Do you enjoy eating “family style” at restaurants?

31 comments

1. What do you mean by “family style”?

2. Yeah, no problem with it. It’s not all that common though.

   Edit: In addition to the other places people mentioned lobster bakes, clam bakes, and crab boils are often set up family style but really it is more buffet potluck style.

3. Sure, why not. Though usually when at places that do so we do not as we can never agree on what to get.

   Only when the group gets large enough that there are several options does it typically work.

4. no I don’t care for this. Let me eat my meal.

5. Nope! Hate the politeness it requires. Let me pick what I want to eat, and it is all mine, including leftovers!

6. Only if everyone at the table has similar tastes.

   Not if there is anyone with a dietary restriction, or they hate spicy food, is there sugar in that? Is it Keto? etc.

   The only time “family style” seems to work is for BBQ, get a platter of meat, a bunch of sides, everyone digs in. Anything else is an exercise in disappointment.

7. Theoretically it’s nice but realistically everyone gets their own . My family is full of picky eaters including me and everybody likes one thing and hates another. So instead of hearing “But I don’t eat that!” twenty bajillion times it’s easiest just for people to get what they want separately lol We usually don’t have a problem sharing if they want to try something though.

8. With my immediate family, no objection. Though it isn’t super common for restaurants to be that style.

   Splitting a pizza is usually the other very acceptable version of that.

9. I like it because you can try a little bit of everything. Most Asian restaurants in this area do it that way. There is also a local Italian chain that serves things that way.

10. My friends like to do this when we go eat Indian food. It’s a great way to try a variety of dishes especially when the place does not do buffet. I’ve also seen this at some southern cooking type places.

11. I don’t, mainly because I have very different tastes than most of the people I’m eating with.

12. I’m “fine” with it, but I prefer to have and eat my own food.

13. I’m a little too frugal to do that.

    We eat at home family style every night. Going out is a treat because everyone gets what they want!

    The only place that I’m cool with that is Chinese food, but Chinese food is really reasonable. We get two entrees and like 6 sides for 60 bucks and it feeds all 5 of us.

14. Picky eater and big dude, so I like my own thing.

15. not for me, I don’t like sharing food with anyone other than my wife

16. What I, what my mother, what my grandmother, what my wife, and what my twin 3year olds lrefer is different.

    I do have good memories of “family style”buffets but to each their own…

17. I actually hate that shit.

    Especially when everyone orders a plate of whatever, then they just bring over some giant platter with everyone’s stuff on it and you have to figure out what belongs to who. And you’re still supposed to tip the same for some reason.

18. It’s not terrible if you’re actually a family and one person is paying the bill. I went to a family style place once with friends and it was a complete disaster because one couple who was really wealthy ordered a boatload of wine and appetizers etc. Some people at a little. Some people ate a lot. At the end no one could agree how to split off the cost. Naturally the people with the most money who ordered the most food and wine were adamant everyone split it evenly since all of it was for “everyone to share” whether they ordered or wanted it or not.

19. Back when I would eat beer and chicken at restaurants, it was still a pain with small groups, because I had to make sure there were enough choices that I’d eat, and that it lasted until it got around to me.

    Now, it’s easier, as I’ll only order the veggie items, and many people pass on the tofu. But I’d rather order my own food anyway.

20. If it’s a place where I’m eating with strangers? Hard pass

21. It’s not really that common outside of certain cuisines or types of meals, like steamed crabs or Ethiopian food. I’m fine with the concept.

22. Family style is the more common option in most Asian restaurants. I love it because everyone gets a chance to try the various dishes.

23. I’m so surprised by these comments, in and around NYC there are lots of family style Italian Restaurants. I didn’t realize that was kind of regional I guess. I really like going to them!

24. No. I absolutely hate family style.

    Because, in truth, you wind up having negotiations. As in, “Okay fine. I guess I don’t have to have that because most people want this.” And even then, the portions are not enough.

    And the dirty little secret is that your meal actually costs more when you leave.

25. We always make a point of going to Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen when we go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. It’s good food.

26. I much prefer that everyone gets their own entrees. Having to pass dishes around and divvy up food introduces a needless hassle to the dining experience.

27. I’ve never once been at a restaurant that does that.

28. Yes I love it. But I’m also Asian.

29. Id like more family style setup. Also, when portions are so huge, it makes sense to share. Also, I remember that my family went to a BBQ restaurant in Kansas City (I think it was Smokestack when that was still open) and you could get basically a family style meal where it was a thing of ribs, half a brisket, a small pan of cornbread and salad of some sort and I thought that was cool.

30. I’m Asian, so family style is in my DNA. KBBQ, Dim Sum, Chinese Banquet dinners, hot pot, “one pot dinners”, stone pot rice, sushi boats .. the list goes on. Food is better when it’s shared.

    It’s totally foreign to me that someone would order just yellow curry and rice for dinner at a Thai restaurant (especially with a large party). I want to try the yellow, green AND red curry, pineapple fried rice, angel wings, pad Thai and pad see ew. Having just 1 dish would feel incomplete to me.

31. Every meal is “family style” when you go out with my girlfriend.