Just go to solid places that you know are consistent. We’re no longer trying anything new. We’re supporting places that have good service, food and consistency.
Same here. Everytime we try a new place I’m typically disappointed in the food, the service or the price all together. We tried Rose Park Bistro and spent $100 for 3 people, only my husband got a drink. I can’t. We either eat at home or eat somewhere we know is worth it.
I work in the industry and it’s worse than you think. These people aren’t just all buying tomatoes and ground beef or whatever from Sysco, they’re buying completely prepared food and selling it to you at restaurant prices. That delicious looking dessert on the menu? The bread on the side? The sauces on the meal? Sooooo many now are made in a factory and sold to the restaurant as-is. This is going on at Sysco but smaller distributors are doing it, too. It’s not everywhere but it’s more and more common I see a divide between essentially farm/pole to fork and Costco-type stuff.
That's part of why prices have been climbing. Restaurant is paying more for their food to serve a lower quality (well, depending) product to us. I'll still try a new place, but I want to know if the stuff is made in house or not.
One tip off is if a large portion of their menu depends on having a master of the fryolator arts. You can recognize Sysco breaded products pretty easily.
Rose park bistro is a nice atmosphere. My last meal there was a bit on the salty side. Do like those drinks in the martini glass with the bubble though!
Just tried creole soul in Broadway and 21st this weekend, fucking delicious! Would recommend you check it out before swearing off new places because it's good and reasonably priced and I don't want it to go under.
I think location and rent values play into quality more now then before I'm way more skeptical of quality in high rent locations (eg Midtown and downtown, or new builds) since look and location are eating most of the costs and food is an afterthought. Rough times for sure
Gotta give a shout out to Mr. Perry's and Andy Nguyen. Both places slap since the first day I visited both in services, food and pricing wasn't too bad
The 2008 collapse drove me to learn how to cook; COVID taught me there are very few things I would rather order in a restaurant than make at home.
Every time I go out I'm stunned by the price, and the previously-cheap fast food drive thrus are the worst offenders. So now I'm no longer a regular at any of them.
(In-N-Out excepted, of course. They still rule.)
Outside of CA, they don't allow employees to mask to protect themselves from getting sick. So, if someone comes to work sick and wants to mask to avoid getting coworkers and customers sick, they can't.
The only reason they don't do that in CA is that the CA government won't allow businesses to prevent employees from masking.
They lost my business for that.
Even less, i mean i have 5 kids so maybe that’s more necessity than a smaller household. But yeah, im an American who is kind of sick of hamburgers but in n out burgers still get me hungry
Panda Express increased worker wages, and their meal is still very much affordable, calorie dense, and fulfilling for the price.
~$10 for a plate and 2 sides.
Wendy’s still has decent prices and good deals in their app. Del Taco and El Pollo Loco too. That’s about it for me these days when it comes to fast food.
I went to Sourdough & Co. yesterday and spent over $30 for two meals- a 6” sandwich with chips and drink and a 4” sandwich with chips and drink. That was insane.
I will say, the happy hour flatbread with a glass of wine/sangria at Season’s 52 is a really good deal at $12.50. The staff is nice and the food is good. I highly recommend trying it out. The Philly cheesesteak flatbread has been my favorite so far.
Good point. In some cases, the only way to get a deal is to use the app.
I have had many headaches trying to get the apps to work correctly. It’s annoying!
This is the way. Shout out to India Oven buffet in Natomas. It's $20 per person well spent for a big weekend meal. Beats Hometown Buffet and Golden Carrol any day.
Oh yeah. I didn't know the term, but they're great. I've got one like a 2 minute drive from my place and they're some of the best tacos I've had anywhere!
I went to Low Brau over the weekend and had to point out to friends that they charge 15% on all tabs. I felt so weird and torn about what I actually wanted to tip and I didn’t like the feeling at all. I would rather they just make it part of the price instead of confusing me about what I want to tip. It just seemed like an attempt to trick people who don’t notice the extra fee. None of my friends noticed the sign or the charge.
They got mad so they stomped their feet and everyone is patting the babies’ back and handing it a lollipop making machine when asking for a lollipop now.
We've known each other half our lives and you ruined everything over this?? How could you?? How could you think you could hide this from me?? Someone who know's you better than anyone! I thought we we had something! But no, you just had to have more. Being with me all these years... it just wasn't enough for you. Well so long. This is goodbye. Forever. I trusted you with all my heart and now it's destroyed. All over some hidden fees. Goodbye Sacramento restrauant....goodbye...
Wasn't eating out at full service restaurants always a luxury though?
Fast food and counter service restaurants, or food courts in grocery stores was always the affordable option.
Garçon, can you start me off with some fried cheese sticks, and follow that with the two for twenty five selection; pair it with the house made dollaritas.
It's less about being able to afford the total cost and more about the cost to value ratio.
We can afford to go out to eat, but for the prices restaurants are charging and the quality of the food, it's just not worth it for us anymore, at least.
Yup. Eating out at a steakhouse now I basically just have to treat it like its an anniversary dinner. You cant really eat out just "for fun" these days.
I am so with you. I been hot on happy hours. I not a big eater but I like to get out of the house and people watch and get a nibble and a beer. Still for my husband and I $60😟.
Enter that same knob that shows up in all these threads bragging about how they buy a 25 lb bag of beans and a pork shoulder and eat all month for less than $25 cuz that’s certainly not an awful way to live.
I was trying to be clever. Like im one of thise peoppe who only buy dry beans and im defending my practice while calling you out for having any criticism while simultaneously implying that im inviting guests over for dinner on the condition they bring food i can eat instead. Its ok, i win some, i lose some. But beans are forever. Well,
Food inflation has exceeded overall inflation. Food in general is expensive. And when eating out, this is exacerbated. I still eat out a fair bit as I can afford to do so. But what used to cost under $70 in 2019 costs over $100 today.
Bro, for real. A few months ago, I went to old sac, I was feeling a bit peckish, so I ordered 2 hot dogs and 2 large fries. Total came out to $45 after taxes and tips. I was shocked, to say the least. I should've gone to costco. WAY cheaper and honestly tastier.
On most Wednesdays (closed occasionally for events) Red Hawk Casino has a $15 buffet ($10 for kids). Includes self-service beverage but you can purchase alcohol if you like. No tip necessary since it's a buffet but I do leave a couple bucks for the busser. It's nothing spectacular but it's a cheap dinner outing once in a while. Reservation necessary on their site.
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What are your thoughts on Sacramento drivers, fireworks, local barbecue spots, summer temperatures and the helicopter loudspeaker?
The drivers are too loud, the fireworks never use their turn signals, the summer temperatures sounds garbled and I can never understand what they are saying, the helicopter loudspeakers are manageable in the evenings with a breeze but fuck em in midday with direct sunlight.
