A woman has sparked a viral debate after revealing the reason she refuses to order spaghetti when dining out.
Jenni (@jenniwithani) racked up more than 92,000 views on Threads after sharing her surprisingly passionate take on the economics of restaurant pasta.
“Growing up on the poor end of “middle class” means I will never understand ordering spaghetti at a restaurant unless it’s like handmade pasta or something. Especially if it’s just pasta and marinara, not even meat sauce or meatballs. What do you mean this is $18? That’s 73 cents worth of ingredients,” Jenni wrote.
Responding to commenters, Jenni said that she will order pasta at a restaurant, but only if it feels worth the cost. She added that she prefers “a more exciting sauce or better quality pasta or chicken parm,” noting that, while she can make these dishes at home, they take more time and effort than basic spaghetti.
Jenni added that Italian food is one of her favorite cuisines, and she loves enjoying “a really good Italian meal prepared by someone else”—just not a simple plate of spaghetti and marinara.
According to U.S. Foods’s 2024 survey on diner habits, 55 percent of those asked preferred dining at restaurants over ordering takeout or delivery.
The Wider Debate
Threads users quickly weighed in, many agreeing with Jenni’s approach to ordering food they could make cheaply at home.
“OMG [oh my God], YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON THAT GETS IT!! 2 eggs and toast at a restaurant- absolutely not. We have that at home for less than a buck,” wrote one user.
“If I can make it at home, I’m not ordering it,” another added.
“When they have “a bowl of Kraft Mac & cheese” as a children’s menu entree option for $5-$8 my blood boils,” said a third commenter.
“I am 40 and have never, ever once in my life ordered spaghetti at a restaurant,” added Julie.
However, others pushed back, arguing that restaurant dining isn’t always about complexity—or cost.
“Sometimes, eating out is just about sitting down with friends and not having a mess in your kitchen. And I’d urge you to have the Pasta with fresh tomatoes and Basil at Scott Conent’s Scarpetta to really understand how good simple ingredients can be when crafted by a master,” wrote Christena.
“As the cook in our household, I have no problem ordering dishes that I could make at home, since, for our family, eating out is usually a matter of my energy level after work. Some days I’d rather just order comfort food at a restaurant than spend more energy cooking,” said Jason Trotter.
“The only thing I can make well at home that I’ll pay someone else to cook for me is breakfast. I know it’s cheap and easy to make myself, but I don’t want to cook in the morning,” Steph added.
Newsweek reached out to @jenniwithani for comment via Threads. We could not verify the details of the case.
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Dining and Cooking