Deleted
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Nov 24, 2024 14:45:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2021 15:07:33 GMT
Yes, we look for local places. Usually we read the online reviews then try to pick some places.
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,406 
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Post by artbabe on Jul 2, 2021 15:29:50 GMT
To me, food is 50% of the vacation. Growing up we always stopped at local places. My 8-year-old self just wanted a McDonald's hamburger but I eventually figured out the local places were the most fun.
I plan most of my vacations around where we are going to eat.
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pancakes
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,002
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Post by pancakes on Jul 2, 2021 15:38:10 GMT
We try to eat exclusively at local places and not chains, and not tourist traps. I want to eat where the locals eat as much as possible. I always look on Google or Yelp for places with good reviews before we travel. (We are foodies and are fortunate not to have any food allergies or major restrictions in the family. I get that not everyone is as lucky.) Us too. I’ve gone out of our way or planned our trip around local food establishments. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jul 2, 2021 15:48:30 GMT
But I've had awesome experiences eating in local restaurants--one we went to by the airport in Tulsa was priceless, in terms of local color and character. I experienced a twinge of sadness that I no longer lived there. Tulsa has a quirky character that Connecticut can't compete with. That, to me, is as valuable as visiting points of interest in an area. One of our favorite restaurants when we go to Tulsa is White River Fish Market. And someone in the group never fails to comment on the fact that we have all lived at or near the coast most of our lives and yet can get one of the best seafood meals possible in the dang middle of the country. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jul 2, 2021 15:50:39 GMT
But for me food is a big part of my travel plans as I love trying new things. That describes me as well. I not only want a good restaurant, but I'm quite likely to order something off their menu that I've never had before. My husband and I can happily spend a lot of trip-planning time scoping out restaurants on-line and anticipating great meals! |
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,616
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Jul 2, 2021 16:11:09 GMT
I'm by no means a foodie but I am not eating at something we have here. The city closest to our home has 70k people so not that many food options, and I'm not eating at one of them on vacation.
We went to the east coast and I was so looking forward to seafood with at every meal, coming from a prairie province. We got in late and were looking for a place to eat, lots of things were closed or only pubs open to adults at this hours. I was chocked we had to eat at Boston Pizza! We have had that a home since I was a kid and I didn't get seafood.
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Post by katlady on Jul 2, 2021 16:18:32 GMT
One of the reasons we prefer to stay at an AirBnB rather than a hotel is the “just need calories” situation. While I love to try new foods and eat in local establishments, I do not want to eat in a restaurant three meals a day for the entirety of the trip. I always buy groceries at the beginning of the trip (can be an adventure in a foreign country!) so we can have breakfast at “home” most days, pack a picnic lunch for hiking/beach days, or have a quick simple dinner after a long day of seeing stuff. Most days we will eat out once and the other two meals are simple and from the grocery supply. I also always, always carry nonperishable snacks like protein bars and almond packs in case we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere and getting hangry. I’d much rather have a Luna bar than stop for fast food in most cases. (Can I please assure anyone who travels to Texas that we have many excellent local restaurants, and Whataburger should be at the very bottom of your list to try. You can do much better. 😂) The comment about Whataburger made me laugh! I am one that wants to try it. I guess it is like everyone wanting to try In-n-Out. Many think it is overrated. |
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Jul 2, 2021 16:26:33 GMT
We'll eat at some chains when we are driving to a destination because we know what to expect time wise from chains. Once we are at our final destination, we usually eat at local favorites, some of which might be smaller chains. The biggest exception would be if there is a fondue chain, I might try to plan that, even if it is a chain - that's something I love and can't get at home unless I prepare it myself.
