You got a place you frequent, is your mind made up?

By that, I mean of course, have you absolutely decided on what your going to order, or do you actually check the menu for something you haven't tried.
I have many people who have ordered the same dish since day one, I can break some of them, with a sample of something else. When folks get a crave for an item, WATCH OUT!

If a restaurant is famous for an item I most likely will order that because that is why I came to that restaurant.  Still with me?
 
For example----when i lived in Connecticut, and traveled to Westchester---i would go to Pipers Kilt for hamburgers.  I would always order the Eastchester (because that is the one i liked best) -- I never looked at the menu or the specials.
___When I went to Pizza and Brew i would always order the Broiled Blue Fish with linguine on the side.  They were the only place in the area that had Blue Fish so that's where i went for it. 
----I never ordered blue fish in Piper's Kilt or a hamburger in P&B.
 
If, by chance, I was in your neighborhood I would head for Chubby's for bar-b-q for that's what old Chub is noted for.  ---- and thereafter, every time you saw me it was because I wanted GREAT BAR-B-Q and some intellegent banter. 
 
 
 
 
 

Where is everyone-----the joint is empty---no one is posting. 
It is 7PM on a Tuesday evening.  There is one regestered member on board----ME and one guest.
 
Did the world stop and I missed it? 

How in the world did you miss the RAPTURE 1/2 hour ago?

If it's a place I always go, odds are good I've got the menu memorized and have tried almost everything on it (less those items I know I wouldn't eat no matter how good they were).  I will look at the specials in case they surprise me, but usually I know what I want before I go there.

the ancient mariner


Where is everyone-----the joint is empty---no one is posting. 
It is 7PM on a Tuesday evening.  There is one regestered member on board----ME and one guest.

Did the world stop and I missed it? 

 
Some of us un-retired people are still out there shaking the bushes.

There is one place where I almost always order the braciole. Oh, and another place where my standard order for breakfast is the country fried steak.

chewingthefat


By that, I mean of course, have you absolutely decided on what your going to order, or do you actually check the menu for something you haven't tried.

Our local favorite has a set base menu but daily and other occasional specials so I always check the menu first, even if I've decided beforehand what I think I'm going to have.
 
Brad

I can think of one place where I've been a regular and ordered almost everything on the menu in hopes of finding something I really liked.
 
At another place, I almost always order the specials; I don't care so much for the regular menu, but the specials are really good.
 
And there are certainly places where my order never varies.

No matter where I go, if they got Chili on the menu, I get a cup or bowl. Rare is it around here to find a great Chili, present place excluded!

Finding a great bowl of Chili is a rare thing no matter where you are.
Joe

I always look at the menu even if I get a quizzical look from the staff because I know it front to back. I guess I consider it part of the experience. Look it all over, then order the same thing and the server fake slaps me.

I force myself to vary things a little at my favorite places, but that means only ordering the Chili Size instead of the CFS, or the Chili Relleno instead of the al pastor burrito.  Some places though, the item is non-negotiable. At Pinks I get one chili dog and one New York Onion Sauce dog. I don't care if the have 30 more choices. If I can decide between two things I'm happy!

I love going to new/different places and trying new things. But a regular place? I usually have the same thing. I like it, I go there for it.

I keep settling for a Reuben when in a diner.

I go to my spot every Wednesday for the quiche. Just a little diner, but man is it good.
 On Tuesdays they have beef on weck,  so If I'm there on Tuesday I know what I'm eating..
 
We have a great Italian place in town, and I'm sure everything is wonderful, but I have yet to eat anything but their calamari, followed by veal parm..
 
Theres a great beef place here too. and they have eveerything beef related, plus amazing burgers, so I'm told.. but in 25 years I've always had the same thing, rare sliced roast beef au jus, with a salad ..
 
 If its a  different  place, out of town I try different things.
 

I go to certain restaurants for certain meals, and that is pretty much what I stick to. Thats why I go there.While I may taste what my co-diners order, I am still always happy with what I have gotten. But I like to try new dishes, too-I just go somewhere else for them!

There are places that I do frequent or did when I ate out more, that I could walk in and never have to place an order.
 
But in a new place, I have to check the menu

Every Monday at La Tapatia for $1.00 tacos. 
Line out the door every day, but the lure of $1.00 tacos is a siren call. been going there for years and take all my roadfood friends there.

 At a place that I frequent, I will order the same thing every time. At Bar 7 for lunch it is a ribeye steak sandwich, rare, with fries, and salad bar.
  At the pizza place where I go (which is actually a saloon,) I always get the Chicken parm pizza. I don't think that I have ever ordered anything else unless it was a side of fries.
  For the most part I go to the places where I know that I can get the best of that one particular dish.
 
  David O.
 

You know, with me, it depends on the restaurant.  Some restaurants have a menu item that's so good, or so unique, that I will solely visit to order that item, and I will not deviate.
Otherwise, I'll normally consider a new menu item.  I generally don't consider "specials," only because they're always things I don't like.  At least it normally works out that way.  As James Gregory would say, "It could be a law, I don't know!"

Depends on the restaurant. The only one that comes to mind where I ALWAYS get the same thing is Sal & Phil's where I always get the grilled redfish.

 
I am a stubborn creature of habit.
 
I can't imagine going to the brickyard and not having the grilled wings, and then a burger ... I'd be in Daytona a long time before I explored further.
 
At Billy Martin's in DC, liver and onions.
 
At John O'Groats in LA, the salmon hash.
 
At The Glenwood in Hamden, CT, a well done dog and a warm lobster roll.
 
... and on and on and on it goes.
 
Yes, I am.

Ms OC and I have been going to Maui's Dog House in North Wildwood for about 5 years now.  They have 26 different dogs, but our order is always the same.  I don't have to look at the menu.  One Dressed for me, one Soprano for Ms OC, an order of Salty Balls and two Stewart's root beers.
http://www.hollyeats.com/MauiDog.htm