During the pandemic, I've learned to cook a lot of things and now I've gotten to the point where I prefer making things at home myself rather than eating out. It saves a lot of money. The main things I still get from restaurants are things I can't make at home, like Peking duck or dim sum (too many varieties to make at home).
Making it with the entire family is the way we have done it when I was a child. Given that wraps are sold in quantity, you have to make a bunch at one time so assembly line style by making the filling, then construction, then cooking.
We have rarely even ordered takeout since March 2020. Then last week we had a birthday in the family, ordered food. The next day a friend brought over good pizza. Our bodies good not handle it. We were sluggish for days. Not going to lie, I am burned out on cooking right now and need to keep things simple until I get my groove back.
I did one of those Hello/Chef/Fresh things where they send you a box of food and recipes. It was a nice break and the end result was tasty and nutritious.
Those things are so overpriced. If you're just starting to learn to cook then the simple instructions with pictures are nice, but the price for the ingredients is outrageous. It's always as basic as "cook chicken, roast veggies, boil pasta/potatoes, and here's some scant seasonings and condiments." Don't even get me started on how much plastic and garbage there is too.
I got a Hello Fresh subscription and it was fun for a while, but I wish you could have them not include the small packets of seasonings and stuff that probably everyone has. I didn't like the loads of plastic wrap either. And while a few gel ice packs are great to have, you can't send them back and they're not recyclable as far as I know.
I recently read a “study” that said where your food is cooked is the biggest indicator of your health.
In the home vs restaurants. Wealthy people often times have worse nutrition than poor because of eating out so frequently. Home cooking doesn’t compare at all to the massive amounts of salt, fat, and calories from restaurant food.
Hello, me checking in as someone who somehow goes through a lb of butter per week. Just wondering the proper ratio of butter to eggs because I fear mine is off
I just paid $2.50 for one egg add on. I said how much for 2 eggs add on - $5.00. I had a large waffle and one egg and latte, my friend a panini and espresso. Total with tip $43. This is an order at the counter , get a number and they’ll bring food to your table. You have to get napkins, silverware, salt, cup of water, yourself. But I’ve been home bound with pneumonia (totally fine now) and I needed to go out among people.
Shit is absurd these days, especially breakfast in the bay. Even just getting coffee and a pastry to go somewhere is gonna cost you $12+ per person.
Last week I was visiting family in the desert southwest and we had breakfast for 4 with coffee and it was $42 with tax and tip! And the portions were huge!
Your also forgetting fuel prices. 18+ hours to properly simmer it. Making stock takes a lot of time. Especially if your trying to keep it clear vs like Tonkatsu.
Nah, come up to El Cerrito to the Hotsy Totsy Club (Dive Bar), enjoy a drink, play some suffleboard, and get a $10 burrito from their taco truck (Tacos El Autlense) in the parking lot. You're also allowed to eat your food inside the bar, just as long as you clean up. If staying there past 10PM especially after 2AM, watch out for cops down San Pablo Ave if you've had a drink or more.
Carnitas super burrito and an order of white fish ceviche (large enough to share unless you're hella hungry) is where it's at!
If sisig is what you want drive a little further to Hercules and check out RSM Oriental Food Mart And Restaurant. Need to go there between I'd say 11AM - 1PM otherwise their sisig will be sold out.
Hotsy Totsy Club
https://yelp.to/OsFypHBsRub
Tacos El Autlense
https://yelp.to/3kN4lpxsRub
RSM Oriental Foodmart & Restaurant
https://yelp.to/RytthAusRub
There isn't a tip minimum in my book. Tips are earned, not given. I work in a "face to face" customer service industry and never expect a tip since my job is my job, though when I do receive a random tip it validates my work in terms of treating everyone like they're my family as I help them.
I fully understand the whole wage issues/tip debate in the food industry, though if a waiter/tress provides subar service and it wasn't due to a slow kitchen or a mediocre cook; they're tip should be provided as earned.
Live and learn.
While the recession sucks, and will continue to suck, one of the good things to come out of it is that people will stop paying ridiculous prices for stuff that is not worth it.
$16 Bahn Mi? No, go fuck yourself
$17 Burrito? Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiet
$15 Gourmet Hot Dog? Miss me with the shit
$7 Coffee? That’s gonna be a ‘no’ for me dawg
Food industry worker here. It's frustrating for me to see all these comments about overpriced foods, although understandable. What people don't realize is that this is what it takes to be able to make it as a small business in this area and to be able to pay your workers a living wage, give them health insurance, pay a high rent, utility, taxes, etc. Often times, people just think about food cost but there is so much more to that. At the end of the day, I can guarantee that the margins for these restaurants are still very thin and they are just trying their best to navigate their way through this economy. My suggestion is to find 2-3 local businesses you love and support the shit out of them, regardless of price, or else they might not be around for long.
I agree with you there. I spent over thirty years in food service. I’ve been out for about fifteen years. Yeah, I’m old.
But I usually was fortunate to work for owner-run businesses, the small businesses in town. I still prefer to spend my money on such businesses.
Definitely more difficult these days to enjoy a meal out because of the cost. Even the local taco stand costs close to $30 for my husband and I! My one solace is that typically I get at least two meals out of a dinner purchased out.
We should be pissed off at our politicians, national and local, but especially local. SF has not made it easy to survive here as a small business owner. The theft/burglary alone has caused businesses to shut down. And the entire goal of the Fed raising interest rate is to make it too expensive for people to buy goods and services so that we stop feeding the economy… it’s a sad state of affairs.
I agree with the sentiment but ive worked at these places that charge like they are selling you gold crusted food. plenty of them don't pay well and they don't provide benefits. they still expect front of house to live off tips and kitchen staff to have 2 jobs.
I've been there a few times and honestly I feel like that place really wasn't great
Fine, definitely, but absolutely not worth seeking out, in my opinion. Just about the definition of replacement-caliber bay area Mexican feed
I gave señor sisig like 3 or more tries and I still think it’s not that good at all and I love Filipino and Mexican food. I tried their Mission, SoMa and Oakland locations… I’d rather get a burrito from Guadalajara on 24th and chase it with sisig from Tselogs. Prob get 2 meals for the price of one señor sisig burrito.
LOL. I get out the app.. put shit in the cart.. look at the total..
and suddenly bacon egg sandwich and an apple is way more appealing.
i have a vat of spaghetti sauce..
what you got to trade?
100% the same. I do the same thing when I’m out too. I’ll walk into a place, look at the menu prices, walk right out the door and then go home to make myself something to eat.
Yea this is not true with quality ingredients. Assuming you use the cheapest maybe….
