Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner

[Anonymous]

We are a family of 3 (one teenager). In Bethesda, we go to Don Pollo or Moby Dick and get a family meal. Both are around $50 but the food provides 2 dinners plus 1 lunch so it's roughly $7 a meal and I think that is reasonable.

We can also do roughly as well by ordering Chinese food or pizza.

I think the best strategy is ordering the larger portions/meals and then breaking them up to stretch them over several days. Cost savings is tied to volume.

[Anonymous]

Someone above mentioned Noodles & Company.

When our kids were too young to let us enjoy really nice restaurants, we used to go to Noodles for a fun family dinner out and order the Pesto Cavatappi. The grownups would get shrimp put on for an upcharge. Other highlights in place at the time: unsweetened Gold Peak iced tea with fresh cut lemon wedges and a tomato side salad (not offered anymore) which we split. They also had Horizon Milk boxes. Other people we knew had kids who liked the plain Mac 'n' Cheese.

I recommend the pesto cavatappi. That's $8.75 for the large portion and $13 if you add shrimp.

https://www.noodles.com/menu/culinary-classics/basil-pesto-cavatappi

Restaurant ambiance and dish prep do vary from location to location.

Hope this works for somebody. It was a big part of our kids' early childhood.

[Anonymous]

The Jersry Mike's near us has Kids Eat Free on Wednesday ( with adult purchase). Not sure if that's franchise-specific or nation wide.

Also, do you have any apps? I have the Chiptole, Tropical Smoothie, and a few others I use to accumulate rewards. I figure if I'm buying something from said restaurant anyway, I might as well start collecting points.

[Anonymous]

Order online from Panera and there's a section called Value Duets. Can save some $ vs ordering the same thing from You Pick Two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Peruvian chicken. Buy enough for leftovers.

This

It's so much more expensive than buying a rotisserie chicken from Costco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Peruvian chicken. Buy enough for leftovers.

This

It's so much more expensive than buying a rotisserie chicken from Costco.

Costco rotisserie chicken is gross. That congealed stuff in the pan on day 2? 🤮

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chipotle. A bowl is 2 servings, so you can either split one or make two last two nights. They're as heathy as you make them - load with cheese, sour cream, and high sodium beef = not healthy. Stick with lots of veggies, beans, and guac = the best you're going to get for filling and healthy fast casual. Going with veggie/beans only means means free guac and is cheaper. It'll be ~$11 for one bowl. You can add chips or tortillas on the side if you want to stretch further.

DP. And use the brown rice instead of the white.

Makes zero difference.

Brown rice is better for blood sugar control.

[Anonymous]

It’s a sit down, but Cracker Barrel is a really good deal, and you can order carry out. It’s honestly the same price as fast casual for our family, if not a little bit cheaper.

Also IHOP when they run the “kids eat free on weeknights” specials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a sit down, but Cracker Barrel is a really good deal, and you can order carry out. It’s honestly the same price as fast casual for our family, if not a little bit cheaper.

Also IHOP when they run the “kids eat free on weeknights” specials.

Second to cracker barrel!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chipotle. A bowl is 2 servings, so you can either split one or make two last two nights. They're as heathy as you make them - load with cheese, sour cream, and high sodium beef = not healthy. Stick with lots of veggies, beans, and guac = the best you're going to get for filling and healthy fast casual. Going with veggie/beans only means means free guac and is cheaper. It'll be ~$11 for one bowl. You can add chips or tortillas on the side if you want to stretch further.

DP. And use the brown rice instead of the white.

Makes zero difference.

Brown rice is better for blood sugar control.

Not the chipotle brown rice.

[Anonymous]

If you buy a few extra tortilla wraps (I think only $1 each) at chipotle in addition to the bowl, easy to extend to 3-4 meals in one bowl.

If near Bethesda, chicken on the run is good too. We also like to get Indian food and then cook a bunch of rice ourselves to stretch the curry/etc across 2-4 meals. Can also get extra naan to make the meal stretch too.

[Anonymous]

Another single mom here. Our go-to is Chick-Fil-A if you have one near you. Use the app to accumulate points. My kid gets the kids meal with either grilled or regular chicken nuggets, fruit cup, chocolate milk, and ice cream (instead of the toy/book). What I get varies with how healthy I'm trying to be at that moment. Sometimes we get bonus rewards. The drive-thru is one of the most efficient customer service experiences and should be studied.

Our other go-to is actually Wawa if you have one near you. Again app for rewards, which are frequent. Kids Meals come with apple slices or banana and milk or water. There is also a refrigerated section with various fruits and veggies portioned out.

Silver Diner is our fancy meal place. Join the Kids Club and every 5th kids meal is free plus free kids meal and shake on birthdays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like there is no such thing as inexpensive fast casual anymore. [b]I just picked up Five Guys for my family (a single burger each plus shared fries, no drinks) and it was over $60!

Are you needing to eat on the go between activities or is it just that you need the occasional night off from cooking?

Okay, but how many people are in your family? Did you all share one order of fries? I can't gauge how egregious this is without more information.

[/b]

Not the Five Guys poster, but we also got Five Guys this weekend (3 "little" burgers and one order of shared fries...no drinks) and it was $45

[Anonymous]

Another great deal is Jason's Deli to go. Get the salad bar for $10.

Whatever you can fit in the main carton is yours. I can pile so much stuff, it literally gives me 4 meals. The extra cups fit tuna or pasta salad plus a cup for salad dressing. Then all the add-ons of pita chips, nuts, crackers, croutons.

It's a good deal for $2.50/serving. I guess if you choose to sit down, you also get free soft serve ice cream.

Or order the kid's baked potato to go. Another deal that makes at least 2 meals for me.

[Anonymous]

Jamaican food, Chinese, Mexican. Not a chain but a local place. Way cheaper with big portions.