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We don't eat out often, but once in a while we go to this small Thai restaurant that has a 3 course lunch special consisting of a small bowl of soup or salad, spring roll or some type of sate with peanut sauce, and a choice of main dish. It costs 6.50 if you order the main dish with tofu or chicken. It's a little more if you want a shrimp or beef dish. Main dishes consist of the usual curry, pad thai, etc. All dishes are accompanied with rice and the restaurant is nicely decorated. Food is pretty good. The lunch special is only offered on weekdays. That's probably my best buy local restaurant.
My wife and I go out to eat a lot, but like most people, we are on a budget. Prices are creeping up and we are trying to determine how much is too much and how to get more value. We normally go out to lunch, since it is usually cheaper than dinner (why, I don't understand. Your stomach can't tell the difference). For you out there is CD land, how much is too much to pay for a restaurant meal, especially for lunch? Do you prefer fast casual, casual, fast food, buffets, cafeteria style, or something else? For the restaurant haters, I know eating at home is cheaper, but I'm interested in restaurant diners specifically
There is no way to define "too much" We also enjoy eating out at lunch time over dinner if it is just the two of us. Lunch wise, if it is meant to be our dinner meal I would say, $10 to $12 a person. If it is just lunch as we know lunch, under $10 for sure. Now for special meals we expect to spend about $100 or maybe a little less. Of course that is about once a year or maybe twice and includes a drink or two. One thing about eating lunch out instead of dinner is the drinks: we would rarely order a glass of wine at lunch but would never go to dinner without ordering, at least one.
growing up ...going "out to eat" was a treat a rare treat
in fact I rarely remember going out to eat (beyond mcdonalds) with my parents....
however my grandmother in Kennebunkport took us kids out to restaurants...and taught us manners .. at the table (incidentally, this is when I first met George bush (senior) my grandmother knew the whole family ) …... was at a restaurant.
coming from humble beginnings of course I loved going to a restaurant....but tough to justify on a regular basis....
when my son came along....I insisted we go out to breakfast on sunday mornings.....we did for well over a decade and I let him choose whatever he wanted on the menu - there were sundays…… he and I just ate a huge hot fudge sundae …. for breakfast/brunch all the other kids were looking over..wanting to eat at our table...
today.. I look at "cost per serving" I cringe when a 1/4 lb cheeseburger is 8-12.00 that's almost 40$ a pound …. when I can buy 3.99b ground chuck and a 1/4lb is 1.00 dollar and its not a frozen cardboard patty
I bought chicken thighs on sale for .69lb a few weeks ago - I took the bone out..stuffed and bacon wrapped and that bacon wrapped stuffed chicken thigh was well under a dollar per serving …
I really like to cook so its more of a "hobby" than a chore.... so I enjoy cooking at home and if the time comes for an occasion or event...to splurge on a restaurant.... it doesn't hurt so bad..
I have peers that go out 3-5 times a week and always crying they are in debt ??????
can barely make their car payments but dump 30-40 per night out to eat.
my son.... goes out to eat and he isn't as frugal as I am....but close but he's also a pharmacist... makes good money and that . is definitely a factor of how much you spend at a restaurant..
The most I ever paid for a single meal was $7.50 and that was for a special occasion at a 4-star restaurant. Other times, I'd mainly go to buffets, at prices ranging from 99 cents to $3.00, over the years.
I'm sorry, but I just don't think so.
Even if you were ordering off the kiddy's menu you won't find a meal for $7.50 at a 4 star restaurant. Please show me where to find this or a 99 cent buffet.
I'm sorry, but I just don't think so.
Even if you were ordering off the kiddy's menu you won't find a meal for $7.50 at a 4 star restaurant. Please show me where to find this or a 99 cent buffet.
We will occasionally go out to a sit-down restaurant and spend $50 or 60 for the two of us. That doesn't include any alcohol because we don't drink. Rarely, we'll go somewhere nicer and spend more. Most of the time if we go out, though, it's something like Panera Bread and it will cost $20 or $25 for two people. Or we might go to a local Thai or Japanese restaurant and spend about $30 total.