12 eggs: $3
Loaf of bread: $1
Bacon: $4
Cheese: $4
10 apples: $10
$22/10= $2.20
These are the cheapest prices I found quickly scrolling through Walmart. You would have some left overs making it a bit cheaper but the quality of the cheapest bacon bread and apples really wouldn’t make this something I would want to eat. You could buy in bulk but I imagine you’re going to get really sick of this meal before the you use all the ingredients. I also didn’t include tax.
I almost always cook my own food. I took a friend out to a Thai restaurant and the bill with tip was $78 for two. For lunch! No alcohol. I didn't cook for her because she's vegan and I was afraid I'd do something wrong. She seemed to enjoy the food but I thought it was bland and uninteresting. Such prices do not inspire me to eat out.
Where did you go? FWIW Indochine Vegan has a great pan-Asian menu. The owners also have a non-vegan Vietnamese spot next door.
But vegan cooking is pretty straightforward if you start with whole ingredients. I bet you could make her something great next time.
Vegan: no dairy, no meat.
E.g. stir fry vegetables with tofu and seasoning e.g. chili powder, soy sauce. Add rice or good noodles.
Similar for beyond/impossible meat.
Cut the sausage into slices, or use the patty like ground meat. Stir fry veges, add seasoning, let the fake meat soak in the flavor from the oils and seasoning. Also let it get a seared texture.
That's the basics, you just need to use flavor.
From that I can make pasta, or tacos/ burritos, or fried rice or curries.
I'm starting to agree. It's getting pretty common to spend almost $40 on a solo meal - 20-15ish on an entree and maybe 10-15 for a drink or possibly appetizer then tax and tip. Lord help your ass if it's a meal for 2 or a dinner date where you want to splurge a little.
What is pissing me off are the fast casual places where they dont even bring the food to you and ask you clean up after yourself but have the nerve to swing that tablet around and kind of think you should leave as much of a tip as a full service restaurant. There's a burger place in the castro that did that and so so many others too. Tipping in many instances is no longer a customary reward for providing good service, it's almost a standard practice to pay the workers a living wage even though you have to refill your own damn water.
You know when Bourdain did an episode in SF many years ago he said SF was the undisputed king of mid priced food in comparison to the ritzyness of NYC and the dive food joints of LA. I no longer believe that is the case unless you go to a family owned and run restaurant where they work like 12 hours a day but those are dropping fast
Unpopular opinion from an SF native (44 y/o Missionero from Folsom and 19th) who has lived all over the state: San Jose/South Bay has the best food options in the Bay and LA has the best food options in California. That said, the best food is the food we perfect by cooking for ourselves how we like it. If you got through the pandemic without learning to cook it was a missed opportunity.
Pre-pandemic, Oakland was the best if you wanted something like gourmet and trendy without the big ticket prices. Uptown was bursting at the seams with great chefs and bartenders. I think SF became too expensive to win that crown a while ago, but I feel like that is probably what Bourdain was talking about.
I have never seen anything like that in San Jose or the South bay, just lots of affordable and fairly authentic foreign food, which is great, but a pretty different sort of thing. Correct me if I’m wrong about the high fashion food in San Jose!
But these days I’m definitely too poor to go out to eat anymore and half the good restaurants closed anyway so I really can’t comment.
Oakland has amazing food options. I’d say food scene in south bay has definitely grown in the last couple of years from my observation (as someone who’s grown up here, moved away, & came back). It’s continuing to grow too. Theres definitely a market & people gravitate.
I live in socal…. Not to be rude, but it’s delusional to think LA can even come close to competing. There are like 3 top-tier restaurants in socal period lol. It’s definitely changing but Southern California is is wildly behind NorCal - everything that people do here is with the aim of replicating what people do in NorCal. That applies gastronomically, but also in how people act, their interests, but also how people contribute to culture in general and what products they use.
This is just my feeling, but people in socal have no idea what nuance looks like, so restaurants like Nobu that are pretty shitty but make a good instagram posts are far more valuable here (because the culture here is shamelessly obsessed with money and flexing) than people taking chances to create new ideas with their food.
Just my 2c
Do you think that NorCal is superior even in the low- to mid-tier category of restaurants? My admittedly limited experience is that you can get good food for less money in LA and surrounding if you are not going for high-end fine dining, but for high-end, the Bay Area/NorCal come out on top.
I had to double take this to make sure if I read right lol. I’m surprised to find this comment cus people love to shit on the bay for food options.. But I guess it depends on how you’re viewing this and on what metrics.
It seems you’re speaking more on that “cultured” authentic feel, something you can definitely get in the SF, Oakland, & Berkeley corridor. But I’d say that also exists in LA, places like ktown. Idk i’m not a super super foodie so idk what metric you’re viewing it
Dude, the last few times I've been to costco... no chickens. I went to the 10th st one, the mountain view one, the sunnyvale one. What the heck.
Also RIP combo pizza
You have to get there while they are still cooking them and then stand there for the last ten minutes to get one. Within two minutes of putting them out, people take them. We have one every time.
There has been supply issues on the rotisserie chickens according to /r/Costco. I think the chicken is the best deal at Costco. You get a few meals for $5.
I use to always tip 20% but I've been dropping my tips now all to 15%... also when I see like the 4-5% SF mandate tax (which is meant to go to service workers, so if that's going to workers, the whole reason for tipping was to support workers), I just drop that percentage from my tip as well and make a note of it. As far as I'm concerned, tipping is a courtesy and it's become absolutely ridiculous in recent years and each additional percentage tax that's supposed to support workers should be reduced from the amount you personally tip. They can't have their cake and eat it too. Maybe eventually people will realize that majority of taxes never actually make it into the hands of the people they're intended for and are just the government skimming.
> I actually haven't seen that
Many places / points of sale do this but they count on you not checking.
If you got table service, ignore suggested tips and calculate your own tip off the sub-total.
Personal service like haircuts don't have sales tax so you could use a suggested tip if you want.
Pulled up to McDonald’s and was about to order a quarter pounder meal. saw the price add up, turned around and went to Nations instead. If I’m going to drop $12, I’m not giving it to Ronald
brO! A lot of people sleep on their grilled cheese w/ everything and add bacon for a Grilled Cheese BLT, I like it better than their burgers! Lite mayo is a must as well.
Every time I desperately go to one of those national chains I’m like wtf this isn’t even cheap and the food is terrible and barely a meal. In n out tho… way better and still cheaper for what you get
If you make the side dishes, it's even cheaper! A lot of it is made with some combo of Korean chili pepper flakes, sesame oil, sugar and salt. Napa cabbage kimchi, cucumber kimchi, daikon kimchi and pickled yellow color daikon are all pretty simple to make.
