not that hungry.

Themagicfarawaytreeismyfav · 02/05/2025 19:44

The kids meal is not a problem ( i often order this as i can’t eat much) however just drinking tap water with it is absolutely taking the piss!

Abend · 02/05/2025 19:45

Themagicfarawaytreeismyfav · 02/05/2025 19:44

The kids meal is not a problem ( i often order this as i can’t eat much) however just drinking tap water with it is absolutely taking the piss!

Scottish tap water is amazing - lots of folk have that with a meal. Not sure where OP is though.

AquaPeer · 02/05/2025 19:47

Abend · 02/05/2025 19:45

Scottish tap water is amazing - lots of folk have that with a meal. Not sure where OP is though.

Show quote history

surely most people have a glass or two of tap water with their meal? Posters are talking about paying for a drink on top of that

Abend · 02/05/2025 19:49

AquaPeer · 02/05/2025 19:47

surely most people have a glass or two of tap water with their meal? Posters are talking about paying for a drink on top of that

Show quote history

People often have just tap water.
It's quite common.

Crackerjacked · 02/05/2025 19:49

My 82 year old mother is tiny. It would be ridiculous for her to order a full adult sized meal

ItGhoul · 02/05/2025 19:50

My dad wouldn’t even let us order from the children’s menu even when we were actual children 😎

AquaPeer · 02/05/2025 19:51

Abend · 02/05/2025 19:49

People often have just tap water.
It's quite common.

Show quote history

Not in a restaurant or pub, surely? That’s tight as a gnats arse

Sortofdontwantto · 02/05/2025 19:52

Kids meals aren’t cheaper because they’re smaller (although usually are) - it’s because it encourages parents in to eat and drink if they can afford to take the family.

JohnTheRevelator · 02/05/2025 19:53

He actually said that a kids meal was 'massive'?! I'd love to know what it consisted of.

Abend · 02/05/2025 19:53

AquaPeer · 02/05/2025 19:51

Not in a restaurant or pub, surely? That’s tight as a gnats arse

Show quote history

With a meal.
It's not 'really tight', and the establishment will factor in any extra costs in overall prices.
Just sitting in a pub and only drinking tap water might be seen as tight though.

Grammarnut · 02/05/2025 19:55

It's not that he did it - which is probably fine - but that he chortled about it as if he had got one over on his friend, who is running a business ffs.

Nannyfannybanny · 02/05/2025 19:57

I have gut issues and cannot eat the standard restaurant meals. We go to a carvery where they do smaller plate meals I can plate up exactly what I am capable of eating.Often I have a starter.. unfortunately none of the places I have been will do kids meals over 12.

Maybethisallthereis · 02/05/2025 20:03

If I was hard up and if it wasn’t my friends pub! Bit embarrassing otherwise?

ABrandNewFamily · 02/05/2025 20:07

I've done it before in Beefeater, I was in an IBD flare and wanted something fairly plain (beige) checked before I ordered and it wasn't an issue.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 02/05/2025 20:08

Your friends going to think you’re in financial trouble being so tight.

FudgeSundae · 02/05/2025 20:11

AquaPeer · 02/05/2025 19:51

Not in a restaurant or pub, surely? That’s tight as a gnats arse

Show quote history

oh dear… water is pretty much all I drink, and I can’t tell the difference between tap and bottled, so I have (only) tap water pretty much everywhere. Never occurred to me this might be an issue. DH will have a coke as that’s what he prefers.

Blueskies25 · 02/05/2025 20:13

ThePunnyPeachDuck · 02/05/2025 18:25

DH went out for lunch with his father to a pub his mate runs
He proudly came home and told me he ordered a junior pork meal and only drank tap water—because, you know, it was free.
I just stared at him and asked if he was being serious, because that is some next-level CF energy right there. He shrugged and said the kids meal was massive and why pay adult prices when you can get a solid meal for half the cost?
And to top it off, he actually phoned his friend afterwards to check if it was okay. As if the guy running the pub is going to say, "Actually mate, could you not fleece me next time?"
This isn’t about money—they’re both doing fine. So AIBU to think DH was being a proper cheeky f*?

If the quality was the same and just a smaller version then I might do the same if I could get away with it but in most restaurants the kids meals are not as good….I honestly would probably be too embarrassed to do it in reality though

Borborygmus · 02/05/2025 20:24

Of course it's acceptable, I'm mystified how anybody could think it wasn't.

Thegirlinthegreenscarf · 02/05/2025 20:27

I don't see any issues with what your dh has done. In my area they aren't called kids meals they are called light bites and available for everyone. The majority of take aways and restaurants in my area do this as they realise everyone has different appetites.

Hwi · 02/05/2025 20:27

And then we are surprised that places are shutting down, High Streets empty, no community, etc. etc. What he did was highly unattractive as well. It is unattractive thing being mean and tight, but it is another level to speak about it to others. My SIL's friend is married to a high-ranking diplomat, huge salary+life style abroad with servants, etc. for free. She was boasting how she was freezing chicken carcasses of supermarket rotisserie chickens for 'using them in soups' when she is back in the UK for holidays (food and restaurants not paid by the FCO when in the UK). Vulgar.

nadine90 · 02/05/2025 20:34

I used to order an adults meal for my son and a kids meal for me in Bella Italia as he could eat like a horse but I wanted a smaller portion. I wouldn’t now he’s taller than me though 😅

handsdownthebest · 02/05/2025 20:34

Check the Ricky Gervais sketch 😁

JustLikeThatBluebird · 02/05/2025 20:39

I don't see the issue. I don't have a huge appetite so why would I waste money (and food) on a meal I know I won't be able to finish when I could get a smaller one?