Takeout sucks.
It’s never as fresh as what you get served at a restaurant. In fact, it’s worse than “not fresh.” By the time it’s delivered, it’s often lukewarm, and the flavors are ruined due to steaming inside the container. It looks and tastes pathetic.
On top of that you lose the experience of having food served properly, in order, drinks poured over fresh ice etc. Instead, it’s all dropped off in a box or some styrofoam container.
And then you pay extra for this substandard experienceand and still have to clean up afterward.
I’d rather buy some frozen food at a supermarket and reheat at home – tastes just as bad, but at least it’s cheaper. Even better, eat out. Or cook real food at home.
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Takeout isn’t that bad for me, but your right, it’s never as good. However! I have seen pretty good places that do takeout.
I disagree, but upvoted cuz popular opinion.
Also, i like my fries soggy for some reason
Idk. There’s something about eating shifty Chinese food with a spoon on your couch that makes me happy lol
I have plates and access to ice water. Unless you live an hour away from where you’re ordering, the food will be fine (and much better than frozen food) when it gets delivered to you.
Did you know it’s also more expensive than cooking for yourself, too? Wow!
Shit takeaways are shit but there’s a decent amount of stuff that doesn’t match what you’ve described
I love Chinese takeout and this local pizza and wing place, I DoorDash takeout 2-3 times/week
Depends where you get it from. I think fast food is largely crap, but a lot of local takeaways (at least here in the UK) are very good.
Nothing like a takeaway chippy.
Eating it in a container makes it taste better
Yeah I can see the reasoning for this; you buy food at restaurants with the premium of it being served fresh and hot (ideally). But buying food is more than getting the absolute highest quality of food, sometimes I wanna order chinese takeout, sit on the couch and watch a tv show
not an opinion; factually false. Try my home cooking you won’t have this “opinion” any more lmao
Depends on the style of food. Thai, Indian and Chinese (among others) actually do pretty well when taken out largely because they usually come in discreet containers and the steaming effect you mentioned doesn’t affect curry or noodle based dishes as drastically as it does others. All of that said, I don’t know too many people who think that take out ranks high on the hedonic scale of food experience. Most folks who get take out are settling for it because the problems you described are outweighed by the inconvenience they’d have to go through to go to the actual spot or they may want to have a drink or something else they can’t get at the restaurant they want to eat from but can’t get that there. Overall, not a terribly unpopular opinion.
Preach!!!!
Idk sometimes just fancy a dirty kebab. I have started eating them a lot less because of the cost of delivery and I’m lazy.
POW food in a prison on the loosing side, pranked food, poisoned food… worse.
Captain obvious over here
Certain foods are tolerable takeout
Pizza is ideal because you want it to cool a few minutes out of the oven anyways
Mexican slop works well too (not tacos tho, like an enchilada plate)
never as good as being served at a restaurant sure but if your takeout tastes like frozen supermarket food you need to try other places
Agree. Most food doesn’t travel well. Things like burgers and fries closed up in a box for 20 minutes are going to be soggy when they arrive.
I do like the way our local Indian place does their takeout though. They separate the sauces from the rice and then I pour it all together when I get home.
Order some sesame chicken from a local place then microwave some frozen supermarket version when it arrives. Compare.
Report back how wrong you were.
I think it varies based on the type of food. Some foods travel worse than others. Ya gotta be smart about it.
…or go fetch your own takeaway, rather than pay extra for someone who doesn’t give a shit to bring it to you 40 minutes after he’s collected it from a takeaway you could have walked to in 10, and then want a tip.
Yes I think this is known. You do it because you’re busy or don’t feel like cooking, not because it’s advanced cuisine
High end catered take out is amazing.
It taste better because it’s in front of my tv
I agree for most part. I sure as hell am not wasting money on DoorDash or any third party app for sub par takeout that may or may not have some food eaten by driver. Occasionally, I’ll still pick up mainly because I’m over dealing with humans for the day. But gotta say it’s a rarity. The best food is the food I can cook at home….better quality and ingredients . As a result, tend to only eat at restaurants that are pushing the boundaries of food and experiences. Saves money and it’s far more special to dine like that
I don’t understand the point of this..
>It’s never as fresh as what you get served at a restaurant.
Very obvious trade-off. Takeout isn’t about freshness, it is about convenience.
>On top of that you lose the experience of having food served properly, in order, drinks poured over fresh ice etc.
People get takeout to avoid the restaurant. Not to get a restaurant experience.
“GeTTiNg TaKeOuT iS nOt ThE sAmE aS tHe ReStAuRaNt” In other news, water is wet.