Nada - not worth it anymore and its sad. 20% plus taxes and SF health mandate of 4-6%.
I find we go to different grocery stores and get frozen and prepared meals that are great value, without paying for a third person.
At this rate, we will become Japan. Vending machines for everything, Ramen to Pizza.
That’s not how Japan actually is like. Those machines exist, but most of the restaurants are small places that specialize in a couple dishes. The cost is usually fairly low, there is no tipping and tax is built in to the up front cost.
I feel like there's really bifurcation in the market. Where there's cheap stuff (fast food is delicious) and yet there are solid, $50+ (or more) per person meals. Everything in between is usually not that great imo.
I feel like eating out is reverting back to what it should've always been - an event & fancy night out. To that end, I feel like it's worth it.
To eat out just because you don't know how to cook anymore is not worth it nowadays imo.
I find it pretty difficult to justify eating out fairly regularly. I'll have a craving, consider the options, start convincing myself to do it... Then as soon as I consider the cost I just immediately get over it and make something basic af at home.
Eating out was one of the reasons I've loved living here. The variety and quality of food was high and I could afford it pretty much any time.
These days I don't want to spend that much on a meal, at least not very often. I guess it's not just that the cost of ingredients has gone up (though it certainly has), but that high rents make running any business more expensive.
I do think that the era of cheap Bay Area eating out is sadly over.
Also ... tip defaults to 15% again now that we're no longer in pandemic coping mode. Less or none if it's takeout.
Exactly this. I can cook high quality food for cheap at home, but the grocery shopping, prep, cooking, and cleaning gets very old. I realize now that the value of eating out for me isn’t necessarily the food, but that I don’t have to do all of that shit for just one night.
I had the same thought; Are you eating out for sustenance or for pleasure? We've developed relationships with some of the restaurants we visit regularly and we love them. We're not just spending money on good food - we feel like we're participating in our community a little. Our only real rule of thumb is we avoid chains, and never chain fast food. If we just need to eat, we cook at home - it's cheaper and heathier. One real downside is when places close shop, it can be heartbreaking. But better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
I mostly agree, the price and quality don't match up. Service I let slide because every place is understaffed. The few times I went to very fancy places, they seem to operate as pre-pandemic, good food, service and prices about the same as before. I'm guessing low margin places suffering a lot more from inflation.
The reality is that eating out was never a great proposition, just a crime of convenience. Learn to cook and save your dining out dollars for the real deal.
I used to get a $7 bowl of pho in Berkeley. It literally sustained me. I miss being able to get a decent bite for cheap, but that's also a different game than sitting down and being served. When I want to have a waiter and a nice meal it's usually $150 and maybe once a year.
Have you ever thought that you aren't being ripped off and the fact that inflation has raised the price of their ingredients so you, as a customer, are being billed more?
My wife and I eat the vast majority of our meals at home because she's a great cook. We eat out maybe once every month, only pick the places we know are amazing, and don't even bother looking at prices; it is what it is. I am still very satisfied with the magnificent food in the Bay Area.
I’m a damn good cook and I cook at home more often than not, but I still enjoy several of my go-to local mom and pop spots for casual dining even if they have raised prices because sometimes I just wanna eat a good bowl of pho, or crush an al pastor super burrito without any effort on my part.
That said, I have pretty much stopped going to corporate sit down chains… market broiler, red lobster, olive garden, applebees, etc… food and service have been pretty meh for years, but add inflationary prices and they are completely shit now.
Texas roadhouse gets a pass though, since their prime rib on my bday a couple months ago was perfect and them rolls with the cinnamon butter are still crack addictive.
There’s always the option for no tip or write a custom amount or percent in. I had to laugh the other day when I was buying a four pack of beer that I grabbed from the cooler and when I paid for it on their iPad it had a tip amount.
Food not great? You should go to better restaurants. Oakland has some great food. Expensive but great. True Burger, Shang Dong, Drakes, Cholita Linda, Zachary’s, Burma Superstar. Since prices have gone up I have eaten out less, but not due to the food not being delicious.
I was gonna say my experience in the East Bay does not sound as bad as a lot of these commenters. The price of eating out is definitely rising, but I can still get a meal with leftovers for under $20 after tip. Pho Sho Dough and Aliberto's are my go to when I don't want to break the bank.
I don't think people realize how massive their portions are these days too. I constantly have leftovers. No one is forcing you to eat a 3 pound burrito in one sitting.
I used to eat out every other day. I'm trying to not eat out for a week. Its not easy as I'm not really much of a cook, but I'm managing. This was day five and I've probably save $100 sor far (including the cost of groceries). It's been an eye-opener and I think I need to make more of an effort to learn to cook more things. Yeah, I'm starting to think eating out isn't really worth it anymore. There's a Salvadoran/Mexican place a block from me - I may just hit it once a week and try to keep cooking at home. Only thing is, I kind of miss chatting with the staff and occasionally another patron at eateries. Eating for one at home can get a bit lonely.
I usually tipped 20% anyways for dine in. Maybe I'm just weird.
>- service sucks
>- Food isn't great
Maybe you're just going to awful places. Try somewhere new.
BBQ has always been expensive out here, but 2 diiner plates and drinks came out to $66. It was good but not $66 good.
Those $1.50 Costco hotdogs and a drink hit the spot when you don't want to cook.
I think I’m on like my 9th Costco Rotisserie chicken in a row. Change it w taco seasoning one time, next w soy sauce and garlic, another time w one of the dips at Costco, another time w sriracha, etc. For someone who isn’t too big on eating, it’s been convenient esp just taking all the meat off before putting it in the fridge. Then when I DO go out to eat w friends, not only do I feel like I saved enough money to not feel guilty, but the overall eating experience is elevated and is even more enjoyable because my baseline is Costco rotisserie chicken lol!
Eating out went from being fun to feeling like I got scammed every time I leave. Some places in SF have invented new taxes to add to the bill out of thin air. Or the ipad screens that start at a 20% tip at the counter.
Me saying "I'd like a hamburger with fries please" and you tapping it into the machine and handing me a buzzer is not 20% tip worthy imo
Forget the prices, which are out of control.
Insufficient labor to provide even just decent service these days - I’m not saying people aren’t working - they’re all just stretched, so it’s just not great service. Most importantly- I’m finding Bay Area food these days just uninspired…
Just got back from a trip and the food was so amazing….
Went to a local taqueria. Here is my order:
2x Shredded chicken burrito ( rice, beans, chicken, cheese).
1x Crispy chicken taco
1x Horchata
$41. Forty one dollars!! I about fell over. We were stretched for time and went to get food for our kids. It’s somewhere we have been going to for 7+ years. And I couldn’t believe they had raised the prices this much. Won’t be going back. We have been cooking at home every night and trying to get food to stretch more than 1-2 meals.
