I wouldn’t begrudge them raising prices as much as they did if the entire experience didn’t also go downhill. The servers all act like they’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown because they’re so overworked or they’re almost resentful you’re there at all. The quality of the food is worse- so many more messed up orders, cold dishes than before. This is just one example but my kids really love Texas Roadhouse because of the bread. Twice we went and my kid’s hot dog was honest to god ice cold. She could not eat it. This was not as common before CoVID but now restaurants seem to have this attitude that whatever quality of service you get and whatever quality of food you get, that’s what you get, and regardless of what you paid, you can deal.

We can easily afford eating out. It isn’t a cost issue for me. But I’m not interested in paying for what essentially is a stressful or disappointing experience. I am a low maintenance customer, good tipper, polite and undemanding generally, so when restaurants can’t even manage the minimal needs and requirements of someone like me, it’s an issue. There are very few restaurants I am still willing to go to.

Anonymous wrote:Our dining out behavior has changed. We are pretty high income urban dwellers, so have plenty of options and already get away with cheaper bills than most since we do not drink. That said, we now only eat out on two disparate ends of the spectrum. We will get fast food/fast casual/inexpensive Mexican or Indian takeout/hole in the wall ethnic once a week or so. We have cut out visits to mid-range restaurants almost entirely for similar reasons expressed by others. Pre-pandemic and inflation we ate at a midrange place once every 10 days. We will book a table at one of a few favorite higher-end restaurants (think one Michelin star or otherwise top spot that requires booking 2 weeks to a month in advance and may require being on Resy at midnight or whatever to secure a table) about once every two months.

Similar. Have completely given up on mid-range "American" restaurants. Will still go out for Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian. But OMG I am so done with having to screenshot some boring menu to order a f#cking overpriced middling burger. Sure, Covid happened. But so many DC area restaurants have used that to settle into price-gouging mediocrity. And those restaurants need to die.

So for us it's good ethnic places in the burbs and special occasion restaurants. Nothing else. Our cooking game is on point these days.

We have five children so eating out is a rare and special occasion

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Minimum wages have increased. That money doesn’t come from no where. They must increase their costs.

People keep repeating this as a reason for high prices. but the fact is that corporate profits are sky-high.

So don't eat at both chain restaurants. I can assure you local restaurants, mom and pops, are running on razor thin margins and need your support to stay in the community

Anonymous wrote:Minimum wages have increased. That money doesn’t come from no where. They must increase their costs.

People keep repeating this as a reason for high prices. but the fact is that corporate profits are sky-high.

Minimum wages have increased. That money doesn’t come from no where. They must increase their costs.

Anonymous wrote:Just chiming in to add that my family and I are eating out FAR less than even a year ago. Shit service, outrageous prices, and middling quality (at best). Even the time savings can be mediated by pre-cooking and buying ready to eat groceries.

I worked as a server and bartender in my twenties, put myself through undergrad and grad school with these jobs, and I am appalled at how flippant and unprofessional anyone serving is today. I am only in my thirties!

This.

We used to eat out and can afford to but the price+low quality+bad service is just not worth it. Add on the extra fees everywhere and it's just easier to make food at home.

I can get a beautiful piece of halibut, grill it, and sautee vegetables for $20 and that would be a $50 entree at a very nice restaurant.

Burgers were not above $20 at the beginning of the pandemic fyi.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eat out but skip the drinks and appetizers. That’s a good way to keep costs down.

Drinks are the only thing that restaurants serve that are as good as or better than what people can get at home, though.

+1 I can cook and my DH is a REALLY good cook. But what I missed most in 2020 was looking at a cocktail menu and finding something with a list of ingredients I love that I never would have thought to put together, and then having it be delicious.

Our dining out behavior has changed. We are pretty high income urban dwellers, so have plenty of options and already get away with cheaper bills than most since we do not drink. That said, we now only eat out on two disparate ends of the spectrum. We will get fast food/fast casual/inexpensive Mexican or Indian takeout/hole in the wall ethnic once a week or so. We have cut out visits to mid-range restaurants almost entirely for similar reasons expressed by others. Pre-pandemic and inflation we ate at a midrange place once every 10 days. We will book a table at one of a few favorite higher-end restaurants (think one Michelin star or otherwise top spot that requires booking 2 weeks to a month in advance and may require being on Resy at midnight or whatever to secure a table) about once every two months.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I switched to takeout/delivery almost completely. Chinese isn’t cheap anymore! Mexican is the cheapest (and pizza but that’s for the kid). Indian and Vietnamese are two other options. The rest is ridiculously expensive and frankly not interesting.

Yep. I just order ethnic food these days or eat at similar Asian / Mexican / Indian restaurants

I can make basic American or Italian food at home …tastes just as good as most restaurants and a fraction of the cost!

Meeting ethnic food with cheap food is exploiting systemic racism so frankly I'm glad food like Chinese, with its 5000 year old culinary history, isn't cheap anymore.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/restaurants/my-columns-name-does-a-disservice-to-the-immigrants-whose-food-i-celebrate-so-im-dropping-it/2018/12/31/101a28de-07c8-11e9-85b6-41c0fe0c5b8f_story.html

Anonymous wrote:I’ve dramatically cut back on eating out. We can afford it but it’s just annoying to feel like I’m getting screwed. Plus the food just seems to taste worse because the prices set my expectations at a higher level than they deliver at.

+1
We're also cleaning our own home and doing our own landscaping now for the same reasons.

Anonymous wrote:Here is a story about the cost of two pizzas and a salad at Pete's in DC. With all the fees it came out to over $100 and it was take out. https://www.popville.com/2023/07/dc-total-for-2-pizzas-and-1-salad-103-dollars/?fbclid=IwAR3w-qmOJbYE0eDigGpvqsfxlarWjeuwv0dIck9ZkKVnFjZriqmakXcD9IE

Bananas.
I’d rather order an Ooni.

Here is a story about the cost of two pizzas and a salad at Pete's in DC. With all the fees it came out to over $100 and it was take out. https://www.popville.com/2023/07/dc-total-for-2-pizzas-and-1-salad-103-dollars/?fbclid=IwAR3w-qmOJbYE0eDigGpvqsfxlarWjeuwv0dIck9ZkKVnFjZriqmakXcD9IE

Anonymous wrote:Dining out has gotten stupidly expensive. We are eating out way less than we used to.

What I don't understand is why dining out in other first world countries is often cheaper than here. When we go to Western Europe we're always amazed at how much more reasonable it is to have a nice meal out.

? what? Eating out in Western Europe is more expensive than the US, though we are fast catching up.

Just chiming in to add that my family and I are eating out FAR less than even a year ago. Shit service, outrageous prices, and middling quality (at best). Even the time savings can be mediated by pre-cooking and buying ready to eat groceries.

I worked as a server and bartender in my twenties, put myself through undergrad and grad school with these jobs, and I am appalled at how flippant and unprofessional anyone serving is today. I am only in my thirties!