Is anyone else over really expensive eating out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amen. I don't go to fancy places, and it's just me and my two kids. But if I want to treat us to lunch at a sit down restaurant over the weekend, it's easily around $100. Honestly, we'll just hit Taco Bell or McDonald's for the time being. Even Panera is outrageous.

Even McDonald’s is insane.

[Anonymous]

Yep. Have definitely cut back due to high cost. It's just not worth it in most cases.

[Anonymous]

We have also cut back for health and cost reasons. My wife has this thing about eating out on Fridays which is usually take out. I wish we could drop that. It’s hard to find something that’s not complete trash and that isn’t really overpriced for what it is.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and I posted a similar thread a few months ago. We have FT jobs and three kids, so do order takeout 1-2x a week for our sanity, but have cut way back otherwise. I work mostly out of the house and pack lunches, DH will generally eat leftovers (he WFH), and I have all but stopped getting coffees out.

I am a really good cook and we live in an area with middling at best food options, so that makes it easier. I also find cooking to be something of a creative outlet and relaxing at the end of the workday.

[Anonymous]

Regular places are absolutely not worth the money to me as it will be $150 for lunch at a mediocre place for my family if 4. And high end places piss me off with their unearned self importance and $200+ price tag for two which is boring, unoriginal, and just, you know… fine. The shows that glorify chefs may be part of the problem. Stop taking yourselves so seriously. You create something that lasts a few minutes and isn’t life changing and you want *how much* for it? No. You are not Michelangelo. Whatever you’re doing is simply not that effing hard. No thank you. I am 100% disenchanted with the food industry. A bunch of self important, uncreative, narcissistic, mediocre trolls. I’m mostly done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regular places are absolutely not worth the money to me as it will be $150 for lunch at a mediocre place for my family if 4. And high end places piss me off with their unearned self importance and $200+ price tag for two which is boring, unoriginal, and just, you know… fine. The shows that glorify chefs may be part of the problem. Stop taking yourselves so seriously. You create something that lasts a few minutes and isn’t life changing and you want *how much* for it? No. You are not Michelangelo. Whatever you’re doing is simply not that effing hard. No thank you. I am 100% disenchanted with the food industry. A bunch of self important, uncreative, narcissistic, mediocre trolls. I’m mostly done.

Do what the rest of us do. Pay for meals you crave but that you cannot make at home. Just had a $16 bowl of ramen with a few dollars worth of gyoza that made me very happy. I can do a killer beef Wellington myself at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regular places are absolutely not worth the money to me as it will be $150 for lunch at a mediocre place for my family if 4. And high end places piss me off with their unearned self importance and $200+ price tag for two which is boring, unoriginal, and just, you know… fine. The shows that glorify chefs may be part of the problem. Stop taking yourselves so seriously. You create something that lasts a few minutes and isn’t life changing and you want *how much* for it? No. You are not Michelangelo. Whatever you’re doing is simply not that effing hard. No thank you. I am 100% disenchanted with the food industry. A bunch of self important, uncreative, narcissistic, mediocre trolls. I’m mostly done.

Do what the rest of us do. Pay for meals you crave but that you cannot make at home. Just had a $16 bowl of ramen with a few dollars worth of gyoza that made me very happy. I can do a killer beef Wellington myself at home.

+1

The only take out we spend on are things like sushi, Ethiopian food, dumplings, etc. We also take out Mexican food because we just can’t make it as good at home and it usually leaves us with leftovers and isn’t insanely priced yet.

I’m tired of fancy “new American” places charging an arm and a leg for what is basically upscale bar food. No, I don’t want to pay $24 for a French dip sandwich or buy an $18 flat bread.

