Same Meal Every Visit

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Yes, I order same item each time because I loathe most foods, there are very few things I will eat. All throughout my childhood I'd always get plain hamburger (just the meat & the bun, no toppings at all) at McDonalds.
There's only one item at each restaurant (and plenty of places where there's nothing I like, so I don't go to those places) that I can stand, so that's what I get.
Don't like "sit-down" fine dining types of food. I get fast food to go, since it's peaceful & quiet in the car or at home, compared with environment & atmosphere there (the restaurant).

I've been ordering the exact same meal at Outback Steakhouse for almost 20 years.

Kookaburra Chicken Fingers (from the Joey menu)

Salad with only lettuce, cucumber, and cheese

Bread

Sprite Float


Occationally the wait staff tries to charge you extra for ordering off the kids menu if you're over 10 years old. It's probably some little-used and not-often-enforced restaurant policy. Whenever they try to pull that "extra fee" crap on me I inform them that they must be mistaken. (I feel its ok to lie when the rule is absolutely ridiculous). "I've been ordering the Kookaburra Chicken Fingers for over 15 years and have never been charged extra before," I say. If waiter looks skeptical I ask "How long have you worked here?" as just a subtle intimidation tactic. It usually works, but sometimes you have to get the manager.

Then they also get all confused when I order a sprite float. The smart ones will get it, but the dumb ones will be like "uhhh, is that like sprite with ice cream in it? Like a root beer float?" (DUH!) Then they say "I've never had anyone ask for that before." Then I tell them that it was on their Joey menu back in 1989 in Boca Raton, Florida and most likely elsewhere. They think its strange that I know that.

I used to think it was strange that the waiters didn't know things like that. Somehow, I expected everyone to know EVERYTHING about their job and their company and its history and I thought they should have studied the history of the menu and know everything about it. Then I realized that waitressing is usually a temporary job to make $$$, not someone's great passion in life. So I try not to give them a hard time anymore, although I still feel that the people who work at a restaurant should know more than the customers.

For instance, The Cracker Barrel Menu claims that Cracker Barrel restaurants consume 7% ( I think- can't remember exact number they claim) of the world's maple syrup supply. I asked the waitress if this was really true and if she knew the source of this fact but she looked at me really funny until my family told her I was joking. I was not. I really think people should know these things. One other time I asked a waiter and he was really cool. He agreed that this seemed far-fetched and was curious so he asked the store manager, who had no idea the menu even said that.

What was this topic about again?

oh yeah, I pretty much eat the same thing every time i go to a restaurant. There are few places where I have a choice between 2 or more items that I like.

When i see my Grandmother in New Jersey, we always go to Friday's and I always get the double-stack quesadillas. I've never thought it odd- it's the best thing on the menu. But at other restaurants, I vary what I get, depending on the mood I'm in.

I don't think it's odd. I do it and I know that neurotypicals do it too! Of course it can be a characteristic of autism, but it is also a characteristic that often appears in neurotypicals. Though, I do think that they wouldn't mind if they had to order something different from what they usually eat. I on the other hand would mind ordering something else, it usually makes me leave the restaurant and if I can manage I leave before I'm in tears.

I don't think it strange at all. I have my favourite dishes from several restaurants and always order the same thing. I'm not against trying new things but there are some things I love and would probably wish I'd ordered them if I decided to get something different.
I tend to go to a restaurant because there's a particular dish I want. It's not strange at all. It might seem strange to the waiters because I always have the same thing but it's not every day. It's no different than having the same meal at home every couple of weeks.

As for trying new things, I do that at places I've never been before or I try bits of other people's food.