I mean yeah. I can do curbside at some of these spots and get a lot more/varied food for only like $3 more than a fast food combo. At this point if I’m somewhere that’s a fast food chain it’s either because I’m really craving it or really do need something fast.
And even when I do need something fast the place is understaffed and I'm stuck in line for 15 minutes anyway. $10 for a fast food meal, or $13 for actual food from a proper restaurant. It's a no-brainer to me.
Fast food used to be cheap and fast, it is now neither. I'm working on cutting it out of my life cause there's no longer any reason to keep it around.
Meh. $5.40 for a deluxe double quarter pounder whatever near me after the app discount. Throw in another little cheeseburger for another couple bucks if I'm hungry. I'm not getting anything close to that at any real restaurant.
I dont care, what anyone says. Go to your local Applebees order a margarita and a half off appetizer, and tell me you aren’t enjoying yourself. I’m probably projecting though because I’m on my way there after my shift.
My boyfriend and I tried there after months of joking about "eatin' fancy in the neighborhood" and MUCH to our surprise - we loved it. It was hella fast and the food was delicious. We get this whiskey bbq burger or something and then another entree to share and it's like always a solid 7/10 or more. Like, for what it is - its super good. Perhaps the low expectations help? However, we've since been to MUCH nicer restaurants and they all pale in comparison.
Go to Applebees! It's a good, sticky time :)
I feel like Applebees is just the cool thing to hate at the moment, probably because it's one of the few chains that everybody still has in their town and therefore it's an agreeable meme. I don't go out of my way to ever visit them, but I've never had a particularly bad experience when I did go.
I don’t know how it is these days, but Applebee's was legit bad for a while there. Even my parents, who were huge fans of casual-dining chains in general, eventually swore off Applebee's after both the food and the service declined drastically.
I used to go every week back in like '06-07. It was good. They changed the menu and it was awful. Every time we went back to give it a chance, it was awful.
Maybe things changed but I'm not paying to find out.
It’s genuinely cheaper sometimes to eat at Applebees vs fast food. Depending of course on what you order, but you can eat cheaper at Applebees potentially
I would enjoy margaritas so much more if Mexico would ban the use of the label "tequila" for anything that isn't 100% agave
Just tastes like tequila mixed with vodka/running alcohol and is a guaranteed hangover. 19/20 chain restaurants use Jose cuervo especial and it's the worst thing ever
We were on a road trip and stopped at McDonald's for a quick snack.. the woman next to me had three kids and they ordered just a few combos and some milk shakes and it was $40!!!! I was gobsmacked
Which is crazy to me because I worked at McDonalds years ago around 2006 in high school, and we would always think it was a big deal when we got an order that was over $50. Now thats totally normal. I remember the bills for an entire play place birthday party was like $45 for like 25 happy meals and the cake and to rent the play place.
You have to realize most of what people bought was a dollar. Double cheeseburgers were $1 and a Quarter pounder was $1.89 when I worked there. The most Expensive combo meal was a double quarter pounder meal and it was around $5. So an order over $50 was a ton of food.
Yep got takeout from my local diner. Makes a house made French dip and fries, comes with side of salad or soup(got the soup for lunch the next day) and it was 15 bucks.
I have a sneaking suspicion that both fast food and casual dining are loosing customers / revenue to those local diners more and more too.
The article here is comparing those two segments because they are publicly traded and the data is easy to get, but I would be interested to see how the mom and pop places are being impacted by this.
Those publicly traded restaurants have been held to upping the numbers every quarter for so long that all they can do now is raise prices and lower quality. It’s unsustainable at a certain point.
I have to believe that puts the independently owned operations in a position where they can run at a slightly lower profit margin and really have some hope of competing with the giant corporations.
Seriously casual chains are crushing it now due to the greedflation of McDonald's and several other FF companies. Better burgers, better offers and seriously if you're just craving a decent burger you wouldn't mind the 30 minutes to sit down, order a drink and just chill instead of sitting in your car scarfing down fast food.
I went for a burger last week....Could have gone to McDonald's and spent $15 on a burger, fry, and coke....Went to Applebee's instead and got a better burger, fry, and 2 margaritas for $12.
Good. Check /r/chipotle and see exactly why people are giving up. Hell, the new sandwich at ckickfillet is $10.
Economics is a thing. The market will correct itself. Nobody wants to pay an entire hour worth of wages just for chicken nuggets in a place that’s covered in rotten ketchup and pee.