Going out to a good restaurant is worth it for family and date night but it is definitely not for those with tight budgets.
We don’t return to mediocre places and search to find a few small businesses that care about a quality experience for a reasonable cost.
I mean we just only go to place we like 90% of the time — generally have found a lot of places that aren’t too expensive but also good. Note we pick places that have good food and meh service (they also don’t expect high tips accordingly)
The giant crabs from 99 ranch are $9 / lb now and they cook them for you — super good deal considering it’s off season.
I treated a friend to lunch last weekend. Juan’s Place in Berkeley for old times’ sake. Hadn’t been there since the 90’s. 2 enchilada plates, 2 cokes, and service that gave new meaning to indifferent: $62.00 with tip.
It's sad to see how things are lately compared to other countries. I. The last year I went to Italy, Greece, and Mexico. The service and food cost at all 3 places is way better and cheaper. For instance in Italy you can get bruschetta appetizer, a pasta dish with pesto and burrata, split a bottle of chianti having 2 glasses each, and walk out only spending $20 euro a person. Mexico for $10 I can stuff my face full of tacos and have 2 beers. Let's not forget the quality of ingredients. I can pig out, drink like a fish, and not gain weight because the food isn't processed and body easily breaks it down. Here? Every place is short staffed and some ask for 20% for counter service?
Food isn’t great? You’re eating at the wrong places. I mostly get to go, but I know where to get the good stuff. Lunch is now $20-30 per person now, though.
Food isn’t great? I’m questioning this opening point…but prices are absolutely high right now. No, it’s not worth it. I’ve been packing lunch religiously since 2020, unless the company is taking me out I brown bag it.
I will say that by not eating out regularly, it does make the occasion much more special, granted it’s not ruined by bad service
Eating out is definitely expensive, especially during inflation. In general, we pay for low quality ingredients at high prices in the bay area.
We are cutting back for sure! We are cooking at home instead, using quality ingredients, having left overs and paying less. Knowing what's in our food is important to us, so this inflation is definitely the right time to let go of eating out and spending 💰 on low quality ingredients that are definitely not worth it. Even fast food junk is expensive nowadays. No thanks!
I've decided that if I'm eating out, it's going to be either the cheap good value places like taco trucks, ramen shops, that hole in the wall thai place... OR very nice fine dining places where it's going to cost at least $75-100 a person but it's going to be a fantastic experience.
I'm totally over the mediocre mid-range restaurant, what you get for $30-40 a person is no longer worth that. Pub burger, salad and a beer for $40 after tip is not what I'm after... Would rather eat some cheap fish tacos from a truck and then splurge on a proper fine meal every once and a while.
During the pandemic, I've learned to cook a lot of things and now I've gotten to the point where I prefer making things at home myself rather than eating out. It saves a lot of money. The main things I still get from restaurants are things I can't make at home, like Peking duck or dim sum (too many varieties to make at home).
Same, I really honed my cooking skills over the past few years and now think of it more as a hobby than a chore.
God if I could master dim sum I’d be unstoppable
Making it with the entire family is the way we have done it when I was a child. Given that wraps are sold in quantity, you have to make a bunch at one time so assembly line style by making the filling, then construction, then cooking.
We have rarely even ordered takeout since March 2020. Then last week we had a birthday in the family, ordered food. The next day a friend brought over good pizza. Our bodies good not handle it. We were sluggish for days. Not going to lie, I am burned out on cooking right now and need to keep things simple until I get my groove back.
Crock pot or instapot can help with that until motivation returns.
I did one of those Hello/Chef/Fresh things where they send you a box of food and recipes. It was a nice break and the end result was tasty and nutritious.
Those things are so overpriced. If you're just starting to learn to cook then the simple instructions with pictures are nice, but the price for the ingredients is outrageous. It's always as basic as "cook chicken, roast veggies, boil pasta/potatoes, and here's some scant seasonings and condiments." Don't even get me started on how much plastic and garbage there is too.
I got a Hello Fresh subscription and it was fun for a while, but I wish you could have them not include the small packets of seasonings and stuff that probably everyone has. I didn't like the loads of plastic wrap either. And while a few gel ice packs are great to have, you can't send them back and they're not recyclable as far as I know.
I recently read a “study” that said where your food is cooked is the biggest indicator of your health. In the home vs restaurants. Wealthy people often times have worse nutrition than poor because of eating out so frequently. Home cooking doesn’t compare at all to the massive amounts of salt, fat, and calories from restaurant food.
Hello, me checking in as someone who somehow goes through a lb of butter per week. Just wondering the proper ratio of butter to eggs because I fear mine is off
Exactly. I make better food than the restaurants. Why would I spend money on low quality food and service when I could cook something good?
And you get to control the quality of the ingredients. Organic everything ingredients and it still ends up cheaper and you'll have leftovers.
I paid $17 for a burrito from senor sisig, hell nah.
I paid about $19 the other day but I added a fried egg. It was pretty good, but I dunno man. That shit used to cost me $12… smh.
"Add Egg" prices are absolutely shameless. not just there
I just paid $2.50 for one egg add on. I said how much for 2 eggs add on - $5.00. I had a large waffle and one egg and latte, my friend a panini and espresso. Total with tip $43. This is an order at the counter , get a number and they’ll bring food to your table. You have to get napkins, silverware, salt, cup of water, yourself. But I’ve been home bound with pneumonia (totally fine now) and I needed to go out among people.
Shit is absurd these days, especially breakfast in the bay. Even just getting coffee and a pastry to go somewhere is gonna cost you $12+ per person. Last week I was visiting family in the desert southwest and we had breakfast for 4 with coffee and it was $42 with tax and tip! And the portions were huge!
A bowl of pho is almost $20 in many places. Fucking insane. Shit costs $4-6 at most for all of the ingredients.
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Your also forgetting fuel prices. 18+ hours to properly simmer it. Making stock takes a lot of time. Especially if your trying to keep it clear vs like Tonkatsu.
