Do you feel awkward when you order a dish in a restaurant that is like "chicken pecan salad" and u have2say...!

Question: Do you feel awkward when you order a dish in a restaurant that is like "chicken pecan salad" and u have2say...?

When you're in a restaurant and you see a dish you want to try, and the only thing that makes it non-vegetarian is the meat (in this case, you've asked the waiter just to be sure), but the name of the dish contains a meat item? Like "chicken pecan salad" and you have to say "I'll have the chicken pecan salad, without the chicken." And the waiter gives you a strange look, and says "you want the CHICKEN pecan salad, without the CHICKEN?" Or, for example, the sausage arrabiata pasta, and you have to say "I'll have the sausage arrabiata pasta, without the sausage" and you get the strange look and comment.

Does that make you feel awkward? I always feel the need to sort of lie (about it being "good") and say "I'm sure it's good with the meat, but I'm a vegetarian, so if you don't mind not including the meat item, that would be great"

Answers:

Nope. If I'm paying them to make my food, I have no problem ordering it how I want it, and sending it back if necessary.

~vegan who eats out~

Been there, almost done that. But usually I'll just find something on the menu which doesn't require special instructions to the waiter (apart from "can you make it extra spicy" or "no mushrooms, please"). Or, occasionally, I'll ask for something which is not on the menu, such as a green (or "garden") salad (almost every restaurant in the world will do one of those, but only a few will bother to put it on the menu), or have a "main"-sized "side". There is always a way. I haven't come away from a restaurant in decades without having at least one vegetarian-friendly dish.

Now vegan!

I tend to go to restaurants that are only vegetarian/vegan or to restaurants that also have a veggie menu as well at a meat one. When I go to restaurants that are mainly for meat eaters I don't feel awkward asking for changes. Even people who eat meat sometimes ask for changes in the dish they're ordering. If the server is rude about it I can complain or not come back...

Not really. I just ask if they can make x dish without the meat and if not, could they suggest another vegetarian item. Usually, if you have already asked whether a dish is vegetarian if you omit the meat, the waiter gets it, but I suppose some are dumb.

My favorite is "i'll have the such and such pizza...without cheese." "you want pizza.....without cheese?"
hahaha.
No, I don't feel awkward. And I don't feel picky. I feel like if they look at me weird, I'll be entertained by it, eat some yummy food, and move on with my life.

Nearly all restaurants are used to preparing meat dishes without the meat when they are asked. You couldn't expect them to have a meat filled ravioli and take out the meat - but dishes where it is added in pieces or chunks is fine.

haha i do it all the time, i think its halerious how the server stares at me like im crazy, the chiken penne pasta.......with out the chicken plzzzzzzz

I order cheeseburgers no cheese, iced tea without ice, water without water, all that kinda stuff.

Yes

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Do you feel awkward when you order a dish in a restaurant that is like "chicken pecan salad" and u have2say...!

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