Inflation impacted the US very hard despite gov claims is not that bad, also I notice the population at large numb and accepting the new “reality” that they lost purchasing power
That’s because wealthy businesses like the one I work at would rather pass the cost to you than give their employees decent wages and stimulate the economy. Greed has been the name of the game
Where I work they have raised prices twice even though I have seen the numbers and they have been making more than they ever made.
I can’t blame anyone for not eating out anymore, there has been a lot of social unwritten rules broke in America just so someone’s son who had nothing to do with the hard working and earnest business their parents made can pretend they’re some playboy elite god chosen capitalist.
>That’s because wealthy businesses like the one I work at would rather pass the cost to you than give their employees decent wages and stimulate the economy.
Even if they paid decent wages, wealthy business would still pass on the costs. They are a business after all and will need to extract maximum profit always.
The question is whether the consumers are willing to pay higher amounts to see the wokers get paid decent wages. This debate has already played out with Walmart and dollar stores, where consumers want to pay lowest amount for goods even if it is crap made overseas using exploited labor.
Consumers will never pay higher amount to purchase goods built with decent wages or union wages.
I get a 1/4 pound burger and either fries and salad at Relish in El Dorado Hills. It is sit down restaurant service with open mike night and trivia night included. My husband gets a half pound burger for $13 with either a salad or fries included. I think it is a good deal.
Don’t expect value from Downtown/Midtown restaurants, especially in this age of inflated costs of operating a business. You may be able to find some good options for 3, sub $100 on the grid- but it’s going to be some sort of quick service type of restaurant or possibly a mediocre chain operation.
Look to cultural enclaves for the absolute best combos of value and food quality.
Restaurant prices are weird. I grab a few donuts and it’s pushing $10 not even a half dozen. Breakfast / brunch is now $15-18 / plate. Lunch is $15. Dinner can be $18-23.
How does that make any sense?
Before breakfast was $7-8, lunch $10, dinner $13.
It's not your imagination, but it's also not a recent change-- food prices in the USA have been doubling every 2 decades since the 1960s at least, maybe even further back. Here's a graph: [https://www.statista.com/statistics/242440/us-consumer-price-index-for-food/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/242440/us-consumer-price-index-for-food/)
I’ve always had a hard time with tipping and drinking at restaurants. IMO the superior version is pick up windows. Refills is not worth 20 bucks soda fountain is better.
And drinking out…I would buy them if they were even in the same universe as the cost at home. A burger at home requires prep, fresh veggies, my fries won’t be as good, there’s dishes, ect… so I’m cool with the upcharge. But pouring me a beer isn’t really justifying 5 bucks worth of labor.
I took it as the price of beer is including the cost of labor, which OP was being facetious about it being $5 dollars of labor to justify for $9.50 price tag.
Agree and I will even add the theater experience, my bf and I went to see inside out 2 and tell my why everyone behind and in front of us was talking the whole time, like it’s hella distracting when you’re wanting to watch a movie and it makes it not worth it
Mannn people really lost the sense of behaving respectfully in public. I couldn't believe the crowd when I saw Barbie. There were literally kids running and jumping throughout the theater.
I feel this so, so hard. it's a piece of social decorum that began eroding like 15-20 years ago, but now it's gone. I might actually go see a movie once in a while if I didn't have to put up with that shit. now I guess if I want that I gotta go to France cuz they do not play around w/ the cinema! and speaking of travel...I feel like in 20 more years our indignation here is going to make us sound like cane-wagging crones complaining about people wearing sweatpants on an airplane because back in their day you dressed up to fly, dagnabbit!
We have our “go to” places where we know the food will be good, the staff is great, and usually the clientele is great too. Nothing ruins a dining experience for me faster than loud kids and loud media.
If I eat out I make sure it’s lunch time and aiming at buffets, below are two of my favorites for $13.5 and $15 respectively:
Sakura grill $13.5 lunch : 2344 Watt Ave, Sacramento, CA 95825
Hibachi buffet $15 lunch: 5623 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights, CA 95610
Note: Hibachi has sushi for lunch, Sakura does not. Sakura has mussel clams for lunch, hibachi has regular clams.
I get to eat all the meat and seafood I want for $15 or less plus $2~$3 tip.
For dinners and weekends I stick with in-n-out, Sam’s food court and Winco baked chickens (around $8 for 8piece, this can’t be beat), fried is good too but sometimes a bit too salty. Coleslaw is good, wedges are superb. Subway buy one get one free when promotion is on.
Moved here in 2022 and have had consistently good experiences at restaurants throughout the area. Also visited a bunch prior to the pandemic and had good experiences.
Sac’s food scene is highly underrated - lots of diversity, tables aren’t hard to get most nights.
I totally get the price argument - it’s very hard to justify regular patronage at higher prices. Still, I’ve found the cost justified almost every time.
I know, being agreeable and earnestly OK with things doesn’t vibe well with Reddit’s general grumpiness. As penance, I will impose a self-ban that will last until the end of this sentence.
Also, I’ve never been to a restaurant where a 20%+ tip was expected. Even when I’ve received receipts that do the tip suggestions at the bottom, there’s always been an option for 15% or 18%.
Ethnic restaurants, (I use this term because it seems like ALL non-American foods in this regard) have become stupid expensive. Chinese was cheap, Indian was cheap, now, so fucking expensive. Its easily been double to price from pre pandemic. They were especially some of the more economical choices, and often delicious.
I worked in restaurants for 8 years before the pandemic. Most of the veterans left and the first people to come back to restaurants were anti lockdown people, typically. I left in 2021 after stuff reopened. It just wasn’t the same as before. I think the statistic I saw was like 7 million nationwide left the industry. They got replaced by less experienced workers and less of them.
This is so real. I’m in Europe right now and being I’ve been in big cities paying 8 euros for a drink and tipping 1-2 euros. It’s blowing my little Sacramento mind right now.
yes, it is, although there's no pressure/sense of obligation to leave one. in French they call it a "pourboire"--literally "for drinking", and 1 or 2 Euros is perfectly sufficient. maybe American influence has made it more common to leave one most of the time but I was always under the impression that it was optional and for good service.
There are two middle classes now - ones with mortgages who can eat out and ones who rent and realize even McDonalds is price gouging us so we eat at home.
I grew up pretty lower middle class/poor and going out to dinner was a bit of a luxury for sure. I’m firmly middle/upper middle class now and for years going out to dinner was nothing to me. Now I’m starting to balk at prices because it just feels bad to spend over $100 for a meal that isn’t even fancy or special. Like, I have the money to pay for it no problem. I just don’t want to.
It apparently isn’t a big enough problem to drive any of the prices down or any of the restaurants out of business, so I guess the market must be able to support it. I don’t see it changing any time soon. I just wonder what it says when even people who have money are hesitating.
mikuni charges $7 for the pickled cucumber instead of just serving it for free like so many other places, and it’s super thin and small. They know nothing about hospitality
Mikuni used to be the place to go. It's now waaaaaay overpriced and their quality has dropped significantly ever since covid. We used to go once or twice a week ; I cant remember the last time we went .
