We Asked 8 Chefs: What’s the One Dish You Never Order at a Restaurant?
More than other regular diners, chefs have a firsthand understanding of what goes on behind the scenes at restaurants. They know the dishes made with low-cost ingredients that are then highly marked up, the kinds of meals professional kitchens just can’t deliver on, and the typical days certain food orders come in. (Remember Anthony Bourdain’s infamous tip to not order fish at restaurants on Mondays because seafood orders tend to arrive on Tuesdays?)
They also have specific palates. Cooks are constantly tasting the ingredients and dishes that go in and out of their kitchens. Always trying different flavors and textures helps cooks amass a uniquely keen palate.
All of these experiences inform what chefs do and, maybe more importantly, don’t order when they’re the ones dining out. But the everyday diner isn’t privy to such info. That’s why we asked eight chefs for the one dish they never order when at a restaurant. Read on to make sure you’re steering clear of these meals.
The dishes chefs never order at restaurants:
What the servers don’t recommend
Out-of-season vegetables
Gambas al ajillo
Pasta Alfredo
Overly complicated meals
Specials on a Monday
Liver
Andouillette
Nothing
“If there’s one dish I’ll never order at a restaurant, it’s the one the server isn’t enthusiastic about. I watch their expression when I ask, ‘Would you order this?’ If they hesitate, look unconvinced, or subtly steer me toward something else, I always take the hint. Your server knows — listen to them. Also, I love vegetables and am always excited to see seasonal produce on a menu, but if the vegetable sides feel thoughtlessly written, out of season, or included merely as an afterthought, I’ll never order them. A vegetarian dish shouldn’t feel like the token option; it deserves just as much creativity, intention, and care as everything else on the menu.” —Aarthi Sampath, chef and founder, Drāvida, New York City
“One dish I never order at a restaurant is gambas al ajillo. Traditionally, the dish is very simple — made with small rock shrimp, quality olive oil, paper-thin sliced garlic, and cayenne pepper — allowing the quality of the main ingredients to truly shine. However, the variations I often see served in the U.S. stray too far from the authentic version, which takes away from what makes the dish special.” —Rafa de la Rosa, sous chef, Minetta Tavern, and executive chef consultant, Techo Palma, Washington, D.C.
“When I go out to an Italian restaurant, one dish I never order is pasta Alfredo. Cream sauces are very filling, and with Alfredo, every bite tends to taste exactly the same to me. I prefer dishes where the flavors and textures change from forkful to forkful, which makes the experience more interesting and enjoyable.” —Glenn Rolnick, director of culinary operations, Carmine’s Italian Restaurant, NYC
“I’m going to scrub the menu and find the simplest item they serve. I tend to avoid anything that sounds overly complicated because, in my experience, it can become contrived and convoluted — overthought and ultimately fall flat. I want something that showcases how a few premium components can elevate a dish to unexpected heights. That tells me the chef and their kitchen know how to perform. As chefs, we’re conduits and facilitators, not the story itself. Let the food shine and leave the ego behind.” —Chris Meier, executive chef, The Curtis, Denver
“I think it always pays off to listen to your server. I don’t like to ask a server their favorite item because that’s so subjective, but I do often ask what a server recommends. If I ever hear a server say ‘you can order it,’ or ‘it’s not my favorite but people like it,’ then I generally take that as a little helpful warning to avoid the dish.” —Chris McLaurin, chef, Lutra Cafe & Bakery, Durham, N.C.
“I will never order specials on Mondays because they are often leftovers from the weekend. I really love to eat everything, but if I see any kind of liver on the menu, such as chicken liver pate or calf liver, I will not order it because my grandmother used to feed it to me all the time when I was a child.” —Carlos Barroz, executive chef and partner, Palermo Argentinian Bistro, NYC
“Once, when I was in college, I was traveling through Lyon, France. I was eating dinner in a small brasserie near the train station. I saw “andouillette” on the menu. Thinking it was andouille sausage I ordered it. It turns out andouillette is a sausage stuffed with stomach and intestine. The most prized andouillette gets its pungency from the colon. It’s definitely something I won’t order again.” —Brian Rae, culinary director, ES Hospitality, Boston
“As a chef and restaurateur, I would never single out a certain dish that I wouldn’t order! You’d be surprised how often the most banal item on a menu can be the best thing happening in a kitchen. A wedge salad, the chicken dish, the sweetbreads — all can change your life if done right. If you immediately say no, how would you ever know if you’re limiting yourself?” —Erik Niel, chef and owner, Easy Bistro & Bar, Main Street Meats, and Little Coyote, Chattanooga, Tenn.
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