Went out to Great American Restaurant first time in 2 years, disappointed by $ and quality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way about eating at mid range restaurants now. We just had lunch at Clydes this weekend, and the food was underwhelming, it was more expensive, smaller portions, and on top of it, we’re charging a restaurant recovery fee.

The restaurant recovery fee was most annoying to me, because it seems disingenuous when they have reduced portions and increased prices.

Clydes has gotten terrible. Such a bummer because we used to love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The various Great American Restaurants were our go-to place before covid. We could get a high quality reasonably priced meal for our family.

I went to one last night for the first time before covid, and it was a bit of a letdown. They replaced many of the items in my goto meal with lower priced, e.g. devilled eggs with hard-boiled, you have to pay for bread and things were out. And the price was 108 for two people without dessert, which we could pay for our family of 4 before. It was also super busy, so I felt like I was chasing down the waiter all the time for straws, a refill, wrong type of soda and felt like I was annoying.

I've been let down by dine-in restaurants since covid, especially with price, I don't find restaurants to be enjoyable anymore because I think it's too expensive. So I just take out from a fast-casual place or cook at home. I do this because I can avoid paying the tip on top of the already elevated price.

We did our taxes and made a combined 500k/year, and still feel like eating out is not worth it. We've always made this amount before covid so it's not like our income has increased proportionally to the costs around us.

Is anyone in the same boat, or should I get over the new norm of expensive and lower quality?

I have to call troll. Who in the world complains about a dollar for a delicious bread basket and butter?? We love Great American Restaurants. Quality of food is consistently excellent. Service is efficient and pleasant. And most importantly, they are impeccably clean. The clearly know what they’re doing. They don’t mess around with anything inferior.

[Anonymous]

I went to Coastal Flats not that long ago and it was good. What did you get for $108? 2 of us got bread, an appetizer to share, 2 entrees and 2 cocktails for that price, including tax and tip. That price normal for the DC area in my opinion. Portions were normal sized. Service was rushed and not very good (they put something I'm allergic to in my food even after I asked about it when ordering), but I also feel like service is bad almost everywhere in DC nowadays b/c of staffing. We don't eat out nearly as much now as we did pre-pandemic and when we do, it's usually fast casual for convenience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The various Great American Restaurants were our go-to place before covid. We could get a high quality reasonably priced meal for our family.

I went to one last night for the first time before covid, and it was a bit of a letdown. They replaced many of the items in my goto meal with lower priced, e.g. devilled eggs with hard-boiled, you have to pay for bread and things were out. And the price was 108 for two people without dessert, which we could pay for our family of 4 before. It was also super busy, so I felt like I was chasing down the waiter all the time for straws, a refill, wrong type of soda and felt like I was annoying.

I've been let down by dine-in restaurants since covid, especially with price, I don't find restaurants to be enjoyable anymore because I think it's too expensive. So I just take out from a fast-casual place or cook at home. I do this because I can avoid paying the tip on top of the already elevated price.

We did our taxes and made a combined 500k/year, and still feel like eating out is not worth it. We've always made this amount before covid so it's not like our income has increased proportionally to the costs around us.

Is anyone in the same boat, or should I get over the new norm of expensive and lower quality?

I have heard this from a lot of people. It's true, dining out has gotten more expensive and service has gotten worse, and if you feel like it's not worth it anymore for you, that's ok.

It's one of my favourite things to do so it's still worth it for me, even though I've had to lower my expectations a bit.

[Anonymous]

Coastal Flats was still very good when I was there last month. Prices were the same, which is around $20 a meal. Not sure how you got up to 108 unless you ordered a bottle of wine or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The various Great American Restaurants were our go-to place before covid. We could get a high quality reasonably priced meal for our family.

I went to one last night for the first time before covid, and it was a bit of a letdown. They replaced many of the items in my goto meal with lower priced, e.g. devilled eggs with hard-boiled, you have to pay for bread and things were out. And the price was 108 for two people without dessert, which we could pay for our family of 4 before. It was also super busy, so I felt like I was chasing down the waiter all the time for straws, a refill, wrong type of soda and felt like I was annoying.

I've been let down by dine-in restaurants since covid, especially with price, I don't find restaurants to be enjoyable anymore because I think it's too expensive. So I just take out from a fast-casual place or cook at home. I do this because I can avoid paying the tip on top of the already elevated price.

We did our taxes and made a combined 500k/year, and still feel like eating out is not worth it. We've always made this amount before covid so it's not like our income has increased proportionally to the costs around us.

Is anyone in the same boat, or should I get over the new norm of expensive and lower quality?

