Is anyone else over really expensive eating out?

[Anonymous]

Most definitely. We only go out maybe once per month, and when we do, we choose small places like our favorite pho spot at the Eden Center. Food prices at the grocery are already bad enough!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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/

This is helpful. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

I feel this way too. I wish it would go back to 10% is the norm for takeout. When I was younger, it was nothing or 10%. I don't think it should be the same as a sit down where they are filling drinks, explaining menu, etc. A small amount for packing it up but there is no service. $15 for a normal chinese takeout pickup to pack up in a bag is insane. It takes about 5 min.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

How do you make it? Buy frozen or make homemade?

[Anonymous]

I eat out for the service (as my cousin once observed that my aunt and uncle did when we were kids). I am a pretty good cook, but the other stresses on my life do not make this enjoyable.

I do like take out from ethnic restaurants, which tend to use better ingredients and real spices. And I like chef-run restaurants with small, seasonal menus. There are still a few local places with good-enough food that we'll go, even though they are more expensive, because sometimes I don't want to cook or clean...and it's just nice to have someone else deal with the mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I feel this way too. I wish it would go back to 10% is the norm for takeout. When I was younger, it was nothing or 10%. I don't think it should be the same as a sit down where they are filling drinks, explaining menu, etc. A small amount for packing it up but there is no service. $15 for a normal chinese takeout pickup to pack up in a bag is insane. It takes about 5 min.

We went to Paris Baguette yesterday which is all self serve. You put the pastries on the tray, grab your drink from the cooler, and pay at the counter. If you order a coffee, they did make that. Why did the screen ask us to tip?? For what!

[Anonymous]

I went out to dinner during Restaurant week in DC and it was still $190 with no alcohol.

Also, why is the service charge on the taxed amount rather than the pre-tax amount? When did this change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went out to dinner during Restaurant week in DC and it was still $190 with no alcohol.

Also, why is the service charge on the taxed amount rather than the pre-tax amount? When did this change?

Probably hoping you won't notice. Vote with you wallet.

[Anonymous]

Since Covid, we hardly ever eat out. I just never find it really worth it unless it's a combination of great food/service or great food/a beautiful view...Something needs to be exceptional to make it worth it to me, and it usually isn't. I can make most things at home too and it's an easy category to save money on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went out to dinner during Restaurant week in DC and it was still $190 with no alcohol.

Also, why is the service charge on the taxed amount rather than the pre-tax amount? When did this change?

$190 for how many people?

The whole point of restaurant week is that it's prix fixe, I'm not sure how you're getting surprised by the bill when it's literally just "price x people."

[Anonymous]

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

No judgment here! Getting free kids food is smart and helps offset the adult meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I feel this way too. I wish it would go back to 10% is the norm for takeout. When I was younger, it was nothing or 10%. I don't think it should be the same as a sit down where they are filling drinks, explaining menu, etc. A small amount for packing it up but there is no service. $15 for a normal chinese takeout pickup to pack up in a bag is insane. It takes about 5 min.

I tip $1 per item. So if we get 1 app, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert, it’s $4. If I’m getting like 1 or 2 cheap items I may round up a bit. I always choose custom and never do the automatic tip amounts. Some of them are 15%, 20%, and 25%. Who in their right mind is tipping this much on to go or counter service?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I feel this way too. I wish it would go back to 10% is the norm for takeout. When I was younger, it was nothing or 10%. I don't think it should be the same as a sit down where they are filling drinks, explaining menu, etc. A small amount for packing it up but there is no service. $15 for a normal chinese takeout pickup to pack up in a bag is insane. It takes about 5 min.

We went to Paris Baguette yesterday which is all self serve. You put the pastries on the tray, grab your drink from the cooler, and pay at the counter. If you order a coffee, they did make that. Why did the screen ask us to tip?? For what!

Same thing happened to me at DCA when I recently bought breakfast at the place with the crepes. The computer program required me to put in a tip or it would not proceed to the next screen. I put in 0.01.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I feel this way too. I wish it would go back to 10% is the norm for takeout. When I was younger, it was nothing or 10%. I don't think it should be the same as a sit down where they are filling drinks, explaining menu, etc. A small amount for packing it up but there is no service. $15 for a normal chinese takeout pickup to pack up in a bag is insane. It takes about 5 min.

DP but we got to Costco and get the big bag of individual serving sizes of edamame. If we takeout sushi we just steam that in the microwave. I can’t justify $6 (sometimes even more!) in a basic edamame app. There are also freezer kits to make your own boba. I didn’t look closely at the price at the beach the other weekend on vacation and paid $12 for some watered down boba (tourist trap, my mistake). Usually I get the Costco ones for home. You can also make miso soup at home for cheaper. We just take out “mains” that we cannot substitute for on our own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I feel this way too. I wish it would go back to 10% is the norm for takeout. When I was younger, it was nothing or 10%. I don't think it should be the same as a sit down where they are filling drinks, explaining menu, etc. A small amount for packing it up but there is no service. $15 for a normal chinese takeout pickup to pack up in a bag is insane. It takes about 5 min.

DP but we got to Costco and get the big bag of individual serving sizes of edamame. If we takeout sushi we just steam that in the microwave. I can’t justify $6 (sometimes even more!) in a basic edamame app. There are also freezer kits to make your own boba. I didn’t look closely at the price at the beach the other weekend on vacation and paid $12 for some watered down boba (tourist trap, my mistake). Usually I get the Costco ones for home. You can also make miso soup at home for cheaper. We just take out “mains” that we cannot substitute for on our own.

Sorry replied to the wrong post, this was supposed to be responding to the person who gets tiramisu at Sam’s.