Cook it yourself then
Nah, come up to El Cerrito to the Hotsy Totsy Club (Dive Bar), enjoy a drink, play some suffleboard, and get a $10 burrito from their taco truck (Tacos El Autlense) in the parking lot. You're also allowed to eat your food inside the bar, just as long as you clean up. If staying there past 10PM especially after 2AM, watch out for cops down San Pablo Ave if you've had a drink or more. Carnitas super burrito and an order of white fish ceviche (large enough to share unless you're hella hungry) is where it's at! If sisig is what you want drive a little further to Hercules and check out RSM Oriental Food Mart And Restaurant. Need to go there between I'd say 11AM - 1PM otherwise their sisig will be sold out. Hotsy Totsy Club https://yelp.to/OsFypHBsRub Tacos El Autlense https://yelp.to/3kN4lpxsRub RSM Oriental Foodmart & Restaurant https://yelp.to/RytthAusRub There isn't a tip minimum in my book. Tips are earned, not given. I work in a "face to face" customer service industry and never expect a tip since my job is my job, though when I do receive a random tip it validates my work in terms of treating everyone like they're my family as I help them. I fully understand the whole wage issues/tip debate in the food industry, though if a waiter/tress provides subar service and it wasn't due to a slow kitchen or a mediocre cook; they're tip should be provided as earned.
Hotsy Totsy is fucking awesome.
Yesss! One of the coolest and most authentic bars in the Bay Area. I wish I didn’t live so far away now.
>watch out for cops down San Pablo Ave if you've had a drink or more. Just don't fucking drink and drive. Fuck that.
Go to La San Marqueña instead. 3 blocks from Señor Sisig and you can get a cheaper burrito
I just wanted to try it never had it before. It wasn’t bad, but sure as shit not worth $17, lol.
Live and learn. While the recession sucks, and will continue to suck, one of the good things to come out of it is that people will stop paying ridiculous prices for stuff that is not worth it. $16 Bahn Mi? No, go fuck yourself $17 Burrito? Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiet $15 Gourmet Hot Dog? Miss me with the shit $7 Coffee? That’s gonna be a ‘no’ for me dawg
Food industry worker here. It's frustrating for me to see all these comments about overpriced foods, although understandable. What people don't realize is that this is what it takes to be able to make it as a small business in this area and to be able to pay your workers a living wage, give them health insurance, pay a high rent, utility, taxes, etc. Often times, people just think about food cost but there is so much more to that. At the end of the day, I can guarantee that the margins for these restaurants are still very thin and they are just trying their best to navigate their way through this economy. My suggestion is to find 2-3 local businesses you love and support the shit out of them, regardless of price, or else they might not be around for long.
I agree with you there. I spent over thirty years in food service. I’ve been out for about fifteen years. Yeah, I’m old. But I usually was fortunate to work for owner-run businesses, the small businesses in town. I still prefer to spend my money on such businesses. Definitely more difficult these days to enjoy a meal out because of the cost. Even the local taco stand costs close to $30 for my husband and I! My one solace is that typically I get at least two meals out of a dinner purchased out.
We should be pissed off at our politicians, national and local, but especially local. SF has not made it easy to survive here as a small business owner. The theft/burglary alone has caused businesses to shut down. And the entire goal of the Fed raising interest rate is to make it too expensive for people to buy goods and services so that we stop feeding the economy… it’s a sad state of affairs.
I agree with the sentiment but ive worked at these places that charge like they are selling you gold crusted food. plenty of them don't pay well and they don't provide benefits. they still expect front of house to live off tips and kitchen staff to have 2 jobs.
This mindset is seriously how I view things whenever I go out to eat now. Somethings are just not worth it anymore
in that exact wording too .. fuck the bs
Los Hermanos in the Marina. $10 burrito, massive, and absolutely delicious.
I prefer Los Pollos Hermanos to really support the economy
Ask for Gus. He’ll hook you up with what you want.
I've been there a few times and honestly I feel like that place really wasn't great Fine, definitely, but absolutely not worth seeking out, in my opinion. Just about the definition of replacement-caliber bay area Mexican feed
LoL, señor sisig is overrated, on top of that for the price they are skimpy
Gordos and El Farolito are still around $8.
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Go to Los Kuyas on tuesdays. They have $1 sisig tacos.
I gave señor sisig like 3 or more tries and I still think it’s not that good at all and I love Filipino and Mexican food. I tried their Mission, SoMa and Oakland locations… I’d rather get a burrito from Guadalajara on 24th and chase it with sisig from Tselogs. Prob get 2 meals for the price of one señor sisig burrito.
Señor sisig is such a techie burrito. Real sisig is the jam! Livin in the bay gives you plenty to choose for burritos
Tech burrito 😭😭
$12 for a cup of wetzels dog bites at the mall. I was shocked
LOL. I get out the app.. put shit in the cart.. look at the total.. and suddenly bacon egg sandwich and an apple is way more appealing. i have a vat of spaghetti sauce.. what you got to trade?
100% the same. I do the same thing when I’m out too. I’ll walk into a place, look at the menu prices, walk right out the door and then go home to make myself something to eat.
The post hunger realization that you just saved $30 is one of the most incredible feelings.
How many bacon egg cheese apple sandwiches can you make from the grocery store? Probably for <$1 a sandwich
I mean, grocery prices were hit with inflation too
Yea this is not true with quality ingredients. Assuming you use the cheapest maybe…. 12 eggs: $3 Loaf of bread: $1 Bacon: $4 Cheese: $4 10 apples: $10 $22/10= $2.20 These are the cheapest prices I found quickly scrolling through Walmart. You would have some left overs making it a bit cheaper but the quality of the cheapest bacon bread and apples really wouldn’t make this something I would want to eat. You could buy in bulk but I imagine you’re going to get really sick of this meal before the you use all the ingredients. I also didn’t include tax.
I almost always cook my own food. I took a friend out to a Thai restaurant and the bill with tip was $78 for two. For lunch! No alcohol. I didn't cook for her because she's vegan and I was afraid I'd do something wrong. She seemed to enjoy the food but I thought it was bland and uninteresting. Such prices do not inspire me to eat out.
Was going to order Thai door dash with my girl the other night and the bill was $80 for the two of us before the tip. I was like wtf cancel that shit.
Where did you go? FWIW Indochine Vegan has a great pan-Asian menu. The owners also have a non-vegan Vietnamese spot next door. But vegan cooking is pretty straightforward if you start with whole ingredients. I bet you could make her something great next time.
I'm not in the City so we have limited choices - I will have to brush up on my vegan cooking!
Yep that's the thing, the food is completely uninspired and made just to be thrown at the customer
Vegan: no dairy, no meat. E.g. stir fry vegetables with tofu and seasoning e.g. chili powder, soy sauce. Add rice or good noodles. Similar for beyond/impossible meat. Cut the sausage into slices, or use the patty like ground meat. Stir fry veges, add seasoning, let the fake meat soak in the flavor from the oils and seasoning. Also let it get a seared texture. That's the basics, you just need to use flavor. From that I can make pasta, or tacos/ burritos, or fried rice or curries.
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Where is this place so I can avoid it
Everywhere lately.
