Why You Should Avoid Soup Specials At Restaurants

Growing up, you might recall stories from your parents about how once a week the whole family would go out to eat for either fast food or an in-restaurant meal. You might have had a similar experience yourself. With prepared food as accessible as ever, you might wonder how often Americans dine out these days.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over half of Americans still report that they dine out at least one time per week. Another recent survey by Statista concluded that 29% of Americans — which was the poll's most popular response — dine out once a week or more. Interestingly, data shows that those who like to dine out tend to do so more than once a week. Per CBS, the majority of those who decide to eat out will do so around 2 to 3 times per week.

The bottom line is: Americans dine out regularly. And with the popularization of food culture and tips for dining out made accessible by the likes of famous chefs and food influencers like Gordon Ramsey and the late Anthony Bourdain, American eaters are always on the hunt for the best culinary experience. With that in mind, here are a few reasons why you should avoid soup specials at restaurants.

Unless you have worked in the restaurant business, you might be forgiven for assuming that all of your food comes fresh and made to order. For example, it may come as a surprise to learn that some restaurants pre-make their best-selling items. Other times, food must be saved or repurposed so that it does not go to waste. For these reasons and others, soup specials might be a less-than-ideal choice for those who want to eat fresh.

According to Reader's Digest, some restaurants repurpose ingredients that may soon expire by creatively incorporating them into a special. So while that means that food does not go to waste, it could also mean that yesterday's catch ends up in your soup today (per The Healthy). But things could be worse than being served unplated, albeit day-old meat in a soup. Chef Gordon Ramsey warns that the soup of the day, or special, might actually be the soup of the month, reports Yahoo! Finance. It is for this reason that Ramsey recommends that you always check first — ask what the special was the day prior — before ordering the soup special.