Occasionally we admit defeat at the end of the week and order pizza for our family of 5 even though we can make that at home. But I always have a promo code since I have the store app and we do curbside pickup to avoid delivery fees. Through using BOGO deals I’ve gotten our order down to ~$25 including a $2 tip. I’m willing to throw that much at not cooking at the end of the work week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regular places are absolutely not worth the money to me as it will be $150 for lunch at a mediocre place for my family if 4. And high end places piss me off with their unearned self importance and $200+ price tag for two which is boring, unoriginal, and just, you know… fine. The shows that glorify chefs may be part of the problem. Stop taking yourselves so seriously. You create something that lasts a few minutes and isn’t life changing and you want *how much* for it? No. You are not Michelangelo. Whatever you’re doing is simply not that effing hard. No thank you. I am 100% disenchanted with the food industry. A bunch of self important, uncreative, narcissistic, mediocre trolls. I’m mostly done.

Do what the rest of us do. Pay for meals you crave but that you cannot make at home. Just had a $16 bowl of ramen with a few dollars worth of gyoza that made me very happy. I can do a killer beef Wellington myself at home.

+1

The only take out we spend on are things like sushi, Ethiopian food, dumplings, etc. We also take out Mexican food because we just can’t make it as good at home and it usually leaves us with leftovers and isn’t insanely priced yet.

I’m tired of fancy “new American” places charging an arm and a leg for what is basically upscale bar food. No, I don’t want to pay $24 for a French dip sandwich or buy an $18 flat bread.

Occasionally we admit defeat at the end of the week and order pizza for our family of 5 even though we can make that at home. But I always have a promo code since I have the store app and we do curbside pickup to avoid delivery fees. Through using BOGO deals I’ve gotten our order down to ~$25 including a $2 tip. I’m willing to throw that much at not cooking at the end of the work week.

Agree with all of this. We make really nice seafood/steaks at home. Just get an Ina cookbook at you make something better than any fancy "new American" place. If I am going out I prefer to get something I can't make at home easily- an incredible Mole or interior Mexican, sushi, soup dumplings, ramen, Ethiopian, Thai food, etc.. When we go out for celebration dinners I pick moderate restaurants with a great atmosphere. Last few dinners we spent over $300 and it was not great. At that price I expect something better than I can make at home.

[Anonymous]

Yes, OP. Food is mediocre nowadays and way too expensive. Fancy restaurants are the worst offenders.

[Anonymous]

Going to Greene Turtle tomorrow cos kids eat at free all week to celebrate back to school.
Judge Away. I don’t care.

[Anonymous]

Yes, please, stay home. We are so busy and we can't find workers. You all going to drive us into quitting. I feel like we are the only restaurant in town.
When you see we busy, keep walking. Food is good though.

[Anonymous]

Yes, me! It can often be disappointing, overly salted, and lacking in fruits and vegetables. I just cannot do fried food any more when my family wants to order that.

It is also costly, and perplexing, to be asked to tip when picking up food. OK, I tip 20% there which is is expensive. But then you'd think that a sit-down place would be a higher tip, or else counter pickup a lower tip.

[Anonymous]

We go to Chipotle or Cava.

Sometimes Hangry Joes or Raising Canes.

[Anonymous]

We don’t do fancy anymore. We make steak at home. So much cheaper with potatoes and Caesar salad.

We also stopped Italian. I’ve been making Marcella Hazen sauce and it’s lovely.

Calamari is $20 and so small we have to get 2 orders. I make it now for $10 and tastes just as good. I’ve been getting tiramisu at Sam’s Club for cheap.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I was early to this party because we live in the District, which was an early adopter of all the specious 'pro employee' legislation and fees that have led us to the logical result: $33 hamburgers. (Tipped servers now earn $17.50/hr instead of $2/hr. 20% mandatory service charge added to the check, but "tips are (still) welcome !!!!" on top of that; $5 flat Covid supplies fee in ... 2024. 3.5% "recovery" fees ...

We suck.

These Helpful Tools Are Tracking Every Restaurant Fee Across DC
https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/01/11/these-helpful-tools-are-tracking-every-restaurant-fee-across-dc/