Take-out

Take-out (in American English), carry-out (in Canadian English) or take-away (in British English) is food purchased at a restaurant but eaten elsewhere. The restaurant may or may not provide table service.

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Take-out food is often fast food, but not always so. Whereas fast food carries the implication of a standardized (and often inferior) product from a globalized chain or franchise, take-away outlets are often small businesses serving traditional food, which can be of high quality. Examples include the neighbourhood fish and chip shops in the UK, Australia or New Zealand; the sandwiches sold by "delis" in the US; and the wide range of sausage-based snacks (and increasingly kebabs) sold from stalls in German cities.

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Food that is delivered by a restaurant to a customer (often called delivery) is also sometimes called take-out; although it might be more properly labeled bring-in, it never is. The establishment that sells take-out exclusively (not providing table service) is called a take-out restaurant, take-out joint or a take-away.

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Certain types of food that are normally served in sit-down restaurants are commonly available as take-out. Pizza is one example. While certain pizzeria chains specialize in take-out (or delivery) to such an extent that they actually have no facilities for dining on-site (just a kitchen), most have tables and waitstaff. Even these establishments, however, offer the option of ordering by phone (or, increasingly, by Internet) and taking the food home (or to whatever other location is desired). In such circumstances, the food and the procedure is commonly called carry-out. Another US classic take-out food is Chinese food, US-style. Ordering Chinese take-out has reached near ritual status in certain segments of the US population, as well as the United Kingdom, especially college students. In the past few decades as immigrants from more and more Asian countries emigrate to the US, more and more types of cuisine are being treated in a similar manner: Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. In the UK, Indian food is also a popular from of take-away.

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Take-out from a sit-down restaurant may be purchased to go or may consist of leftovers from a meal eaten at table; the container used for leftovers is called a doggie bag (or doggy bag). In some countries doggie bags are uncommon, and leftovers usually go to the dump, with the exception of Pizza places who will usually put the left over Pizza in a box as your request.

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If it is possible to choose, the choice is between "to take out"/"to take away" and "to eat in" in the UK and Australia; or "to go" and "for here"/"to stay"/"dine in" in North America.

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A website dedicated to takeaway menus has now been developed by fans in the UK - http://www.menumania.co.uk/

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• The Food Place - UK take-away directory and restaurant guide
• Menu Mania - a selection of take-away menus online.

American English: American English (AmE) is the form of the English language used mostly in the United States of America. It is the primary language used in the United States. As of 2005, more than two-thirds of native speakers of English use various forms of American English. American English is also sometimes calle...

Canadian English: Canadian English is the form of English used in Canada, spoken as a first or second language by over 25 million Canadians (as recorded in the census of 2001). Canadian English spelling is a mixture of American and British....

British English: British English (BrE) is a term used loosely to refer to the form of the English language written in the British Isles, and more narrowly as spoken in the south of England (extending elsewhere with varying degrees). For historical reasons dating back to the rise of London in the 9th century, the var...

Take-out related Images and Photos (experimental)

Take, The (1974)	Take Five	Take Pride	Take Three
Take Two I	Take Two II	Takeout Menu Organizer	Take That
Take a Break	Take a Letter	Double Take	Double Take