Doggy bags - yes or no?

I have done occasionally, not for the dog. At a restaurant near us that does lovely food, but doesn’t do children’s portions, I ask for a box with the meal and decant half at the start. Mostly now I just order a starter-and sometimes another starter for my main course.as well. The starters are always small and sometimes there’s more choice than there is on the main menu.

Doggy bag - yes, always 😂

No, never asked for a doggy bag. I tend to eat in restaurants that serve small portions so I always manage to finish the meal.

We always save a small bit of meat or fish to take back for dog, she expects it now, so we literally do have a ‘doggy bag’, we always take a small poly bag to put it in lol.

I tend to do two starters nowadays unless a main course is particularly tempting/intriguing. I have no qualms about asking for a doggy box irrespective of status of eating establishment but often find the reheating unattractive. Don't exactly know why......

I took some friends out for afternoon tea recently. There were a considerable amount of scones and cakes left uneaten so I asked for a container and took it round to the grandsons. They're not allowed too many sweet things and thought all their birthdays had come at once.
I don’t think I’d want to take a doggy bag of left over, once hot food home with me!

Yes but the dogs love it Marmight not such a refined palate

I only eat out here at my favourite restaurants where I know the food is not wasted with DH or friends. I go for lunch with our daughter when we visit weekly portions in Lancashire are big. I often get a doggy bag if too much usually chips our dog has them why not we paid for it.

Yes without hesitation! In fact I often sort of halve my meal as I go along so half is untouched to be wrapped up. They usually put it in a take away box or foil.
Ordering starters for mains is something I often do too-it leaves room for a pud!
Oh and ordering from children’s menus is good too portion wise!

If I was enjoying a meal ( usually Indian) I would carry on eating long after I was full, then I realised it would be a better idea to stop when I’d had enough, and take it home for the next day. Much better idea.
Incidentally, I hear airfryers are good for reheating chip shop chips ( and probably other chippy stuff too).

Had a delicious biryania at an Indian restaurant on Friday (which came with a free veg curry side dish). The restaurant brought foil boxes for all of us at the table, and I had 2 meals over the weekend from it - I don't eat much! Always tastes even better the next day too!

The last time we ate out with friends I couldn't eat all the lamb. I asked to have it wrapped to take home and they put it in a take away box with some extra onion and peppers which I hadn't asked for.
It made a delicious sandwich, with added mint sauce, for my supper the next day.

*biryani

I usually eat all my food, in restaurants that don't serve huge amounts, so no need for doggy bags!

I went to a friend's birthday celebration at a Turkish restaurant, about 10 of us, and there was lots of lovely good quality food, far too much in fact. The waiters brought containers and paper carrier bags and we took what we wanted.

A win win situation - customers leave feeling they've had a good experience, no waste, and I really enjoyed the lamb kofte and flatbread for lunch the next day

I do it a lot. They don't pour meat veg and gravy scraped off your plate into a paper bag, they put uneaten food from the serving dishes into a lined takeaway box .

DH and I have done it ever since we first visited Portugal. It was strange to us twenty years ago but we take it for granted now. The Portuguese will ask if you want leftovers for the dog or for the house. DH just takes half a large portion of meat home and if my piece of tuna or salmon is large I divide it and take half home to make paté for lunch the next day.

Much better than letting it go to waste, IMO.
More than once I’ve known it to be ‘human’ bags, though - when between us we’ve ordered too much (usually SE Asian) food.

When we holidayed in Florida we found some (most) of the portions were way to large for us to eat. Children were shocked when I said we could ask for a doggy bag but we overcame our inhibitions and did. The staff happily supplied a box with no fuss. One dd had her doggy bag last 2 days!

So if portions are so large then why not? If portions are smaller not so necessary but I’ve found most places will wrap a take home treat for the dog.

So pleased to hear these affirmative replies from everyone! I can't help thinking the chef must wonder why he spent so much time and effort on presenting your meal - to then find half of it scraped into the bin. Also - I am a bit of a sensitive soul and had been a bit hurt by being chided by another guest at the table, saying it was "uncouth"

I was at a celebration dinner last week, at a quite nice, small restaurant. I couldn’t finish the main course and I felt, as I wasn’t paying, I couldn’t ask for a doggie bag. However, I did say when they picked up my plate, that I was sorry I couldn’t finish it. They replied that they would put it by packed on another table. They did and I ate it the following day. In France since 2016 it is illegal to throw food away.
«Large French restaurants are required to offer customers "doggie bags," or takeaway containers, should they request them.»

In Alice Springs we were not allowed to take the half bootle of wine we couldn’t drink. Laws would not allow it. .

Never have because I know I wouldn't eat it the next day.

GagaJo

Yes, particularly if it's an Indian meal. So many leftovers.

I think Indian food is always better the next day.
As for left over pasta dishes: Fry it, superb 🤪

You had me imagining all sorts of cute bags with dogs printed on them

YES taking leftovers home is the best bit. We always ask to. Otherwise it's a waste and it definitely tastes better the next day.

I've never had any compunction about it - I didn't even know it was something people felt strange about. These days I can never manage a restaurant portion of anything and I always take the rest away with me.

I am pleased that here in Germany they are now starting to use the American system whereby they bring the empty box to your table and you can fill it yourself so you know what's going in the box.

I've never had cause to doubt any restaurant but you can't be 100% sure what happens when they whisk the plate away tongue back and return with an aluminium foil parcel.