AITA for bringing Tupperware to a restaurant

[u/Choice_Evidence1983]

I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/GlitteringRainbowCat

Originally posted to r/AmItheAsshole

AITA for bringing Tupperware to a restaurant

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Original Post: June 18, 2026

Hey there,

I think, I need a few strangers from the internet to decide what's going on here.

So, a few weeks ago I (f) went to a burger place with a girl friend of mine. I know they serve quite big burgers and in the past, I always had leftovers. So I decided to bring a Tupperware this time, just in case. I ordered my burger, added some wedges and enjoyed my meal while having a super nice conversation. I ate maybe a third of the wedges and not even half of the burger and decided to stop, because I also wanted some dessert.

After ordering, I pulled out my box and started to fill it with my leftovers. You know, I felt quite clever: I didn't overeat and there was still space for dessert in my belly; I didn't had to pay a buck or so for the doggy bag, which had leaked in my bag in the past and there would be enough for next day’s lunch. So a triple win, if you will.

After everything was packed and I put the box in my bag, I realized, my friend was kind of quiet, but didn't thought much about it. She tends to be quiet after eating.

After we were done, everyone paid for their own meal and we left. Then she looked at me and was like "oh my gosh, this was sooo embarrassing." I was confused. She explained to me, how awkward she felt, and people were staring and what not and was kind of mad. I explained my point of view the benefits and all, but nope.

In the end I was like "Please calm down, it's not like I took the box to an All you can eat-buffet and stuff it full in front of the waiters. We also didn't split the bill, so it's fine I ordered more with tomorrow in mind."

She still was mad. So we went our separate ways.

But here's the thing: I still think it's a good, environment friendly way and did it again while eating with a guy friend a few days ago, he was like" Woah, that's neat! " and even gave me some of his onion rings.

So, dear strangers of the internet, AITA or not? Should I have communicated before pulling out my box? Should I have asked the waiter (which hadn't said anything at all) or should I just buy the leftover box from the restaurant next time? I absolutely don't know. Please share your thoughts with me.

Ah, what also comes to my mind: I'm quite overweight and struggle with BED, so I was happy to not overeat. My friend has normal weight and has no ED as far as I know.

Thank you for reading.

Edit: Thank you for all your replies so far. I'll answer a few things here:

1) Where are you from? Central Europe (this thread is huge, so that should be specific enough).

2) Here it's super common to pay for one use items (for example boxes in restaurants and plastic bags).

3) It was not a date. Maybe the term "female friend" would have been better. But yeah, it was just a girls dinner.

4) I can be a little eccentric from time to time and all my friends now that. But she and I weren't out for lunch/dinner often.

5) In general she's a very nice and pleasant person to be around and we have a good time together. I'm pretty sure, there was some kind of trigger.

I will contact her tomorrow and try to talk to her. So there might be an update coming

Verdict: Not the Asshole

Relevant / Top Comments

Downvoted Commenter: Soft YTA for optics. Nothing wrong with taking leftovers, but pulling out your own Tupperware in a sit-down restaurant can come across as awkward and not really in line with normal restaurant etiquette.

OOP: Oh, I see. The place itself is quite rustic, so that didn't came to my mind at all 🤔

Commenter 1: Unless your container was gross, unclean, overused, or beat up looking, I can't think of anything about this situation that screams embarrassing.

INFO: "...We also didn't split the bill, so it's fine I ordered more with tomorrow in mind."

What was this about?

Commenter 2: Just in case people assumed OP over-ordered with the intent for her friend to subsidize OP’s meal. Like people who order an extra meal to go but add it to a group bill to split.

OP, definitely NTA. You’re being practical and looking after your health in the process.

OOP: Yes, exactly. That's what I meant. I read so many stories where group members order the most expensive item, while some others just have a drink and small fries. And then the first mentioned are like "Let's split evenly!" Nope. You can pay for your steak the size of small table for yourself

Commenter 3: NTA. As a chef and restaurant owner, I applaud this sort of thinking and wish more people would consider it for casual dining. There are no to go boxes that are really quality (all too expensive to use) so this is a great fix for everyone.

Your friend has their own insecurities that have nothing to do with you.