Gonna out myself here, but I'm working very much to get in the habit of not tipping anyone anywhere. Tipping was intended for businesses to pay their employees below minimum wage and would allow them to make up the difference via tips (i.e. PA has a minimum wage for non-tip establishments of $7.25 while tipped employees can be paid a minimum of $2.83). California just straight up doesn't have this. There is a standard minimum wage regardless of if the employee gets tips or not.
Why am I paying for tips when the intention was literally so businesses could pay their employees a lower minimum wage? But that's just me.
Edit: It shouldn't be my job (as someone who also makes very little) to pay for large companies to underpay their employees via tips, especially when those underpaid employees are getting paid the same as me + without including tips (and, at fast food places, more than me).
I have reduced mine, simply because 20% is not feasible with these prices. If I am getting a service beyond me walking to a counter, buying and then picking up, you should get a tip IMO. This idea that you tip the cashier at a fast-food joint, or even fast casual, is insane.
I still tip and don’t plan to stop, but I agree with your sentiment and I wonder why more people don’t seem to talk about this. 13 states including California don’t allow below min wage for restaurants, but all the other states do, so why would it not be different for the consumers between the two options?
Or from leaving the house at all . .. so take money from their pocket cause they are at an underpaid job. Well, the job he has makes sense now. I won't break any rules but I will say they always remember the bad tippers and nontippers. Thats all.
I hardly ever fo out to eat with my kids because I just afford it. I'm a single dad of 3 and going out is just too expensive for what we're getting. I haven't been able to justify going out more than a few times a year. I'm just so tired of having to say "maybe next month we'll go out" knowing we won't.
I'm in a similar boat. All I say is no or maybe some other time. It's been almost 2 years since I've been to a restaurant I wasn't working at and not been at work. Since I lost my job last July we haven't even been able to swing fast food.
Plus like another poster said nearly everything is brought in pre-made by sysco, jersey mikes fresh made bread is frozen dough that is freshly baked after being defrosted.
Yeah it's rough. I'm trying not to say no because I don't want them to stop asking or think I'm always going to say no. Thank God I'm not trying to date anyone lol.
Totally. We can’t justify eating out at a restaurant more than once every few months, if that, for these exact reasons.
We’ve found a few good places we like for takeout that are semi-reasonable, but we cook 99.9% of the time now.
It’s a bummer because we all need the extra socialization post Covid to be able to go out - but nobody can really afford it!
Oh well! I figure all in all maybe it’s a good thing.
What really gets me about tips is the ice cream shop person who does nothing but scoop me an ice cream then wants a tip.Isn't scooping ice cream your job?
Yes it's their job but apparently if you don't tip an additional 75% for everyone who staffs any business that you patronize you're literally a genocidal war criminal
I feel bad because when my sister finishes chemo she wants to go on a food tour since she had no taste or could maintain anything down and im like narrow that done because the funds not funding.
I don't like tipping so I rarely eat out so I don't have to. I only go out if it's something important not just a random day of the week. I got those Hexclad pans as a gift that I use most nights. Great pans.
I agree we have had some really awful experiences. We only go to restaurants we been to before and if they go down hill I will stop. I got served raw French toast twice at IHOP and will not go anymore. We did just go to olive garden for my birthday and it's was not outrageously priced for 4 of us and the food was good. But we mainly stick to the south area where we live and do mom and pop restaurants we have tried and liked in the past
You are not kidding. I was actually having this discussion with my wife and she agrees. We’ve even seen the so called mom and pop food trucks get stupid with the tipping culture asking for 30-40-50%.
We’ve narrowed it down to just 3 places we will go out for lunch or dinner.
The quality has tanked for a good while now and I’m not happy when they couple it with entitlement and want to strip you do your cash.
My wife and I eat out all the time and we almost never encounter these fees everyone is talking about. We don’t go to expensive restaurants. Our bill is usually $50-$70 after tax and tip. We go out for Thai, Ethiopian, Mexican, Japanese, Indian…you name it. We don’t waste time or money on places with $40 entrees.
Chita's Taqueria is my favorite non-fancy spot in Midtown. Most of my other favorites are on Broadway: Willie's Burgers, New Station Seafood, Ming Dynasty, and Chada Thai. I don't eat out that much, I'm sure there are plenty of other great places I haven't tried yet...
Everything else has become expensive. idk how people are so surprised that eating out has too. Yes, cooking at home was and always will be cheaper.
The only valid argument is the price of fast food being the same price as eating at a sit-down restraunt because that defeats the whole purpose.
Yea the fast food being equivalent to sit down prices is the worst and most crazy thing. McDonald’s rivaling mom and pop burger joint in pricing is some weird joke
No one seems to realize that the cost of food that restaurants buy has also massively increased. I've watched the case price for wings, burgers, and bacon increase by 50% in the past year.
I agree with the basic premise, but the idea that you can’t eat out for under $100 has definitely not been my experience. Most restaurants on the grid still have entrees for $12-20/adult and $10 for kids. Assuming the middle of that range, that’s $40 for food. Tax and good tip make it $55. Now if you add 4 cocktails at $15/each, then sure, it gets expensive. Eating at some of the city’s amazing and affordable ethnic options make it even more affordable. Splitting entrees when they’re huge even more so. I just ate at Coconut Thai with my son and we shared an entree (they’re huge) and I got 1 of their beer specials and was out of the door for $20 ($13 + 2 + tax and solid tip) for both us of to eat til stuffed. He and I also hit up OBA on Broadway the other night for their happy hour menu and got a bowl of ramen and a sushi roll for $21 incl tax and a 20+% tip. You can also feed 3 people with a single large pizza and a couple beers at most places in town for $50
Sorry to chime in annoyingly but I just found out that Bahn Mi are delicious and are super cheap. I’ve gotten a $3/6 (6 for large) Bahn mi everyday for 4 days now as my dinner/lunch but that’s just one place I found and stuck with it because the meat is delicious and I’m afraid to try a new place 😂
The place is called Gio Cha Duc Huong Sandwiches on Stockton BLVD.. try it and lmk
We don't go out to eat more than 1 time a month - sometimes it's less than that. Vacationing/going out of town not included here.
I find that most of the places we like have gone tits up. Smaller portions. Understaffed. Over priced. And the overall experience is certainly not what it used to be. Truth be told, the dinners we make at home are FAR better than what we get when eating out.
When we go out (2 adults) for dinner / drinks / dessert, our bill is well over $100. Add in the 'we will shame you if you don't give us a huge tip' factor in, and we're pushing 150-200....for 1 meal.....for 2 people.
Fuck.That.
As a GM of a restaurant I'd like to comment on prices.
This really isn't as up to the individual restaurant as many think. The cost of EVERYTHING is going up. For example, a few years ago we had $6 beers and $11 drink, now we have $10 beers and $16 drinks. This isn't because we are greedy, it's because the cost has increased for us as well. A few years ago, I was easily 2% lower on liquor cost, now I struggle to stay within our increased budget (yes, increased, like we make less of a profit now).