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Post by Merge on Jul 2, 2021 16:28:54 GMT
One of the reasons we prefer to stay at an AirBnB rather than a hotel is the “just need calories” situation. While I love to try new foods and eat in local establishments, I do not want to eat in a restaurant three meals a day for the entirety of the trip. I always buy groceries at the beginning of the trip (can be an adventure in a foreign country!) so we can have breakfast at “home” most days, pack a picnic lunch for hiking/beach days, or have a quick simple dinner after a long day of seeing stuff. Most days we will eat out once and the other two meals are simple and from the grocery supply. I also always, always carry nonperishable snacks like protein bars and almond packs in case we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere and getting hangry. I’d much rather have a Luna bar than stop for fast food in most cases. (Can I please assure anyone who travels to Texas that we have many excellent local restaurants, and Whataburger should be at the very bottom of your list to try. You can do much better. 😂) The comment about Whataburger made me laugh! I am one that wants to try it. I guess it is like everyone wanting to try In-n-Out. Many think it is overrated. We tried In n Out the last time we were in Austin. Big time overrated IMO. 😂 |
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Jul 2, 2021 16:33:08 GMT
I am a very picky eater.
When traveling I will eat local at....
A basic type restaurant. My preference is a diner or steakhouse type place.
I will not eat at foodie or fancy type restaurant as there is usually nothing on the menu that I will eat.
I will research and seek out places, that have fancy chocolate desserts.
Everyone has their own travel priorities.
When I travel, seeing the things and places I want to see, is my priority.
When I travel, NOT having a strict itinerary is a priority. I don't like being scheduled to the minute or hour.
To each, their own.
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Post by bc2ca on Jul 2, 2021 16:50:56 GMT
One of the reasons we prefer to stay at an AirBnB rather than a hotel is the “just need calories” situation. While I love to try new foods and eat in local establishments, I do not want to eat in a restaurant three meals a day for the entirety of the trip. I always buy groceries at the beginning of the trip (can be an adventure in a foreign country!) so we can have breakfast at “home” most days, pack a picnic lunch for hiking/beach days, or have a quick simple dinner after a long day of seeing stuff. Most days we will eat out once and the other two meals are simple and from the grocery supply. I also always, always carry nonperishable snacks like protein bars and almond packs in case we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere and getting hangry. I’d much rather have a Luna bar than stop for fast food in most cases. (Can I please assure anyone who travels to Texas that we have many excellent local restaurants, and Whataburger should be at the very bottom of your list to try. You can do much better. 😂) I can't eat three restaurant meals a day. Nuts, fruit and coffee keep me going just fine most days until dinner. I love AirBnBs because I can bring half my meal home for DH or DS to snack on later or have for breakfast.  When we were planning our Texas trip, everyone came up with restaurant suggestions and I made the rough masterplan. I really only cared about where we ate dinner and that I could get a good coffee or two during the day. Whataburger was on both kids' lists so got added for lunch one day. DH's family used to have a pizza place, so he has a hard time not taste testing a slice whenever he can. When we are on a meandering road trip or at a destination, restaurants are carefully researched and a big part of the adventure. If we are driving 1200+ miles in 2 days, stops are short and sweet around a bathroom break. Starbucks or McDonald's may be the only choices and do just fine. We've also run into a situation where our picks in small towns close by 7, leaving Applebees as the only nonfast food choice open by the time we've checked in and headed back out to eat. |
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Post by finsup on Jul 2, 2021 16:57:49 GMT
I love eating local and always ask a local for recommendations because I feel like I can’t even trust Yelp or Trip Advisor when I see what’s most highly rated in my area.
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pilcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,237
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Post by pilcas on Jul 2, 2021 17:00:51 GMT
I avoid chain restaurants even when we are home so definitely avoid them when traveling. Doesn’t bother me though if we stop at a rest station and have to eat in one. Of course there are times when you do want- or the kids want- a good dose of fast food!
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Post by cindyupnorth on Jul 2, 2021 17:24:41 GMT
We ALWAYS eat local, and never fast food or chain. Same for at home. I can't remember the last time we ate at a chain, and usually only fast food when driving and getting to our destination. I love trying to find new and fun places to eat. It's half the fun!! Heck, we went to Vegas to EAT and do shows. Eating at local places you get to see the real location, the real local people, vs other tourists. I use trip advisor quite a bit.
I'm definitely a foodie, and my friends look forward to all my MN state fair food posts every yr.
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Post by needmysanity on Jul 2, 2021 17:43:27 GMT
Yes - we have a rule not to eat at a chain unless there are no other options.
