Is It Okay To Bring Your Own Condiments Or Sauces To A Restaurant?

You're probably aware that, at some fancy restaurants, asking for certain sauces is something you shouldn't say when ordering steak. It can be construed as you telling them that their food isn't good enough to enjoy on its own, and as such needs to be drowned in steak sauce, hot sauce, or — heaven forbid — ketchup. But what if you bring your own bottle? Let's say you have a favorite brand of ranch that not every restaurant carries, or let's say you have an addiction to sriracha that would deplete the restaurant's resources. (You've had your heart broken by Huy Fong before, and you won't chance it again.) Would it be acceptable to bring your own sauce on your person? That way you're not asking them for anything, and it's all okay. Right?

Well, answer this simple question: Are you Beyoncé? If so, we are thrilled to learn that you read our website, and we're happy to inform you that you can carry hot sauce in your bag anywhere you please — not that you needed us to tell you that. (We loved "Renaissance," by the way.) If, however, you are not Beyoncé (or Hillary Clinton, who also carries hot sauce on her purse), bringing your own bottle of sauce to a restaurant is generally frowned upon. Although not every establishment finds it rude, enough do that you might not want to risk it, and it may even be a health code violation.

Not every restaurant will shoo you out the door if you bring your own sauce — at most, they may shoot you a disapproving look. And in some cases, it may even be welcome. If a diner has a specific dietary need, it makes things easier if they have their own sauce; or if a diner truly wants, say, Russian dressing for their salad, and the restaurant doesn't have it for some reason, it spares the kitchen the onus of whisking together ketchup and mayonnaise for their needs. (If there's a branch next door, you could run and get Raising Cane's iconic sauce — it's close enough!) But these are niche cases, and it's entirely possible to push things too far.

At the end of the day, a restaurant is here to serve you, and that involves ceding some responsibility. If you wanted total control of every part of a meal, you would make it at home; since you didn't, you are therefore entering a social contract indicating that you will enjoy an experience within a certain set of parameters. If you're after something specific, you can ask; if they don't have a specific sauce, just ask for the closest approximation. But bringing your own sauce is not something to do lightly, if at all.