Going out to eat, price or food quality wins?

Z

ZZman

Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
8,376
Location
Michigan
Was talking to a co worker and he was telling me some of the expensive restaurants he has went to that had excellent food. When he told me what the bills were I about died. I will always pick average food for a reasonable price then excellent food for an expensive price.

How about you?
 
Quality. To a point.

When my wife and I go out it's usually a date night. We are willing to try new places but we have a benchmark here where we go and it's always good, it's usually around $150 with tip, little more if we get drinks, so if we estimate that some place is going to be significantly more than that we may not even give it a try because we know what we can get and it's going to be good.

We just had lunch at a place last week, it was fine, nothing spectacular, but lunch was $75 and it didn't feel we got $75 worth. So we won't be going back.
 
I can cook amazing food at home, if I go out it is for a couple reasons.

#1 - I will pay a higher price if the quality exceeds what I can do at home, or the effort needed to cook it at home. Give me something I can't make or do, and I will pay for it. This along with ambiance is worth paying for. I would rather pay a higher price for quality and atmosphere, or just grab a Subway to fill the hole.

#2 - I'm feeding a crowd - pay enough to make everybody happy (taking my extended family or friends out for dinner, taking my work team out, etc,)
 
My wife and I never eat at "fancy" restaurants. If we have a bill over $60 I'm not happy. It all comes out the same so as long as I like the taste food is food.

In my opinion price and food quality aren't always linked. Sometimes you're paying for the name or the setting.
 
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We splurge a few times a year, birthdays, anniversary, vacation etc. Quality is always important to us no matter the price. In these times, a dinner for two at Outback will end up costing $75 easily.
 
I like to cook at home because it's higher quality meats. My wife and I as well as about 5 other couples did a corvette run to a small town about 35 miles away for a visitation for a member who passed. On the way back we stopped at a small town and they had a 6 oz fillet, foil wrapped baked potato, hot fresh bread, and salad for only $12.95. Of course they make their money on the alcohol but a dinner for two with a tip was only $46.00. IMO that's a pretty decent midpoint meal with a little atmosphere. The place was very nice and clean and remodeled. I have a Yoder pellet smoker and I love to smoke meats. My wife's favorite is fillet mignon and I usually just buy a whole one for over $100 and cut it up myself. I don't need a huge steak and 6 ounces of meat each is plenty for one serving.
 
This is an interesting one....I've found that most favorites from 2019, are no longer. Prices super jacked, and portions smaller.

BUT.

Oddly, we've found 2 restaurants that are really good and it's as if the pandemic never happened. Prices like 2019, portions large, food good. Why? I'm not in the business I can't say.

Even my favorite cheesesteak place of all time? Inflation hit them, and they give less meat. Even 2021, you get their cheesesteak and you ask, how come the beef is overflowing like that, it's too much. It was as I say because Yelp has pics....
 
I went out to lunch with a friend at a BBQ restaurant a while back. I don't mind paying for good food, but with the tip, it cost us over $90 for a rib lunch platter. That's with no alcohol involved. We were 2 of 6 people in the place. I can't see how working people can afford to go out to lunch with prices like that.,,
 
I was searching online for crabcakes in MD, and I am ok with admitting it's no longer something that I can afford. And according to the powers that be, I'm rich and need to pay my fair share, that's not true hahahahahaha
 
Hate bad food and bad service if going out - and going out which is not that often these days. In the heady Eighties, I used to take aspiring dates to fine restaurants Like Chameleon's Racquetball Club in NH or Cherrystone's when heading towards Boston. But the tab with a good bottle was usually under 100. Now I find a bad beer pull can ruin a good meal or a good beer pull (a nice local unfiltered IPA) can save a mediocre one.

Always quality - except sometimes a group of use guys we would hit this particular Italian restaurant, Jilly's in North Andover, that had huge portions and the food was a notch or two better than a good local Greek or Italian sub shop. I would get a side of meatballs ( two baseball sized lumps in an oval plate floating on a ladle of red gravy) and a Baked Ziti which was served in a large oven-hot oval serving plate covered in melting mozzerella - good for a family of four. I would eat it all.

I would not be happy or accepting a tab much over $100 for two - still to this day.
 
Zee09 said:
I get mad if I don't get Chinese food because it is yummy 😋😋
Seriously I don't like trying new much. Try to stick with the same places and if it has a mandatory dress code. Not interested.
Click to expand...