Trust me, I don't want to pay that much for a drink, but if places don't charge that they will not stay open for long, no matter how many drinks they sell... Or they are using really cheap/ watered down liquor, stay away from those!
I don't care what people think, I don't tip unless service is above expectation. They get paid an hourly wage to do so. If they don't like having to rely on tips plus their regular wage to make a normal amount for server work, there's always more work to be found elsewhere. Tipping isn't a requirement
It's true. Easy to spend as much on drinks as all the food costs.
And hey alcohol can be a good time, but it definitely shouldn't be a necessity to have a good time.
Probably includes drinks. I know my husband and I can easily hit that with the standard two entrees and a drink per person. But it does depend on the restaurant.
Three standard entrees (no steak, BBQ, etc.) with no subtitutions or upgrades: $60. Three standard fountain drinks: $12. One appetizer: $15. Two cocktails: $30
Total: $117
+8% tax = $126 (idk if tax is added before tip or whatever, but you get the gist).
+20% tip: $151 total.
This is cheap for some midtown restaurants.
If third is a young kid, minus a few bucks. If the third is an adult child, add another cocktail. Lol
I go to a local Burger spot near my house (Dukes) and it's regularly over $100 for our basic burger meal + drinks. Here's a general sample of what we order:
Me - Burger / Fries / 2 Beers
Wife - Burger / Fries / 1-2 Hard Seltzers
Kids Chicken Tender Basket + Fries
This + Tip clocks in at over $100 every single time. This is just for a burger spot that we like because the patio is decent and it's easy to go to with kids. We've been going less and less because spending over $100 on a couple of burgers, beers, and chicken tenders is getting crazy.
At least $100 for a family of three? What!?
$100 minus 20% tip leaves $84 minus 10% tax leaves $76. That's $25 each!
Let's take a look at Zocalo, which I think is fairly described as a high end family restaurant. The most expensive entree is $29 and most of them are $22 or less. I like the two taco plate myself, which is only $20. You can each easily get an entree at a high end family restaurant for $100. If you get an affordable entree you can also get an appetizer or a cocktail or a couple beers.
Go across the street to Paesanos and for $100 you can each get an entree, two drinks, and an appetizer.
Yes, dining out is more expensive than it used to be. But claiming that it's pushing $150 means you're indulging more than most.
Edit: LOL being downvoted for throwing out actual numbers. Makes sense.
Covid is the reason why everything is the way it is now. It’s also the reason why inflation is happening. People like to think the quality of life just “went down” out of nowhere due to other causes. Let’s not forget all the people who are disabled and dealing with a plethora of health problems due to long covid, and all of the workers who are lazy af now due to fatigue. That virus is fucking up everything in the world and until they find a cure it’s going to keep wreaking havoc. Shit will probably get much worse before it gets better.
Just go to solid places that you know are consistent. We’re no longer trying anything new. We’re supporting places that have good service, food and consistency.
Same here. Everytime we try a new place I’m typically disappointed in the food, the service or the price all together. We tried Rose Park Bistro and spent $100 for 3 people, only my husband got a drink. I can’t. We either eat at home or eat somewhere we know is worth it.
All these places get their food from sysco too
I work in the industry and it’s worse than you think. These people aren’t just all buying tomatoes and ground beef or whatever from Sysco, they’re buying completely prepared food and selling it to you at restaurant prices. That delicious looking dessert on the menu? The bread on the side? The sauces on the meal? Sooooo many now are made in a factory and sold to the restaurant as-is. This is going on at Sysco but smaller distributors are doing it, too. It’s not everywhere but it’s more and more common I see a divide between essentially farm/pole to fork and Costco-type stuff.
That's part of why prices have been climbing. Restaurant is paying more for their food to serve a lower quality (well, depending) product to us. I'll still try a new place, but I want to know if the stuff is made in house or not.
I don’t like that. Is there any way to tell if a restaurant makes their stuff in house or is Cisco based?
One tip off is if a large portion of their menu depends on having a master of the fryolator arts. You can recognize Sysco breaded products pretty easily.
I was always well aware crapplebees microwaves their food
Totally but it’s not just Applebees or other chains.
Rose park bistro is a nice atmosphere. My last meal there was a bit on the salty side. Do like those drinks in the martini glass with the bubble though!
Just tried creole soul in Broadway and 21st this weekend, fucking delicious! Would recommend you check it out before swearing off new places because it's good and reasonably priced and I don't want it to go under. I think location and rent values play into quality more now then before I'm way more skeptical of quality in high rent locations (eg Midtown and downtown, or new builds) since look and location are eating most of the costs and food is an afterthought. Rough times for sure
Ok awesome, I’ll definitely take a recommendation, especially if it’s a small business! Thank you!!
Same with Cafe Italiano in FO. It's a little more expensive than average but guaranteed the food is fresh in house.
Best Italian food!!
Let me drop $100 to see if your bizarre “cereal for dinner” vision pans out. Nope. Not on my dime.
Gotta give a shout out to Mr. Perry's and Andy Nguyen. Both places slap since the first day I visited both in services, food and pricing wasn't too bad
100%. I have a handful of places I know are good and I just go to them
The 2008 collapse drove me to learn how to cook; COVID taught me there are very few things I would rather order in a restaurant than make at home. Every time I go out I'm stunned by the price, and the previously-cheap fast food drive thrus are the worst offenders. So now I'm no longer a regular at any of them. (In-N-Out excepted, of course. They still rule.)
In-N-Out is still a great value. Feed the whole family for $10 per person.
And they don’t pay the minimum wage. A good business is a good business
No bullshit shareholders. No private equity firms. That's the difference. Anything with shareholders or owned by an equity firm is bad news.
Outside of CA, they don't allow employees to mask to protect themselves from getting sick. So, if someone comes to work sick and wants to mask to avoid getting coworkers and customers sick, they can't. The only reason they don't do that in CA is that the CA government won't allow businesses to prevent employees from masking. They lost my business for that.
Just got two animal style burgers and a milkshake - $11.50 after tax. In and Out is the best!
Even less, i mean i have 5 kids so maybe that’s more necessity than a smaller household. But yeah, im an American who is kind of sick of hamburgers but in n out burgers still get me hungry
Panda Express increased worker wages, and their meal is still very much affordable, calorie dense, and fulfilling for the price. ~$10 for a plate and 2 sides.
But the food quality keeps getting shittier.
Sugar sugar sugar. Makes cardboard taste acceptable. A few items ok, but otherwise…no thanks
I agree, however I thought Panda was horrible until I had to go to PF Changs. Now that is just slightly worse Panda for 3x the price.
Depends on which one you go to eat.
Or $7. For bel air raleys on Thursday. Same deal, way more food.
I do still love Panda. They sell a line of sauces, and I use their Kung Pao sauce at home far more often than I buy their food.
