I find takeaways even more of a let down sometimes. We went through a stage of ordering takeaway pizza, as we have a few really good Neapolitan places nearby. But the quality is much worse once it's been stuck in a box, sweating, toppings fallen off etc. We had 3-4 takeaways in a row and thought you know what, this is rubbish. Went and had a sit-in pizza and one of the places and it was 10x better. Delivery wasn't even much cheaper (if at all?). Total false economy.
This, takeaways I've noticed recently are just as expensive as going to restaurant recently. And the quality has gone down hill.
Fish and chips are no longer a cheap meal, last time I got dinner for 3 of us still set us back £50.
I used to like going out for dinner me and the Mrs but since the boy come along it's been much less frequent due to time. But when we have gone out for a meal I've always been left disappointed, not just the taste of the food but the ambience of the restaurant and the service. Both me and the Mrs can cook well, we've used cookaway in the past which we found really nice too quality ingredients etc, but that's become far to pricey now.
Saying that there is a lovely little Spanish tapas bar in our nearest town but it's always packed to the rafters making it difficult to enjoy the meal, that and I always leave feeling I've only had half a meal, which then annoys me for the cost, if paying over £100 for a meal and drinks i don't want to leave thinking I want to eat as soon as I get home or grab a takeaway..
I think with chain restaurants you need to walk in expecting the food to be a bit rubbish, they aren't employing top quality chefs, it's all just microwave and boil in the bag for the most part, and for me, we're in the chain because it's convenient and we know exactly what we're expecting for the cost e.g out shopping for the day can't be arsed to cook and dint want a mackers or wait ages for a takeaway to get delivered when we get home, so we'll go in wagamamas or something (though i must admit wagamamas is a chain where the food is slightly elevated above bland level)
Edit: Toby carvery or any such like tbh, why on earth do people rave about a Toby as if it's some amazing thing, it is (and in my experience any carvery type place) are frankly abysmal, the meat is usually dry or you get very little of it, the roast potatoes taste like they've been re-heated they have no seasoning, the eg is over cooked and the service is always always shockingly bad. This is a meal I definitely rather cook at home even with all the mess and washing up.
I have had good roasts at pubs there was a great little pub in the new forest that done a cracking roast dinner, but wasn't a carvery .
I feel like I'm becoming a boring old fart rather staying in and have friends round than go out, but tbh I think it's the world outside just generally getting *******
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