16 Menu Items Even Chefs Won’t Order at a Restaurant

Curious to know what chefs think about ordering food from other restaurants? Take a look at the things tops chefs from around the world steer clear of…*drumroll*

1. Beer from the Tap

It’s common in most places that the fountain is rarely cleaned causing mildew to fester and grow. Drink responsibly, kids.

2. Chicken

Chefs say, when they eat out at a restaurant, they will stay far away from the chicken. It’s just overpriced and honestly the least interesting thing on the menu.

3. Well-Done Steaks

Just don’t. Well-done steaks are cooked with the least desirable meats that end up being too thin or hard to cut. Even Gordon Ramsey has said cooking well-done meat loses its texture and flavor.

4. Ice

If the beer taps aren’t getting cleaned, I don’t even want to think about the inside of an ice machine. Have you ever seen one of those? You have to take apart the entire thing to clean it and I guess restaurants would rather give us moldy ice than clean ice.

5. Unpopular Items

This one is easy. If you’re going to a burger joint, order a damn burger. Order what the restaurant is known for because you know it will taste great. Like, do you really want to try the seafood special from a pizza parlor?

6. Salad

Hungry for a salad? Think again. When it comes to iceberg lettuce, you’re overpaying by a landslide. Not to mention that the cracks and crevices of these leaves can house bacteria and nasty germs from just sitting out.

7. Long Menus

If your menu is longer than 8 pages, you’re most likely going to get some microwaved food since there’s no way that many items can be cooked at once.

8. Lemons

THESE ARE NEVER WASHED. Researchers tested lemons in different restaurants and found that over 70% of lemons were contaminated with bacteria. Just stick to lemon water at home when you can be sure to wash them yourself.

9. Specials

Nope. Don’t ask about the specials and definitely don’t ask what’s in the specials. These “meals” are all the old items that restaurants don’t want to throw out or items that are about to expire, according to chef Alberto Morreale of Farmer’s Bottega. If not either of those options, a special could be an experimental dish which isn’t any better. Dine at your own risk, people.

10. Gourmet Burgers

They may be pretty…and taste even prettier, but fancy burgers are way overpriced. There’s no reason to ever pay more than $20 for a burger. The more “fancy” ingredients then the more expensive your dish will be.

11. Anything Over 700 Calories

Your entire meal should never be over 700 calories.  Olive Garden has some explaining to do. Consult your doctor for exact measurements based on your height and weight.

12. Pizza

Pizza is really simple to make. The ingredients are even cheaper than plenty of other dishes. However…restaurants think they can sell these pies for 10x the price they are worth. Just make your own at home for the best price.

13. Raw Oysters

Cordon Bleu-trained Chef, Mark Nichols won’t even go near raw oysters. This has to be obvious, right? If you order raw oysters, there’s a chance they contain hepatitis A and a nasty bacterium that can cause vomiting and diarrhea. If you still have the taste and inkling for oysters, ask for them to be cooked.

14. Free Bar Snacks

First of all, they have been sitting out for way too long with germy hands touching them. Secondly, bars will keep refilling those snacks causing you to overeat and lose all sense of your portion control.

15. Kobe Beef Burger

Kobe beef is extremely rare and served in small portions. If you ever see a burger labeled with Kobe beef, it’s most likely not Kobe beef. Why would an expensive meat be turned into a cheap hamburger? I don’t make the rules, the chefs do.

16. Bread

*Sigh* I hate to break this to you all, but you should give up on the unlimited breadsticks. If you’re at a restaurant that brings you free bread, that bread might have been on another table before it reaches your plate. Also, the portion control thing, but the reused bread is already enough for me to say “pass!”