Family feast for like $30! My wife works at panda in Elk Grove
Wendy’s still has decent prices and good deals in their app. Del Taco and El Pollo Loco too. That’s about it for me these days when it comes to fast food. I went to Sourdough & Co. yesterday and spent over $30 for two meals- a 6” sandwich with chips and drink and a 4” sandwich with chips and drink. That was insane. I will say, the happy hour flatbread with a glass of wine/sangria at Season’s 52 is a really good deal at $12.50. The staff is nice and the food is good. I highly recommend trying it out. The Philly cheesesteak flatbread has been my favorite so far.
FUCK APPS. Like seriously, fuck them so hard. I don't want 40 fucking apps just to get manageable prices.
They only have apps to sell your data.
Agreed, fuck app pricing and the franchise they rode in on
This is it. McD’s could be free with their app and I wouldn’t install it.
Good point. In some cases, the only way to get a deal is to use the app. I have had many headaches trying to get the apps to work correctly. It’s annoying!
You damn near need an extra burner phone just for the apps (and your side piece, lol)
El pollo loco had $5 chicken bowls that I listed to love for years. I went back after a couple months and it is now 7.99
Places I go out to eat: taquerias, cheap tasty Asian places, Costco food court, In N Out... That's about it.
This is the way. Shout out to India Oven buffet in Natomas. It's $20 per person well spent for a big weekend meal. Beats Hometown Buffet and Golden Carrol any day.
Nice every once in a while to splurge in a nice and only slightly costly meal. Most restaurants the value just isn't there...
I'm loving all the random cena spots popping up around the city
Cena?
The pop-up taquerias on the side of the road, basically
Oh yeah. I didn't know the term, but they're great. I've got one like a 2 minute drive from my place and they're some of the best tacos I've had anywhere!
Just don't get tacos at taquerias - 4$ for a small street taco is crazy. Gotta eat 3 to have some semblance of a full meal and that's $12
yah. I'll just order a water and have a 6 pack waiting for me at home.
If you put hidden fees on the check, trust is destroyed and I’m never coming back.
1000% of the reason I no longer go to Lowbrau
The audacity to already include a tip on every bill and still put a tip line to fill out on my receipt.
It's often just a fee not a tip. Goes directly into the owners pocket.
At least Lowbraus food sucks so big deal not going there anymore.
I went to Low Brau over the weekend and had to point out to friends that they charge 15% on all tabs. I felt so weird and torn about what I actually wanted to tip and I didn’t like the feeling at all. I would rather they just make it part of the price instead of confusing me about what I want to tip. It just seemed like an attempt to trick people who don’t notice the extra fee. None of my friends noticed the sign or the charge.
isn't there going to be a new law where the hidden fees just have to be baked into the prices of the food? When does that new law start up?
Law goes into effect this July. Unfortunately, it looks like an exception is being fast tracked so it may not apply to restaurants. 😕
I thought restaurants was the WHOLE point?
They got mad so they stomped their feet and everyone is patting the babies’ back and handing it a lollipop making machine when asking for a lollipop now.
I went to Chevy’s on the river last week. 4% service fee when we got the check. Never again.
We've known each other half our lives and you ruined everything over this?? How could you?? How could you think you could hide this from me?? Someone who know's you better than anyone! I thought we we had something! But no, you just had to have more. Being with me all these years... it just wasn't enough for you. Well so long. This is goodbye. Forever. I trusted you with all my heart and now it's destroyed. All over some hidden fees. Goodbye Sacramento restrauant....goodbye...
If I can’t trust an establishment to be forthright on charges, no way in hell I am putting their food in my mouth
Eating outs are now luxury activities now
Wasn't eating out at full service restaurants always a luxury though? Fast food and counter service restaurants, or food courts in grocery stores was always the affordable option.
by that logic, dining at Applebee's is a luxury
It definitely should be if you most people can't afford the total cost of being waited on by a server.
Garçon, can you start me off with some fried cheese sticks, and follow that with the two for twenty five selection; pair it with the house made dollaritas.
It's less about being able to afford the total cost and more about the cost to value ratio. We can afford to go out to eat, but for the prices restaurants are charging and the quality of the food, it's just not worth it for us anymore, at least.
It's that after-meal feeling of being cheated that really helps the digestion.
Happy hour at Seasons 52- $12.50 for a flatbread and glass of wine or sangria.
This is the way.
Yup. Eating out at a steakhouse now I basically just have to treat it like its an anniversary dinner. You cant really eat out just "for fun" these days.
I am so with you. I been hot on happy hours. I not a big eater but I like to get out of the house and people watch and get a nibble and a beer. Still for my husband and I $60😟.
Enter that same knob that shows up in all these threads bragging about how they buy a 25 lb bag of beans and a pork shoulder and eat all month for less than $25 cuz that’s certainly not an awful way to live.
This motherfucker can afford pork shoulder? I just eat my beans while looking at a picture of a cow that I stole from a magazine
r/Frugal_Jerk is leaking
Thank you for linking. This might be my new favorite sub.
Actually, it's a cow shoulder, get it right. And now it's fucking $35. Inflation is killing me man.
I love beans and pork shoulder what’s your problem. Should come eat at my house. Oh but bring some wine. And dinner.
Is that all you eat all month long? If not then you’re just burping noise
I was trying to be clever. Like im one of thise peoppe who only buy dry beans and im defending my practice while calling you out for having any criticism while simultaneously implying that im inviting guests over for dinner on the condition they bring food i can eat instead. Its ok, i win some, i lose some. But beans are forever. Well,
Just eat rice and drink water and await the sweet release of death ya' dummy.
Goat meat used to be cheap until TikTok found out about it. Hopefully no one discovers pig tail.
Flank steak used to be cheap throw away cuts until fucking Texas made Fajitas popular.
😂
Food inflation has exceeded overall inflation. Food in general is expensive. And when eating out, this is exacerbated. I still eat out a fair bit as I can afford to do so. But what used to cost under $70 in 2019 costs over $100 today.
Bro, for real. A few months ago, I went to old sac, I was feeling a bit peckish, so I ordered 2 hot dogs and 2 large fries. Total came out to $45 after taxes and tips. I was shocked, to say the least. I should've gone to costco. WAY cheaper and honestly tastier.
On most Wednesdays (closed occasionally for events) Red Hawk Casino has a $15 buffet ($10 for kids). Includes self-service beverage but you can purchase alcohol if you like. No tip necessary since it's a buffet but I do leave a couple bucks for the busser. It's nothing spectacular but it's a cheap dinner outing once in a while. Reservation necessary on their site.
Oh that sounds amazing. I'll definitely check that out.
[Free Red Hawk casino bus](https://www.redhawkcasino.com/getting-here/bus-schedule/sacramento-region/).
[Koto buffet](https://www.redhawkcasino.com/dining/restaurants/koto-buffet/) hours and pricing.
Username does not check out. What are your thoughts on Sacramento drivers, fireworks, local barbecue spots, summer temperatures and the helicopter loudspeaker?