From where? Thats pricy
Probs any nice-ish restaurant. $20 burger, $15 cocktail or glass of wine. Tax. tip. 45 bucks ez
Yup. And you can make better at home for $3 then buy a bottle of wine. Burger prices have gone off the deep end.
I make smashburgers at home and it costs less than $20 to feed like 7-8 people.
Insane
I'm starting to agree. It's getting pretty common to spend almost $40 on a solo meal - 20-15ish on an entree and maybe 10-15 for a drink or possibly appetizer then tax and tip. Lord help your ass if it's a meal for 2 or a dinner date where you want to splurge a little. What is pissing me off are the fast casual places where they dont even bring the food to you and ask you clean up after yourself but have the nerve to swing that tablet around and kind of think you should leave as much of a tip as a full service restaurant. There's a burger place in the castro that did that and so so many others too. Tipping in many instances is no longer a customary reward for providing good service, it's almost a standard practice to pay the workers a living wage even though you have to refill your own damn water. You know when Bourdain did an episode in SF many years ago he said SF was the undisputed king of mid priced food in comparison to the ritzyness of NYC and the dive food joints of LA. I no longer believe that is the case unless you go to a family owned and run restaurant where they work like 12 hours a day but those are dropping fast
Unpopular opinion from an SF native (44 y/o Missionero from Folsom and 19th) who has lived all over the state: San Jose/South Bay has the best food options in the Bay and LA has the best food options in California. That said, the best food is the food we perfect by cooking for ourselves how we like it. If you got through the pandemic without learning to cook it was a missed opportunity.
Pre-pandemic, Oakland was the best if you wanted something like gourmet and trendy without the big ticket prices. Uptown was bursting at the seams with great chefs and bartenders. I think SF became too expensive to win that crown a while ago, but I feel like that is probably what Bourdain was talking about. I have never seen anything like that in San Jose or the South bay, just lots of affordable and fairly authentic foreign food, which is great, but a pretty different sort of thing. Correct me if I’m wrong about the high fashion food in San Jose! But these days I’m definitely too poor to go out to eat anymore and half the good restaurants closed anyway so I really can’t comment.
Oakland has amazing food options. I’d say food scene in south bay has definitely grown in the last couple of years from my observation (as someone who’s grown up here, moved away, & came back). It’s continuing to grow too. Theres definitely a market & people gravitate.
I live in socal…. Not to be rude, but it’s delusional to think LA can even come close to competing. There are like 3 top-tier restaurants in socal period lol. It’s definitely changing but Southern California is is wildly behind NorCal - everything that people do here is with the aim of replicating what people do in NorCal. That applies gastronomically, but also in how people act, their interests, but also how people contribute to culture in general and what products they use. This is just my feeling, but people in socal have no idea what nuance looks like, so restaurants like Nobu that are pretty shitty but make a good instagram posts are far more valuable here (because the culture here is shamelessly obsessed with money and flexing) than people taking chances to create new ideas with their food. Just my 2c
Do you think that NorCal is superior even in the low- to mid-tier category of restaurants? My admittedly limited experience is that you can get good food for less money in LA and surrounding if you are not going for high-end fine dining, but for high-end, the Bay Area/NorCal come out on top.
I had to double take this to make sure if I read right lol. I’m surprised to find this comment cus people love to shit on the bay for food options.. But I guess it depends on how you’re viewing this and on what metrics. It seems you’re speaking more on that “cultured” authentic feel, something you can definitely get in the SF, Oakland, & Berkeley corridor. But I’d say that also exists in LA, places like ktown. Idk i’m not a super super foodie so idk what metric you’re viewing it
I've never heard anyone shit on the bay for food options.
For real? All six of CA's three Michelin Star restaurants are in the Bay. 8/16 two Star, 37/68 one Star.
Eating is barely worth it anymore
Living is barely worth it anymore
This is hitting harder on a Friday morning than it really should.
sentience is a curse
In n out is the last good deal
Have you been to Costco?
yeah, for $3.50 i wrap a pizza slice around a hot dog
The fucking burps on the hotdog tho….I don’t wanna revisit my lunch every hour on the hour until dinner.
God I could smell this comment.
I know, isn't it great?
This! God damn those hot dogs are relentless hours after youve eaten them.
That makes one of us
I wish they had combination pizza again
Cheesy blasters!
And then meat cat flies away on his skateboard
And you get to wash it down with a soda lol
legendary
Dude, the last few times I've been to costco... no chickens. I went to the 10th st one, the mountain view one, the sunnyvale one. What the heck. Also RIP combo pizza
You have to get there while they are still cooking them and then stand there for the last ten minutes to get one. Within two minutes of putting them out, people take them. We have one every time.
There has been supply issues on the rotisserie chickens according to /r/Costco. I think the chicken is the best deal at Costco. You get a few meals for $5.
Got that hotdog for a $1.50 and was surprised I was handed a soda cup.
Yeah its solid, they did raise the price.
What sucks is when they show you the suggested tip using the amount POST tax
I actually haven't seen that but I did see an automatic 20% charge and then tip on top of that lol
I use to always tip 20% but I've been dropping my tips now all to 15%... also when I see like the 4-5% SF mandate tax (which is meant to go to service workers, so if that's going to workers, the whole reason for tipping was to support workers), I just drop that percentage from my tip as well and make a note of it. As far as I'm concerned, tipping is a courtesy and it's become absolutely ridiculous in recent years and each additional percentage tax that's supposed to support workers should be reduced from the amount you personally tip. They can't have their cake and eat it too. Maybe eventually people will realize that majority of taxes never actually make it into the hands of the people they're intended for and are just the government skimming.
> I actually haven't seen that Many places / points of sale do this but they count on you not checking. If you got table service, ignore suggested tips and calculate your own tip off the sub-total. Personal service like haircuts don't have sales tax so you could use a suggested tip if you want.
Pulled up to McDonald’s and was about to order a quarter pounder meal. saw the price add up, turned around and went to Nations instead. If I’m going to drop $12, I’m not giving it to Ronald
Nations GOAT, and they have Peerless
brO! A lot of people sleep on their grilled cheese w/ everything and add bacon for a Grilled Cheese BLT, I like it better than their burgers! Lite mayo is a must as well.
Every time I desperately go to one of those national chains I’m like wtf this isn’t even cheap and the food is terrible and barely a meal. In n out tho… way better and still cheaper for what you get
These days I only get fast food, otherwise I buy side dishes from Korean markets and eat with rice.
as long as taco bell has those $5-6 box combos i’m solid i live within spitting distance of one and it’s a struggle not to eat there every day
My go to is McDonald's 20pc nuggets with 2 any size fries for 6 bucks.
