Restaurants: Portion of chips is NOT 6-7 chips!!

xpletiv

Im sure youve been there; youve ordered your meal, and decided a few chips would go well with what you have. Then, to your disgust, the 'chips' are brought out. About 7 of them. Chunky, yes, but clearly not enough. Its like a single potato has been sliced into 7 bits and fried, and the charge is 4.95 (or whatever).

This really irks me. Milanos do this with their chip sides, as do a number of places in Dublin city center. Does this constitute 'fine dining'? Because the only thing I feel is ripped off.

I feel that this should not be allowed and for those that receive them, in future, to send them back. A single potato, costs what, 10 cents in a bag? I questioned the waitress and she said 'thats all you get'. I sent them back. I said this is not good enough and a rip off, please take them back, which she did. I couldnt accept it. And we shouldnt!

matt-dublin

its the new potato tax.......

enda1

I'd prefer to get too few than too many. Nothing worse than paying for too large portions.

rubadub

This is actually the main reason I was pleased to hear about that plan to have calories on menus, so you get an idea in advance of how much to expect. So you could rightly complain if it was obviously below the quoted number. Esp. deserts.

When I walk in places I am always trying to get a glimpse of peoples plates to see what I can expect.

enda1 wrote: »

Nothing worse than paying for too large portions.

But he is blindly paying 4.95 regardless. I don't like seeing food go to waste, but would rather see it wasted than me wasting away with such a miserable portion.

EDIT: milanos do have calories, none for chips though
http://www.milano.ie/pdfs/files/MIL_NUTRITIONAL_FOR%20WEB_20120110-094937.pdf

enda1

rubadub wrote: »

This is actually the main reason I was pleased to hear about that plan to have calories on menus, so you get an idea in advance of how much to expect. So you could rightly complain if it was obviously below the quoted number. Esp. deserts.

When I walk in places I am always trying to get a glimpse of peoples plates to see what I can expect.

But he is blindly paying 4.95 regardless. I don't like seeing food go to waste, but would rather see it wasted than me wasting away with such a miserable portion.

EDIT: milanos do have calories, none for chips though
http://www.milano.ie/pdfs/files/MIL_NUTRITIONAL_FOR%20WEB_20120110-094937.pdf

It's hardly regardless.
If there were double the amount the price would be higher

rubadub

enda1 wrote: »

It's hardly regardless.

I am saying the price is €4.95, he paid this not knowing the portion size. I would have guessed that after paying 4.95 that most would like too many, rather than too few.

enda1 wrote: »

If there were double the amount the price would be higher

Not necessarily, the ingredients cost pittance in the first place. Most chippers are about 2.50 for a bag of chips, some are miserably small bags some are big.

Double the amount would cost them a few cent more to make, a tiny proportion of the selling price so I would not expect a linear increase/decrease, I can't see them getting away with going over 4.95. Its like in cafes people do not expect a double espresso to cost twice that of a single espresso (one place did and there was a thread complaining about it).

In some places they will come back around with more chips/rice/bread to offer at no extra cost.

enda1

rubadub wrote: »

I am saying the price is €4.95, he paid this not knowing the portion size. I would have guessed that after paying 4.95 that most would like too many, rather than too few.

Not necessarily, the ingredients cost pittance in the first place. Most chippers are about 2.50 for a bag of chips, some are miserably small bags some are big.

Double the amount would cost them a few cent more to make, a tiny proportion of the selling price so I would not expect a linear increase/decrease, I can't see them getting away with going over 4.95. Its like in cafes people do not expect a double espresso to cost twice that of a single espresso (one place did and there was a thread complaining about it).

In some places they will come back around with more chips/rice/bread to offer at no extra cost.

I completely agree that it should not be close to double the price. It's also like in many chippers that do 2 sizes, the large is like €0.50 to €1 more. Neither do I think a side in a restaurant costing €4.95 is extortionate though it is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" point. This is all about context.

Large plates of starchy foods are not really in the restaurants interest either (nor in mine as a diner) as it kills the appetite for the the rest of the food and the potential dessert that awaits.

I think overall the consumer should just ask the server if this is going to be such an indignation worthy of an online rant.

tricky D

xpletiv wrote: »

A single potato, costs what, 10 cents in a bag?

Costs a lot more than that and the price if spuds has shot up in recent times with poor harvests. Prices, both ex-farm and consumer, have almost at least doubled in the last 2 years.