Embarrassing: never order this at a steak restaurant
The smell of grilled meat immediately makes you hungry, doesn’t it? Are you also a fan of those Argentinian grill restaurants? Then take a look at this list. Because seriously: you really can’t order these kinds of things at a steak restaurant.
The menu at a steakhouse is usually super simple: different steaks, in different sizes. And you can order them with fries or a salad. Which sauce would you like with it? And how would you like it cooked? That’s it—the more complicated it gets, the less it is a steakhouse.
Embarrassing: never order this at a steak restaurant
Look, of course you can order whatever you want. You’re eating out after all, and you’re paying the bill yourself—and whoever pays gets to decide, right? But there are a few things that are simply too ridiculous for words. So culinary magazine Mashed is giving you a heads-up—these orders aren’t exactly greeted with cheers at a steakhouse.
#1: Well done, please
They have the best meat. The finest entrecôtes, the most beautiful flat irons, gorgeous dry-aged rib eye. And then comes the question: how would you like it cooked? Do the chef a favor and don’t say: well done. Because that’s such a terrible waste of a beautiful piece of meat. It turns gray and dry, with no juiciness or flavor left. Don’t like red meat and don’t want to see any meat juices? Then order a schnitzel or a chicken breast, but leave the steaks to people who do enjoy juicy beef.
#2: The hamburger
Hamburgers are delicious. Especially a beautiful burger made with coarsely ground meat, a perfect bun, homemade pickles, tasty mayo… a party! But ordering a hamburger at a steakhouse is like ordering something from the children’s menu, says Mashed. Do you also order a glass of chocolate milk at the pub? Besides, if the hamburger were the very best thing on the steak restaurant’s menu—what the kitchen really excelled at—why wouldn’t it be a hamburger restaurant? There are plenty of chains that specialize in exactly that.
#3: Extra sauce
That delicious pepper sauce, a spicy blue cheese sauce or homemade chimichurri: places like that often have excellent sauce. And the portions are certainly not small either. But extra sauce means you want to drown your beautiful piece of meat in it. Such a shame: don’t.
5 things you want to know about meat but are afraid to ask the butcher
#4: Dish of the day
This is a tip from Gordon Ramsay himself: the special of the day is on the menu because it needs to be eaten that same day, as quickly as possible. What is it? Ingredients nearing their use-by date, meat taken out of the freezer too early and vegetables that have seen better days. Add a layer of sauce, top with cheese and voilà—that’s today’s special. Do you really feel like eating that? No, right?
Exception: sometimes a restaurant deliberately works with seasonal vegetables or other ingredients that aren’t available all year round for its dish of the day. Or they use it to try out a new dish, to see whether it will be a success and deserves a place on the regular menu. In that case: go for it.
#5: The vegetarian option
It’s 2024, so of course there’s something plant-based on the menu. But why would you order it? A chef who really enjoys creative vegetable preparations won’t look for a job at a steak restaurant. What do you get? Mushroom and goat cheese risotto, or a spinach quiche. No thanks. Dear vegetarians: a steakhouse is not your restaurant.
#6: Salmon
Similar to the vegetarian option: it’s on the menu, but preparing fish is an art (just like cooking the perfect steak, by the way). And the chefs in the kitchen of the restaurant you’re currently sitting in simply don’t understand that art—or they would be working in a fish restaurant. So do yourself a favor and leave that piece of salmon alone; it won’t turn out well.
#7: Ketchup
Donald Trump ordered ketchup everywhere. Yes, even with his steak. Do you want to look like Donald Trump?
Also read:
- Gordon Ramsay’s 10 tips for the best steak
- 6 common mistakes when cooking steak
- 11 ridiculous orders at a restaurant
Source: Mashed
