Seen some threads on food establishments cutting back. You know how it is, you go to a place you’ve been before, and the sandwich is smaller, the portions of X are smaller and they are cost cutting while charging the same damn price. I have seen it a lot and I don’t dine out frequently. Then there is dealing with the dolts who work there. Back in the day they’d make a mistake on something so simple, but were courteous and comp the meal, take care of you, etc. Well the common worker is now a millennial who doesn’t care about customer service at all.

So what to do? Don’t go there any more. When they do this and don’t cut the price, say goodbye. Instead, go to the grocery store and do it up. Get that steak, chicken, pork chop, seafood. Go home and make it how you want, and make extra for another leftover meal for the following day. To me this chinzing has become so rampant that I rarely dine out any longer. For what they charge I can make something much better at home.

The other option, skip all chains and make a list of locally owned restaurants. In my experience it’s more family friendly, and there is a vested interest by the owner of taking care of people. Locally owned restaurants are common.

The problem I think with food is the corporations, the chains, trying to squeeze every nickel they can out of the joints and make the customer pay the same damn price. I’m so hardcore now, if I’m leaving for the day I’m stocking food I made in Tupperware, enough for the whole day (I eat 6 small meals a day), and I’ll hit a gas station and use their microwave, then eat in the truck. I’m all for going out and buying a meal, but routinely it’s becoming robbery or the food just isn’t the same anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
The other option, skip all chains and make a list of locally owned restaurants. In my experience it’s more family friendly, and there is a vested interest by the owner of taking care of people. Locally owned restaurants are common.

Yep. The food and service are almost always better, and prices are rarely much more, while often being cheaper.

I don't understand why folks frequent big chain restaurants in general, and fast food chains specifically. (Especially when they then complain about the portions/quality/service/prices/etc., and yet continue to patronize them.) Those are "last resort" options for me.

Excellent advice. I may eat at the local (hate the electronic gizmo on the table) Applebees maybe once every 6 months. The small local restaurants are way better and often cheaper.
If you come up:
www.jacksonspit.com

My wife and I don't eat out often but prefer small local places. Most chains are just a little more upscale fast food to me.

quote:

Seen some threads on food establishments cutting back. You know how it is, you go to a place you’ve been before, and the sandwich is smaller, the portions of X are smaller and they are cost cutting while charging the same damn price.

The pie is only so big, and every component of a business has its slice.

You either get less, or get charged more. Those are the only two options.

That, and stop supporting constant increases on sales taxes...

With the exception if fast food, there aren’t any chain restaurants here.
There are a lot of restaurants though. Quite a few locally owned and operated and pretty great food.
Old Town Cottonwood has changed a lot and now has some pretty nice places to eat.

A trip to Sedona (15 minutes) offers a much finer dining experience.

Yeah, but everything is that way.

One of my coworkers kids is selling those "Worlds best chocolate" candy bars that we all sold for $1 when we were in school. The bar used to be really big. I mean, give a 10 year old a belly ache kind of big. Now, it's not much bigger round than a tootsie roll.

Size go down, or prices go up.

Yep, small family run restaurants. I frequent two hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants here in San Diego that serve the BEST chicken tacos. Two tacos with crispy shells, rice and beans, and delish salsa for less than $10. Carmen’s and Maritza’s. So good!

Yes, the corporations are the worst at cost cutting. Corporate totally ruined Friday's from what it was in the 1990s.

That being said I eat out because I don't feel like eating at home and/or I want to order something I can't make at home. Some dishes are more expensive to make at home because you need so many different ingredients that aren't common day and the rest end up going bad......etc.....I mostly skip restaurant chains.

We eat out often and it is almost always at locally owned restaurant. Better food, better service, and when the owner stops by your table and asks how you are doing any input you give may actually be taken seriously.

When we do go out to eat we avoid chains. My family actually prefers my cooking and I love cooking for them.