Definitely need to ask, where is your preferred Chinese place? We've been preferring the one in Rising Sun lately, Johnnies in Perryville is good but $$$

John105 said:
I was searching online for crabcakes in MD, and I am ok with admitting it's no longer something that I can afford. And according to the powers that be, I'm rich and need to pay my fair share, that's not true hahahahahaha
Click to expand...

Other Marylander's tend to want to hang me when I say this....

The best crab cake I've ever had is from a place in Pennsylvania.
 
Food quality and atmosphere are equal to me. We eat out a lot, more than three times a week, and I like a quiet and warmly decorated environment as opposed to a bright, busy and noisy place. Price is not an issue unless it's stupid, like the $68 steak I saw on a menu in Charleston last week. I had a glass of house Pinot Noir ($18!) and left.
 
racer12306 said:
Definitely need to ask, where is your preferred Chinese place? We've been preferring the one in Rising Sun lately, Johnnies in Perryville is good but $$$



Other Marylander's tend to want to hang me when I say this....

The best crab cake I've ever had is from a place in Pennsylvania.
Click to expand...
For crab cakes we would stop at a place called G&M. It's looking like a single crab cake is about $28. That's too rich for my blood.

Our Story | G&M Crabcakes

At G&M, every lump crab cake counts. Our focus on ingredients and quality is what makes us who we are - and it’s what makes our fans keep coming back for more.
gandmcrabcakes.com gandmcrabcakes.com

btw this is our favorite Chinese in the Phila. area.

www.handynasty.net

Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty opened its doors in 2007 as a Mother-Son restaurant bringing Sichuan style spice to the American audience. We've grown to 10 locations across Philadelphia and NYC.
www.handynasty.net www.handynasty.net

Why I think they are no joke, they have locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and expanding with 3 more locations.

Ok, cat's out of the bag. The prices are too low, and the portions are too big. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!! :ROFLMAO:
 
racer12306 said:
Definitely need to ask, where is your preferred Chinese place? We've been preferring the one in Rising Sun lately, Johnnies in Perryville is good but $$$



Other Marylander's tend to want to hang me when I say this....

The best crab cake I've ever had is from a place in Pennsylvania.
Click to expand...
Rising Sun eh...I am there every morning and Oxford in the afternoon. I graduated from RSHS.. in the day.
The Chinese food was a skit on @AutoMechanic lol

You talking next to Pizza Boy for the Chinese? You know I think the best takeout is Newark shopping center the one on New London road. New #1 below.
PA. Crab cakes I bet. The local MD. ones don't thrill me either
Florida has some of the worst bland seafood ever.. they don't know how to cook it...


417 New London Rd, Newark, DE 19711
 
I like a decent quality to cost ratio, so fast food burger combos are now out at $12-15 each, which is probably a good thing anyways...
We don't eat out much though, my wife can make most things as well as the $40-50-60 a plate places and I can grill meat well enough, so if we want a half fancy meal, we'll just make it.
Fresh asparagus from the garden, oven roasted potatoes, and pork loin chops on the grill with some reasonable wine is well under $30 for 4 of us to eat, not $130 at a restaurant.
 
John105 said:
For crab cakes we would stop at a place called G&M. It's looking like a single crab cake is about $28. That's too rich for my blood.

btw this is our favorite Chinese in the Phila. area.

Why I think they are no joke, they have locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and expanding with 3 more locations.

Ok, cat's out of the bag. The prices are too low, and the portions are too big. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!! :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
G&M is a fine crab cake and it's what most Baltimoreans hold in the highest of regard. I've just had better lol and it's in the same price point. If you get a lb of lump crab (or claw if that is your preference) from the grocery store, find a packet of this: McCormick Old Bay Crab Cake mix. Makes a pretty good crab cake at home.

Zee09 said:
Rising Sun eh...I am there every morning and Oxford in the afternoon. I graduated from RSHS.. in the day.
The Chinese food was a skit on @AutoMechanic lol

You talking next to Pizza Boy for the Chinese? You know I think the best takeout is Newark shopping center the one on New London road. New #1 below.
PA. Crab cakes I bet. The local MD. ones don't thrill me either
Florida has some of the worst bland seafood ever.. they don't know how to cook it...


417 New London Rd, Newark, DE 19711
Click to expand...

Ahh, I missed the joke :D

I mentioned in another thread, I'm "around the corner" from you. I'm sure not many people know of Fair Hill, unless they're into horses ha. Yes, next to Pizza Boy, Lee's Wok.

I'll have to give New #1 a try. Little far away for carry out to home.
 
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