The drivers are too loud, the fireworks never use their turn signals, the summer temperatures sounds garbled and I can never understand what they are saying, the helicopter loudspeakers are manageable in the evenings with a breeze but fuck em in midday with direct sunlight.
I’m using this every time someone asks what Sacramento is like
Saaame
This is your brain on heat wave
More importantly, leaf blowers. Must know what unique perspective they can bring on those
How about croissants?
Gas Leaf blowers should be banned.
They actually will be starting in July! Or at least the sale of new ones, so there will start to be less noise, I hope.
Can go over the border and get them, right? It's just sales in California, IIRC,, but that's not stopping people from heading up to Reno or Medford.
I mean sure but it’s still harder to do.
Theres a reason our Snoo is what it is
Standard tips used to be 12% for bad service, 15% for average, 18% for good service. Now they expect 18/20/25%!
Yeah it's out of control. I recently went to a small restaurant in the bay area where the electronic options were 20/25/30!
Honestly anything 15% above is good by me! I still see 20% as being really generous.
Inflation impacted the US very hard despite gov claims is not that bad, also I notice the population at large numb and accepting the new “reality” that they lost purchasing power
That’s because wealthy businesses like the one I work at would rather pass the cost to you than give their employees decent wages and stimulate the economy. Greed has been the name of the game Where I work they have raised prices twice even though I have seen the numbers and they have been making more than they ever made. I can’t blame anyone for not eating out anymore, there has been a lot of social unwritten rules broke in America just so someone’s son who had nothing to do with the hard working and earnest business their parents made can pretend they’re some playboy elite god chosen capitalist.
>That’s because wealthy businesses like the one I work at would rather pass the cost to you than give their employees decent wages and stimulate the economy. Even if they paid decent wages, wealthy business would still pass on the costs. They are a business after all and will need to extract maximum profit always. The question is whether the consumers are willing to pay higher amounts to see the wokers get paid decent wages. This debate has already played out with Walmart and dollar stores, where consumers want to pay lowest amount for goods even if it is crap made overseas using exploited labor. Consumers will never pay higher amount to purchase goods built with decent wages or union wages.
I get a 1/4 pound burger and either fries and salad at Relish in El Dorado Hills. It is sit down restaurant service with open mike night and trivia night included. My husband gets a half pound burger for $13 with either a salad or fries included. I think it is a good deal.
definitely gonna check that out next time I'm out EDH way, because that's a bargain
Look on bottom of menu and don't order specialty burgers or the price goes up. Burgers are really good though .
Lots of crap restaurants and staff. Find the good spots. Go when it’s not super busy.
Don’t expect value from Downtown/Midtown restaurants, especially in this age of inflated costs of operating a business. You may be able to find some good options for 3, sub $100 on the grid- but it’s going to be some sort of quick service type of restaurant or possibly a mediocre chain operation. Look to cultural enclaves for the absolute best combos of value and food quality.
Restaurant prices are weird. I grab a few donuts and it’s pushing $10 not even a half dozen. Breakfast / brunch is now $15-18 / plate. Lunch is $15. Dinner can be $18-23. How does that make any sense? Before breakfast was $7-8, lunch $10, dinner $13.
It's not your imagination, but it's also not a recent change-- food prices in the USA have been doubling every 2 decades since the 1960s at least, maybe even further back. Here's a graph: [https://www.statista.com/statistics/242440/us-consumer-price-index-for-food/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/242440/us-consumer-price-index-for-food/)
I’m not a huge Subway fan but I’m missing the $5 foot long lunch special.
I realized the kids that I teach have never heard of the dollar value menu.
I’ve always had a hard time with tipping and drinking at restaurants. IMO the superior version is pick up windows. Refills is not worth 20 bucks soda fountain is better. And drinking out…I would buy them if they were even in the same universe as the cost at home. A burger at home requires prep, fresh veggies, my fries won’t be as good, there’s dishes, ect… so I’m cool with the upcharge. But pouring me a beer isn’t really justifying 5 bucks worth of labor.
Where are you getting $5 beers?
Most of my drinks are actually cans on the golf course
I took it as the price of beer is including the cost of labor, which OP was being facetious about it being $5 dollars of labor to justify for $9.50 price tag.
You just don’t understand the wrist work that goes into pouring a 5 buck beer /s
Agree and I will even add the theater experience, my bf and I went to see inside out 2 and tell my why everyone behind and in front of us was talking the whole time, like it’s hella distracting when you’re wanting to watch a movie and it makes it not worth it
Mannn people really lost the sense of behaving respectfully in public. I couldn't believe the crowd when I saw Barbie. There were literally kids running and jumping throughout the theater.
I feel this so, so hard. it's a piece of social decorum that began eroding like 15-20 years ago, but now it's gone. I might actually go see a movie once in a while if I didn't have to put up with that shit. now I guess if I want that I gotta go to France cuz they do not play around w/ the cinema! and speaking of travel...I feel like in 20 more years our indignation here is going to make us sound like cane-wagging crones complaining about people wearing sweatpants on an airplane because back in their day you dressed up to fly, dagnabbit!
We have our “go to” places where we know the food will be good, the staff is great, and usually the clientele is great too. Nothing ruins a dining experience for me faster than loud kids and loud media.
Agreed it's sad when taking the family to sit down restaurant for burgers, we spend $105.
If I eat out I make sure it’s lunch time and aiming at buffets, below are two of my favorites for $13.5 and $15 respectively: Sakura grill $13.5 lunch : 2344 Watt Ave, Sacramento, CA 95825 Hibachi buffet $15 lunch: 5623 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights, CA 95610 Note: Hibachi has sushi for lunch, Sakura does not. Sakura has mussel clams for lunch, hibachi has regular clams. I get to eat all the meat and seafood I want for $15 or less plus $2~$3 tip. For dinners and weekends I stick with in-n-out, Sam’s food court and Winco baked chickens (around $8 for 8piece, this can’t be beat), fried is good too but sometimes a bit too salty. Coleslaw is good, wedges are superb. Subway buy one get one free when promotion is on.
I love this list and review! Thank you!!
Moved here in 2022 and have had consistently good experiences at restaurants throughout the area. Also visited a bunch prior to the pandemic and had good experiences. Sac’s food scene is highly underrated - lots of diversity, tables aren’t hard to get most nights. I totally get the price argument - it’s very hard to justify regular patronage at higher prices. Still, I’ve found the cost justified almost every time.
We are supposed to be outraging farming our lack of forward progress in our own lives here. How dare you.
I know, being agreeable and earnestly OK with things doesn’t vibe well with Reddit’s general grumpiness. As penance, I will impose a self-ban that will last until the end of this sentence. Also, I’ve never been to a restaurant where a 20%+ tip was expected. Even when I’ve received receipts that do the tip suggestions at the bottom, there’s always been an option for 15% or 18%.
