Depends on the restaurant, of course. If it's dinner and the restaurant has good seafood, that's what I'd order. But my dinners out are usually Thai, Japanese, or Lebanese food. If it's lunch, I'm with your mom--not because "they can't ruin a salad" but because I love salads.

If it's lunchtime I usually order a salad with some sort of protein added like a grilled chicken breast that's been sliced up or I'll order a sandwich, remove the top piece of bread and eat it open face style. My favorite is turkey, pepper jack cheese and avocado.

If it's dinner, I usually opt for grilled fish or steak, veggies and a house salad. Sometimes I'll have soup and salad if it's a soup I like.

Of course, it depends on what type of restaurant. If it's a place that specializes in something like seafood, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, etc., my answer would be completely different.

Eeek, I respectfully disagree with your dear mom....I've had many horrible salads served to me in perfectly fine restaurants. But I often order a salad for my entree, as long as it consists of a good variety of mixed greens and other crunchy veggies. Will often add grilled salmon or shrimp on top.

Other than that, we enjoy eating at a wide variety of restaurants, and enjoy all manner of foods from different cultures.

If they offer a special that's what I usually get. Salad otherwise.

I like to cook and so I think we eat pretty well at home. So I like to order something new (to me) and different than what I would make at home. Doesn't have to be fancy - not too long ago I had hamburger steak with onion gravy. I like to have fried chicken (mmmmmmmmm) or fried haddock because I don't like to deep fry at home. So those are my treats when I go out.

Yikes, I've had a few bad salads too. A local Italian restaurant has one very simple for their house salad...lettuces, olives, and they ruin it with a whopping addition of shredded fresh mozzarella. I like mozzarella, I don't need a cup full on my greens preceding an Italian entree.

What I order when out depends entirely on where I'm eating. Typically it will be something I don't often cook at home,

I, too, like to order items that I would not cook at home, especially items cooked over a wood-fired grill.

Totally depends on the menu! I am a visual person. If there is a picture of food that looks yummy to me, I tend to order that dish. :)

Moni

Depends on where I'm at and often depends on my mood. And occasionally I have a particular taste/hankering for something or something catches my eye. Although I often get "the same thing", it can vary a lot so I don't really have a set thing I get every time.

I, too, like to order things I likely won't fix at home - or that is better than I could fix. Recently went to a birthday dinner at a German restaurant and it was really disappointing and hard to order something that seemed worth the calories...lots of beige food, sausages, potatoes, dumplings, etc....I really want fresh, innovatively prepared healthy food - and colorful! A great salad, unusual side dishes, etc. I cook most seafood at home, but not calamari - so if calamari steak is available, it's my go to. I recently had an amazing salad with farro, green (fresh) garbanzo beans, feta and lots of lemon over micro greens. That's the kind of food I love.

I love seafood and tend to lean in that direction but it definitely depends on the restaurant. I rarely eat steak any more so don't order it. I like good BBQ especially ribs and brisket. I get cravings for Mexican food at times and Italian.

It totally depends on the restaurant and what I'm in the mood to eat. Often it's something I don't usually prepare at home or something DH doesn't like. Seafood is a favorite so I will order that if it's fresh. For a lunch I will go for a salad, sometimes with grilled chicken or salmon on top. Rarely a sandwich.

I often get a salad at the more traditional type places. I've encountered the less than pleasing salads before.

I'll get beef fajitas at the mexican places, and fried rice with mixed veggies and a protein like beef or chicken at the Asian places. We live in a major city with access to a huge variety of food. We will occasionally try new things and for that, we usually do the family style thing where we order a variety of different dishes and share.

Usually a sandwich, taco or salad. Sometimes an appetizer, but they are usually not very healthy. Portions in restaurants are too large because I cannot eat a lot at once.

I like fish and usually order a grilled salmon salad or a blackened salmon salad if they have it.

I don't eat out much, a couple of times a year and then it's usually dinner, not lunch. I usually order halibut or salmon, sometimes chicken. I don't like steak or lamb and I'm iffy about pork. Seafood is always fresh here and you can't go wrong with chicken, so I order what I know I will like and I'm rarely disappointed.

LIke everyone else it depends on where we eat out. When I choose, it's Thai, Mexican or Seafood. Seafood is extremely fresh here in Maine & I always get either fried whole belly clams and/or sea scallops. I do lobster at home becasue it's just so easy & too messy to eat at a restaurant, IMO. I also prepare fresh shrimp at home often and it's very versatile.

As others have said, it very much depends on the restaurant. I don't go to chain restaurants or "casual dining" places. If I go out, I want fine dining. I do tend towards things I won't fix at home for just me. I love lamb chops, sweetbreads, sea bass, soft shelled crab - unusual things. I only order lobster at a lobster pound. I almost never order a salad as an entree.

I don't eat out very often. Like everyone else, what I order when I do go out depends on the restaurant, the time of day and the occasion.

Over the years, I usually chose something that I wouldn't fix at home because no one else liked it. Now that it's just me, I can fix pretty much anything I want to, so now I just look for 'special' dishes. Being on a diet for gout and also low sodium, choices are often pretty limited. But I've found I can 'cheat' on the gout diet occasionally with few problems. Same with the low sodium, as long as I don't over do it too bad.

