I haven’t been there since pre-pandemic, but at the time that thing was about $17. Great value, my wife and I couldn’t finish one. They have small, medium and large but if you look way to the bottom corner they have a, “slim” menu. If I get the slim and ask them to cut the rice and beans in half, it’s about right for a meal.
That doesn’t even look like food.
If you haven’t had a good wet burrito then you haven’t lived. Below is the Super Deluxe Burrito from El Burrito Jr. in Redondo Beach and it is heaven on earth.
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Food trucks have higher operating costs. Best places are some what dumpy just 4 seats next to a cart $1 street tacos
For high end steakhouses, hasn’t that always been the model? The price for steak is literally just the piece of meat and everything else is extra.
Often I find food trucks aren’t a great value. Whatever they offer is usually 20% more than an equivalent item at a brick/mortar place. I get it, they have a lot of costs and issues with scale. But strangely, food trucks is where I feel a bit ripped off.
I like smaller independent/family owned restaurants which around here offer most value. The food halls around here are more like food trucks in terms of pricing and I always feel a little ripped off.
Strangely I almost never feel ripped off a high end restaurant as I know what I’m getting into. It’s usually the food trucks or food halls where expectations don’t meet reality in terms of price to perceived value.
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This, to me. There is a small family run Ethiopian restaurant near us. Simple setting. Food is outstanding. And nice portions for reasonable price.
Right behind it is a Colombian place we like. Very good steak dishes, with tons of flavor and sides. I will take this over a Ruth Chris, etc any day.
And then in general, a good Mexican restaurant seems best value/cost ratio.
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I think location plays a big part. Mobile food truck or brick and mortar.
Near a popular tourist site is less good. There’s no incentive for management to appeal to repeat customers because there will always be a stream of new customers.
But a location off the beaten path in small town is different. The owner/proprietor needs to count on loyal and repeat visitors, so value and quality needs to be there.
Of course, there are exceptions to these generalities.
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Happy hour — perfect for retirees. Our favorite sushi place (not what most people have in mind for value) only costs us about $35 for two people, plus tip.
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Chains and high-end will leave you feeling ripped. Locals, food trucks, window kitchens you’ll probably find better value. But even then, if the place has wait staff and/or bartenders, the costs are getting ridiculous. It’s hard to justify going out at all anymore.
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I go out to eat 1x or 2x per month, at a couple of the local independent places in the small town I live in. Several have shutdown, or changed hands in recent years. some shutting down after changing hands. Owners retiring and not finding a buyer; labor supply is a challenge specifically for BOH experienced folks, and market wages are low in the area and rents continue to increase.
On the road, costco foodcourt or culvers for me.
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Agree.
There is a chinese? asian, it’s a mix of all forms of SE asain foods. The value is unreal. The food is awesome. Spent $60, got dinner that night for 2, lunch the next day for 2, plus one more lunch and dinner.
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We were in Paris last fall and were shocked how affordable eating out seemed vs the US. Three course meal with wine was barely more than a bad chain in the US. Tiny establishments where the chef came and talked to you. And the food was phenomenal.
In the US it’s the middle stuff that seems crazy overpriced. Nothing special but still expensive.
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First I think steaks are probably the worst value option for eating out. Very high priced today for beef steaks. If I want steaks, much better to just grill at home.
I also think food trucks are overpriced, generally speaking. I feel like they try to command a premium because food trucks are en vogue right now and that their food is boutique offerings. I’m generalizing here, not all are this way. Mexican food trucks keep it real, good value for tacos and such.
So what are we left with? I think restaurants are all over the place with pricing now. Some places I won’t go to due to higher pricing, so it just takes some trial and errot to dial in your portfolio of go-to places. Everyone’s tastes are different so hard to direct others to a certain type of food/restaurant.
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My tastes are pretty simple. I’ll take a sandwich shop or taco place with a walk up counter every time. Many of those places have been replaced with “bistros” or “cafe’s” that use ingredients like arugula and truffle cream sauce. I’m not sure if that’s generational taste changes or just restaurants trying to drive up margins.
I’ve thought about this, I think it is driven by foodie social media where there is endless content now and influencers deep diving into new, unique and different take on things. Beautiful dishes and are as much about the visual and the “story” around the concoction, as it is about the taste. in fact taste I think takes a back seat to presentation and written description. Eateries have to get unnecessarily fancy and like you said, out-do each other to compete.
All this is great, but I’m just not willing to pay a premium price for all the hype these days. I will discriminate against a place for it. Pre covid it didn’t seem to be an issue, but now, with how much overall food costs at restaurants have increased, its at the inflection point for me. I push back by not going to your shop. I go out to eat much much less than I did 2020 due to cost inflation.
This is definitely pretty standard for steak houses in the US. Your plate comes with nothing but the steak and everything else is a la carte. Although sides are usually family-style and serve more than one person.
We have a couple local restaurants that we’ve been going to for years. Even as prices have crept up, we’re happy to spend our money at them as the service and quality are consistently good. But generally I’d say we’re disappointed more often than not in new restaurant experiences.
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People need to watch beard meets food 
One of my go-to’s is Chipotle. They were in the news this year because they announced they were going to reduce serving sizes. They got so much shit for it they back tracked (sound familiar?).
I can get two meals out of that.
Atilano’s is also good for portions and quality. I assume they’re a big chain because their slogan is “San Diego’s Best Burritos”, and I’m in Spokane.
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I’ve found it easier to get my money’s worth as I’ve gotten older and am not as active in other-forum sports. I just don’t eat as much anymore. There’s a sandwich/lunch counter type place across the street from me where I get food every once in awhile. It’s not cheap if you look at the price for a sandwich and side, but since I usually eat half and save the rest for later, it ends up a reasonable price for essentially two meals.
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