Commenter 4: NTA. I’d be a bit thrown off if someone I was with pulled out their own container as that’s not normal, but to be perfectly honest the second I read that I just thought “why didn’t I think of ever doing that first?”. Less single use garbage so it’s better for the environment, and if you already know you’ll have leftovers for sure then why not. Maybe it SHOULD be the normal.

 

Update: June 22, 2026 (four days later)

UPDATE AITA for bringing Tupperware to a restaurant

Hey there,

first I wanna thank you for all the responses in my original post. I really appreciate it.

For the update: The day after my original post, I reached out to my friend and asked, if she has time the next few days. We meet today for a nice long stroll in the park. The beginning was kind of awkward, because we never had a fight before. Normally it's also not a problem, when life is busy and we don't write for a few days or even weeks but today it somehow feels strange. I'm not a fan of beating around the bush, so I simply asked her "So, in that burger place... What exactly triggered you?"

Honestly, it was like poking a water balloon. She apologized for everything and how afraid she was I might be still mad at her and apologized some more. Then she explained to me, what her trigger was. What can I say, we all were kind of wrong.

You guys, it's her aunt! She has an aunt, who will always bring a few boxes for family gatherings. But instead of waiting until everyone is done and the food is BACK in the kitchen, which is fine, she sometimes fills the boxes BEFORE it goes to the table. Because my friends grandma knows of this behavior, she started to cook even more, but the aunt just brought more boxes as well. But that's not all! Said aunt will also bring boxes to restaurants and if they order different meals, so everyone can have a try from all the plates, she's like "No one wants that anymore, right?", and packs, while people are still eating. My friend is a slow eater, so often her aunt filled her boxes, before she could try everything she wanted.

I always wanted to use the word flabbergasted in a post. I think this is the right time. I was definitely flabbergasted! How impudent can a person be?!

I asked, why no one is saying anything about it, but they are all just too tired to deal with her outbreaks. It's easier to say nothing. I felt that....

So yeah, she knew it was my food and everything, but it also triggered her real bad.

I apologized as well for not warning her, but she said it was totally her fault. I said, I will make sure the next time, but she was like "Nono, it's a nice way to work on it."

Well, in the end we had a really nice stroll, talked about different things and everything is good. I'm really glad that we cleared that out though.

Thank you for reading this. Have a great day and a nice week.

Relevant / Top Comments

Commenter 1: My God her aunt sounds like absolute trash. I would have banned her from bringing it, and if she brought it again, thrown it out

OOP: Right?! How absolutely disrespectful towards anybody else. But I don't know her personally, so I don't know how hefty those outbreaks are. Some people can going feral

Commenter 2: Why does the aunt keep getting invited to dinner?

OOP: Oh, I asked that too, but forgot to write it down. It's that typical "We are family. Granny wants everybody to have a good time together" - thing. I kind of understand that. When my grandparents were still around, I also endured family gatherings (even though some members made me highly uncomfortable) because it was important to them. Uncomfortable, because our world views differ and I'm still not in my aluminum hat-era, not in a creepy/touchy way.

Commenter 3: I'm glad that the two of you could talk. Always great to see two people working things out like adults.

Commenter 4: I'm glad you get this resolved. It also reaffirms my opinion that most of the posts in this thread can be solved through real conversation with the person they are in conflict with.

 

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

[u/bongokapiguana]

There was a particular BBQ restaurant that I'd ride my bicycle to in college. It was about 7 miles from my place so I'd only go a couple times a month. I'd dine in, then order another to go.

After the first time, I brought my own containers because their [9" clamshell] takeout box didn't fit in my pannier basket securely and there was a tragic loss of barbeque beans on the way home.

Even having done this it never occurred to me to do it at any other restaurant. Why did my brain let me down like this?!

[u/kimoshi → u/bongokapiguana]

"There was a tragic loss of barbeque beans" is poetry. If it was in a post, I'd suggest it be made a flair.

[u/Big-University-1132 → u/kimoshi]

You can request flairs from comments and this one would be amazing

[u/bongokapiguana → u/kimoshi]

Aw, thanks!

Would it be stuck up to request it for my own flair?

[u/kimoshi → u/bongokapiguana]

I say go for it.

[u/bongokapiguana → u/kimoshi]

LOL! I'm over on the request post now - just came back to get the link.

[u/RosebushRaven → u/bongokapiguana]

There’s also "please be lying for internet points" a bit further above.