We also eat healthier that way. I can't say we save that much money eating at home... we don't skimp on food quality and it's expensive to eat healthy.

Discovered long ago, often the GPS 'Restaurants' where to search feature, lists many options. Typically we'll scan thru & pick a couple odd sounding places, only to discover they are Not Open or Not In Existence for the past few years.

My Garmin GPS was just upgraded with new data points via 'Lifetime Map Upgrade', yet we encountered another set of bogus eateries at least once a day on a week-long road trip.

What IS IT with this list?

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Yarchin:
When we do go out to eat we avoid chains. My family actually prefers my cooking and I love cooking for them.

We also eat healthier that way. I can't say we save that much money eating at home... we don't skimp on food quality and it's expensive to eat healthy.

It’s very difficult to eat healthy when you go out because you don’t know how anything is prepared. Their only goal is to make it taste good so you come back. Those green beans that you think where good for you are cooked in bacon grease, etc...

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
<snip>
Those green beans that you think where good for you are cooked in bacon grease, etc...

Bacon grease is good stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:
Discovered long ago, often the GPS 'Restaurants' where to search feature, lists many options. Typically we'll scan thru & pick a couple odd sounding places, only to discover they are Not Open or Not In Existence for the past few years.

My Garmin GPS was just upgraded with new data points via 'Lifetime Map Upgrade', yet we encountered another set of bogus eateries at least once a day on a week-long road trip.

What IS IT with this list?

I travel a lot and to a lot of different out of the way cities. I've found YELP to be the best app for finding restaurants near me. You can view them on a map or tailor the distance etc. If they have over 50 reviews and are rated well, I give them a shot and 8 out of 10 times have not been disappointed at all.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:
Discovered long ago, often the GPS 'Restaurants' where to search feature, lists many options. Typically we'll scan thru & pick a couple odd sounding places, only to discover they are Not Open or Not In Existence for the past few years.

My Garmin GPS was just upgraded with new data points via 'Lifetime Map Upgrade', yet we encountered another set of bogus eateries at least once a day on a week-long road trip.

What IS IT with this list?

Restaurants frequently close. Something like 60% of restaurants fail within the first year, and 80% fail within the first five years.

Static lists, like those loaded into a physical GPS device or a car's built-in map system, are updated infrequently.

But online map systems, like Google Maps, Yelp, etc., are updated more often, and are more likely to be accurate.

However, you'll still occasionally run into this with any map/GPS system.

 
Some chains' quality depends on the local franchisee. We have a Filibertos here in Wickenburg, and it happens to be the best Mexican food around.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:

That, and stop supporting constant increases on sales taxes...

Agree!

Florida has a 6% statewide sales tax. Counties can add a small increment to that.

I live in Seminole County (adjacent to Orlando). Couple of years ago, there was a referendum on the ballot to add a 1% county sales tax, something about supporting tourist attractions. The problem with that logic is that Seminole County is on the north side of Orlando, all the touristy things are on the south side -- Disney, Universal, Sea World, etc.

Of course, I voted against the tax, but it passed by a vote count of 27,xxx to 26,xxx.

I live almost within walking distance of the county line, so I do as much of my shopping as practical, in Orange County. My form of boycott / protest.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:

So what to do? Don’t go there any more. When they do this and don’t cut the price, say goodbye. Instead, go to the grocery store and do it up. Get that steak, chicken, pork chop, seafood. Go home and make it how you want, and make extra for another leftover meal for the following day. To me this chinzing has become so rampant that I rarely dine out any longer. For what they charge I can make something much better at home.

This is where I'm at and have been for a while.
Been on a smoking kick for a few weeks on the Weber Smokey Mountain but I know it's only gonna get colder outside and it's going to get tougher unless I move into the garage.
Still can grill also but temperature management gets tough.
I buy steaks, chicken, pork and other meat and do it myself. I can't remember the last time I ate out at a restaurant.
Plus, I think what I cook tastes better.