It’s getting there, but at the same time, I feel like the “sit-down” meals are also going way up. A burger with fries at your local brewpub/taphouse is $20+ now.
jamiethekiller on
fed 2 kids and myself for less than 20$ at wendys last night.
at the local brewpub that woulda been over 40(with no alcohol)
modestlunatic on
I don’t find that to be the case at all. Have to use coupons for fast food though.
chrishouse83 on
Seems like everything is going up more or less proportionally. It’s hard for my family and me to get out of Chili’s for under $100.
mvbighead on
In a lot of ways, yes. But there are value options at many of the places now that are a little more “back to reality.” For instances, McDs has a McDouble and 4 piece nugget, small fry, small drink for $6. You won’t beat that at a sit down restaurant.
And conversely, there are a number of sit down places that are really upping the rates on their meals that I have seen. Sometimes as much as $20 for a burger, fries, and drink. Granted, often times those burgers are huge and quite a bit more than one should ever need.
You can definitely spend $15-20 at McDs if you just pick the thing you want off the board.
fzem on
Uhhh…no. Not even close. Sit down meal for 2 is at least $50 with tip most of the time. Fast food for 2 can be had for under $20.
TheCeilingIsTheRuuf on
Sometimes, has been for awhile. It isnt hard to find good deals and better deals for the price than fast food spots. If it has a drive through I aint about it anymore
RaccoonNew113 on
I feel so so about this. Some fast food spots have gotten pricey. But my favorite restaurants lately have begun to make everything à la carte, which adds up quickly.
MM-Chi on
Agree with the general feeling that fast food prices are increasing, but there are values out there.
Chili’s $10.99 meal with an app, entree, and drink is an insane deal. I sub a salad for fries (+$1) and with tip I’m out the door around $16ish. Not a $10 McD or Burger King meal but a much better overall value/experience in my mind.
Writing this as I sit at a Panera Bread and my god hearing the prices of some of these people’s orders is insane. $18 for a cup of soup and a skimpy sandwich?!?!!?
There is value to be had, just have to look.
Emergency-Pack-5497 on
its not quite there, but when you factor in quality and service, its worth it to pay the couple bucks more for the restaurant
AngryCowArmy on
It is not just you. I remember that about a decade ago I could spend $5 at taco bell and get more food than I could eat off the dollar menu. Now it is the value menu, and I can only get two small items for that price. I have been to other fast food places and spent over $15 on what no so long ago was under $10. The increase is real, and has made me cook at home much more even though I do not really have the time for it. The price of sit down meals has gone up too though, everything always gets more expensive, but it just got way more expensive really quickly since COVID.
toomuchtostop on
Feels like this is overstated sometimes. A few days ago I had a Burger King meal for $7
Mitenpat on
There are deals at most fast-food restaurants, but you have to plan for them (you need coupons or other offers at the fast-food place).
WREPGB on
Two experiences that have radicalized me:
1.) A modest dinner at our neighborhood diner cost me, my wife, and two kids fucking $90 before tip.
2.) A round of Moe’s after rewards and whatnot costs $50. I might have a different view if it were Chipotle or QDOBA, but it’s fucking Moe’s. Same with McDonald’s and Wendy’s. I can at least get the bill below $40 at Chick Fil-A.
We went out for our anniversary, same scale: two drinks each, two entrees, and a split dessert. $230. It has completely killed off any desire to go out to a proper sit-down restaurant.
PhenomEx on
At least you don’t need to tip when eating fast food
My partner and I always think of places to eat that does not require tipping, like Asian grocery store food court where you pickup food from the counter and return the plate/tray.
We still dine out at sit down restaurants but that’s always at least $30-$40 per person when including tip
American tipping culture 😓
Downtherabbithole-14 on
We went to McDonalds over a year ago, and we are family of 4 and we spent $40 on McDonalds. I would rather go to Applebbee’s or a diner and spend $40 for better food.
cavey00 on
To add to these comments, it’s just getting expensive to eat in general. A 4 pack of good premade patties at the grocery store is $12, buns are another $5-6, tomato just around $1, lettuce $1, hope you have some leftover bacon or that’s gonna be $12. Air fry some fries and crack open a can of soda (which is also really expensive now too) and it’s almost to the point where the fast food would have been cheaper. Now granted the burger you’re making is 10x better and you’ll have some leftover ingredients but if you don’t use those ingredients it becomes quite expensive for that meal.
_Losing_Generation_ on
Lately? This has been going on for a couple of years
Marchin_on on
Remember the scene in Pulp Fiction where they are amazed and astounded at the $5 milk shake. Good times.
PaisleyLeopard on
I have some bad news for you about the price of sit-down meals.
TheWorzardOfIz on
Everytime I go to eat out, I just think I can save $70 by just eating something I have on hand.
Poizin_zer0 on
I’ve been saying this for the last couple years and looked at like I’m crazy. I can get a bang up bowl of homemade ramen for like $17 and then McDonald’s costs me $15 like what the hell is that how to people keep buying McDonald’s the McNuggets I got had the texture of slime effectively.
No-Buy-3105 on
Same price? It’s actually more expensive in a lot of cases.