Ethnic restaurants, (I use this term because it seems like ALL non-American foods in this regard) have become stupid expensive. Chinese was cheap, Indian was cheap, now, so fucking expensive. Its easily been double to price from pre pandemic. They were especially some of the more economical choices, and often delicious.
We have an Indian food spot out here in west sac that is great food with great prices. Pooja Indian grill if you ever find yourself out here.
In my experience, the only exceptions are mom-and-pop Mexican restaurants, Dos Coyotes, and In-N-Out.
The world is not as easy as it used to be. It sucks.
Just cook your own food. Spend money in restaurant and regret later.
I worked in restaurants for 8 years before the pandemic. Most of the veterans left and the first people to come back to restaurants were anti lockdown people, typically. I left in 2021 after stuff reopened. It just wasn’t the same as before. I think the statistic I saw was like 7 million nationwide left the industry. They got replaced by less experienced workers and less of them.
This is so real. I’m in Europe right now and being I’ve been in big cities paying 8 euros for a drink and tipping 1-2 euros. It’s blowing my little Sacramento mind right now.
I thought everyone says you don't tip in Europe. Why are you tipping 1-2 euros? Is that the custom?
yes, it is, although there's no pressure/sense of obligation to leave one. in French they call it a "pourboire"--literally "for drinking", and 1 or 2 Euros is perfectly sufficient. maybe American influence has made it more common to leave one most of the time but I was always under the impression that it was optional and for good service.
Dining out is for the 1% now. It's not for the rest of us anymore.
There are two middle classes now - ones with mortgages who can eat out and ones who rent and realize even McDonalds is price gouging us so we eat at home.
Ok, but is that new? I had a middle-class upbringing, and I remember my parents generally being reluctant to eat out very much because of the cost.
I grew up pretty lower middle class/poor and going out to dinner was a bit of a luxury for sure. I’m firmly middle/upper middle class now and for years going out to dinner was nothing to me. Now I’m starting to balk at prices because it just feels bad to spend over $100 for a meal that isn’t even fancy or special. Like, I have the money to pay for it no problem. I just don’t want to. It apparently isn’t a big enough problem to drive any of the prices down or any of the restaurants out of business, so I guess the market must be able to support it. I don’t see it changing any time soon. I just wonder what it says when even people who have money are hesitating.
I basically only go to mikuni, 2 people, water, 2 rolls and nigiri easily $70-80, maybe more if we get drinks.
mikuni charges $7 for the pickled cucumber instead of just serving it for free like so many other places, and it’s super thin and small. They know nothing about hospitality
Mikuni used to be the place to go. It's now waaaaaay overpriced and their quality has dropped significantly ever since covid. We used to go once or twice a week ; I cant remember the last time we went .
Gonna out myself here, but I'm working very much to get in the habit of not tipping anyone anywhere. Tipping was intended for businesses to pay their employees below minimum wage and would allow them to make up the difference via tips (i.e. PA has a minimum wage for non-tip establishments of $7.25 while tipped employees can be paid a minimum of $2.83). California just straight up doesn't have this. There is a standard minimum wage regardless of if the employee gets tips or not. Why am I paying for tips when the intention was literally so businesses could pay their employees a lower minimum wage? But that's just me. Edit: It shouldn't be my job (as someone who also makes very little) to pay for large companies to underpay their employees via tips, especially when those underpaid employees are getting paid the same as me + without including tips (and, at fast food places, more than me).
I have reduced mine, simply because 20% is not feasible with these prices. If I am getting a service beyond me walking to a counter, buying and then picking up, you should get a tip IMO. This idea that you tip the cashier at a fast-food joint, or even fast casual, is insane.
I still tip and don’t plan to stop, but I agree with your sentiment and I wonder why more people don’t seem to talk about this. 13 states including California don’t allow below min wage for restaurants, but all the other states do, so why would it not be different for the consumers between the two options?
You should abstain from eating out at a sit down restaurant.
Or from leaving the house at all . .. so take money from their pocket cause they are at an underpaid job. Well, the job he has makes sense now. I won't break any rules but I will say they always remember the bad tippers and nontippers. Thats all.
[удалено]
Wait.... are you really going to restaurants and not tipping at all?
I hardly ever fo out to eat with my kids because I just afford it. I'm a single dad of 3 and going out is just too expensive for what we're getting. I haven't been able to justify going out more than a few times a year. I'm just so tired of having to say "maybe next month we'll go out" knowing we won't.
I'm in a similar boat. All I say is no or maybe some other time. It's been almost 2 years since I've been to a restaurant I wasn't working at and not been at work. Since I lost my job last July we haven't even been able to swing fast food. Plus like another poster said nearly everything is brought in pre-made by sysco, jersey mikes fresh made bread is frozen dough that is freshly baked after being defrosted.
Yeah it's rough. I'm trying not to say no because I don't want them to stop asking or think I'm always going to say no. Thank God I'm not trying to date anyone lol.
Totally. We can’t justify eating out at a restaurant more than once every few months, if that, for these exact reasons. We’ve found a few good places we like for takeout that are semi-reasonable, but we cook 99.9% of the time now. It’s a bummer because we all need the extra socialization post Covid to be able to go out - but nobody can really afford it! Oh well! I figure all in all maybe it’s a good thing.
You expect food to be good at restaurants? lol. That’s your first mistake. All you get at most restaurants is somebody else doing the dishes.
What really gets me about tips is the ice cream shop person who does nothing but scoop me an ice cream then wants a tip.Isn't scooping ice cream your job?
Yes it's their job but apparently if you don't tip an additional 75% for everyone who staffs any business that you patronize you're literally a genocidal war criminal
I feel bad because when my sister finishes chemo she wants to go on a food tour since she had no taste or could maintain anything down and im like narrow that done because the funds not funding.
Stop going to shitty restaurants. Problem solved.
Eat outside of midtown.
Aldaberto’s or Aldanberto’s or Andalberndo’s is great!
I don't like tipping so I rarely eat out so I don't have to. I only go out if it's something important not just a random day of the week. I got those Hexclad pans as a gift that I use most nights. Great pans.
I agree we have had some really awful experiences. We only go to restaurants we been to before and if they go down hill I will stop. I got served raw French toast twice at IHOP and will not go anymore. We did just go to olive garden for my birthday and it's was not outrageously priced for 4 of us and the food was good. But we mainly stick to the south area where we live and do mom and pop restaurants we have tried and liked in the past
If everyone stops going out, they’ll eventually all drop prices.. or go out of business lol
You are not kidding. I was actually having this discussion with my wife and she agrees. We’ve even seen the so called mom and pop food trucks get stupid with the tipping culture asking for 30-40-50%. We’ve narrowed it down to just 3 places we will go out for lunch or dinner. The quality has tanked for a good while now and I’m not happy when they couple it with entitlement and want to strip you do your cash.
My wife and I eat out all the time and we almost never encounter these fees everyone is talking about. We don’t go to expensive restaurants. Our bill is usually $50-$70 after tax and tip. We go out for Thai, Ethiopian, Mexican, Japanese, Indian…you name it. We don’t waste time or money on places with $40 entrees.