Wow. What would you consider a middle of the road restaurant for lunch? I work in some of the most expensive cities in the US and still find an average lunch to be under 20 bucks.
Funny story: I live in Texas, where the average dining bill is cheaper than many locations. A sit down dinner meal at a casual restaurant for an entree with nonalcoholic drink can run maybe $15 a person or so. I work in Arctic Alaska where everything is much more expensive. On one of my long trips, I went out for dinner with the doctor I was working with. He said: "Fair warning. You will get sticker shock when you buy anything here. Just pull out your credit card, pay, and don't think about how much you're spending." We went to a mediocre Chinese place and I ordered a tiny quantity of kung pao pork with a side of egg rolls and no drink. Cost? $27 plus tip, and this restaurant was one of the cheapest
We rarely go out to lunch since we both work out of house and because the closest spots we would actually eat at are about 25 minutes away. There just isn't time during the work week for lunch out.
For dinners out we go to local places as there are a lot of good local places in our town. Our trips to chains are few and far between. Depending on which local place, we can spend about $35 to $80. That includes the tip and alcoholic drinks--maybe beer, maybe wine, maybe cocktails.
My tips for people who want to save on finer dining experiences:
1) If you like wine with dinner, find a BYOB restaurant (more available in some states than others). Naturally, bottles of wine (or glasses) are way, way marked up when you go out to eat and you can really save money by bringing your own (just make sure there isn't some high corkage fee). And I don't say that to criticize restaurants - it's just the business model. Restaurants are usually operating on a slim profit margin. High end restaurants often lose money on food costs but make money on the alcohol. You, however, are under no obligation to be a party to this.
2) Happy hour (already mentioned here). Even if you don't drink, it is possible to get a perfectly filling, innovative meal in a nice atmosphere by using the happy hour food menu. Not all happy hour menus are created equally, though. (There are fries and potato skins happy hour menus, and there are mussels and clams happy hour menus. One of my favorite happy hour menus is at a place called Salt Air in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Awesome gourmet dishes, cheap, and filling). Do a comparison, and note the restaurants that have the best food offerings.
3) It is perfectly acceptable and normal to not drink anything but water when you eat out. I used to be embarrassed and order an ice tea just to not be seen as a cheapskate, but now I realize that many many people only drink water with their meals and no one is judging them. In fact, if the restaurant is busy, your server is probably grateful that she or he doesn't have to beg the bartender to make a fancy cocktail which he or she will then take too long to make.
4) It is perfectly acceptable to share an appetizer (or not get one). It is perfectly acceptable to share a dessert (or not get one). It is even acceptable to have an appetizer course as your main entree (hopefully the whole table is not doing that). Where I would draw the line is sharing an entree, however. If you can't finish your plates, get it to go and turn it into dinner or lunch for the following day. But sharing an entree is really a super cheapskate move. You won't be prevented from doing so, and maybe you won't care that the entire restaurant staff is judging you, but it's really not cool and is rarely done. It's the social equivalent of filling up with multiple stabs at a "free sample" table.
5) Look for coupons. Use Groupons. Use restaurant.com certificates.
6) When family is stymied as to what to get you for the holidays or birthdays, suggest a gift card to one of your favorite places.
7) Get take-out more often: skip the need to tip! (But never skimp on tipping if you do eat out, if you've gotten good service).
8) Sushi lovers? Tend to get multiple rolls each? Get the sushi or sashimi plate for two. Usually very filling, and cheaper than if you both pick your own items from the menu. All You Can Eat sushi is also a money-saving option for sushi lovers. Usually the quality is not as good (but for a Tuesday night, "honey I don't feel like cooking" meal, it's usually good enough). Resist the urge to fill up on fried offerings. Stick to the fish.
9) Sunday night meals at nice restaurants: often less expensive. Sometimes they offer a 3 course prix-fixe that's relatively inexpensive for the amount of food you get. Sunday nights are often slow at fine dining restaurants (the "date night" kind of places), so restaurant managers will offer these cheaper menu incentives to get people in the door.
Last edited by Mimidae; 12-07-2018 at 11:47 AM..
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