I can't remember ordering anything other than water in a restaurant. But then, water is all I drink at home with meals. The milkshakes that everyone else had at our table at Steak n' Shake on Friday sure did look and sound (literally) good. I may go back there soon during happy hour when all shakes are half price and indulge in just a shake as a mid afternoon snack.

I, too, usually order water.

That way, I feel comfortable ordering a slightly more expensive entree, and I'm not getting filled up with the empty calories and fizz of soda. We don't drink alcoholic drinks, and to me, something like a milkshake or ice cream soda is more of a 'stand alone' treat then a 'with your meal' beverage.

Another reason I drink water is, of course, health-related. It's the safest drink for someone who has recurrent kidney stones.

It depends. I am a water drinker at home. I do sometimes order water in a restaurant. If my meal is spicy or has a strong flavor, I order tea. Rarely do I order a soft drik. If we are out someplaces nice without the kids (rare), I order a mixed drink.

Eating out is something we mainly do for enjoyment and entertainment. The drink is part of the entertaiment. We would be more frugal if necessary or if we were drinking more non-water beverages at home.

I always order ice water.

GS, grrrr, has to have Dr Pepper or Mr Phibb and he knows I am so against all the soft drinks he puts into his body.

Now, if he remembers, he brings his own money.

I'm not being a tightwad, but it's a battle I've had ever since he was a toddler with his mother. Just soda, no milk, no water, no juice, just soda. Morning, daytime, and night.

I feel your pain, Glenda. That would drive me nuts, and I wouldn't want to pay for it either.

I'm another water drinker, but I also like BYOB restaurants where my friends and I can share our latest wine acquisitions.

I always order ice water--always have. It's not about the money...even when we go to places that include the drink, I order water. At home, I have water with every meal. It's my drink of choice. (I drink about a 6-pack of sodas in a year.)

Glenda, I can so relate to what you are saying about PJR. My daughter-in-law drinks Coca-Cola (the regular kind) from the time she gets up until she goes to bed. My grandsons were raised on it and it drives me crazy. They don't seem to realize the correlation between round-the-clock sodas and tooth decay. DIL now has few teeth left, but she continues to drink Coke.

One time I counted the cokes they had consumed during an overnight visit (24 hours total, for one adult and two children) - 63 cokes!! She goes to McDonalds at least twice a day to get their largest Coke...and can't understand why she never has money.

I drink water with my meals. All, cept the GREAT birthday luncheons our MG group in Tulsa has. There we all go for margaritas, but still have water too.

Moni

My SIL (the one I like) never let her kids drink sugary sodapop. They'd occasionally buy a big bottle of soda for a party, but it was only for the adults. Her kids drank apple cider all the time. Very little milk. Never saw them drink water. Can you guess whose kids are now in their 30's and have terribly rotted teeth? Yes my SIL. Any sugared drink is bad for you. Milk and water are much better.

I am a water drinker, gave up tea cause I don't like the taste.

Have several of those new bottles with straws, that the top flips up. Take one everywhere filled with ice and water.

I usually order iced tea with lime with lunch and water with dinner. I also enjoy a glass of wine with dinner in restaurants. A nice glass of wine is such a pleasure and complements the meal, IMO.

I just almost never have pop, but do love iced tea, so it is either unsweetened tea with sweet and low or water for me. I do not like coffee.

Sue

I've always liked water best. Occasionally, I'll have a margarita with Mexican food if I'm not driving in addition to plenty of water.

Water and coffee is what I order. I admit that I am a coffee drinker. I don't drink pop and seldom drink alcohol although I do enjoy a nice glass of pinot Gris every once in a while.

I almost always order water.. but that has nothing to do with the price.
Water is my beverage of preference, and has been for ~15 years.

I always start out with water but if they don't have very good water then I either get bottled water and if they don't have that, I order a pop. The water in some areas tastes really bad to me. I don't like the treated water in some areas.

Haven't had soda in 20 years. I order water with lemon or lime , sometimes coffee.