I don’t think most people are expecting a world class culinary experience when they have takeout- it’s food I don’t have to cook that I can eat on my couch in my comfy clothes.
Sounds like you get shitty take out.
One of the few great things to come out of COVID was that pretty much every restaurant in my area from cheap Chinese to mid-budget Korean to high end whatever does take out now, either directly or through some app. I’m going to tell you right now, I don’t care whether it’s being served or delivered, whether it’s not quite as crisp or fresh out of the oven hot as it’s intended to be, it’s still world’s better than processed and oversalted frozen grocery store food And it’s way less effort than cooking by myself.
And normally, sure the delivery fees cancel out though server tips but I’ve got young kids and I’m not busting my ass hauling them to some restaurant for what would be a far shittier experience than anything you’re describing.
Door dash is not takeout. “I ordered fast food and this awful delivery service gave it to me an hour later and it’s mid” how bizarre
Takeout and delivered aren’t necessarily the same. Not even close. And while some things don’t take out well, thers are absolutely fine. Sorry.
I think it really depends what you order.
Like, I won’t order Outback for takesway/delivery because it’s shit. But at the restaurant it’s good. But some curries, some rice, some naan etc, so good to veg out at home, have a little picnic with the food and a movie and it’s so good.
In order takeout because I don’t want to go to the restaurant & I don’t want to cook
For things that store well lukewarm or don’t get soggy, like sushi, curry and cold cut sandwiches, it’s exponentially better. Sometimes you pick up some sushi on the way home, same price if you to their website, and eat while watching Netflix, it’s pretty chill.
How is this an unpopular opinion? Everyone knows takeaways are overpriced and unhealthy.
Picking it up yourself always helps. That food delivery stuff is for masochists who hate money. That being said, we’ve made some concessions for foods that stay fresher for longer. Like curly fries over regular fries for example.
I agree. I hate that it’s usually soggy, it’s usually be jostled around, and it’s not hot anymore. If I don’t feel like going out, I’d prefer to just make something quick at home.
Pro tip: Turn on your oven when you order the food. Throw it in there for 10 minutes if it’s not to your desired temperature when it arrives.
Maybe if your takeout pool is limited to KFC and McDonald’s
To call it ‘takeout’ or ‘takeaway’ assumes you picked it up, not had it delivered. If you have delivery related problems, the food isn’t to blame. Also, takeout describes hundreds, maybe thousands, of different kinds of food. Be more specific.
It tastes different imo, but ain’t the worst kind of food.
It depends what you get and how far you live from the restaurant. Like for me an Italian place just opened next door. I can grab a panini and be home in 20 seconds so it makes no difference. But I certainly wouldn’t order like a nice steak from a fancy place to go.
Depend on the takeout.
Fried food is kind of ruined when theyre not hot but there is no significant difference between a hot and warm pizza, chicken lomein or BBQ meat.
Eh I just think certain foods don’t travel or reheat well. It’s why pizza and Chinese are the best things to get takeout from. Pasta, steaks, seafood, anything fried or any hot sandwich is just gonna be soggy/weird/cold/gross if it’s reheated later. Cold cut sandwiches work pretty well, as does sushi since they’re supposed to be cold.
My local pizzeria doesn’t charge extra for carryout. They’re 5 minutes from my house and pretty reliable on their timing. They say 20 minutes, I can walk in at 18 minutes, pay for it, and walk out as soon as they’ve cut it and slid it into the box. It’s pretty close to table-fresh when we’re eating it.
I generally agree with you for most other cuisines. Most things don’t travel well unless it’s a cold deli sandwich or something.
But if you’re going home to have pizza with family or friends, it’s still a really good experience and you have the advantage of your own favorite drinks – whether you have a craft beer fridge or want to open your favorite bottle of wine.
I pick up my takeout myself so it’s usually pretty fresh when I get it home. I would agree with delivery though, but I live in an area that didn’t have any delivery options (even pizza) pre door dash, so I’m used to it.
You just have to time it right. Get all your drinks poured and table set. Be at pickup as soon as it’s done. Race home and eat immediately. I live a few miles from the closest takeout spot but I can still go from their counter to my table in 7 minutes. Everything is still very fresh
I couldn’t agree more. I hate getting take out food. It’s warm at best, soggy, and just below standard of getting it at the restaurant. I know so many people who waste a lot of money every year having food delivered.
Also, you have to deal with the order being messed up and leaving stuff out.
Idk if its still around but I when I lived downtown Indy there was a place called Indy All Night and they would deliver up until 5 am or something. 2am chicken wings and mozzy sticks delivered to your door was definitely a positive experience 😋
Where do you live? May just be related to the part of the country you’re in.