Ocabrah on
$25 for a kids meal, and adult meal and some extra nuggets at Chic-Fil-A yesterday. It’s the only fast food that’s consistently good in my area but even then I should just have air fried some chicken breasts and put them in a bun at home.
25 Comments
It’s getting there, but at the same time, I feel like the “sit-down” meals are also going way up. A burger with fries at your local brewpub/taphouse is $20+ now.
fed 2 kids and myself for less than 20$ at wendys last night.
at the local brewpub that woulda been over 40(with no alcohol)
I don’t find that to be the case at all. Have to use coupons for fast food though.
Seems like everything is going up more or less proportionally. It’s hard for my family and me to get out of Chili’s for under $100.
In a lot of ways, yes. But there are value options at many of the places now that are a little more “back to reality.” For instances, McDs has a McDouble and 4 piece nugget, small fry, small drink for $6. You won’t beat that at a sit down restaurant.
And conversely, there are a number of sit down places that are really upping the rates on their meals that I have seen. Sometimes as much as $20 for a burger, fries, and drink. Granted, often times those burgers are huge and quite a bit more than one should ever need.
You can definitely spend $15-20 at McDs if you just pick the thing you want off the board.
Uhhh…no. Not even close. Sit down meal for 2 is at least $50 with tip most of the time. Fast food for 2 can be had for under $20.
Sometimes, has been for awhile. It isnt hard to find good deals and better deals for the price than fast food spots. If it has a drive through I aint about it anymore
I feel so so about this. Some fast food spots have gotten pricey. But my favorite restaurants lately have begun to make everything à la carte, which adds up quickly.
Agree with the general feeling that fast food prices are increasing, but there are values out there.
Chili’s $10.99 meal with an app, entree, and drink is an insane deal. I sub a salad for fries (+$1) and with tip I’m out the door around $16ish. Not a $10 McD or Burger King meal but a much better overall value/experience in my mind.
Writing this as I sit at a Panera Bread and my god hearing the prices of some of these people’s orders is insane. $18 for a cup of soup and a skimpy sandwich?!?!!?
There is value to be had, just have to look.
its not quite there, but when you factor in quality and service, its worth it to pay the couple bucks more for the restaurant
It is not just you. I remember that about a decade ago I could spend $5 at taco bell and get more food than I could eat off the dollar menu. Now it is the value menu, and I can only get two small items for that price. I have been to other fast food places and spent over $15 on what no so long ago was under $10. The increase is real, and has made me cook at home much more even though I do not really have the time for it. The price of sit down meals has gone up too though, everything always gets more expensive, but it just got way more expensive really quickly since COVID.
Feels like this is overstated sometimes. A few days ago I had a Burger King meal for $7
There are deals at most fast-food restaurants, but you have to plan for them (you need coupons or other offers at the fast-food place).
Two experiences that have radicalized me:
1.) A modest dinner at our neighborhood diner cost me, my wife, and two kids fucking $90 before tip.
2.) A round of Moe’s after rewards and whatnot costs $50. I might have a different view if it were Chipotle or QDOBA, but it’s fucking Moe’s. Same with McDonald’s and Wendy’s. I can at least get the bill below $40 at Chick Fil-A.
We went out for our anniversary, same scale: two drinks each, two entrees, and a split dessert. $230. It has completely killed off any desire to go out to a proper sit-down restaurant.
At least you don’t need to tip when eating fast food
My partner and I always think of places to eat that does not require tipping, like Asian grocery store food court where you pickup food from the counter and return the plate/tray.
We still dine out at sit down restaurants but that’s always at least $30-$40 per person when including tip
American tipping culture 😓
We went to McDonalds over a year ago, and we are family of 4 and we spent $40 on McDonalds. I would rather go to Applebbee’s or a diner and spend $40 for better food.
To add to these comments, it’s just getting expensive to eat in general. A 4 pack of good premade patties at the grocery store is $12, buns are another $5-6, tomato just around $1, lettuce $1, hope you have some leftover bacon or that’s gonna be $12. Air fry some fries and crack open a can of soda (which is also really expensive now too) and it’s almost to the point where the fast food would have been cheaper. Now granted the burger you’re making is 10x better and you’ll have some leftover ingredients but if you don’t use those ingredients it becomes quite expensive for that meal.
Lately? This has been going on for a couple of years
Remember the scene in Pulp Fiction where they are amazed and astounded at the $5 milk shake. Good times.
I have some bad news for you about the price of sit-down meals.
Everytime I go to eat out, I just think I can save $70 by just eating something I have on hand.
I’ve been saying this for the last couple years and looked at like I’m crazy. I can get a bang up bowl of homemade ramen for like $17 and then McDonald’s costs me $15 like what the hell is that how to people keep buying McDonald’s the McNuggets I got had the texture of slime effectively.
Same price? It’s actually more expensive in a lot of cases.
$25 for a kids meal, and adult meal and some extra nuggets at Chic-Fil-A yesterday. It’s the only fast food that’s consistently good in my area but even then I should just have air fried some chicken breasts and put them in a bun at home.
Sit down is 20-40 per.
Fast food is 8-20 per.