My favorite things to order are shrimp and other seafood, a good steak, a Rueben sandwich. I look for different (to me) things on the menu, because I like to try different things. I've never ordered a salad as an entrée, I eat a LOT of salad at home! And I never order chicken, either, I get enough of that at home, too! Although occasionally I'll stop at a Popeye's and pick up a couple of spicy thighs and an order of onion rings after shopping trip.

Rusty

My husband often asks me, after a night out with friends, what did you have chicken or shrimp? He knows me.

My favorites are seafood, then Italian, then Chinese. Otherwise I will order a salad or soup.

Love to cook, but not for myself.

I eat my main meal out, daily.

Each day varies according to my preference.

Do get my veggies in, usually meat and one, no dessert.

Group of us eat out once a week, and we go Mexican, Chinese, Italian, or fish. I tend to order ala carte.

First I read the menu to see if there's an item offered that I've never tried. Then I read the description and ask a question or two about the item. Then I think about it for a bit. Then I order chicken......LOL!!

We live in such a rural area there are no restaurants around. We have to go to the nearest town which is 50-60 min. from us. We just don't eat out anymore & that works for me.

Thanks for all the comments...I think I'm doing it wrong. :0) :0)

So far we've eaten at 4 restaurants, owner owned, not chains and I think it's a huge waste of money and 2 of the 4 were quit terrible. Both Oriental. The soy was watered down, the fish sauce was non authentic orange grool, the little shrimp were mealy/old. The pork spring rolls tasted like a hotdog in puff pastry. The tempura was falling off the tempura veggies. The noodle bowl had whole pieces of cilantro in it. $15 for lunch. Both places were busy...well attended.

A slice of greasy crust thin pizza w/ a little salad & soda....$10! Bearable, but greasy to me is not good.

The Italian lunch was authentic & very good. $10. Home made bread with olive oil to dip in, pasta was not over done, meat sauce was tasty! But.......I make this at home....so easy! :0)

Tomorrow.....walking, shopping and breakfast.....maybe? lol

What I like to order depends on what the restaurant is known for. We have wide tastes and enjoy experiencing a variety, especially of ethnic types, from one time to the other.

Unfortunately, there are far more lousy restaurants around than good ones. It does depend on the area - in smaller towns, there is what there is, while in more populated places, competition provides alternatives for people to choose from and that can help to weed out the underperformers.

How busy a place is, and even what its Yelp (or equivalent) ratings are, aren't always reliable indicators for me, because experience tells me there are a lot of people around who honestly don't know the difference between good cooking and bad cooking.

We have a short list of places (about 5) located within 15 minutes that seem to be consistent. Otherwise, I'd much rather spend a little more time in the car if that allows me to enjoy a better place and avoid a crappy one. I avoid chain restaurants, they rarely have food that I find to my liking.

Depends on the restaurant. I like Mexican food and barbecue from one of the local restaurants. I seldom order shrimp and more seldom, fish. I hate eating out and being served something I could cook much better at home.

We don't eat out often but when we do its usually a family owned Italian place that been in business since the 20's...very good. They have a daily family special of Spaghitti, salad, pitcher of soda and garlic bread for 29.95...I prefer my sauce not mixed into my psdta, but the price is so good and the sauce delicious. Its a good cheap place to take the kids once in awhile. Theres so much left over that the five of us can eat it the next day so 2 suppers gor 5 people for 30 $ is a deal. My boys eating hardy. Lol

Like many said it depends are where you are eating. I do like Oriental & Mexican food. I never order a lettuce salad anymore because I am not sure if it thoroughly washed and I usually have a mixed green salad at home everyday anyway.

One of my favorite places to eat is Ashley Mac's and I always order the same thing:

Spinach feta tart with BLT spinach salad

For me, I do enjoy beating out and vote. DH and I have a few places that are consistent in quality and service.

That said, I do enjoy trying new places. But, a new place will only get one chance.

i used to make fun (to myself) of people who go to a specific restaurant and only get a specific dish. Now, I am that person!

I eat Chile Relleno at my 'go-to' Tex Mex restaurant usually. We've made these twice at Christmas and they are too labor intensive, but I love them!

Depends on the restaurant and what they do well. From a burger joint to greasy spoon to fine dining I eat what I happen to like at the particular place. I will drive out of my way for that special something. Even simple things like that special burger or clubhouse sandwich (where they use real roast turkey, not the deli stuff).

I never order salad unless they make an exceptionally good taco, fresh fruit fruit or seafood salad. My friend and I were recently talking about the wonderful fresh fruit salads diners used to serve. They were huge and sometimes served in a pineapple bowl. Other times on a plate, sometimes with canned pear halves or peaches added alongside the huge mix of fresh fruit.. Always a choice of sherbet or cottage cheese. One place even added a square of jello to the plate.

I don't understand people who order basic bacon and eggs when several variations, chops, steak, linguica, omelettes and scrambles are offered.

Same with grilled chicken breast. Why?
I do eat things I can fix at home but that DH doesn't like. Like liver and onions or lamb. I'm a veal piccata person he likes parmigiana.