I have an idea. Why don’t you order from a local restaurant and actually go pick it up! I know it’s such an inconvenience to get off the couch but waiting for someone to deliver your food that might have been sitting in their car for an hour might be the reason why the food is cold and unappetizing. And you’ll save money.
You are eating the wrong take out food.
There are also some takeout that benefits from sitting and letting the flavors marinate. Italian Beef comes to mind.
Frozen food delicious too. Air frier is easy.
HEAVILY depends on what you’re ordering and how you’re ordering it.
Some things get soggy when not stored correctly like fries. Sandwiches can also get soggy if delivered in sub-standard containers.
And if you’re ordering off an app they will likely take longer than if you just got it yourself.
I call/order ahead but not too far ahead and pick food up myself and rarely have an issue.
Nah man. Takeaway is like Christmas! Unwrapping all the little packages! And the takeaways I go to are wildly better than a shitty ready meal version. Maybe your local takeaways just suck…?
My go to is a Laos restaurant nearby and I always get what is essentially a ramen dish. They package it with the broth separated and ready to pour over the other ingredients in a bowl. They serve the broth piping hot so by the time I get home it’s still very hot. It’s always delicious, hot and consistent.
Agreed, when friends ask if I’ll pitch in on delivery I always say no. I’d rather my friends pay me to go get some groceries and cook for them; it’ll be cheaper and tastier.
Yup. I want to either go out or cook at home, not the worst of both.
It’s hard to explain and to understand but sometimes mediocre slop is exactly what hits the spot.
We stick any food that’s gone a bit cold and soggy in the air fryer. Great for fries. Otherwise, I agree that some food steams and goes cold. We typically order sushi as takeout so not an issue
You’re complaining about delivery, not takeout food. Also, maybe try better restaurants?
💯
So don’t get it…stop your b*tching.
Indian holds up okay, and so does Chinese but, yeah, mostly awful.
Nah. Takeout is fine.
I have learned my lesson of ordering tacos. Every single time they hold the bag wrong and all the taco fillings are all over the place. It’s not the restaurants fault but it pisses me off to no end.
Depends on what you order. Take out chicken fingers are good. I wouldn’t get something that gets soggy quickly, like cheesy fries.
This just in….
I don’t generally go for takeout either, but it kind of just sounds like wherever you live has shitty restaurants.
The real suck is delivery. All the negatives of take-out combined with the unpredictability of having some random guy bring try to bring it to you and insane app up-charges.
I agree. It’s cold by the time you eat it.
Lol takeout is still definitely better than a frozen meal or anything like it . It’s still usually humans good or close to it
Well, take out isn’t delivered, so theres that. Also, you don’t order delivery because you’re looking for a great dining experience. You order delivery because you’re being lazy, or don’t want to deal with a whole restaurant dining experience or any other number of reasons, but not because you want the best food experience possible.
Go pick up your food from good places. It’ll be great.
The slightly not as fresh experience is made up for by not having to be around other people 👌 also, takeout means you take it out yourself, delivery is what you’re complaining about
I hate the amount of plastic and styrofoam you’re left with after eating takeout. I’m not even that environmentally conscious but I feel so guilty.
Chinese food and pizza are the best takeout foods. They hold up well and also reheat well.
I’m old enough to have watched this development of society embracing door dash-type delivery. Seriously even before its launch food delivery had long proven disappointing. Why a whole new business developed to deliver even more foods/things & usually at a hefty cost yet prospers (despite all its detractors!), blows my mind! I get it’s convenience for shut-ins & those with transportation struggles but most of the complaints I read are from people who could get things if they wanted. Such is America…we love to complain but won’t do anything to change…
I’m having a hard time imagining any takeout being as bad as a freezer meal, but a lot of takeout sucks, yes.
Some is pretty much just as good, though. Pizza is generally of the same quality dine-in or take-out. Frozen pizza can be good too, so pizza might be the universal exception.
Chinese takeout is a classic for a reason.
Soups, stews, and curries might even be better as takeout.
Absolutely true
>On top of that you lose the experience of having food served properly, in order, drinks poured over fresh ice etc
This is an upside to me. I’d much prefer to dish my own food in the comfort of my home.
Regarding flavour and things being together too long, this is more of an issue if you’re ordering in something that’s really nice instead of Chinese takeout or something similar. For me, my noodle box tastes about the same in store or delivered.
I agree but not for the same reasons. If we’re talking plastic waste, take out containers are the worst as they pretty much can never be recycled.
