Vegetarian at Restaurants

seamonkey789

Pescatarians are not vegetarians, but they do not eat chicken or turkey. The people who want to eat chicken or turkey and still call themselves vegetarians refer to themselves as Pollo vegetarians and have caused me all kinds of issues when I go out to eat

wurgin

spanikopita is a delish greek food with feta and spinach in pastery - a bit fatty yes but high in lots of good stuff and available in greek and lebanese places

drink a shake first and then just have the side veg they offer with mains or a salad?

count it all

JennetteMac

I was vegetarian for about 6 months, and going out to eat was the worst. However, most of the time i just ordered side dishes. I would get some type of side salad (even though salad gets very boring after awhile), and then a pototato or rice, and a vegetable. That usually satisfied me .

This.
Except I've been veggie for over 28 years. Don't have nearly as many problems now as I did back then!!:happy:

mangorabbit

The OP has a great idea, asking others for advice.

But frankly, watching this post turn into a 'being a veggie at normal restaurants is hard' whine/rant is a bit tough to stomach.
You made the choice to be vegetarian, learn what your options are, learn to accept that not everything will go your way at every general dining establishment, and please, let it go. Ask the questions we have grown accustomed to asking 'is it a chicken/beef stock?' etc etc and be pleasant to the waitstaff who are trying to answer your questions as best they can.

MOST restaurants are not serving mainly meat dishes to offend you, but to serve the major portion of their demographic. Serving tofu ****ake stir-fry (so yummy!) to people who want a damn steak is not going to keep you in business very long.

OK. Rant over.
Thanks!

Vegetablearian

Most places I eat dont offer much in the way of vegetarian options, luckily I like veggie burgers.

I agree vegetarianism is a choice, as is eating halal or kosher but these get a different reception from people and they are more understanding towards the religious folk even though that is a choice too. anyway I not trying to start an argument

In the UK 1 in 20 people are vegetarian so thats quite a large amount of people really so Id have thought there would be more options but most places are good and state next to any food whether it is vegetarian or not and some places even mark vegan now so that is great!

The worst thing I have come across is my work group decided to go to a carvery for xmas lunch, in that group 1/4 are vegetarian so that wasnt the best choice but they wouldnt go anywhere else ... I got the joy of really mushy vegetables as the rest of the items used animal fat or were meat ...

For a restaurant to offer a quorn chicken fillet with a salad instead of a chicken breast wouldnt cost them more or be any effort really ... a bag of 6 fillets is £1 in a supermarket

VEGETARIANS DONT EAT MEAT, CHICKEN OR FISH ... sorry but the amount of people I have to correct on that drives me insane

kbmnurse

Try to check out the menu on line before. Choose seafood dishes/veggies.

missfancy1980

Had a really pleasant surprise last night when popping to the local pub with some friends after an all day workshop. They all ordered food and I asked the barmaid if they had anything vegetarian. Yes she said, we have this, this, this, this, this, this, this.... lol! It was all thai food but she said to me in advance you can order with oyster sauce or vegetarian. I had a lovely, BIG plate of stirfried tofu with beanspouts and chillis mmm. Such a surprise with it just being a pub in town we'd popped into on the off chance :bigsmile:

Oh and why the hell should vegetarians have to "put up with" the measley offerings in restaurants/ pubs etc just because they choose to minimise suffering caused to others through their lifestyle? Public eateries have a responsibility to provide as many options as possible, in keeping with their ethnic or other menu of course. Telling vegetarians to basically suck it up, is like telling those allergic to peanuts or gluten to do likewise.

Sarauk2sf

The OP has a great idea, asking others for advice.

But frankly, watching this post turn into a 'being a veggie at normal restaurants is hard' whine/rant is a bit tough to stomach.
You made the choice to be vegetarian, learn what your options are, learn to accept that not everything will go your way at every general dining establishment, and please, let it go. Ask the questions we have grown accustomed to asking 'is it a chicken/beef stock?' etc etc and be pleasant to the waitstaff who are trying to answer your questions as best they can.

MOST restaurants are not serving mainly meat dishes to offend you, but to serve the major portion of their demographic. Serving tofu ****ake stir-fry (so yummy!) to people who want a damn steak is not going to keep you in business very long.

OK. Rant over.
Thanks!

We are all just making comments about what we experience, which I would hardly call a rant or a whine. Your comment did not address the OPs question AT ALL. Just about everyone gave the OP ideas, which is what she asked for.

wingchunrick

We should start a vegetarian group on here and exchange recipes etc.

micls

Public eateries have a responsibility to provide as many options as possible, in keeping with their ethnic or other menu of course.