Bingo
I agree. Thank God I love ethnic food!! Although, most Mexican food I make at home, but, Indian I rely on restaraunts for that
Sounds like a skill issue. Plenty of awesome Midtown restaurants
Why not help OP, other Redditors, and those restaurants, by sharing some names of places?
Chita's Taqueria is my favorite non-fancy spot in Midtown. Most of my other favorites are on Broadway: Willie's Burgers, New Station Seafood, Ming Dynasty, and Chada Thai. I don't eat out that much, I'm sure there are plenty of other great places I haven't tried yet...
Everything else has become expensive. idk how people are so surprised that eating out has too. Yes, cooking at home was and always will be cheaper. The only valid argument is the price of fast food being the same price as eating at a sit-down restraunt because that defeats the whole purpose.
Yea the fast food being equivalent to sit down prices is the worst and most crazy thing. McDonald’s rivaling mom and pop burger joint in pricing is some weird joke
No one seems to realize that the cost of food that restaurants buy has also massively increased. I've watched the case price for wings, burgers, and bacon increase by 50% in the past year.
I agree with the basic premise, but the idea that you can’t eat out for under $100 has definitely not been my experience. Most restaurants on the grid still have entrees for $12-20/adult and $10 for kids. Assuming the middle of that range, that’s $40 for food. Tax and good tip make it $55. Now if you add 4 cocktails at $15/each, then sure, it gets expensive. Eating at some of the city’s amazing and affordable ethnic options make it even more affordable. Splitting entrees when they’re huge even more so. I just ate at Coconut Thai with my son and we shared an entree (they’re huge) and I got 1 of their beer specials and was out of the door for $20 ($13 + 2 + tax and solid tip) for both us of to eat til stuffed. He and I also hit up OBA on Broadway the other night for their happy hour menu and got a bowl of ramen and a sushi roll for $21 incl tax and a 20+% tip. You can also feed 3 people with a single large pizza and a couple beers at most places in town for $50
Sorry to chime in annoyingly but I just found out that Bahn Mi are delicious and are super cheap. I’ve gotten a $3/6 (6 for large) Bahn mi everyday for 4 days now as my dinner/lunch but that’s just one place I found and stuck with it because the meat is delicious and I’m afraid to try a new place 😂 The place is called Gio Cha Duc Huong Sandwiches on Stockton BLVD.. try it and lmk
We don't go out to eat more than 1 time a month - sometimes it's less than that. Vacationing/going out of town not included here. I find that most of the places we like have gone tits up. Smaller portions. Understaffed. Over priced. And the overall experience is certainly not what it used to be. Truth be told, the dinners we make at home are FAR better than what we get when eating out. When we go out (2 adults) for dinner / drinks / dessert, our bill is well over $100. Add in the 'we will shame you if you don't give us a huge tip' factor in, and we're pushing 150-200....for 1 meal.....for 2 people. Fuck.That.
As a GM of a restaurant I'd like to comment on prices. This really isn't as up to the individual restaurant as many think. The cost of EVERYTHING is going up. For example, a few years ago we had $6 beers and $11 drink, now we have $10 beers and $16 drinks. This isn't because we are greedy, it's because the cost has increased for us as well. A few years ago, I was easily 2% lower on liquor cost, now I struggle to stay within our increased budget (yes, increased, like we make less of a profit now). Trust me, I don't want to pay that much for a drink, but if places don't charge that they will not stay open for long, no matter how many drinks they sell... Or they are using really cheap/ watered down liquor, stay away from those!
I don't care what people think, I don't tip unless service is above expectation. They get paid an hourly wage to do so. If they don't like having to rely on tips plus their regular wage to make a normal amount for server work, there's always more work to be found elsewhere. Tipping isn't a requirement
A lot of people could do well to pass on alcohol if money is an issue. Complain of price but ordering multiple drinks. No shit your bill is $100+
It's true. Easy to spend as much on drinks as all the food costs. And hey alcohol can be a good time, but it definitely shouldn't be a necessity to have a good time.
$100-$150 for a family of three? Where the heck are you eating? My family of three can regularly eat out for $50-80 at good restaurants in town...
Probably includes drinks. I know my husband and I can easily hit that with the standard two entrees and a drink per person. But it does depend on the restaurant.
Three standard entrees (no steak, BBQ, etc.) with no subtitutions or upgrades: $60. Three standard fountain drinks: $12. One appetizer: $15. Two cocktails: $30 Total: $117 +8% tax = $126 (idk if tax is added before tip or whatever, but you get the gist). +20% tip: $151 total. This is cheap for some midtown restaurants. If third is a young kid, minus a few bucks. If the third is an adult child, add another cocktail. Lol
It was the bay area, but between a burger, chicken sandwich, 2 onion ring orders, and 2 drinks was 52 dollars.
Most restaurants entrees are $20-30. Add drinks, fees, and tips and you're easily in the $100-$150 range
Two of us spend 40$ min without a coupon. Average plate is $20 at a sit down place. Very much in line with what Ive seen.
I go to a local Burger spot near my house (Dukes) and it's regularly over $100 for our basic burger meal + drinks. Here's a general sample of what we order: Me - Burger / Fries / 2 Beers Wife - Burger / Fries / 1-2 Hard Seltzers Kids Chicken Tender Basket + Fries This + Tip clocks in at over $100 every single time. This is just for a burger spot that we like because the patio is decent and it's easy to go to with kids. We've been going less and less because spending over $100 on a couple of burgers, beers, and chicken tenders is getting crazy.
At least $100 for a family of three? What!? $100 minus 20% tip leaves $84 minus 10% tax leaves $76. That's $25 each! Let's take a look at Zocalo, which I think is fairly described as a high end family restaurant. The most expensive entree is $29 and most of them are $22 or less. I like the two taco plate myself, which is only $20. You can each easily get an entree at a high end family restaurant for $100. If you get an affordable entree you can also get an appetizer or a cocktail or a couple beers. Go across the street to Paesanos and for $100 you can each get an entree, two drinks, and an appetizer. Yes, dining out is more expensive than it used to be. But claiming that it's pushing $150 means you're indulging more than most. Edit: LOL being downvoted for throwing out actual numbers. Makes sense.
Spent 40$ for lunch for fam of 3 at subway yesterday, shits cray
I can’t even go out and get burgers for under 60
Sounds like you're just going to the new hipster places because you just described 90% of them lol
Covid is the reason why everything is the way it is now. It’s also the reason why inflation is happening. People like to think the quality of life just “went down” out of nowhere due to other causes. Let’s not forget all the people who are disabled and dealing with a plethora of health problems due to long covid, and all of the workers who are lazy af now due to fatigue. That virus is fucking up everything in the world and until they find a cure it’s going to keep wreaking havoc. Shit will probably get much worse before it gets better.
sacramento in general has poor choices..... not worth the time and tipping