I still ask for one if I have leftovers. I sometimes even bring my own box to take my leftovers home!
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I bring containers, if I remember. I like to pack. my own food.
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I’ve never asked for a doggy bag. Now, to be honest, that’s mainly because I rarely have leftovers. Yes, I am a greedy, fat man. But it’s also, as mentioned in the article, something that’s not really ever caught on in the UK. I struggle to think of when I’ve seen it happen in a restaurant - other than one place in Chinatown that has a lot of Chinese student customers. Those guys seem to order mountains of food perhaps with the intent of having leftovers.
The nearest I get to it is being offered free food at my local Indian restaurant. They offer regional testing menus on a couple of Sunday evenings each month. Means that if they have food left, it would otherwise just be thrown away (as it won’t keep till the next session, of course). So, the owner will often bring a bag full of food for us to take away.
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This. I almost never have leftovers, but Mrs. ricepad sometimes does. We generally bring at least one container when we dine out. If we’re going out for Chinese food, we bring two or three.
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i always bring stuff home when there are leftovers. frankly, when i’m trying a new place (in particular), i use it as a strategy so that i can try more things. i know full well that i won’t be able to finish it all, but since it’s coming home with me i don’t hesitate.
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I read that in a Walken voice, what with the random period in there 
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Western restaurant portions stateside remain almost impossible for us to finish, especially if we go beyond sharing a few small plates and a main, so we def take leftovers home — the Sichuan restaurants we visit also serve rather generous portions, so same there.
Plus we unlocked the secret of having your cake (dessert) and eating it, too: taking it home for later in the evening 
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Given inflation, unpredictable tariffs and random gouging…and obesity, now would be the time to reduce portion sizes in the US restaurants. Create smaller portions, impose a surcharge if people want more to eat or to gorge (call it large portion surcharge). Steak houses adjust menu prices for how many ounces of beef…apply that same logic. Might help keep restaurant prices reasonable.
There’s still room for HUGE portion with take out. When I see my brother in SoCal often go to a place called Aloha Hawaiian BBQ, where one plate gets enough to feed three adults. I see large families in there and also students ordering two plates…apparently for the week.
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Restaurants would use it to serve 1/2 to 3/4 of current portions at current prices and than add additional cost for larger portions
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Since Covid, restaurants have been bringing containers to one’s table, allowing the diner to package those parts of plate he wants to save. And more and more these containers are recyclable cardboard rather than plastic. I have seen both of these trends at $$$ restaurants as well as $.
It was a mistake, but the sentence does benefit from a dramatic pause.
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Why not just charge everything by the pound.
And, yes, I am totally against reducing portion sizes at restaurants.
I routinely order two entrees when eating out, and then go home and have another “apres dinner” meal.
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Or to rephrase: you don’t like to eat on an empty stomach? 
As I made my way through my 40’s, my capacity for stuffing my face decreased markedly, to the point that it is rare that I will finish a full portion from a typical dinner out, so it feels frankly wasteful to toss the leftovers.
There are probably dishes that won’t keep/reheat well, a dressed salad, open faced sandwiches covered in gravy, etc.
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The NY Times also had an article about this today. Gift link:
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And as we all know, two think pieces = a genuine trend. I expect the next link to be in a week to 10 days time, and it will be a Slate column forecasting how the decrease in to-go containers will devastate the economy of a small rust-belt town that depends on manufacturing plastic clam shells.
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I’ve had doggy bag salads hold up for up to 24 hours (I eat leftover salad for breakfast) and the rare time I order something with bread and gravy, I ask for gravy on the side.
I can’t come anywhere close to finishing a full dinner entree …
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Intrinsic shame?
The Guardian lost me there 
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right. wasting food makes me shameful, i suppose it’s intrinsic.
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Leftovers are still popular in Canada, especially in this economy
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