Eating out today?
12 establishments other than a restaurant where you can get a decent meal
Image: Melissa Walker Horn
If you are interested in going out for a bite but don’t feel like sitting in a restaurant, plenty of other options are available to get a very decent meal. Turn your dining out experience into an adventure by exchanging, for once, your usual eaterie for a casino, a train station, or even a hardware store.
1
Casinos
Image: Kvnga
A casino might not be the first place one has in mind when thinking about going out to eat, but these establishments usually have a variety of dining options, from buffet-style areas to casual eateries and upscale, more traditional restaurants, with good prices and good food, to attract gamblers .
2
Hotels
Image: Francesca Saraco
Unlike a regular restaurant, where clients come and go, hotel kitchen staff is used to serving the same guests more than once in short periods of time . This motivates them to enforce a higher standard of service since their clients will return soon and are more likely to hold them accountable for any previous issues.
3
Delicatessens
Image: Simona Sergi
Other than being a place where you buy ingredients, a delicatessen store, known as a deli, is also known for its sandwiches and often offers other meal options like soups and salads .
4
Sporting venues
Image: Mick Haupt
Eating a hot dog or a hamburger with a beer on a sunny day, while sitting on the benches during a baseball game, is an experience that everyone should attempt at least once in their lives.
5
Department stores
Image: mostafa meraji
Department stores are convenient. These places offer many different services, grouped together, in a controlled environment, including meals. In their food courts, you can choose your menu from a variety of stands, take your tray to your selected table, and eat undisturbed .
6
Colleges and universities
Image: Michael Marsh
College and university campuses usually have dining halls or food courts that are open to students, faculty, and staff. But some are also open to the general public. Their meals tend to be healthy and balanced , prepared by catering companies that work with nutritionists.
7
Bowling alleys
Image: Persnickety Prints
Many bowling alleys have snack bars or restaurants where you can get food and drinks to enjoy while you bowl . Or you can enjoy it without bowling, as well.
8
Train stations
Image: Michał Parzuchowski
Train stations often have a selection of restaurants and cafes for travelers where you can watch the passengers and dream of going places while you enjoy a snack .
9
Bookstores
Image: Pauline Loroy
Many bookstores, especially larger chains or independent ones, now include cafes. These offer a relaxing and quiet environment to enjoy a coffee and a light meal or snack while browsing a book.
10
Hospitals
Image: National Cancer Institute
Hospitals are places where people spend long periods, maybe waiting for somebody else, and have areas where they can grab a bite in a usually quiet place. And, since the food is usually prepared in the hospital kitchens, hygiene and health tend to be especially respected .
11
Hardware stores
Image: Oxana Melis
Believe it or not, some larger hardware stores, particularly those in rural areas, have a small cafe or deli counter serving basic meals . It's often a local gathering spot for the community.
12
Cooking schools
Image: Odiseo Castrejon
Some cooking schools offer demonstration classes that include a meal, or they might have a small cafe open to the public, where students offer their creations .