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,734
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jul 2, 2021 17:58:21 GMT
One of the main points of traveling is to eat at local restaurants. It seems dismal to me to eat at chains. We don't eat at fast food or chain restaurants unless it's all that's available, like stopping at a rest stop when traveling by car. This is! For us it is the one of the main parts of traveling. |
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,734
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jul 2, 2021 18:07:43 GMT
Also there is a lot of learn about a community/culture through their food. Beyond having very restrictive dietary requirements we would never actively avoid local/new foods and restaurants.
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kelly8875
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,441
Location: Lost in my supplies...
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Post by kelly8875 on Jul 2, 2021 18:18:22 GMT
Oh sometimes.. it's not a must thing to do but we do like to check out different places than what we have either chain or local type places. Since I go to KC all the time, there are must places I have to go to because it's what I ate when I lived there or places that are on our way to KC.. So I go to these following places which are nothing fancy: Carlos O'Kelly's (because of an appetizer they have.. Fajita Garlic Nachos In-A-Tub (because of their tacos.. this is a total greasy spoon place) Imo's Pizza (because it's pizza.. either you love it or hate it) A few BBQ places because you can't go wrong usually. Smokehouse is one of our favorites. Carlos O'Kelly's is a favorite of mine. The original location is right by my house  |
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Ryann
Pearl Clutcher
Love is Inclusive
Posts: 2,643
Location: PNW
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Post by Ryann on Jul 2, 2021 18:22:00 GMT
Whenever possible, traveling or at home. We would much prefer to support a mom & pop type restaurant with real ingredients than something corporate that's mostly processed garbage food.
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Post by dewryce on Jul 2, 2021 18:34:15 GMT
Yes, that is actually a big part of our travel plans. We look up local (mostly pro) sporting events, theater events, and local restaurants from hole-in-the-wall to fine dining. We will try chains if they aren’t available in our region and supposed to be really good. But otherwise we have a ‘no eating @ chains’ rule when we vacation. Except on the way home from DH completing his first half IronMan. He was jonesing for Red Robbin, so Res Robbin he got! Was such an anomaly for us we even took pics and texted family |
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Post by magellen on Jul 2, 2021 18:40:50 GMT
We love to do this. If we are driving (like to Disney World) over a couple days, or like our California trip where we drove the coast, we love to check out google for good places to eat. We are Diners, Drive-ins and Dives fans, so one of the first steps is to compare our drive route with places he has featured, and hit one of those if it is close to our route. But Google was our best friend when we hit San Francisco. We had THE best Italian dinner there at this small hole in the wall place that sat maybe 30 people tops. Amazing. Every ddd place I have gone to sucks big time. |
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,727
Location: Kansas City -ish
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Post by Anita on Jul 2, 2021 18:51:01 GMT
We typically have that rule when we travel, other than getting drinks for the road from the golden arches. But we drove from KC to the Grand Canyon this summer and had trouble finding spots along the drive when it was time for food. We were disappointed to wind up at chains for at least half our meals, but it is what it is. I will say the best meal we had the entire trip was at a regional airport in Dalhart, TX.
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Post by whipea on Jul 2, 2021 19:08:37 GMT
Always go local and as mentioned by others to truly get the feel of the area. Helps to absorb the surroundings and the feelings that are so different from home.
My travel is exclusively alone, around work and have rarely traveled just to visit places. I find sight seeing, doing planned tours, tourist activities and looking around just to look around tedious. If I have extra time at a destination I rather observe how people interact with the surroundings and each other, not stare at landmarks or go to attractions.
