Dining Out Low-Carb?

CharlieLopez2005

I recently started an informal low-carb group at work (i.e. offline, in person). One of the questions asked is what places can you dine out low-carb, and what can you order? I don't dine out often, but here are my ideas I've experimented with during the past 15 months or so. Was wondering if others might help me add to the list.

-Pretty much any steak house (Longhorn, Outback, Montana Mikes, Ruth Chris, etc...) or family diner (Applebees, O'Charley's, etc...)
-Hardees--You can ask them to substitute any of the bun on their burgers with lettuce
-Burger King/McDonalds--Haven't been to McDs since I've done low-carb, but at Burger King, I would just order a chicken salad and a triple whopper (then remove the bun, eating with fork and knife).
-Buffets--Many buffets offer some meats, cheese, and veggies amid their fried food offerings.
-Cracker Barrel--lots of breakfast food, steak, burgers; they actually have a low-carb section on their menu
-Jimmy Johns--their unwiches are pretty good (just hold the mayo and maybe the tomatoes).
-BW3s--I think, depending on the sauce used, their traditional wings are okay; plus they have decent salads.
-KFC--Their grilled chicken can be okay on occasion, but it's still greasy and who knows what else they use on these.
-Mexican restaurants--I think chicken, shrimp, or beef taco salads are the best bet (don't eat the taco shell, of course).
-Chipotle/Qdoba--get the naked burritos/bowls (no wraps, potatoes)
-Pizza places--at a buffet-type place, I would just slide the toppings/cheese part of the pizza off, scrape a little of the tomato sauce off and eat it that way..best part of the pizza anyway. You will get funny stares for wasting the crust, which is actually the cheapest part of the pizza, ingredient-wise (I used to be a pizzeria manager back in my low-fat, high-carb days).

How about Taco Bell, White Castle, Subway, etc...? I haven't been to these places for well over a year now.

For me at least, Italian restaurants tend to be places difficult to go low-carb, unless I know in advance that they have some good grilled chicken cesar salad or something.

Anything else to consider?

Supermel

Here at local pasta places, they will replace the pasta with broccolli and put a cream sauce, sometimes with mushrooms, peppers, shrimp or chicken over top. yum!

Seafood places like Red Lobster will substitute baked potato with double broccolli.

At McDonalds drive thru the other day my husband got extra bacon subbed for the bagel in a bagel sandwhich for no extra cost. Likely not a nation wide option, likely lucky haha.

jared767

Taco Bell

Fresco Style Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco:
Cals 150
Total Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 25 mg
Sodium 480 mg
Carbs 18 g
Protein 12 g

Fresco Crunchy Taco
CAls 150
Total Fat 8 g
Cholesterol 20 mg
Sodium 310 mg
Carbs 13 g
Protein 6 g

Ref: http://www.nutritionix.com/taco-bell/fresco-crunchy-taco