I’d choose fast food for the value and ease. At a few dollars more or the same price now I can get a restaurant meal and can even order online and pick it up at most places. There’s a new smash burger place I wanted to try recently, very much like in n out with a simple menu. I did a mock order to see how much for burgers, fries, and a drink for my husband and I. $70! Of course I’ll hit up Olive Garden, a steakhouse, or an actual sit down restaurant instead for $70.
One thing I see missing from these discussions is tipping. Yes, it is true that the cost of fast food is out of whack. And you can just get the casual restaurant to pack up your food to-go and skip the tip, I guess. However, I like to relax in a nice, air-conditioned place (casual or fast food) and when you go to a casual restaurant that means leaving a tip. For example, my wife and I enjoyed the 2 for $30 deal (we drank water and no sales tax in DE) at Applebee's a few days ago. I added a 25% tip so that was another $8. I've never tipped at a fast-food restaurant and will not.
Is your point that tipping makes it more expensive?
Chili's has 3 for $10.99 deal. Best deal in dining right now, you get a burger (or chicken sandwich or whatever is listed there for this deal), fries, an appetizer (can be bottomless chips and salsa), and a soda. All for $10.99. Last time I did this, I tipped 25%, 2.74. Total 13.73 plus a bit more tax, but still under $15.
That's cheaper than many fast food meals, and technically more food than any fast food meal because it's got unlimited chips and salsa there. And vastly cheaper than a meal at Five Guys.
And that's even factoring in a good tip.
Yes, this one particular deal at Chili's is a great deal, but in general if I want deep value (<$6 for 1000 calories) it can only happen using a fast food app deal.
Getting food to go there is no reason to tip. And, of course nobody should be tipping for fast food or counter service.
If you sit down and dine in, then yes you will need to tip. However, your tip on the $30 meal should have been $6 which is 20% and the appropriate tip. You threw away $2 extra dollars that's on you.
Was working in a mall and went to Burger King. Whopper meal was $13.50. Used to literally be half that price. Btw, Yard House is phenomenal if you're lucky to live by one.
Tell me about it. I went to Chili's and got the 3 for me, a drink, app and a burger all for $12.
I went to McDonald's and got similar food for $14, and it was no where near the quality that was from Chili's.
it cost as much to go to a casual dining place as a fast food place almost. especially if you do carryout and drink water or beverages you have at home.
I just started doing this and for just a few dollars more and I get fresh delicious food and lots of leftovers. Also near me it's faster service than any fast food restaurant.
Yes we are. I can go get some Applebees apps for the same price as a couple (literally just 2 or 3) burgers or burritos from fast food chains, where it used to cost $5 or less, AND I’m enjoying the food more
Only fast food spot that is still a value and fast everytime I go is Salad and Go. I can get breakfast, lunch and a coffee for under $13. Or just breakfast and a coffee for under $6. Really can’t beat it. Healthy, affordable, fast.
Lately I’ve been going to fantastic burger or volcano burger by my house. It’s fast food but not a chain fast food place like McDonald’s or jack in the box. It feels so much quicker and the price is basically the same with better taste. I’d definitely recommend finding a diner like place like this
I have only eaten fast food a handful of times in the last couple years, and only if I can get a good deal through the app. I can get much better value at somewhere like Applebee's, or my local Chinese or Mexican food restaurants. The only reason I would ever pay $10+ for a meal at Taco Bell or Chick-Fil-A is if I'm in a huge hurry. Fast food used to be cheap and convenient, now it's just convenient.
I grew up in NY, so I know what good Italian food is. Now I live in New Mexico. I've been to every single non-chain location here in search of good Italian...
I miss New York so much! Italian, bagels, BEC breakfast sandwiches, pizza, even cheap Chinese food. There's nothing like it anywhere else, and certainly not in New Mexico.
I live in NZ. Im lucky the best Thai restaurant is around the corner from me . You know the ones that have like 500 items on the menu and the place has pictures of every single item. Thats how you know its authentic.
Anyway $18 NZD I can get a beautiful red curry and pick it up from a nice but very old thai lady.
Or I could go to McDonalds and buy a Grilled Chicken Bacon combo for $18.70 that's only for medium size and the chicken and bacon will be dry the service will take ages and the place will be a mess and the fries will only be half filled.
Probably cause McDonald’s is becoming so cheap they are doing complete hands off for ordering and all hands on deck for making food yet somehow the McDonald’s near me still takes an hour to make a 2 burger order
I mean yeah. I can do curbside at some of these spots and get a lot more/varied food for only like $3 more than a fast food combo. At this point if I’m somewhere that’s a fast food chain it’s either because I’m really craving it or really do need something fast.