And it can be avoided by just going there to eat or cooking at home
Here’s my hot take. Everyone coming up with excuses about why takeout is NOT the worst are doing mental gymnastics to justify their choice to be extremely lazy, avoiding interacting with human beings, and overpay for subpar food that comes along with a load of extra trash and plastic.
i dont think its quite as bad as supermarket frozen foods, but yes many dishes get ruined by being carried home in a styrofoam container or similar takeout container. yes, its often the steam that fucks it up and yea its often pretty bad.
but it also depends on the dish. some things travel very very well, some dont. anything thats supposed to be wet and sloppy to some degree is usually fine, obviously soups, stews etc are fine, theres lots of stuff that works well. but yes your steak frites and roasted veg will be dogshit.
i always cringe when i see a youtube video where someone “reviews” a restaurant, i start the video and they start pulling out takeout containers in their house. you know it takes forever to shoot the video, you know the stuff they’re eating has been steamed to shit and is now cold, its basically a worthless review where they pretend they’re not eating soggy stone cold food.
It’s also often a smaller serving than what you would have gotten in person
I NEVER get takeout or delivery. I eat in the restaurant like God intended.
I just took home and ate a chicken fiesta salad from a neighborhood bar, it was amazing. I still tip, I got a drink while I was there waiting, I have zero regrets.
You don’t have to get it delivered
It sounds like you’re blaming the delivery experience for your shit taste in restaurants
Why are you paying extra for takeout? That’s never been my experience. Are you including a delivery fee? Even then, usually paying for delivery is less than what I would pay as a tip, but you can go to the restaurant and get the food yourself so delivery fee isn’t required.
Eating in the restaurant I have to pay the price of the food, drinks, and a tip.
If I get take out I can go get cheaper drinks at the liquor or dollar store and don’t have to pay for a tip. The price of the food is the same if you call the restaurant directly.
Some places pride themselves on serving freshly prepared food. It definitely shows, but I guess it can’t be called fast food.
Sooooooo… Make it yourself or just don’t get it delivered.
I once ordered some takeout in the south Bay (SanFrancisco) and when I opened it they had clearly given us some warmed over food. Just a ripoff. Overcooked vegetables? Yech.
There’s plenty of places that make it when you call or when you’re waiting if you walk in
You can literally see them cooking raw food while standing at the counter at some places
Naah. Some takeout travels really well. Not all of it, of course.
I always pick mine up and it’s fine!
Of course it’s going to suck if you order it, then it sits on a shelf in the restaurant for an indeterminate amount of time, then it rolls around on the floorboards of an unemployed vape enthusiast’s 03 Corolla while he tries to navigate to your spot.
Depends on the take out really. Pizza and Chinese food? Delicious.
French fries, not so much.
You started with take out then switched midway to delivery. Make up your mind what you’re referring to. I buy takeout and the 2 minutes it takes to walk back home doesn’t spoil it at all.
Worse than school cafeteria food? That’s a bold statement. I didn’t mind it, but I’m like the only one.
Definitely unpopular but honestly most of the takeout in my area is less than a five minute drive from my house and I always try to get there before the food is ready and it’s great most of the time.
I don’t get delivery so I can’t tell you what that is like.
That’s why Indian takeout is the best
I mean, it takes about 3 minutes to get from most local restaurants to my house, the food isn’t going to get cold that fast.
takeout and delivery are two different things. Takeout is getting food into your hungry hands directly from the people taking it out from the fryer or from under a warming lamp. Delivery is when the food is handed by the food preparation team to a person who loads in into a sack and drives around with it for a while, then brings it to you. This is a vast difference, and the core of what your complaints are come down to how long the delivery person is driving around before giving it to you,
Fast food is worse
I only ever order food when I’m hungover. In that state. It always does the job.
Eh except for pizza but yea
There’s something about the experience of takeout that elevates it for me but I tend to agree
Don’t order delivery. Pick it up. I wouldn’t trust some otherwise unemployable door dash driver to not mess with my food, or to get it to me while it’s still hot.
We call it takeaway in the UK and a chip shop is sacred.
If one is not cooking for one’s self and is always ordering food, then yes, your food is going to be sub par in relation to eating it at the restaurant
On the other hand, if you don’t feel like cooking and just want to stay in, then the delivery food tastes pretty nice.
Takeout and delivery are different though. Go get your own food from the restaurant. Waiting for someone else to pick it up and deliver it to you is the problem.
Sounds like you are getting delivery not take out
You do realize that “Takeout” definitionally can’t be delivered right?
Takeout is when YOU (or someone in your household/a guest of yours) go to a restaurant, place an order, and leave with that order yourself (the order can also be placed first, the point being)… You “Take it out” of the store yourself.
