Do you ask for doggy bags when excess with food you ordered in restaurants?

Hi Mimmpi, I am one of those who's never ashamed to ask for a doggy bag for the left overs. i think it is just right to take it home as we did pay for it. restaurants are open and happy to do it for us. it's part of their good customer service. It's okay for me!

Every time we go to a restaurant we come back with the left overs packed in a bag which contains more food than we consumed.I have learned to be careful in ordering but I never stand in the way of the enthusiasm of my wife and daughter.I just let them order for whatever they fancy and always carry the leftover without grumbling or advising them to be careful thus spoiling their moods. Ultimately eating out is just for fun.Isn't it?

Your friend is right! I always get doggy bags for lunch the next day or possibly later in the evening when ,I wish I had what I left behind. No need to feel embarrassed no matter where you go,Its not a crime to not be able to finish ,I also feel it would make the restaurant happier to see you liked it enough to take it home. I only ever order one meal though there is always to much food for me ,So I guess i am the doggy bag queen.I also have a vacuum(hubby) with me that finishes my food if its not enough to ask for it to be bagged.

hmmm..most of the time..me and my group of friends will try to finish it..and stuff ourself..if there is still left over after that, we would just let it be because if it ever reach that state means we are too full to have any appetitte for anymore of the food.

I usually ask if I can take home whatever I have not consumed, after all I have paid for it! Provided it is allowed in the restaurant I don’t see the problems with asking for a doggy bag. The only places that usually don’t appreciate doggy bags are buffets which is understandable although there was a place my work mates and I used to go for breakfast every Christmas eve; it was a buffet and they were easy going about taking home left overs so we stocked up on pastries for later in the day!

I asked the server to packed the excess food to share with someone who have no food...

If we are eating at a nice restaurant We always ask for a box or doggie bag. Usually the meal is so big that I and my granddaughter can't finish it. The only way to avoid having so much food is to order al-a-cart and even that can be too much. Since we are paying for the food I can't see having it go into the garbage when we can have a second meal from it.

I take it home with me. I feel like your friend. I paid for it-I can use it later for a snack or another meal. The restaraunt is going to through it away anyway. Even if it's a little bit I might just take it home or my dogs. Why don't you feel comfortable asking for it?

I always ask for a "to go" box when I am served more than I can comfortably eat at the time. The restaurants I frequent seem to expect this. The Styrofoam container is brought to the patron at the table to place whatever he wants to take home in it.

I'll ask for a "to go" box if there is a significant amount of food left but if it's just a little, then I don't. I actually like enjoying the leftovers later. I don't really think that people think that much of it when you ask for a to go box. At least not where I am from. It is very common to ask.

hhmm why do you have to ask them just tip the food into a plastic food bag and take it out of the restaurant personally I don't as I don't see the need too, plus I usually clear the plate anyhow lol,

It is not cutume to order it in a doggy bag the excess food you cannot consume, atleast not in some western european countries, i mainly have experience from Denmark, German and the Netherlands...

You pay for the whole plate to be eaten not half. If I do not eat the rest of my food I will ask for a to-go box. The only time I do not ask for this is when I go to a buffet. I do not feel that would be appropriate even if I do leave some food on my plate. I might eat the rest or feed it to my dogs but that is my business for when I get home. They do not have to know whether I feed my precious dogs or finish eating myself.

I usually eat all that I order, but if I don't I don't hesitate to ask for a box to take it home. You are paying for the food and they will just throw it away. Why waste it when your spending good money for it. I don't eat in classy resturaunts anymore, so I don't know if I'd ask for a doggy bag there, but I probably would.

We never eat out, so the question never arises with us. However, when I am away on ministry trips, my co-workers and I do often need to eat out. We only order enough for what we can eat and eat everything. On one trip someone with us ordered more than she could eat and the waiter asked her if she would like the rest packed. He took it and brought it back packed in a box. Since left over food is scrapped, it is wasteful NOT to take it home.

I do ask for the servers to pack the leftover food from dining out at restaurants. I don't believe in those who just leave uneaten food in the table. I actually hate seeing food going to waste. So I don't feel ashamed if I ask waiters to pack the leftovers so that I can still enjoy them at home.

Yes I always ask for a doggy bag when I cannot eat all the food on my plate. I do not eat very large portions. That is also the reason I never go to the all you can eat restaurants.

I think it is fine to pack leftover food if you have ordered it and paid for it. Otherwise, the food would also have been discarded. If it is a treat, then I guess it would not be too nice. For myself, I often try not to leave any leftovers. I would then distribute the "leftovers"... If everyone shares, there will not be much leftovers.

Doggy bags depend on the circumstances and conditions. I, and some other fellow employees, were never more embarrassed when, at a company lunch in a first class hotel, the sales manager asked for a doggy bag. It was so out of place we could not believe it. He got the bag and we talked about it afterwards. It does depend on the circumstances. Its not every time that its okay to do.

Hi Mimpi, When dining out, if there is a considerable amount of food left enough to fill at least one person, then I ask the waiter to wrap it up so I can take it home. This is one reason why I prefer a la carte over buffet, because with the former you can take home whatever is left, while with buffet, you pay more but you can never take home anything. And since I'm always with kids when we dine out and they usually don't finish their food, almost always there is a "doggy bag" to be taken home.