I have some favorites but also like to mix it up at times and try new things. We will often order different dishes from one another so we can sample each other’s food. We do like changing it up, as well as having our old favorites. I guess it’s not either-or for us. I often like the special of the day as well.
Along those lines- are there some places you could eat at every day for a week because of the number of dishes you would like? Hey- allowed to repeat yourself with the favorites.
2 weeks ago, I was in Charleston SC. I could eat lunch and dinner at 82 Queen with a different item for each meal. Absolutely fantastic choices. I try new foods, but like to recognize most of the ingredients.
I’ve enjoyed the recent trend towards small plates because, especially when dine with several others, it’s fun to try a bunch of stuff and share, some of which might be more familiar and some more adventurous.
We tend to get the same things but do try different things here and there. We have a favorite Thai restaurant. But we do go elsewhere to “try it out”. We are never completely satisfied since the one we go to is amazing. We, as a family, just decided for Thai food, we aren’t trying a new place in our city. Which is crazy since Chicago has amazing restaurants.
I have one favorite breakfast restaurant, and I order the same thing each time I go; for dining out, we seldom to to the same place twice, we have such a wide array of restaurants in our city, I like to try new places.
Creature of habit here. I can order the same thing over and over and not tire of it. Doesn’t help that I’m a very picky eater, much to my chagrin. Rather envious of the rest of my family who all love a huge variety of flavors.
We eat out a fair amount, and have lots of good restaurants near us. At some I have multiple options to choose from, and at some, especially when we don’t go to that restaurant often, I order my favorite every time.
For example, we have an Italian place near our house where I might order flatbread, pizza, eggplant parm, or some other dish, depending on my mood and the season. When we go to our favorite Italian place in Little Italy, over 30 minutes away, I almost always order the same thing.
I wish I could go to Legal Seafood and have my usual, fried clams, right now–but it’s 1500 miles away.
I get the same things at my go to places! Did it last night and tonight. I’m more adventurous with the cocktails!
HAHA! 
I am absolutely unadventurous with cocktails - I don’t drink them. I think I had a Bloody Mary once and a few POM mimosas… that’s it. Baby kiddo lets me try a sip of hers when we dine together. 
But I like to try new to me wines when we eat out. Mister goes for the proven stuff.
I love trying new foods, but when a favorite restaurant has something delicious on the menu all the time, I tend to order that.
I am not a cocktail drinker, although I do like wine. My daughter orders things that she calls “evil lemonade,” which are basically any type of cocktail with a strong herbal citrus flavor. I always take a sip of hers when we are out together and think, yep this is Pinesol.
When it comes to flavor profiles, there are some that I am automatically drawn to. For example, if the dish is likely to be heavy in cumin or have a smoked component, I will probably order it. If, on the other hand, it contains Brussels sprouts or white chocolate, I run for the hills!
I like Brussel sprouts, but white chocolate send me ducking and hiding!
I guess I like to play it safe. I hope my family will order something different and then I can try it to see if I will be bold enough to make a change next time. I always order the same thing next time anyway
My husband has favorites at our usual restaurants - short rib; sea salt chicken; hamburger plain, meat and a bun; crab cakes. New or once in a while places he’ll switch things up. I’ll usually try something different. Since he’s a relatively plain eater, any chance I get to eat spicy, international, etc., I do.
Ex: last night at our fave ale house, he had his usual burger with nothing and chips. I had one of the specials- cornmeal-crusted cod with spicy remoulade, black-eyed pea salad, and jalapeño cornbread.
I like to vary but I have developed allergies so this limits my choices. I too am trying to lose weight so this limits it further.
There were new items on the menu tonight, but I went for my fav comfort food - schnitzel with egg noodles.
I make a variety of choices (with special eye on the specials menu that day) … with the possibility each time that I will revert to an old standby if nothing else trumps it.
The funny thing is the DH and I seem to feel obligated to order something different from each other. It’s very rare that we both order the same dish.
I’m surprised by how many people stick to the same menu items. I would say most often I do not do that. So many menu items, so little time!! I love trying new items or combinations. My H is more ho-hum. But if our kids are there, they and I will often order different dishes and then just share them all. I hate being limited to one taste!!
I’m with @doschicos on the small plates. I’d much rather have a few things to sample than one big thing on my plate.