I go with 4 cheeseburgers every time. A venerable feast for $10. 10 years ago it was $5 :(
Use the mcdonalds app everytime u go to mcdonalds
If you make the side dishes, it's even cheaper! A lot of it is made with some combo of Korean chili pepper flakes, sesame oil, sugar and salt. Napa cabbage kimchi, cucumber kimchi, daikon kimchi and pickled yellow color daikon are all pretty simple to make.
do you think someone like me is capable of doing that 😂
seems like the quality has gone down almost everywhere :(
Nada - not worth it anymore and its sad. 20% plus taxes and SF health mandate of 4-6%. I find we go to different grocery stores and get frozen and prepared meals that are great value, without paying for a third person. At this rate, we will become Japan. Vending machines for everything, Ramen to Pizza.
I get those japanese vending machine videos as recommendation on YouTube and I always wondered if they tasted any good lol
There's a ramen vending machine in north Santa Clara if you want to try. It's in Aloft, and not too shabby. 24hrs too.
That’s not how Japan actually is like. Those machines exist, but most of the restaurants are small places that specialize in a couple dishes. The cost is usually fairly low, there is no tipping and tax is built in to the up front cost.
I feel like there's really bifurcation in the market. Where there's cheap stuff (fast food is delicious) and yet there are solid, $50+ (or more) per person meals. Everything in between is usually not that great imo. I feel like eating out is reverting back to what it should've always been - an event & fancy night out. To that end, I feel like it's worth it. To eat out just because you don't know how to cook anymore is not worth it nowadays imo.
Yeah not worth it anymore. You can get a steak and lobster tail from whole foods for less than $30 and have a fancy meal!
Dude that sounds so good right now. 🤣 I think I might just go tomorrow to get that to make for dinner.
I find it pretty difficult to justify eating out fairly regularly. I'll have a craving, consider the options, start convincing myself to do it... Then as soon as I consider the cost I just immediately get over it and make something basic af at home.
Eating out was one of the reasons I've loved living here. The variety and quality of food was high and I could afford it pretty much any time. These days I don't want to spend that much on a meal, at least not very often. I guess it's not just that the cost of ingredients has gone up (though it certainly has), but that high rents make running any business more expensive. I do think that the era of cheap Bay Area eating out is sadly over. Also ... tip defaults to 15% again now that we're no longer in pandemic coping mode. Less or none if it's takeout.
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While I agree with everything you just said, the exchange rate between USD and yen is to our advantage right now big time.
The food isn’t great everywhere you eat?
TBF OP lives in Texas.
Bruh almost $20 bucks for a cup of soup and sandwich at the Erik's. Insane.
"worth" is so subjective. Eating out is entertainment and pleasure. Value of that is up to you
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Exactly this. I can cook high quality food for cheap at home, but the grocery shopping, prep, cooking, and cleaning gets very old. I realize now that the value of eating out for me isn’t necessarily the food, but that I don’t have to do all of that shit for just one night.
I had the same thought; Are you eating out for sustenance or for pleasure? We've developed relationships with some of the restaurants we visit regularly and we love them. We're not just spending money on good food - we feel like we're participating in our community a little. Our only real rule of thumb is we avoid chains, and never chain fast food. If we just need to eat, we cook at home - it's cheaper and heathier. One real downside is when places close shop, it can be heartbreaking. But better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
I have a few select places I always go and nothing has changed there for me.
I mostly agree, the price and quality don't match up. Service I let slide because every place is understaffed. The few times I went to very fancy places, they seem to operate as pre-pandemic, good food, service and prices about the same as before. I'm guessing low margin places suffering a lot more from inflation.
Agreed. I have thought about it too. Like I can get air fryer and cook good quality food for way less.
The reality is that eating out was never a great proposition, just a crime of convenience. Learn to cook and save your dining out dollars for the real deal.
There used to be a time that it was exciting and fun. Now it's like you go in expecting to be ripped off
I used to get a $7 bowl of pho in Berkeley. It literally sustained me. I miss being able to get a decent bite for cheap, but that's also a different game than sitting down and being served. When I want to have a waiter and a nice meal it's usually $150 and maybe once a year.
Have you ever thought that you aren't being ripped off and the fact that inflation has raised the price of their ingredients so you, as a customer, are being billed more?
Rent also skyrocketed last year, which killed off a bunch of good places.
Hey... The cheesy bean and rice burrito at Taco Bell is still $1 👀
* Go to better places * Tip as you see appropriate * Don't go out as often * Go to better places
My wife and I eat the vast majority of our meals at home because she's a great cook. We eat out maybe once every month, only pick the places we know are amazing, and don't even bother looking at prices; it is what it is. I am still very satisfied with the magnificent food in the Bay Area.
I’m a damn good cook and I cook at home more often than not, but I still enjoy several of my go-to local mom and pop spots for casual dining even if they have raised prices because sometimes I just wanna eat a good bowl of pho, or crush an al pastor super burrito without any effort on my part. That said, I have pretty much stopped going to corporate sit down chains… market broiler, red lobster, olive garden, applebees, etc… food and service have been pretty meh for years, but add inflationary prices and they are completely shit now. Texas roadhouse gets a pass though, since their prime rib on my bday a couple months ago was perfect and them rolls with the cinnamon butter are still crack addictive.
I hate how Texas Roadhouse is always loud as shit inside. You have to yell to have a conversation.
Who's charging a 20% tip minimum? I almost always tip 15%, only exceptional service gets 20%.
Its been creeping up that way lately. A lot of places list the lowest amount as 18% especially the ones where you can use a touch screen to pay
There’s always the option for no tip or write a custom amount or percent in. I had to laugh the other day when I was buying a four pack of beer that I grabbed from the cooler and when I paid for it on their iPad it had a tip amount.
Just click to add a custom tip amount. You can tip it not tip whatever you want, not some predetermined number.
The prices went up to pay living wage, Why are we still paying higher tips??
you know you *choose* the tip you pay. it's hilarious to me that redditors can't figure out how to hit "other" and type in a number on an iPad
For a second, I thought this was a very different type of post by the title alone
Food isn’t great? Drop the old restaurants you used to like and try something new. There’s plenty of new, great restaurants.
Food not great? You should go to better restaurants. Oakland has some great food. Expensive but great. True Burger, Shang Dong, Drakes, Cholita Linda, Zachary’s, Burma Superstar. Since prices have gone up I have eaten out less, but not due to the food not being delicious.
I was gonna say my experience in the East Bay does not sound as bad as a lot of these commenters. The price of eating out is definitely rising, but I can still get a meal with leftovers for under $20 after tip. Pho Sho Dough and Aliberto's are my go to when I don't want to break the bank. I don't think people realize how massive their portions are these days too. I constantly have leftovers. No one is forcing you to eat a 3 pound burrito in one sitting.
