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If there's a senior menu I order from that, if not I ask if there's a senior discount. Most places here don't offer any senior menu or discount since it's such a touristy place. I did ask for a "locals" discount at a pizza place once and got 10% off.
And it's not serving just one meal, it's serving just one discounted meal that is on the menu for the sole purpose of enticing parents to dine at that establishment.
We have a restaurant we like that has free kids meals a couple of times a week. Can you imagine if adults showed up expecting to eat for free if they ordered from the kids menu? lol! Of course it does explicitly say that it's one free meal per one paid full entree.
As for the question (and although I'm not retired, I'm apparently as old as the OP so I guess I get to answer), I can only think of a few restaurants I go to that have a senior menu. In at least one (maybe 2), it's the same as the kids menu, meaning kind of boring and bland and not really anything I'd be interested in eating. I can think of a couple that do offer a few smaller sized senior options, but again they are limited choices.
If I'm not that hungry and/or leftovers wouldn't keep well and I know the portions are overly generous (we aren't going straight home after the meal, for instance), I'm more likely to order an appetizer instead of a big entree.
Well actually, I've been known to order a couple of appetizers in lieu of an entree because they are sometimes the most interesting things on the menu. But I'm also a fan of leftovers so I will also order with that in mind, knowing that I get to take a nice lunch to work the next day.
As someone else noted, when I do order a smaller than normal meal and when my kid gets a free or discounted meal, I tip generously, to make up for the fact that just because the tab is smaller doesn't mean it's been any less effort by the server.
Portions are too small on the senior menu. I never have food left to take home from the regular menu.
Ooh! Ooh! I feel the same way. I only ordered from a Senior Menu once (the only time I ever saw one) and it wasn't a generous amount.
I usually clean my plate when I order from the regular menu and my #2 son, who is impressed by everything I do, always comments "Wow, Mom, you ate it all." He and his friend always have to have a box to take home their leftover. I almost cried when he told me that the Prime Rib he didn't finish was going to feed the dog!
Most of the places we used to frequent in Chicago were Greek Style. You purchased the dinner and it included soup, salad, entree and a small dessert. In general, what we did was to order one dinner and an extra soup and salad. We would split the entree, potato and vegetable. There was never a "split plate" fee.
Also, we would frequent a number of Asian restaurants where all the food was served family style and carry the leftovers home.
These days, we cook at home where we don't have to have beans and rice at every meal.
I don't generally go out to eat at restaurants that have "senior" menus - my theory is that if I am going to go out to eat, I am going to a place where the chefs/cooks are better than I am (unless it is just a deli or a taco place during the day or on the road).
The spouse and I frequently split meals though, since a lot of places have insane-sized portions and I don't like wasting food.
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