Let's be honest: ordering 'family style' at a restaurant is a massive scam.

By @lanelol · Food

You end up paying full entree prices to get two bites of 5 different things. It's the illusion of variety, but you leave hungry and your wallet is lighter. I'm tired of pretending this is a good system.

The full story

I’m putting this out there because people are too scared to admit it. The 'family style' or 'small plates for the table' trend needs to end. It's not fun, it's not communal, it's a mathematically horrible way to eat a meal. We went out for a friend's birthday last night, six of us total. The place was one of those trendy spots where everything is meant to be shared. Immediately the 'let's just order a bunch of stuff for the table!' conversation starts. I'm the only one who quietly suggests just getting our own entrees, and I get looked at like I'm a monster. So we order like ten different plates. The bill comes and we split it evenly. I paid almost $70 for what amounted to one calamari ring, a single bite of risotto from a communal spoon (gross), half a Brussels sprout, and a sliver of steak that was mostly fat. I watched one guy at our table basically inhale the entire plate of lamb meatballs before it even made it halfway around. This is the core of the scam. When you order your own plate of food, you get a full portion that you are entitled to eat. You know the cost and the value. When you order 'family style,' you're paying for access to a chaotic free-for-all where the fastest fork wins. You subsidize the appetites of the biggest eaters at the table. Restaurants love this because they can charge a premium for appetizer-sized portions and call it an 'experience.' Nope. It's a bad deal disguised as a fun social activity. Just give me my own plate.

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