Choosing a Restaurant: Types

Hello World! Welcome Friends! Most necessary decisions in life take time and careful consideration. Important decisions often include career choices, buying or selling a house, moving to a new area, relationship changes, and other similar life changes. However, there are some decisions that should be simple and easy, but often are not. One of the most difficult decisions that is made on a regular basis is which restaurant to eat at. There are many occasions when a person, family, or group will head out to a restaurant for bite to eat. This seems like a simple thing, but when you factor in the different likes and dislikes of each person involved, food allergies or intolerances, budget, and and location, the choice becomes much more difficult. When you are trying to choose a place to eat, you need to have as much information about the various choices as possible. Here, you will find details about all of the different types of restaurants and how to choose the right one for every occasion.

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The first type of restaurant up for discussion is ethnic restaurants. These are also sometimes referred to as international restaurants. These terms simply refer to a place that serves food that is specific to a culture other than the local one. This means that ethnic foods are very popular in many places, with whole areas dedicated to ethnic restaurants. In America, the most popular ethnic restaurants are Italian, Mexican, Indian, and Greek, but there are many others available depending on your location. Bigger cities have more variety, but do not count out small towns, they can often surprise you with their variety. If you have decided on ethnic food, your next choice is what kind. Each type of ethnic cuisine has a very specific spice palette and ingredient list that must be taken into consideration. Some are very spicy, some have a great deal of meat, some are more vegetarian, and still others have the same spices and herbs in almost every dish. The first consideration should be food allergies and intolerances. If you are allergic to curry, avoid cuisines from India and many Asian dishes. If you have an allergy to shellfish, be cautious of Asian dishes. For problems with dairy, be careful with Italian cuisine. Nuts are often found in French and Indian food. Wherever you intend to eat, if you are unsure as to whether or not an allergen is contained in a specific dish, do not hesitate to inquire. Some examples of ethnic restaurants are Lex Restaurant, El Mariachi, Kimonos, and Bellacino’s.

Next on the list of types of restaurants is family and kid friendly. There are many restaurants that welcome children, but few that are designed specifically to be entertaining to children. The problem with the majority of these places is that while there is plenty of entertainment for the kids, there is not much for the adults. These places generally have some sort of games which may be tabletop games, video games, bouncy houses, activities, or a combination thereof. The food is also generally geared to children having a menu with pizza, french fries, chicken nuggets, and other kid favorites. This is not the type of place to go if you are looking for a quiet and peaceful experience. It is, however, the type of place to go when you need your children to be occupied for a few hours. There are generally bright lights, lots of noise, and big crowds. There is often a theme to these restaurants. Some examples of these types of restaurants are Chuck E. Cheese, Cracker Barrel, and McDonalds. Chuck E. Cheese is full of games and activities for children as well as a very kid friendly menu. Many McDonalds have a playground area for children and their menu is generally very appealing to kids of all ages. While Cracker Barrel is not specifically geared toward children, they do have a shopping area with lots of toys for kids to purchase and play with.

The next type of restaurant to be discussed is the fancy place that you take your date or business client. These places tend to be more expensive than either of the previous options and they have a quiet, restrained atmosphere. There is almost always classical music quietly playing in the background, pleasantly dim lighting, and very expensive wine lists. This is not the type of place you want to take young children or large group outings. The best way to utilize these restaurants is while out on a nice date or need to impress a client or potential client. Food allergies are a concern as these restaurants do not tend to hold back on ingredients. There is generally a dress requirement when going to dinner at one of these places. Gentlemen in nice suites and ladies in cocktail dresses. Kemoll’s Fine Dining, The Ranch, The Cellar, and The Little Door.

Now, we are going to discuss fast food restaurants. This is the type of place you go when you need something fast and/or cheap. Most fast food restaurants are fairly small and most business comes from the drive through. Whether you are eating in or driving through, these places tend to be very kid friendly as well as budget friendly. Some of the most common and popular fast food restaurants are McDonalds, Wendys, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, and Arby’s. Most of these have a menu that appeals to a wide range of tastes and is very affordable. Fast food restaurants do not tend have a nutritious menu. The one exception to this is Subway, it has a great deal of healthy options including their subs, wraps, and salads.

Finally, lets talk about combination restaurants. This is when two or more of the types of restaurants are combined together. Sometimes this is obvious and other times it is not. Pizza Hut is a combination of fast food and ethnic food. They provide fast meals that are based off of Italian cuisine. McDonalds is another great example of a combination. It combines fast food with kid/family friendly. If you have multiple needs, a combination restaurant is just what you need. This list has not taken into consideration specialty restaurants such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and others.

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