Takeout secrets restaurants don’t want you to know
Unsavoury secrets of the takeout industry
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Whether you’re a fan of burgers, pizza or Vietnamese, the range of takeout and home delivery options has never been wider. And that means we’re spending more money too. One recent study showed that in an average lifetime Seattle residents spend $154,200 (£118k) on takeout, while those in Detroit fork out the least at $102,240 (£78k). Yet as tempting and tasty as they can be, there’s another price to pay for meals at the click of a button. Here we dish the dirt on the takeout industry.
Restaurants in the same chain vary in quality
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Sleek food delivery apps don’t reflect the restaurants they list
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Takeout can cost more than going to a restaurant
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Your delivery might not come from the restaurant
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Delivery tracking isn’t accurate
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Restaurants lie about MSG in food
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Ordering large fries is pointless
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Pictures of the food might be stock images
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Browsing a takeout menu and tempted by the lovely pictures of the food? Don’t take the images too literally. Not only do some restaurants actually use stock shots for their menus, but food-stylists have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to make the food in the adverts look far better than in real life.
The ketchup isn’t high quality
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Food is cooked from frozen
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Takeout portions are smaller
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The restaurant is judging your order
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Quirky toppings are often the least fresh
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According to insiders, it’s best to stick to pre-set pizza toppings rather than trying to be too original. The issue is there isn't enough turnover – quirky ingredients are purchased in bulk, just like pepperoni or black olives, but they aren't ordered frequently enough to be replaced once they're no longer ‘fresh’. That’s not to say all pizza restaurants run this way – here are our favourite in each state.
When you call about allergen information they don’t always know
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Those with allergies know the importance of informing waitstaff of intolerances when placing an order. But how many times have you called to enquire “Does the chicken chow mein contain nuts?” or “Does the bunless-burger contain gluten?” and the response was “I don’t know” – or worse – they said it doesn’t but you don’t believe them. In some areas restaurants are required by law to correctly display ingredients known to trigger allergies, however they don’t always do this so take extra precautions.
Restaurants pay people to write positive reviews
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Yelp and TripAdvisor are seriously cracking down on fake reviews, but it's something that's increasingly tricky to police online. Famously, "The Shed at Dulwich" in London – a fictional restaurant created by someone who previously had a job writing fake reviews – made it to number one on TripAdvisor purely from self-promotion. Of course, it works the other way as well, with unnecessarily negative reviews being posted and damaging a restaurant’s reputation. A good rule of thumb is to ignore the top and bottom 10% of reviews.
Your local might be keeping notes on you
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They don’t always clean their ice machine regularly
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If you don’t tip – you’ll be remembered
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Grill marks on burgers can be fake
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Those tasty grill marks on your burger from popular fast food chains – they’re not real. They’re artificially coloured on in the factory before the product is shipped to the restaurant. In fact, most burger chains grill on a flat top. If you want real chargrilled burgers, you’ve got to head to somewhere more authentic or high-end. These are the best burger and fries joints in every state.
Food might be reheated
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Ordering more pizza toppings means less of each
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Drivers use tricks for tips
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Staff often turn up to work sick
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Those who aren’t seasoned cooks may believe takeout is a safer option than preparing a meal at home, but think again. It’s been revealed food industry workers continue to go to work when they’re sick, meaning your takeout order could very well have been handled by someone with a cold, or worse, a stomach bug. Luckily scrupulous restaurants and delivery firms have strict rules in place to prevent this from happening.
Read more: 29 celebrities that can’t get enough of McDonald’s
Deals are not the best money-saving option
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Whether it’s paying a little extra to get a 'free' bottle of cola or upgrading to a great deal that includes a dessert that you don’t really want, there’s always a tempting meal deal on offer to get you to buy more than you planned. Think: do you really want all the food you're about to order? Could you get it cheaper without the deal? A quick calculation could save you a few bucks every time – hopefully slashing your average spend on takeout.
Read more: Domino’s pizzas you won't believe from around the world
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