Stupid Menu

[1815alan]

I went out with my family for a meal on Sunday. The menu listed Tuna Salad and Prawn Salad as veggie options, however Jacket Potato and Beans were not....:confused: Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

[hoodedclawjen]

oooh dear. yeah, that happens sometimes. did you let them know that fish aren't vegetables, but beans are? you perhaps should. :)

[dirtywings]

Yep. I remember when I was little, and being raised vegetarian, I saw that on a menu once and got all confused and asked my mum if vegetarians ate fish. Her answer was something along the lines of 'some do, but we don't'. I honestly can't remember if we ever did or not tbh!

[MrFalafel]

I don't enter restaurants that think fish are vegetables. If they are that confused about something so basic then I would worry about other food prep things they are confused about, such as food hygeine and food allergy awareness.

[tintin]

I don't enter restaurants that think fish are vegetables. If they are that confused about something so basic then I would worry about other food prep things they are confused about, such as food hygeine and food allergy awareness.

i'll second that (although I don't usually know they are stupid until I've already been there . . . unfortunately)

[MrFalafel]

i'll second that (although I don't usually know they are stupid until I've already been there . . . unfortunately)

I never sit down at a restaurant until I've seen the menu. The menu should be posted on the front of the restaurant or available in the front. I'll take a quick look at the menu and if I see fish in the vegetarian section or can't see anything resembing a vegetarian dish I'll walk away and try somewhere else.

[.ghost.]

I've been to places for family events when I was younger than put fish as vegetarian options and it always annoyed me, especially as if they think fish is veggie all of the other "vegetarian" dishes may have things such as fish, gelatine or chicken stock in as they're obviously not that bothered.

Now I do what another couple of posters have mentioned and check beforehand that the restaurant has proper vegetarian food and doesn't include fish as veggie :)

[Midnight Angel]

I actually found this the other night! I went up to Washington to visit a friend (completely off topic, but I discovered I can make it from my city to hers on half a tank of gas, yay!), and we went out to lunch. They had a vegetarian meal, but the tofu and everything else was cooked in meat sauce. I'm like.. Eh? I didn't say anything though, because I wanted to have fun with my friend. I found a really good tofu dish though!

[JessEpiphany]

Hmm, I'd never noticed that before. Actually, around here finding a "vegetarian" section of a menu seems to be pretty difficult in itself.

[tintin]

Actually, around here finding a "vegetarian" section of a menu seems to be pretty difficult in itself.

agreed

[animallover7249]

Hmm, I'd never noticed that before. Actually, around here finding a "vegetarian" section of a menu seems to be pretty difficult in itself.

same. :yes:

[daffodil]

Eh? I didn't say anything though, because I wanted to have fun with my friend. I found a really good tofu dish though!

That's my trouble....I normally only go out to eat with omnis so if I make a fuss I get "the stare".......

[LabileLotus]

I never sit down at a restaurant until I've seen the menu. The menu should be posted on the front of the restaurant or available in the front. I'll take a quick look at the menu and if I see fish in the vegetarian section or can't see anything resembing a vegetarian dish I'll walk away and try somewhere else.

I do the very same! Or if I know where my husband wants to go, I'll call and talk to them first (usually after looking at the menu online)

[LionSpirit]

I went out with my family for a meal on Sunday. The menu listed Tuna Salad and Prawn Salad as veggie options, however Jacket Potato and Beans were not....:confused: Has anyone else experienced anything similar?


I actually found this the other night! I went up to Washington to visit a friend (completely off topic, but I discovered I can make it from my city to hers on half a tank of gas, yay!), and we went out to lunch. They had a vegetarian meal, but the tofu and everything else was cooked in meat sauce. I'm like.. Eh? I didn't say anything though, because I wanted to have fun with my friend. I found a really good tofu dish though!

I would be inclined to report those places to my local Trading Standards department for misleading advertising - they can get a massive fine for that. Wimpy used to do BOTH those things - had some tuna thing listed as "vegetarian" and later had a V symbol being used to mean 'may be cooked in meat/fish oils'. And as the V is simply a symbol, I think they got away with that one for ages (but the tuna thing was changed) - and because of that, even if I was veggie and not vegan, I would never eat somewhere where there's a V symbol but no explanation of what it means.

[MrFalafel]

That's my trouble....I normally only go out to eat with omnis so if I make a fuss I get "the stare".......

Wow those guys sound terrible. When I eat with my omni friends more often then not they'll tell the waiter for me that I'm vegan and for them to be extra careful in serving me a vegan meal...

[Midnight Angel]

I would be inclined to report those places to my local Trading Standards department for misleading advertising - they can get a massive fine for that. Wimpy used to do BOTH those things - had some tuna thing listed as "vegetarian" and later had a V symbol being used to mean 'may be cooked in meat/fish oils'. And as the V is simply a symbol, I think they got away with that one for ages (but the tuna thing was changed) - and because of that, even if I was veggie and not vegan, I would never eat somewhere where there's a V symbol but no explanation of what it means.