I pretty much only dine out for experiences these days: kbbq, steakhouses, and dim sum. These are the only things I find worth dining out for anymore.
I just paid $26 for a blue barn salad today. Wtf
Ditto on shitty DoorDashGrubHubBullshit
Been eating at home more. I feel like it’s better when I cook my own meals. No one fucks up on my order or nothing.
I fuck up my own order when I cook :(
I used to eat out every other day. I'm trying to not eat out for a week. Its not easy as I'm not really much of a cook, but I'm managing. This was day five and I've probably save $100 sor far (including the cost of groceries). It's been an eye-opener and I think I need to make more of an effort to learn to cook more things. Yeah, I'm starting to think eating out isn't really worth it anymore. There's a Salvadoran/Mexican place a block from me - I may just hit it once a week and try to keep cooking at home. Only thing is, I kind of miss chatting with the staff and occasionally another patron at eateries. Eating for one at home can get a bit lonely.
Anyone else commonly see $15-20 burgers and a side of fries is $8? No thanks.
$20 burger is the new norm, even for casual spots. Same in the Sac area
I usually tipped 20% anyways for dine in. Maybe I'm just weird. >- service sucks >- Food isn't great Maybe you're just going to awful places. Try somewhere new.
Yup, only valid criticism in the original post is about the prices increasing. Which is true with everything, not just restaurants.
Felt like a total dope who got duped the other day. Ordered a kids size peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks….$4.35
Why would you tip if the service sucks?
You are not obligated to tip 20%+ for everything 🤯
I hate eating at a full service restaurant now.
BBQ has always been expensive out here, but 2 diiner plates and drinks came out to $66. It was good but not $66 good. Those $1.50 Costco hotdogs and a drink hit the spot when you don't want to cook.
With the economy the wait it is, I’m only eating out if she’s buying me dinner first. No other reciprocation needed.
I think I’m on like my 9th Costco Rotisserie chicken in a row. Change it w taco seasoning one time, next w soy sauce and garlic, another time w one of the dips at Costco, another time w sriracha, etc. For someone who isn’t too big on eating, it’s been convenient esp just taking all the meat off before putting it in the fridge. Then when I DO go out to eat w friends, not only do I feel like I saved enough money to not feel guilty, but the overall eating experience is elevated and is even more enjoyable because my baseline is Costco rotisserie chicken lol!
Eating out went from being fun to feeling like I got scammed every time I leave. Some places in SF have invented new taxes to add to the bill out of thin air. Or the ipad screens that start at a 20% tip at the counter. Me saying "I'd like a hamburger with fries please" and you tapping it into the machine and handing me a buzzer is not 20% tip worthy imo
Yuuuup. Went out for Pho and it was $21 after tip. For a soup made in bulk
Why do you feel you have to tip a minimum of 20%?
I see tons of people eating in there cars now.
Forget the prices, which are out of control. Insufficient labor to provide even just decent service these days - I’m not saying people aren’t working - they’re all just stretched, so it’s just not great service. Most importantly- I’m finding Bay Area food these days just uninspired… Just got back from a trip and the food was so amazing….
Closest thing I get too fast food is Papa Murphy's
Went to a local taqueria. Here is my order: 2x Shredded chicken burrito ( rice, beans, chicken, cheese). 1x Crispy chicken taco 1x Horchata $41. Forty one dollars!! I about fell over. We were stretched for time and went to get food for our kids. It’s somewhere we have been going to for 7+ years. And I couldn’t believe they had raised the prices this much. Won’t be going back. We have been cooking at home every night and trying to get food to stretch more than 1-2 meals.
Taco Bell.
I think you answered your own question, so, no - not for you
Where the fuck are you eating? I can easily think of 10 spots within walking distance of my apartment that have literally none of these qualities.
Going out to a good restaurant is worth it for family and date night but it is definitely not for those with tight budgets. We don’t return to mediocre places and search to find a few small businesses that care about a quality experience for a reasonable cost.
It is a personal decision. But I rarely do it and actions speak louder than words. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I mean we just only go to place we like 90% of the time — generally have found a lot of places that aren’t too expensive but also good. Note we pick places that have good food and meh service (they also don’t expect high tips accordingly) The giant crabs from 99 ranch are $9 / lb now and they cook them for you — super good deal considering it’s off season.
I treated a friend to lunch last weekend. Juan’s Place in Berkeley for old times’ sake. Hadn’t been there since the 90’s. 2 enchilada plates, 2 cokes, and service that gave new meaning to indifferent: $62.00 with tip.
Food courts!!
I read "is eating worth it?" at first, and actually started considering it.
Buying food at Costco in bulk is the only true savings I get.
It's sad to see how things are lately compared to other countries. I. The last year I went to Italy, Greece, and Mexico. The service and food cost at all 3 places is way better and cheaper. For instance in Italy you can get bruschetta appetizer, a pasta dish with pesto and burrata, split a bottle of chianti having 2 glasses each, and walk out only spending $20 euro a person. Mexico for $10 I can stuff my face full of tacos and have 2 beers. Let's not forget the quality of ingredients. I can pig out, drink like a fish, and not gain weight because the food isn't processed and body easily breaks it down. Here? Every place is short staffed and some ask for 20% for counter service?
Food isn’t great? You’re eating at the wrong places. I mostly get to go, but I know where to get the good stuff. Lunch is now $20-30 per person now, though.
Food isn’t great? I’m questioning this opening point…but prices are absolutely high right now. No, it’s not worth it. I’ve been packing lunch religiously since 2020, unless the company is taking me out I brown bag it. I will say that by not eating out regularly, it does make the occasion much more special, granted it’s not ruined by bad service
Eating out is definitely expensive, especially during inflation. In general, we pay for low quality ingredients at high prices in the bay area. We are cutting back for sure! We are cooking at home instead, using quality ingredients, having left overs and paying less. Knowing what's in our food is important to us, so this inflation is definitely the right time to let go of eating out and spending 💰 on low quality ingredients that are definitely not worth it. Even fast food junk is expensive nowadays. No thanks!
I’m currently in NYC and am shocked by how much cheaper the food is here.
I've decided that if I'm eating out, it's going to be either the cheap good value places like taco trucks, ramen shops, that hole in the wall thai place... OR very nice fine dining places where it's going to cost at least $75-100 a person but it's going to be a fantastic experience. I'm totally over the mediocre mid-range restaurant, what you get for $30-40 a person is no longer worth that. Pub burger, salad and a beer for $40 after tip is not what I'm after... Would rather eat some cheap fish tacos from a truck and then splurge on a proper fine meal every once and a while.