Water here too, always. We had a couple of cans left in the motor home recently (we do have those and beer when traveling) and they were terribly out-dated. DH has his wine or beer or tea every meal, altho he is drinking more water these days.

Another orderer of water here.

Well, I like soda, Diet Coke for me. Or a glass of wine. Sometimes a mixed drink before dinner.

Maybe it's the restaurants, but when I go out, I see people drinking non-water beverages all the time.

I drink unsweetened iced tea.
In winter, if it's real cold out, it's hot tea.

I order water usually. Exceptions--at my favorite Mexican restaurant, I might also order a strawberry margarita. Elsewhere, I might rarely treat myself to a mojito.
And with fast food, I love a Dr. Pepper.

In the summer I order iced tea. When it is cold I order water and either hot tea or coffee. Sometimes I order diet pop. If I am at a fancy restaurant I will have a glass of their very best chardonnay with dinner. If I have Mexican for dinner I really enjoy a fruit margarita. At home it is always water with meals, I never buy pop.

Depends on the restaurant. If it's dinner we'll have a drink before dinner and wine with dinner. At lunch it's usually sweet tea or a beer if it's a grill-type restaurant. Hardly ever order water. Get enough of that at home. We don't go out much any more, is it's pretty special.

I have one of my ice water bottles with me at all times no matter where I am but in a restaurant I will sometimes have unsweet with a water back.
I can not drink the diet drinks and I find most other drinks just sickening sweet.

My husband always orders water and I usually order iced tea, unless at a Mexican restaurant, sometimes I'll have a margarita.

I drink unsweetened iced tea year round.

It's always refillable and sometimes I get my last refill in a cup to go for the road.

I don't like the taste of local water. With the tea at least it goes through the brewing process.

Arnold Palmer (made with unsweetened iced tea).

I am a water lover and drink lots of it. I drink water in a restaurant unless I am having a cheese burger, then it is pepsi or coke. I used to have cokes with pizza, but am cutting back on calories.

I'm too cheap to order a soft drink in a restaurant - I have water with lemon or a cup of coffee, but never have ordered soda pop. A fast-food restaurant is different - I get water or unsweetened iced tea.

Over the last several years I had developed a habit of drinking soda, almost exclusively. I even kept a bottle beside my bed!
6 weeks ago today I quit soda cold turkey. (in addition to watching what I eat)
Now I am only drinking water, coffee and hot tea.

As of this morning, I have lost 9 pounds in 6 weeks.

I used to always order iced tea with lunch or dinner but now it's water with lemon...But, I also carry that water enhancer with me and make my own flavored tea....I know, talk about cheap!

I don't think it is fair to a business to order water and enhance it with flavoring brought from outside. I see it the same as bringing your own bottle of soda or sneaking your own alcohol into a bar.

I have gone out with friends that have done this and I am always a bit embarrassed by it. It is not only cutting into the restaurants profit but most people who do this are probably not tipping for their own drink so the server loses too.

If there is a special dietary need and you want to bring your own dressing for a salad or sugar free syrup for the pancakes it is different because those things would be provided with the meal anyway and you are not cutting into the businesses profit margin.

I eat out a lot. I have also eaten out when times were quite lean for us. But I always felt that if I could still afford to eat out then I could afford to pay for my food and leave a nice tip for the server who might have less than me.

I'm cheap too, and it's somewhat because of this that I can afford to eat out. I am not a tea drinker, nor a soda drinker, but paying the price for one that is mostly all ice rubs me the wrong way. I do order water, and fortunately we have good water in our area. But that additional $1.75 - $2 that I pay for mostly water and very little tea or soda might enable me to get something else on the menu with that money.

Here's cheap: On Sunday when a friend and I go out for breakfast after church I don't order coffee, but drink water and then go home afterward and brew a pot there instead.

Around here most all drinks are refillable and you can also get one to go. Even the fast food places, many you can get as much to drink as you like if you are dining or drinking inside. Now if you want a cup of water at Dairy Queen, they charge you.

Sue