Eating out is always a special occasion, but the time you order can have a greater impact on your dining experience than many people ever imagine. Restaurants run on calendars based on deliveries, staff schedules, and Saturday night rushes, so some menu items are in their prime only on specific days. If you order too late, you’ll be stuck with a dish that’s not as fresh or tasty as you would have liked.
Food writers, chefs, and experienced diners frequently describe the “rhythm” of a restaurant how supply and demand, and kitchen prep, shift from Monday to Sunday. By being aware of these rhythms, you can sidestep gaffes and make better menu decisions.
Below are 14 items you might consider skipping based on the day of the week and why.
1. Fish on Mondays
Seafood is fantastic when it’s fresh, but its shelf life is the worst. Restaurants will often get their fish drop offs at the end of the week, prepping for Friday and Saturday evening when they have their biggest dinners. By Monday, the fish in the cooler could already be a few days old.
This isn’t to say all fish will be poor nice restaurants map out ahead of time. But for many restaurants, Monday’s seafood dishes are plain just not as fresh. If you prefer the bright, clean tastes seafood is renowned for, wait until a little farther along in the week when new inventory comes in and chefs are looking to highlight their better cuts.
2. Steak on Sundays
Steak is a weekend staple, and best-selling cuts such as ribeye or filet mignon sell out on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sunday dinner time finds some kitchens having to work with less desirable portions or whatever didn’t sell previously.
Ordering steak on a Sunday might mean a smaller cut, a less marbled piece, or a selection that just doesn’t compare to the weekend’s prime offerings. If steak is your go-to order, you’ll get a better experience on Friday or Saturday when restaurants are fully stocked and proudly serving their top-quality beef.
3. Buffets on Weekends
Buffets appear to be a weekend indulgence, but they are a risk. Since restaurants anticipate large numbers, food is prepared in massive quantities hours before service. After food has been brought out, it remains under warming lights for hours, which progressively numbs the flavor and texture.
Buffet lines that are full also equate to repeated lid opening and closing, inconsistent temperatures, and at times less attentive tray rotation. By the end of a Saturday or Sunday brunch, those scrambled eggs or pastas might not be nearly as delicious as when the buffet first opened. If you enjoy buffets, a less busy weekday trip rewards you with fresher food and a more relaxing meal.
4. Oysters on Mondays
Oysters are valued for their brininess and freshness, but timing is everything. Most wholesalers receive oysters at the end of the week, and restaurants use them in great quantities on Friday and Saturday. By Monday, the remaining ones on ice can be past their best.
Eaten from oysters not fresh, the consequences run beyond taste; it may pose a danger to food security. To experience that crunch of fresh ocean air, place your order in mid-week or late in the week, when deliveries tend to be fresher and turnover is at its highest.
5. Sushi on Sundays and Mondays
Sushi is founded on freshness. The subtle flavors of tuna, salmon, or yellowtail only become evident when the fish is treated well and ready for consumption shortly after delivery. Sunday or Monday, the fish intended for sushi might have been waiting longer than necessary.
Several sushi chefs even recommend skipping raw fish at the beginning of the week unless you’re aware that the restaurant is an elite establishment with daily deliveries. For sushi craving, Tuesday through Thursday is most likely the prime time when the seafood is freshly supplied, the cooks are high on energy, and the rolls are their best ever.
6. Chicken Specials Early in the Week
Chicken is convenient and so easy to repurpose, so it’s a popular candidate for mid-week specials. Many restaurants repurpose leftover chicken over the weekend to develop Monday or Tuesday specials.
While this habit reduces food waste, it does not always correspond to the best taste. Reheated and re-formulated chicken sometimes loses tenderness or flavor. For the freshest, most juicy poultry, orders placed midweek are a wiser option.
7. Shellfish on Sundays
Shellfish such as mussels, clams, and scallops are particularly time-sensitive. They must be consumed as soon as possible after delivery. By Sunday, if there is no new arrival, such shellfish are a few days old.
In contrast to some proteins that can sit a little longer, shellfish spoils fast. Placing an order late in the weekend may mean you get bland tastes or tough textures. To maximize satisfaction, order shellfish on Wednesday or Thursday when turnover is greatest.
8. Pasta on Saturdays
Saturday evening is the most hectic shift of the week, and restaurants tend to make pasta dishes in bulk to meet demand. While it aids in quickening service, it at times occurs at the cost of quality.
Noodles may sit longer than usual before reaching your table, and sauces can be rushed or cooked in bulk. If pasta is your comfort food, choose a quieter night like Tuesday or Wednesday. You’ll likely get a dish prepared with more care and attention.
9. Eggs Benedict on Mondays
Eggs Benedict is a brunch classic, but its star ingredient hollandaise sauce is notoriously tricky. It doesn’t store well, and making it fresh every time takes patience.
On Monday mornings, hollandaise that’s been made over the weekend might be reused in some kitchens to avoid extra time. This can make the sauce grainy, separated, or less tasty. To have Eggs Benedict as it was originally intended, order it on a busy brunch day when the sauce will be certain to be newly whisked.
10. Salad Bars on Sundays
Salad bars appear inviting, but freshness is important with raw greens and toppings. By Sunday, most of the ingredients have been out for days. Lettuce gets soggy, cucumbers get soft, and croutons lose their crunch.
For fresh, crunchy salads, try to hit weekdays when restaurants will be restocking ingredients and maintaining everything at its best.
11. Pizza on Mondays
Pizza is seldom a disappointment, but Mondays are not its better time. The dough might not be as bright-eyed following the weekend, and certain toppings are remaining from more hectic days.
Although it’s difficult to really screw up a pizza, if you prefer it at top form, order later in the week. Just-proofed dough and restocked toppings are the key to its flavor and texture.
12. Soup at the End of the Week
Soup is usually cooked in big pots that are meant to last a week or more. Efficient as this is, it also results in the last servings towards the end of the week being short of the zing that fresh herbs provide, or in the correct texture.
A Monday or Tuesday soup is probably packed with flavor. That same pot may taste flat or even watered down by Friday or Saturday. For the best bowl, order earlier in the week.
13. Daily Specials on Sundays and Mondays
Daily specials sound exciting, but they’re often a clever way for restaurants to use up extra ingredients. On Sundays and Mondays, this can mean dishes made from odds and ends rather than carefully chosen produce or protein.
That doesn’t make them bad in fact, many specials are creative and tasty but if you’re aiming for the freshest ingredients, stick to regular menu items early in the week.
14. Chicken Wings on Mondays
Chicken wings are weekend treats, particularly for sports enthusiasts. Kitchens by Monday might have prepared too many and end up reheating them for wing specials.
Reheated wings lose their freshness and crispness. If you prefer your wings to be hot, juicy, and just fried, make it midweek when turnover is greater and the fryer is in top gear.
Final Thoughts
Dining out is always supposed to be a pleasure, but finding out when to order specific things can enhance your meal. Restaurants have cycles based on supply chains and customer cycles, so freshness is actually determined by the day of the week.
By waiting for the right moment to order holding back on seafood until midweek, avoiding lineups at buffets on weekends, and avoiding some specials early in the week you put yourself in the best position for the optimal meal.
The next time you pop open the menu, consider not only what you’re hungry for but also which day of the week it is. A little bit of inside information goes a long way toward making an average night dinner an evening to recall.