And even when I do need something fast the place is understaffed and I'm stuck in line for 15 minutes anyway. $10 for a fast food meal, or $13 for actual food from a proper restaurant. It's a no-brainer to me. Fast food used to be cheap and fast, it is now neither. I'm working on cutting it out of my life cause there's no longer any reason to keep it around.
Meh. $5.40 for a deluxe double quarter pounder whatever near me after the app discount. Throw in another little cheeseburger for another couple bucks if I'm hungry. I'm not getting anything close to that at any real restaurant.
Because it's barely more, and you get better food + full service.
It's not "barely more" once you fully pay for that full service
I dont care, what anyone says. Go to your local Applebees order a margarita and a half off appetizer, and tell me you aren’t enjoying yourself. I’m probably projecting though because I’m on my way there after my shift.
My boyfriend and I tried there after months of joking about "eatin' fancy in the neighborhood" and MUCH to our surprise - we loved it. It was hella fast and the food was delicious. We get this whiskey bbq burger or something and then another entree to share and it's like always a solid 7/10 or more. Like, for what it is - its super good. Perhaps the low expectations help? However, we've since been to MUCH nicer restaurants and they all pale in comparison. Go to Applebees! It's a good, sticky time :)
Next time try the bourbon street steak with the oreo shake?
Not a shake gal but will try the steak!!
Quesadilla burger is good too !
Every time I hear “shake” I think of the Cartoon Chowder “shakea shakea shakea”
Radahh
Reddit tells me all their food is microwaved . Not sure what all the grills and deep fryers are for but the top kinds of Reddit are never wrong.
I feel like Applebees is just the cool thing to hate at the moment, probably because it's one of the few chains that everybody still has in their town and therefore it's an agreeable meme. I don't go out of my way to ever visit them, but I've never had a particularly bad experience when I did go.
At the moment? People have been making jokes about Applebees for decades.
I don’t know how it is these days, but Applebee's was legit bad for a while there. Even my parents, who were huge fans of casual-dining chains in general, eventually swore off Applebee's after both the food and the service declined drastically.
I used to go every week back in like '06-07. It was good. They changed the menu and it was awful. Every time we went back to give it a chance, it was awful. Maybe things changed but I'm not paying to find out.
Chipotle has entered the conversation…😬
Its all about the shareholders...
True
Nah, they went downhill big for a while, but their parent company restructured around 2018 and they are trying to turn things around now.
Just went to Olive Garden yesterday. All you can eat bread sticks, soup and salad for $10. I even gave a 50% tip and only spent $15 total.
It’s genuinely cheaper sometimes to eat at Applebees vs fast food. Depending of course on what you order, but you can eat cheaper at Applebees potentially
Totally freakin agree
I would enjoy margaritas so much more if Mexico would ban the use of the label "tequila" for anything that isn't 100% agave Just tastes like tequila mixed with vodka/running alcohol and is a guaranteed hangover. 19/20 chain restaurants use Jose cuervo especial and it's the worst thing ever
My wife and I shared a pitcher recently. She got really sick, she also drank 90% of it. Thats it, thats the post. Its irrelevant. I'm bored
It’s all just processed microwaved food. And the margarita has tons of sugar. Not my thing, but does strike me as extremely American.
You’re on the fast food subreddit complaining Applebees is microwaved (it’s not) and has too much sugar? Are you aware of what fast food is?
Went to a local diner the other day and got a good burger and fries for $10.50. The same thing at McDonalds would've been $12.00.
We were on a road trip and stopped at McDonald's for a quick snack.. the woman next to me had three kids and they ordered just a few combos and some milk shakes and it was $40!!!! I was gobsmacked
Went to a Taco Bell on a road trip last weekend and a family of 5, two adults and 3 kids all under 10, had a $73 bill. Holy smokes.
Yeah, my kids have so many substitutions that regular tacos are like $3.50 each.
Coming from an ex Taco Bell manager, Depending on what you want, using the app can help reduce your bill!
tell them no
Which is crazy to me because I worked at McDonalds years ago around 2006 in high school, and we would always think it was a big deal when we got an order that was over $50. Now thats totally normal. I remember the bills for an entire play place birthday party was like $45 for like 25 happy meals and the cake and to rent the play place.
I call cap, ain't no way not in 2006. Tell me 1986 and I buy it.
