TikTok Was Captivated By This Precious Faux Fancy Restaurant Family Dinner

Whether they prefer fast food chains or a meal at the nice, local steakhouse, many kids don't understand how it's not feasible to eat out every day. Being told, "There's food at home," is almost a universal experience, so much so that it started the circulation of a viral meme, which generally features that quote paired with an image of a questionable, home-cooked food item. And sure, some meals prepared by parents do not compare to the restaurant-grade ones, such as these ones shared to Buzzfeed (and no, meat should not be prepared to "shoe-leather-level dryness”). Hopefully, not many childhood meals look like those.

But for the most part, eating meals at home is a sustainable method for the average family to save money. According to USA Today, some families could reduce spending by $1,500 by cutting out eating out costs. However, something about the experience of eating out at a restaurant could get lost at the dining table at home. TikTok mom, Shena, does not allow for that though.

Shena, or @shenavici, on TikTok, recently shared a video of her serving her kids dinner while recreating the ambiance of a "fancy restaurant." In the clip, which was slightly over three minutes long, she showed her family, "... love pretending we're at a fancy restaurant when [she] cook[s]..."

She first asked her kids if they wanted San Pelligrino with their meal, before pouring the sparkling water into their glasses that were filled with sliced fruit. The camera then goes on to record the different dishes of the night — from lobster bisque soup to filet mignon to frozen strawberry cheesecake. At the end of the meal, Shena even hands out checks, which fans also go wild for. Viewers in the comments also noted how they loved how the kids dressed up and their manners, such as saying, "thank you, ma'am," while being served.

For many people, eating out at a fancy restaurant was a treat growing up — an occasion reserved for birthdays and other important milestones. But this family on TikTok demonstrates how, with a little creativity and effort, the fun of eating out can easily be brought home.