Australian Health Coach Reveals Most Confusing Thing About U.S. Restaurant Menus: ‘I Have A Serious Bone To Discuss With You Americans’
- Australian health coach Bec Hardgrave travels the US
- When you went out to dinner, you noticed that each entree is ‘huge’ compared to the entrees.
- Feeling confused, she posted a TikTok video seeking an explanation.
- Others said in the US that ‘entrees’ are ‘mains’ and ‘mains’ are ‘entrees’ because of the history
An Australian health and fitness trainer traveling abroad in the United States experienced a culture shock when she went out to dinner that left her feeling “confused.”
In a video posted on TikTok, Bec Hardgrave, from Brisbane, noted that each main course is “huge” compared to the main course when dining out.
In Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, an entree is a smaller dish served before the larger main meal, but this is not the case in the United States.
Unaware of the difference in portion sizes, Bec joked that her clothes ‘don’t fit her anymore’ and that she has trouble putting her jeans on.


While traveling across America, Australian health and fitness coach Bec Hardgrave (left) noticed that each main course was ‘huge’ compared to the main course when dining out. On one occasion she ordered some nachos that seemed to be shared between two (right)

Feeling confused, Bec posted a TikTok video and said, “I was told mains are mains and mains are mains. Can someone clear that up for me?”
“I’m an Australian traveling through America and I have a problem with you Americans so listen up,” Bec said in the video.
“Basically, every time I’ve been to a diner or restaurant, the entrees are huge!”
‘And I’ve been told that mains are mains and mains are mains. Can someone clarify that for me? Because I’m so confused and my clothes don’t fit me anymore.’
He continued with a laugh, “I can’t pull up my jeans anymore, so if someone could tell me, I’d really appreciate it.”
On one occasion he ordered nachos with guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, beans, and cheese, but the “main course” was the size of a huge plate that looked like it could be shared by two.

In the comments, other TikTok users explained why entrees are bigger than entrees in the US ‘Appetizers are like the “snack” before the meal and then the entrée is the entrée! !’ one person wrote
In the comments, other TikTok users explained why entrees are bigger than entrees in the US.
‘Appetizers are like the “sandwich” before the meal and then the main course is the main course!’ one person wrote.
But Bec, still confused, replied: ‘So what are the main ones?! I swear every menu has starters and mains!
Another person added: ‘Americans call “main course” “entrée” because of gastronomic etiquette in the 19th century.
‘In the 19th century, they usually had up to 15 courses, with ‘starter’ defining the beginning of ‘main course’.
‘When this label later changed and ‘main courses’ only consisted of one course, instead of four or five, ‘entrée’ became the definition.’
Since then, the short video has also been viewed more than 7,000 times.