I have to call troll. Who in the world complains about a dollar for a delicious bread basket and butter?? We love Great American Restaurants. Quality of food is consistently excellent. Service is efficient and pleasant. And most importantly, they are impeccably clean. The clearly know what they’re doing. They don’t mess around with anything inferior.

Ask anyone whose worked there--they are not impeccably clean and definitely mess with things that are inferior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way about eating at mid range restaurants now. We just had lunch at Clydes this weekend, and the food was underwhelming, it was more expensive, smaller portions, and on top of it, we’re charging a restaurant recovery fee.

The restaurant recovery fee was most annoying to me, because it seems disingenuous when they have reduced portions and increased prices.

RESTAURANT RECOVERY FEE

Our restaurants have been operating with extraordinary increases in the cost of doing business. High inflation, rising wages, and supply chain challenges have continued beyond the pandemic creating a difficult operating environment. We have reluctantly chosen to implement a separate 3.75% Restaurant Recovery Fee for 2023 with the hope that it can be eliminated in the future as conditions improve. We appreciate your support and understanding.

Wow, that’s BS. Prices are already higher. Of course this chain is not a good member of our community. They campaigned so heavily against the meals tax that would have helped fund our schools and spread the costs to include nonresidents of Fairfax.

Clyde's? I think of them as a DC chain, not Fairfax.

Mark Center is part of Old Town? I had no idea!

There is no Clyde’s in fairfax county. They are all in dc, Maryland, Alexandria city and Loudoun (Broadlands).

What is considered Alexandria City (separate from Fairfax County) for tax purposes includes areas outside of Old Town. It includes West Alexandria/Mark Center. In fact, most of Alexandria City is outside of Old Town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, any older folks here that went through a time of high inflation, did you get used to it or become jaded and put off? LOL this is my first round of high inflation.

We just reduced the number of times we go out to eat. That way it still seems special, but is fairly infrequent and we can spend just slightly more each time to make the experience better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way about eating at mid range restaurants now. We just had lunch at Clydes this weekend, and the food was underwhelming, it was more expensive, smaller portions, and on top of it, we’re charging a restaurant recovery fee.

The restaurant recovery fee was most annoying to me, because it seems disingenuous when they have reduced portions and increased prices.

RESTAURANT RECOVERY FEE

Our restaurants have been operating with extraordinary increases in the cost of doing business. High inflation, rising wages, and supply chain challenges have continued beyond the pandemic creating a difficult operating environment. We have reluctantly chosen to implement a separate 3.75% Restaurant Recovery Fee for 2023 with the hope that it can be eliminated in the future as conditions improve. We appreciate your support and understanding.

Wow. Is that on alcohol too? I would prefer they just increase prices (which I am sure they have done) and I would make my menu selections accordingly.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never heard of these restaurants? Is it a regional thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard of these restaurants? Is it a regional thing?

Are you in DC-MD-VA

[Anonymous]

Yes, I think GAR has gone downhill, but probably no less than anywhere else. And quality of service has gone down less than most other places (one of the reasons we have been going to GAR for 25 years is because their service has always been best in class).

Only in the last year or so did I start feeling like I wasn't getting great bang for the buck. The Ribeye used to be a steal for $32. Not so much at $49. And we have experienced some really small portions on other items.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way about eating at mid range restaurants now. We just had lunch at Clydes this weekend, and the food was underwhelming, it was more expensive, smaller portions, and on top of it, we’re charging a restaurant recovery fee.

The restaurant recovery fee was most annoying to me, because it seems disingenuous when they have reduced portions and increased prices.

RESTAURANT RECOVERY FEE

Our restaurants have been operating with extraordinary increases in the cost of doing business. High inflation, rising wages, and supply chain challenges have continued beyond the pandemic creating a difficult operating environment. We have reluctantly chosen to implement a separate 3.75% Restaurant Recovery Fee for 2023 with the hope that it can be eliminated in the future as conditions improve. We appreciate your support and understanding.

Wow. Is that on alcohol too? I would prefer they just increase prices (which I am sure they have done) and I would make my menu selections accordingly.

Yes.

And yes, prices did go up and portions went down. We were told of the fee after we were seated and as the bread was being served and it's on the menu. We were caught off guard and may have even chosen to eat elsewhere had we known or checked the website before we went.

[Anonymous]

We used to go to GAR's frequently and each of the ones we've been to in the last year have been average (at best), poor service and priced above current quality. The final straw for us was our last time at Ozzie's Good Eats. They no longer know their audience. We have no problem paying those prices for a meal but we're not paying those prices for mediocre, TGIF tasting food and bad service. It's just not happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard of these restaurants? Is it a regional thing?

Extremely regional chains. GAR is literally only found in Northern Virginia.