Why do Americans complain about British food?

Question

When they have given us McDonalds, "Twinkies", Drive-Thru culture and a whole host of vile, mass produced, artery clogging, artificial fast food crap?

Give me a nice British Sunday Lunch made with fresh vegetables any day! The whole family out for a meal together sitting round the dinner table or out at a charming country pub rather than sitting round the plastic tables in a fast food joint.

And real ale not American beer-flavoured water. Who agrees with me???

Our local country pub does a wicked Sunday roast with home grown mega-fresh vegetables from the farm up the road. Hand cooked by the Landlord's wife. They even do a "vegetarian option" (Vegetable pie or home made nut roast) with home made gravy and mint sauce from fresh mint cut from the pub garden. Washed down with some real ale. Yum!!! The whole family gets together and has a fantastic Sunday afternoon meal. Much preferable to eating American fast food (which mainly just makes me want to vomit) at a placcy table.

New potatoes, straight of out the soil, so tender they melt in your mouth, with a knob of butter, Mmmmmm!

Answer 1

I agree.
The difficulty Yanks face is that proper British food is very hard to come by in the cities and is nowhere near as convenient as what they're used to in the US- so they come away with the impression of shite food at a horrific cost- which is what we do to tourists.

But- yeah- British food is superb- we used to be famous for it during Edward VIII's time which is why he got fat. If he was an American tourist now- left without local knowledge in London he'd be as thin as a rake.
Maybe we need a better food guide or something for tourists?


EDIT- just read your delicious mouth-watering add-on- where d'you live? My local in Bath is like that too- all fresh local Somerset farmer's produce- 12 CAMRA real ales on tap and a constantly changing list of CAMRA ciders and perries. English tradition= brilliant.

Answer 2

I've never complained about British Food... Why, just yesterday I was thinking how fortunate I'd be if I could go to a British Pub and order Bangers and Mash, or Curry, or Fish and Chips...

You too. You must realise there is more to American food than Hostess Twinkies and McDonald's. There are several fine regional differences just off the bat I can think of: New Orleans, Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, all offering unique cuisine that would knock your socks off.
I'm American and I haven't been to a McDonald's since 1997. A hard thing to do, but I did it, and am proud of this milestone. Better record than you, I'd guess.

Answer 3

OK - I know I am going to get a lot of thumbs down on this. In the US, British food is notorious for being bad. It may be very nutritionally sound but the taste - it tastes bland and blah. Before I went on vacation to the UK, people joked to me about the food. When I finally ate some I realized what they were talking about. It got to the point where my traveling companion and I would giggle every time we bit into a dish at a restaurant. The food was so bad it was funny.

I love the Brits. I love the accent, the tea, the Queen, the mannerisms, the countryside, the castles, etc. I love visiting the UK and the Brits are fantastic people. But every country (especially America) has things that are not appealing to foreigners - for the UK, it is the food and the weather.

Answer 4

A British Sunday Lunch is brilliant.

A typical British restaurant dinner is not. I'm not talking about the mom and pop places, or some of the better pubs, but the typical restaurant.

Yes, the US has given the world cardboard burgers via McDonald's, but the only time most Americans go there is when their kids whine about wanting some. Most Americans go to much better burger places that that. Castle burgers, Arbeys, Roy Rogers or Wendys if you want a serious burger. And the average restaurant is has not only better food, but better service as well.

What are the favorite foods in the UK right now? Curries, Chicken Tikas, Fahetas, Chillies, Thai, Chinese, these are not 'British' foods, these are imports. How many go to American Theme restaurants in the UK? They are all over here, and I'm not talking about McDonalds.

Better food, better service. That's why.

Answer 5

Have you ever sit down in the American South for a real country breakfast or supper? Have you ever had any meal on a MidWestern farm? New England too, as well as the American West, have made their own delicious contributions to the world's cuisine.

America is so much more than fast food. Maybe you need to get to know Fannie Farmer. http://www.bartleby.com/87/

Answer 6

Nothing wrong with the sunday lunch but British food is rather much the same isn't it?
Foreign food, like Italian and Indian has far more to tickle your taste buds. We eat a lot of home made Italian and my kids go for it every time. Not so easy to get them to eat meat and two veg.

Answer 7

If you're only thinking of Budweiser or Miller High Life, then yes the beer is water flavored, but we have plenty that are very rich: rolling rock, samuel adams, sierra nevada, and countless micro-breweries. Down home cooking is one of the most flavorful and famous types of cooking in America. I stayed in London for a week and enjoyed the food, so don't assume we all think it's bad.

Answer 8

I didn't think our foods were that different. Normal food anyway. I know America has a bad rep with the fast food but most of us don't even eat out that much. It is usually young adults and single people I think. I prefer other food anyway. Something Mexican or Chinese YUM! And I mean cooked at home. Authentic Mexican not that crap in most restaurants.

Answer 9

British food simply has a bad reputation for being boring, but thats not the case anymore, sadly its hard to get rid of stereotypes. But i agree i would much prefer a nice sunday lunch in my local pub than go to one of their fast food places

Answer 10

London was last year voted by an International body of top chefs (including some French) as having the best food in the world and still everyone things we have crap. I know why its, because when foreigners come here there currency is so weak compared to ours they can only afford to eat in the worst places such as those horrible Garfunkel's steak houses in and around the West end.

And as for booze! Ha American beer is like piss water and they can't drink anyhow!