If someone is paid to pick it up and bring it to you at your home, then it’s delivery. These are two different things.
Also, delivery is stupid as fark and these days (since almost no delivery is free anymore like at least pizza used to be) is a fools choice unless you are in unusual circumstances that make it the only reasonable choice.
Depends on the situation. From my house I’m within 5 minutes walking distance to Mexican, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Korean BBQ, burgers, fish & chips. I can assure you it tastes pretty good when I get home.
Just order it in less than the time estimate. If it says it’s ready in 15 minutes, be at the store in like 8 minutes, then check in. Usually you can get it immediately after it’s packed, and then as long as your home isn’t far away, just a other 10 minutes or something until you can eat it. It’ll still be warm.
If you mean delivery, not take-out, then yeah, nothing you can do about that
The food is better when you sit down to eat it fresh at the restaurant, but the rest of the experience is better and cheaper (not having to tip) when you get takeout. I hate sitting in a busy restaurant waiting 30 minutes for my food to come out.
“By the time it’s delivered.”
“Takeout” is not delivery. Delivery is delivery.
Takeout is when you pick it up yourself. So you can be there right when the food is ready.
Increased tipping expectations has definitely encouraged more takeout over the years. Won’t be as good as fresh but good enough!
You’re ordering the wrong stuff then. My food always comes nice n hot
It’s on par with the food made in a truck.
Everything actually sucks no matter how good you think it is how bad u want it it is not worth it; the shit is not even good most of the time it’s just food
Fresh ice?? Hahahah
I suspect that since Door Dash and the like, people pick up and then deliver multiple meals at once, and some are delivered last.
I would just say restaurant food is not very good unless you vastly overpay. Nothing beats homemade.
thats why i dont use apps for delivery, the drivers can take a while and do multiple orders, i just call in and pick up the food myself, and drive home really fast to try to preserve freshness, that being said, if its something like fast food then its gg because fast food is only good like the first 3 minutes and its trash after that lol
Op cant even comprehend the difference between fast food and delivery. Its okay op you’ll figure it out
I 100% agree and go to great lengths to only ever dine in or eat freshly cooked meals. Don’t understand takeout at all. For me. Clearly works for most. I worked in foodservice for over a decade and ran very popular takeout only windows and also nice fine casual sit-down places. In one occasion we did both as a dual concept.
I’m not sure I’d say that.. There’s a lot of take-out that I think is pretty good and satisfying. And cleanup is just a matter of throwing away the wrappers & such, so I don’t know what you mean by “still have to clean up afterward”.
Getting takeout from a restaurant on my way home from work is good. I could relate more to getting DoorDash since that both costs more and can show up cold. I’d rather go out and get food myself than get it delivered, since even though I still have to get it, it’s quicker than going to a restaurant and cheaper since I don’t have to buy drinks or pay delivery.
I’ve had one bad food delivery in the last 2 years. My pizza must have gotten flipped at some point, because the pizza was extremely messed up. Otherwise, my takeout or delivery has been perfectly fine. I do live within a 2 mile radius of all the restaurants I order from, so it takes only like 10 minutes for me to get the food. I’ve ordered Chinese and when it arrives, it’s still so hot, I have to wait for it to cool down.
I agree with this, but only because nothing can beat my moms cooking so everything just tastes average to me
Everyone with half a brain knows this. It is a popular opinion. People ear it bc they are busy and lazy
OP did not grow up poor.
Just ordered and got shitty takeout, it was Japanese but it was hot and damn delicious. We ate our hibachi steak and fried rice like it was the last supper. The crab Rangoon was the icing on the proverbial cake.
I’m sorry but this is so relative. I live in a semi big city and my takeout is phenomenal. Piping plot fresh Indian, Chinese, Mexican that is just as good as when I go in.
He said fresh ice lmao
Lukewarm?? It’s called a heated seat. Keeps things nice and hot.
Upvote for a truly unpopular opinion.
I do agree that some foods are much better served hot in the restaurant and not worth getting as takeout, though.
Delivery is worse than takeout
Im not sure where you get your takeout from, but I always get it pretty warm and very tasty
You are correct. One thing I and SO happy I got over be self conscious about is dining out alone. I had a fantastic burger and beer at a pub I have been dying to try today. Guarantee it would have been not nearly as good as take out.
There are types of food that I will take home, and there are others that I’ll only eat at the restaurant. Chinese, Thai, Indian–all hold up well in to-go containers. Almost everything else does not.
Takeout isn’t a type of food. You can order anything from any restaurant and take it with you
My local Chinese takeout satisfies me more than most other meals do regardless of their origin.
Pizza is take out.. no?