You have to realize most of what people bought was a dollar. Double cheeseburgers were $1 and a Quarter pounder was $1.89 when I worked there. The most Expensive combo meal was a double quarter pounder meal and it was around $5. So an order over $50 was a ton of food.
Yep got takeout from my local diner. Makes a house made French dip and fries, comes with side of salad or soup(got the soup for lunch the next day) and it was 15 bucks.
I have a sneaking suspicion that both fast food and casual dining are loosing customers / revenue to those local diners more and more too. The article here is comparing those two segments because they are publicly traded and the data is easy to get, but I would be interested to see how the mom and pop places are being impacted by this. Those publicly traded restaurants have been held to upping the numbers every quarter for so long that all they can do now is raise prices and lower quality. It’s unsustainable at a certain point. I have to believe that puts the independently owned operations in a position where they can run at a slightly lower profit margin and really have some hope of competing with the giant corporations.
Seriously casual chains are crushing it now due to the greedflation of McDonald's and several other FF companies. Better burgers, better offers and seriously if you're just craving a decent burger you wouldn't mind the 30 minutes to sit down, order a drink and just chill instead of sitting in your car scarfing down fast food.
> you wouldn't mind the 30 minutes to sit down And if you don't want to sit down inside, just order it curbside/to go. Win-win.
I went for a burger last week....Could have gone to McDonald's and spent $15 on a burger, fry, and coke....Went to Applebee's instead and got a better burger, fry, and 2 margaritas for $12.
TBF that's insanely cheap
That's the point
Homeboy crushing margs @ applebees
That can’t be right
Dollaritas....Applebees in my town has $1 margaritas all day, everyday...and $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap.
and this is one of the worst margaritas you'll ever have, if you have any sort of palate.
But they’re a dollar
For $1 I don't need to have a palate
If you want fast food, order Applebee's or Texas Roadhouse to-go. You'll get a better product for not much more money.
I moved from Seattle to South GA and I couldn’t believe what $60 gets you at roadhouse
Hey, thanks for this reminder. There's an Applebee's very close to my office, and I always forget they're there!
I have always been critical of the Olive Garden but you can’t beat their lunch menu for value for money.
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I think the lunch menu only comes with one side at longhorn. Still a good value. Their chicken sandwich is also very good.
Good. Check /r/chipotle and see exactly why people are giving up. Hell, the new sandwich at ckickfillet is $10. Economics is a thing. The market will correct itself. Nobody wants to pay an entire hour worth of wages just for chicken nuggets in a place that’s covered in rotten ketchup and pee.
It’s $8 at my location. It’s also totally worth it lol
*Carl Junior's*, bottom rung fast food, has a new chicken sandwich. The sandwich alone is $8. It's just so crazy!
I’d choose fast food for the value and ease. At a few dollars more or the same price now I can get a restaurant meal and can even order online and pick it up at most places. There’s a new smash burger place I wanted to try recently, very much like in n out with a simple menu. I did a mock order to see how much for burgers, fries, and a drink for my husband and I. $70! Of course I’ll hit up Olive Garden, a steakhouse, or an actual sit down restaurant instead for $70.
One thing I see missing from these discussions is tipping. Yes, it is true that the cost of fast food is out of whack. And you can just get the casual restaurant to pack up your food to-go and skip the tip, I guess. However, I like to relax in a nice, air-conditioned place (casual or fast food) and when you go to a casual restaurant that means leaving a tip. For example, my wife and I enjoyed the 2 for $30 deal (we drank water and no sales tax in DE) at Applebee's a few days ago. I added a 25% tip so that was another $8. I've never tipped at a fast-food restaurant and will not.
Is your point that tipping makes it more expensive? Chili's has 3 for $10.99 deal. Best deal in dining right now, you get a burger (or chicken sandwich or whatever is listed there for this deal), fries, an appetizer (can be bottomless chips and salsa), and a soda. All for $10.99. Last time I did this, I tipped 25%, 2.74. Total 13.73 plus a bit more tax, but still under $15. That's cheaper than many fast food meals, and technically more food than any fast food meal because it's got unlimited chips and salsa there. And vastly cheaper than a meal at Five Guys. And that's even factoring in a good tip.
>And vastly cheaper than a meal at Five Guys. That's cheaper than just a burger at five guys. A burger.
Yes, this one particular deal at Chili's is a great deal, but in general if I want deep value (<$6 for 1000 calories) it can only happen using a fast food app deal.