Public eateries don't have a responsibility to do anything except make profit and abide by health codes. They don't owe anyone anything.

Demand will always lead the way. If they lose customers or they're business suffers because they don't have a veggie option, then the business will fail or reform. similarly if veggies reward the restaurants that do good veggie options they will thrive and expand.

No one has the right to eat out. Our the right to have expectations about what food is served. You do have the right to take your money elsewhere though.

missfancy1980

So you're saying vegetarians should just be quiet and meek and go elsewhere? As it happens many places don't even think about vegetarian options because it doesn't occur to them. I have suggested more veggie options at places before and gone back the next month to find out they listened to me! So no, i won't just put up and shut up or go elsewhere thank you very much. Why should i?

wingchunrick

So you're saying vegetarians should just be quiet and meek and go elsewhere? As it happens many places don't even think about vegetarian options because it doesn't occur to them. I have suggested more veggie options at places before and gone back the next month to find out they listened to me! So no, i won't just put up and shut up or go elsewhere thank you very much. Why should i?

Good for you. Totally agree. There is a real ignorance towards vegetarianism and why should we be treated as second class citizens.

micls

So you're saying vegetarians should just be quiet and meek and go elsewhere? As it happens many places don't even think about vegetarian options because it doesn't occur to them. I have suggested more veggie options at places before and gone back the next month to find out they listened to me! So no, i won't just put up and shut up or go elsewhere thank you very much. Why should i?

Em, no. I never implied that in any way. Please read my post again.

Giving suggestions anywhere, vegetarian or not, is a good idea. Whether they take the advice or not is up to the restaurant and whether it is worth it for them or not. Feedback helps every business.

I'm saying no restaurant has a responsibility to do anything, or serve anything (bar health laws etc). It's up to the customers to encourage a business to do so by making it worth their while, rewarding those who are considerate and avoiding those who are ignorant. That way the number of considerate businesses should increase.

ladybrynamman

eating out has always been a problem for veggies.

personally i use veggieplaces.com before i go anywhere, and always review places after i have been. i have also discussed parmesan and fish being advertised as a vegetarian option/ingredient with some establishments, and offer veggie society booklets if they are interested.

wingchunrick

eating out has always been a problem for veggies.

personally i use veggieplaces.com before i go anywhere, and always review places after i have been. i have also discussed parmesan and fish being advertised as a vegetarian option/ingredient with some establishments, and offer veggie society booklets if they are interested.

I've had so many issues with the parmesan as well. The thing is, there are vegetarian alternatives to it but restaurants are so stubborn to use it.

paulwgun

As a chef i have to say that i do offer mainly fresh vegie options always use vegetable stock for risottos or couscous dishes, always have fresh vegetables to hand and keep quorn fillets and mince

I totally refuse to keep frozen vegie meals which i came across as a younger chef "cheese and broccoli bake" and "Bulgar wheat & walnut casserole" which are the ones which stood out most, were used in a hotel I used to work in. What a crock of S#*T I've never tasted any thing so vile in my life

I don't get many vegetarians through my Pub/restaurant id say we do 4/5 a month, but can honestly say I offer a variety of vegetarian meals, i do prefer a client to phone me before hand just to see what they prefer and i can tailor a dish to their liking

I'm a meat eater, and love my steaks but i also indulge in my vegetarian meals, if I like them I can almost guarantee my clients will :bigsmile:

Sarauk2sf

As a chef i have to say that i do offer mainly fresh vegie options always use vegetable stock for risottos or couscous dishes, always have fresh vegetables to hand and keep quorn fillets and mince

I totally refuse to keep frozen vegie meals which i came across as a younger chef "cheese and broccoli bake" and "Bulgar wheat & walnut casserole" which are the ones which stood out most, were used in a hotel I used to work in. What a crock of S#*T I've never tasted any thing so vile in my life

I don't get many vegetarians through my Pub/restaurant id say we do 4/5 a month, but can honestly say I offer a variety of vegetarian meals, i do prefer a client to phone me before hand just to see what they prefer and i can tailor a dish to their liking

I'm a meat eater, and love my steaks but i also indulge in my vegetarian meals, if I like them I can almost guarantee my clients will :bigsmile:

On behalf of all the vegetarians out there.....a big thank you

macnotes

Since becoming a vegetarian 3 years ago, I've found a whole new world of options. When I went to Belize a month ago, one restaurant even had a specific menu just for us. I thank everyone before me to request the changes, be aware of what a vegetarian prefers and having the guts to experiment with flavours! Weekend went alright. Did slip on the calorie front but nott the veggie front. Yay!