I've not seen this in many places, actually. I also don't think it would really work for me, as I would never be able to guess whether a half-portion wouldn't be less than I wanted to eat.

It would be so much easier if it was just what I'm used to here: if you just order food, you'll get enough for a 'normal' eater. You can always go bigger or smaller, depending on if you are a 'big eater' or not. The default in the US seems to be that the size of the standard order needs to satisfy a giant construction worker who hasn't eaten for two days.

I remember ordering blueberry pancakes for breakfast once, and got a pile a that was almost a foot high. Even though the pancakes were actually pretty good, I think I finished less then 1/4th of them. That just makes no sense.

The food is the smaller part of the cost - think about the brick-and-mortar, the employees waiting for us to come in and order, the insurance etc. A little flour and canned blueberries is peanuts. So by offering 'too much food' there's a perceived value by some

Well yes of course, I understand the psychological tricks restaurants use to increase 'perceived value'. That doesn't mean I agree with them though, or that it makes the food any better. Maybe I'm atypical, but for me it actually decreases the value, because I know I will feel stuffed before my plate is empty, and my last memory of eating the food will be that I could hardly stomach any more of it before I stopped eating. This is not even considering the moral objections I have against throwing away perfectly good food, as someone else above me already mentioned as well.

My local pancake house will sometimes have 'all you can eat' which means a modest serving with the option to order additional food at the same cost. Of course I never need any more, and that way no waste! And the same perceived value or better. Probably a much better solution.

You can also ask for the meal to be split between yourself and your dining partner. Unfortunately, the few times my wife and I tried this, they split the main food (burger, steak, chicken, etc) but then the doubled up on all the starchy sides (fries, rice, pasta) so it doesn't really benefit the individual too much.

You'll sometimes get charged a "plate fee" for doing this, though.

Which is fine, it's not unlike coperto in Italy. The waiter is still servicing two people even if they're only eating one meal.

Really? That never even occurred, since I've never seen that option on a menu.

As with splitting a plate between two people, it's not something you'd typically see on a menu, but they're usually happy to do it.

Yes!!! You would be surprised what things you can negotiate in stores and restaurants. You need only ask. In restaurants you can even substitute unhealthy items for healthier items in your meal in many cases. Many local restaurants I go to even have items you can order that are not listed on the menu.

The branding is "right sizing". It doesn't seem to have gained a lot of traction however.

All the time around here - half a sandwich and soup for instance at lunchtime

Even if true, I've never seen that advertised as an option, nor thought to ask.

Which restaurants?