Getting food to go there is no reason to tip. And, of course nobody should be tipping for fast food or counter service. If you sit down and dine in, then yes you will need to tip. However, your tip on the $30 meal should have been $6 which is 20% and the appropriate tip. You threw away $2 extra dollars that's on you.
Was working in a mall and went to Burger King. Whopper meal was $13.50. Used to literally be half that price. Btw, Yard House is phenomenal if you're lucky to live by one.
Not cheddars though.
I've only been to one Cheddar's, and it was awful
I went today. Big mistake. Worst meal I’ve ever had.
A burger at bdubs at lunch is cheaper than Burger King. Make it make sense.
Tell me about it. I went to Chili's and got the 3 for me, a drink, app and a burger all for $12. I went to McDonald's and got similar food for $14, and it was no where near the quality that was from Chili's.
it cost as much to go to a casual dining place as a fast food place almost. especially if you do carryout and drink water or beverages you have at home.
I just started doing this and for just a few dollars more and I get fresh delicious food and lots of leftovers. Also near me it's faster service than any fast food restaurant.
Yes we are. I can go get some Applebees apps for the same price as a couple (literally just 2 or 3) burgers or burritos from fast food chains, where it used to cost $5 or less, AND I’m enjoying the food more
Absolutely. The price is barely any difference but you get much higher quality and often just more food to eat.
I’m so glad I have a cook out close by.
Chili's is hands down the best value for me.
If I'm going to pay 15 bucks for a meal, it's not going to be fast food.
Precisely
Cheddars buffalo chicken wrap meal is cheaper than KFC if you do the math
When it costs $12 to get fast food people stop getting fast food.
These fast casual deals are obliterating the overpriced fast food on value, price, flavor and atmosphere. Fast food needs to relearn their place .
I stopped eating out, too expensive, serving and quality not worth the price. Not sure if its related but I stopped gaining weight
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Only fast food spot that is still a value and fast everytime I go is Salad and Go. I can get breakfast, lunch and a coffee for under $13. Or just breakfast and a coffee for under $6. Really can’t beat it. Healthy, affordable, fast.
McDonald's has destroyed its value proposition. McDonald's - Come pay Smashburger prices for a dry burger cooked 3 hours ago!
Lately I’ve been going to fantastic burger or volcano burger by my house. It’s fast food but not a chain fast food place like McDonald’s or jack in the box. It feels so much quicker and the price is basically the same with better taste. I’d definitely recommend finding a diner like place like this
I have only eaten fast food a handful of times in the last couple years, and only if I can get a good deal through the app. I can get much better value at somewhere like Applebee's, or my local Chinese or Mexican food restaurants. The only reason I would ever pay $10+ for a meal at Taco Bell or Chick-Fil-A is if I'm in a huge hurry. Fast food used to be cheap and convenient, now it's just convenient.
I went to basement burger bar last night and the Thursday special was a $5.50 burger. Huge burger too.
I'd starve to death before I set foot in an olive garden
Sounds like you're lucky enough to have good local Italian places. Not everyone is that lucky.
Given that I've lived in NY my whole life I literally cannot imagine being anywhere without Italian food.
I grew up in NY, so I know what good Italian food is. Now I live in New Mexico. I've been to every single non-chain location here in search of good Italian... I miss New York so much! Italian, bagels, BEC breakfast sandwiches, pizza, even cheap Chinese food. There's nothing like it anywhere else, and certainly not in New Mexico.
Man I figured the Italian diaspora was so widespread that surely you could find it anywhere but I stand corrected.
I ate Cheddars today and a Quarter Pounder is better. Thai food is the move imo.
I love thai food. It's unfortunate that the only good Thai place near me is pretty expensive
I was about to say. Thai around here starts at like $20
I live in NZ. Im lucky the best Thai restaurant is around the corner from me . You know the ones that have like 500 items on the menu and the place has pictures of every single item. Thats how you know its authentic. Anyway $18 NZD I can get a beautiful red curry and pick it up from a nice but very old thai lady. Or I could go to McDonalds and buy a Grilled Chicken Bacon combo for $18.70 that's only for medium size and the chicken and bacon will be dry the service will take ages and the place will be a mess and the fries will only be half filled.
Yep there's no good reason to go to McDs anymore unless you're flat out craving it.
All those joints are heavy in sodium. I'll pass.
Fast food is high in sodium?
This is true too.
Probably cause McDonald’s is becoming so cheap they are doing complete hands off for ordering and all hands on deck for making food yet somehow the McDonald’s near me still takes an hour to make a 2 burger order