Really? I'll have to do that next time I come across it. Plus, I didn't know where anything in that town was, but that restaurant seemed familiar (I think I had been there years ago when it was something different).

[*Star*Lass*]

I think there are a few places like that. I once went to Bar Beyond in Newcastle for some food with friends, and they had fish labelled as veggie. The only thing i could eat was a salad, so we didn't stay. I later emailed them to say that they couldn't do that, and what if someone had an allergy and something happened due to misleading labels, etc. To be honest, it was so long ago i'm not entirely sure what happened, but i'm pretty sure i got no response.

It's very weird. I can't figure out how a business that caters, and a chain for that matter, doesn't know what is and what isn't vegetarian. Obviously not doing there homework. But how? Why not?

[LionSpirit]

I think there are a few places like that. I once went to Bar Beyond in Newcastle for some food with friends, and they had fish labelled as veggie. The only thing i could eat was a salad, so we didn't stay. I later emailed them to say that they couldn't do that, and what if someone had an allergy and something happened due to misleading labels, etc. To be honest, it was so long ago i'm not entirely sure what happened, but i'm pretty sure i got no response.

It's very weird. I can't figure out how a business that caters, and a chain for that matter, doesn't know what is and what isn't vegetarian. Obviously not doing there homework. But how? Why not?

Using the word 'veggie' is a bit different from a V I think; I would say it obviously means vegetarians and clearly fish isn't. However, if it's a vegetable-based dish with non-vegetarian ingredients, a food place could probably claim that the 'veggie' meant 'vegetable' and not 'vegetarian.

[yanayo]

it's always difficult to find a vegetarian friendly menu with more than one or two dishes.
A local chinese now has special set dishes with as they advertise 'vegetarian chicken' lol which i find promising, however many chefs hate vegetarians for different reasons. I find this narrowminded everyone should be respected for their own belifs and if those include cutting out animals etc then that should be recognised more widly and caterd for.
Most places now have a wider selection of HALAL products than vegetarian, its not great really

[Princess Peach]

I never sit down at a restaurant until I've seen the menu. The menu should be posted on the front of the restaurant or available in the front. I'll take a quick look at the menu and if I see fish in the vegetarian section or can't see anything resembing a vegetarian dish I'll walk away and try somewhere else.

This is what I do. I eat out a fair bit an usually have no problems. The one time I won't eat in restaurants is when the list "fish" on the "vegetarian" list. I always check the menu first, before sitting, and will happily walk out if the menu looks dubious.

[MrFalafel]

it's always difficult to find a vegetarian friendly menu with more than one or two dishes.
A local chinese now has special set dishes with as they advertise 'vegetarian chicken' lol which i find promising, however many chefs hate vegetarians for different reasons. I find this narrowminded everyone should be respected for their own belifs and if those include cutting out animals etc then that should be recognised more widly and caterd for.
Most places now have a wider selection of HALAL products than vegetarian, its not great really

You may find that 'vegetarian chicken' in that Chinese restauant is indeed vegetarian seitan/wheat gluten that is available in tins in most Chinese food shops. I buy cans of vegetarian chicken from a Chinese food shop in Manchester.

On the contrary about restaurants hating vegetarians, most restauranteurs love vegetarians as they get a much higher profit margin from vegetarians than from meat eaters as the cost of ingredients is lower.

If you know of a restaurant where a chef hates customers its best to avoid the place. Most chefs are happy with their jobs and actually enjoy the challenge of making a vegetarian meal as its something different from making the same old menu items over and over again.

[Earthling]

My local Chinese restaurant does "vegetarian chicken and duck" in various sauces and it's absolutely delicious. Even my omni mum likes it.

I really don't like eating at places where they don't have a vegetarian section on the menu, or at least label things with the V sign. It makes me think that either they don't care about vegetarian customers, or all their food is prepared in such a way that it's all contaminated with meat. I really hate it when fish is listed under the vegetarian section.

The Harvester's menu annoys me most, because they have a "Fish, Vegetarian and Pasta" section. Yes, because those three things have so much in common...

[Sam Dude]

I agree. I've been to the Harvester not long after becoming a vegetarian and that confused me slightly.
:D

[Debs]

I must be honest I'm very nervous about eating anything cooked on a grill from a restaurant. Most take away joints have veggie burgers, but they are cooked on the same grill as the meat ones. I now specifically ask if they have a vegetable section where they grill the veggie burgers, and some of them have been very kind and actually showed me the separate grill!!

I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan, so sometimes still just fall back on the staple toasted Cheese and Tomato Sandwich when Im out!!

[Sam Dude]

Yeah, for every couple of idiotic resturants that don't know what veg*nism is, there's several nice ones.
On the way home from holiday, we stopped into this really nice little Devon café, and they were very hospitable towards vegetarians. Not so sure about vegans though.
:D