Anonymous
03/29/2025 11:17
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Anonymous wrote:Go to a diner.
Diners have gone up in cost significantly, too.
Anonymous
03/29/2025 11:09
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
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.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 23:03
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Our town has one of these new pizza places that has individual slices as big as a cookie sheet. They have happy hour 3-4pm for $4 a slice.
I literally can only eat 1/2 to 2/3 of 1 slice at a time, so for $8, 2 people can have dinner with leftover pizza.
The whole pizzas with 8 slices are $35-$40 regular prices, and the box is so large it cannot fit sideways into most car doors. Better have a hatchback!
I literally can only eat 1/2 to 2/3 of 1 slice at a time, so for $8, 2 people can have dinner with leftover pizza.
The whole pizzas with 8 slices are $35-$40 regular prices, and the box is so large it cannot fit sideways into most car doors. Better have a hatchback!
Anonymous
03/28/2025 22:58
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Ruby Tuesday Daily Deals. Most are under $10. I believe you can add salad bar for $5.
Wed Daily Deal is salad bar for $8. Add potato or soup for $2.
Friday is Chicken Quesadilla for $8. Add salad bar for $5.
Subway coupons get you a footlong sub for about $6 each.
Our local Mexican restaurants have many entrees under $10, even at dinner. Add in the free chips & dip, and salsa bar, and it's a nice meal out.
If you want fast vs fast casual, you can get far better deals on their app vs the menu. Wendy's has salads under $8, Taco Bell has 3 items plus drink for $7, etc...
Get in the habit of ordering water to drink and 2 people can dine out for under $20 or so.
Wed Daily Deal is salad bar for $8. Add potato or soup for $2.
Friday is Chicken Quesadilla for $8. Add salad bar for $5.
Subway coupons get you a footlong sub for about $6 each.
Our local Mexican restaurants have many entrees under $10, even at dinner. Add in the free chips & dip, and salsa bar, and it's a nice meal out.
If you want fast vs fast casual, you can get far better deals on their app vs the menu. Wendy's has salads under $8, Taco Bell has 3 items plus drink for $7, etc...
Get in the habit of ordering water to drink and 2 people can dine out for under $20 or so.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 22:15
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Anonymous wrote:Plus one on the pollo Rico. Yum.
I do find that fast casual places have increased the most in price and now just are t a good value for what you get. Even though it’s ridiculously expensive, I feel like there’s better value at like chop’t because it’s a ton of veggies and veggies are expensive anyway. Most of these places are giving you carbs that are super cheap and then charging you $10 for it. I think the chipotle kids meal is a particularly bad deal for what you get — agree with PP that getting double meat and splitting a bowl is a better deal.
Also, this sounds really cheap but look at sides. Last time we got uncle Julio’s, I reared a bunch of extra refried beans and tortillas as sides. They were honestly better than the expensive enchiladas and were super duper cheap. I decided next time I will just order a ton of tortillas and beans to go! Every restaurant is different but at some you’re better off getting one entire and then fill it out with more sides (like a a side of extra meatballs—I think you can do that at mama Luisa’s for instance.)
Paisanos has excellent sandwiches and they are pretty decently priced but I guess it’s not particularly healthy. Maybe bring a bag of carrots in the car to even it out!
If you can access an oven, the prepared meals at grocery store or Costco are definitely more affordable. But understand that can’t always happen.
How much do they cost to be a good deal?
Anonymous
03/28/2025 15:00
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Anonymous wrote:We love ramen (and I love McD's filet-o-fish!). We walk to Oiishi and Zao Stamina ramen in downtown Bethesda, where we live. It's like $16 a bowl or something. I don't know if that's affordable for you, but personally I'd rather save my dollars to eat what I really want to eat, than go out just because I don't want to cook. In the latter case, I'll just eat oatmeal at home, or throw together a sandwich
McD Filet of fish are 2fer $6 now on sale.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 14:58
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
The Dominos near me closed, so I haven’t ordered in over a year, but they used to have good deals and I would order 3 medium, one topping, pizzas for $5 each, and freeze all the leftovers so would get several meals out of it. I’d steam broccoli or make a simple salad for our side.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 13:27
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
We love ramen (and I love McD's filet-o-fish!). We walk to Oiishi and Zao Stamina ramen in downtown Bethesda, where we live. It's like $16 a bowl or something. I don't know if that's affordable for you, but personally I'd rather save my dollars to eat what I really want to eat, than go out just because I don't want to cook. In the latter case, I'll just eat oatmeal at home, or throw together a sandwich 
Anonymous
03/28/2025 13:19
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Anonymous wrote:We split chipotle bowls 2 ways, sometimes we even split it 3 ways.
Same with Cava bowls
It depends on the location as some give really small portions. But I believe I read that you should always order in person, as they are more likely to be generous.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 13:15
Subject: Re:Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Peruvian chicken places - you can get a whole chicken and 2 sides and it might be enough for a second meal, depending on how much your kid eats.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 10:58
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Get the app called Toogoodtogo. It generally has very good deals. You may not get exactly what you want, but there are lots of restaurants participating.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 10:29
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
I like to go to HT on a Thursday for their $5 fried chicken deal but I buy the already cooled and refrigerated ones from the prepared food case. Easy to transport and great on its own or turned into a salad.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 09:39
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Five Guys is notoriously expensive and not good.
If you want healthy options and can stick to them, Golden Corral before 4 pm is a bargain on weekdays.
It used to be a cheap meal. 3-4 burgers and a large fries and we were good. Now it’s quite expensive. 😞
It's because the price of beef has shot through the roof. Opt for a different protein.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 08:30
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Five Guys is notoriously expensive and not good.
If you want healthy options and can stick to them, Golden Corral before 4 pm is a bargain on weekdays.
It used to be a cheap meal. 3-4 burgers and a large fries and we were good. Now it’s quite expensive. 😞
Agree Five Guys has gotten crazy. Go to The Habit instead. They have a family deal for $40 or $45 I think and I prefer their burgers.
Anonymous
03/28/2025 08:09
Subject: Least expensive fast casual restaurant for family dinner
Anonymous wrote:If you’re near Gaithersburg then Ixta for tacos.
Or La Gula (Germantown)
Or the taco bar - large torta especial can feed 3 for $12.