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Post by katlady on Jul 2, 2021 19:24:40 GMT
Always go local and as mentioned by others to truly get the feel of the area. Helps to absorb the surroundings and the feelings that are so different from home. My travel is exclusively alone, around work and have rarely traveled just to visit places. I find sight seeing, doing planned tours, tourist activities and looking around just to look around tedious. If I have extra time at a destination I rather observe how people interact with the surroundings and each other, not stare at landmarks or go to attractions. I like to go to grocery stores when I travel, especially in foreign countries. It is interesting to me to see what other people eat. And I get a kick out of seeing familiar products in different packaging. Seeing too many landmarks does get boring after awhile for me. |
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Post by cakediva on Jul 2, 2021 21:32:43 GMT
We love to do this. If we are driving (like to Disney World) over a couple days, or like our California trip where we drove the coast, we love to check out google for good places to eat. We are Diners, Drive-ins and Dives fans, so one of the first steps is to compare our drive route with places he has featured, and hit one of those if it is close to our route. But Google was our best friend when we hit San Francisco. We had THE best Italian dinner there at this small hole in the wall place that sat maybe 30 people tops. Amazing. Every ddd place I have gone to sucks big time. That's a shame. We've been to 4 or 5 and have loved every one of them! |
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Post by lisae on Jul 2, 2021 21:34:27 GMT
Definitely. It's one of the main reasons we travel now is to find good food. Good restaurants are one of the main things missing in our area.
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Post by Merge on Jul 2, 2021 22:01:02 GMT
One of the reasons we prefer to stay at an AirBnB rather than a hotel is the “just need calories” situation. While I love to try new foods and eat in local establishments, I do not want to eat in a restaurant three meals a day for the entirety of the trip. I always buy groceries at the beginning of the trip (can be an adventure in a foreign country!) so we can have breakfast at “home” most days, pack a picnic lunch for hiking/beach days, or have a quick simple dinner after a long day of seeing stuff. Most days we will eat out once and the other two meals are simple and from the grocery supply. I also always, always carry nonperishable snacks like protein bars and almond packs in case we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere and getting hangry. I’d much rather have a Luna bar than stop for fast food in most cases. (Can I please assure anyone who travels to Texas that we have many excellent local restaurants, and Whataburger should be at the very bottom of your list to try. You can do much better. 😂) I can't eat three restaurant meals a day. Nuts, fruit and coffee keep me going just fine most days until dinner. I love AirBnBs because I can bring half my meal home for DH or DS to snack on later or have for breakfast. When we were planning our Texas trip, everyone came up with restaurant suggestions and I made the rough masterplan. I really only cared about where we ate dinner and that I could get a good coffee or two during the day. Whataburger was on both kids' lists so got added for lunch one day. DH's family used to have a pizza place, so he has a hard time not taste testing a slice whenever he can. When we are on a meandering road trip or at a destination, restaurants are carefully researched and a big part of the adventure. If we are driving 1200+ miles in 2 days, stops are short and sweet around a bathroom break. Starbucks or McDonald's may be the only choices and do just fine. We've also run into a situation where our picks in small towns close by 7, leaving Applebees as the only nonfast food choice open by the time we've checked in and headed back out to eat. Ha! We went to Marfa two years ago and I hadn’t realized just how much would be closed at 7 pm on a Sunday. And those that were still open were out of almost everything! We ended up eating chicken strips at Dairy Queen because that’s all there was by the time we rolled into town. Lesson learned. Now when we’re going on a road trip to someplace small, I take dinner groceries with us. Or in the case of our recent trip to Cancun, I found a delivery service that would meet us at the door to our rental with groceries. |
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Post by sawwhet on Jul 2, 2021 22:27:12 GMT
Always. We love food LOL. I'd only eat at a chain or fast food if that's the only choice or their are large lineups at the other places and we're too tired to wait. That's part of the vacation experience.
Even at home, it's rare to eat at a chain restaurant.
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Post by rymeswithpurple on Jul 2, 2021 22:31:23 GMT
Oh yes. DH and I have a rule when we travel of no chain restaurants. We have found quite a few hidden gems, and very rarely get a meal that is just ew. No DH has family that will only eat at chain restaurants when they are away from home. Completely unadventurous and want everything to be familiar and "just like home". In that case, why travel at all? Trying new restaurants and new foods is a huge part of the adventure of travel. A few years ago, my in-laws were in town, so we took them to an Italian place we really like. My mother in law commented, "It's just like Olive Garden back in PA!"  |
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Jul 2, 2021 22:33:17 GMT
With the exception of breakfast, we only eat at local restaurants. I’m a sucker for Costa Coffee and Prêt à Manger (which I think is just Pret now?) for breakfast.
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