S/O Typical eating out bill

[velochic]

The eating out thread got me thinking.  One post mentioned $150 for dinner for 2, one mentioned $20 for 4 people.  Obviously different families have different ways of eating out, but I was curious what people get for the various prices in different areas.  I'm especially curious about eating less expensively at places that serve food made with good, non-processed ingredients at lower prices.  I have a hard time finding places like that around here.

I live in a low COL area of the midwest.  We don't eat fast food at all.  We rarely eat at chains, but if we do, it's usually a rib place (Logan's Roadhouse) or steak place (Outback Steakhouse) where you can order something that has to be fresh.  So, we are picky about where we eat out, but I'm wondering if we are typical or not.

For a typical ethnic meal, let's say Indian, we get a lot more bang for our buck.  For $50 for the three of us we'll get:

- samosas

- pakoras

- 3 mains and rice (my mother won't eat Indian, so it's just the 3 of us)

- papadum

- bottle of wine

- lassi for the kiddo

- naan

- mango ice cream for dessert

- leftovers to take home

However, if we go to the locally owned steakhouse or seafood place, we usually end up paying about $100 - $150 and get:

- one shared appetizer

- salad (eta:  usually charged separately like the veg)

- 4 mains, sometimes with one shared (Dd doesn't order the processed food off of the kid's menu)

- vegetables that are charged separately

- one glass of wine each

- water for the kiddo

- bread

- no leftovers

What are your typical meals out and what do you pay for them for how many people in your general area (and are you in a low COL or high COL area?)

Edited by velochic - 1/8/11 at 7:27am

[mommariffic]

I live in a HCOL (right outside Manhattan) and so when we do eat out it can get pricey but it all depends on where we go

Our local diner can be a $15 (that includes tip) breakfast for DD and I, we get:

Two platters of eggs, bacon, hash browns, 2 juices, and a coffee for me 

If we go to a fancy dinner place (just an example) we may get: 

Two appetizers to share

Two main courses

Small side of something for DD

Wine and sometimes a soda for me

Milk for DD

Dessert 

The total can be anywhere from 80-200 bucks depending again, on where we go. 

[ChristyMarie]

We live in a fairly high COL area, especially for dining.  Plus, we're very picky about where we eat.  We rarely go to any chain type places.

Breakfast at a diner type place for 4 is usually $35-60.  That's each of us getting a drink and a meal.

Dinner for 4 of us at a local kid-friendly place is usually $60-120.  That's usually non-alcoholic drinks, full meal and maybe 1-2 desserts.

Dinner out for DH and I which would include appetizers, entree, drinks is usually $150-250.

Special dinner out for DH and I for a tasting menu type place with alcohol is usually $350-1000.

ETA: Ordering pizza is usually $25-40.

[spedteacher30]

We live in a college town so we have a lot of options that are locally owned and not that expensive. Our town is also known for being extremely foodie, so we have a lot of fine dining options as well. Typically, we do less expensive options, and usually get dinner for all three of us for under $40 or $50 including tax and tip.

Even when we have a date night, we tend to go cheap (my partner had weight loss surgery a few years ago, so she really can't enjoy the foodie experience anymore) and rarely spend more than $50-$60 for the two of us, often a lot less. My partner doesn't drink, so I will sometimes have a drink, and we usually share one dessert, or stop for ice cream or a brownie after dinner. I do love nice meals, so I can't wait for my BFF to be fully employed again so we can go out for nice meals again!!

[velochic]

Originally Posted by ChristyMarie 

ETA: Ordering pizza is usually $25-40.

I forgot about pizza.  Yeah, we get our pizza from a non-chain gourmet pizza and a typical large is about $25.  That's actually enough for all of us, though.

I wonder what people pay for pizza night, because that can get pricey, too.

[ChristyMarie]

Originally Posted by velochic 

Originally Posted by ChristyMarie 

ETA: Ordering pizza is usually $25-40.

I forgot about pizza.  Yeah, we get our pizza from a non-chain gourmet pizza and a typical large is about $25.  That's actually enough for all of us, though.

I wonder what people pay for pizza night, because that can get pricey, too.

Well, a large is technically enough for all of us.  But we don't all want the same thing so we usually get 1 large and 1 small or 2 mediums.  Then we have leftovers though.  The upper end of $40 is if we end up getting stuffed - because it is more expensive and because then we need a thin crust for DS.
 

[enkmom]

We live in a low cost of living area, but we don't have any ethnic restaurants other than Mexican or Chinese.  Mexican is our cheapest option - 4 orders of fajitas or similar and a beverage each runs about $35.  Chinese is slightly more expensive.  For Italian we have a Fazolis or an authentic Italian restaurant where 4 pasta dishes, salads, and beverages costs about $100.  If we had wine it would be a minimum of $8/glass, and desert is about the same.

We can get steak dinners (with salad, potato, roll and beverages) for about $65 for our family of 4, but my husband grills better steaks at home.  We almost never eat breakfast out but most entrees are under $6 each.

Our best pizza place  (not a chain) runs half price pizza specials on Mondays and Tuesdays.  A large, 2 topping pizza is $8 on those nights.  Even with a $5 tip for the delivery driver it is an awesome deal.  We only order pizza on half price pizza night.

[tinuviel_k]

I live in a medium COL area. For a breakfast out we usually end up spending $25 for three breakfasts and a drink or two. For a dinner out we tend to wind up in the $35 range for two meals including tip (I usually share with my daughter). It might go upward to $50 if we get beverages and dessert.

[GirlBoyGirl]

When DH and I go out we spend no more than $25 (including tip). We never get apps or dessert and usually order water. The average amount we spend, including tip is about $18 or so. Our fave place to eat is a local mexican place and we can get a lot of food for about $15 including tip. I would never dream of spending $100!!! Even if the bill got close to $30 I would stress!

[Ola_]

It depends on where we go: local sushi restaurant is around $50, indian take out is $20-30, vietnamese is usually around $20.  This is for two adults.  There are cheaper alternatives to some of these but we stick with the ones we trust as others have either given us an upset stomach in the past or had food code violations (yuck!).  Someone asked about pizza, we rarely get it but when we do it runs about $15 for two large ones, it's a chain place and we go pick it up (it's two blocks from our house).

[HeatherAtHome]

Prices in Canadian for a low cost of living area:

If we're going out for something quick, we stop at a chain or small diner/restaurant which would cost us from $7-12/person. 

If we're going out for a nicer meal, it costs $12-20/person (depending on what's ordered off the menu). 

The past couple years, our old standby is the HUGE buffet restaurant that just came to town. It's beautiful inside, has fabulous food and great staff. During the week, lunch is $10/person, Saturday nights it's $16 (before tax etc) but they have an extra section open where they serve you specially cooked/roasted meats and will flambé/prepare food in front of you. 

The most expensive restaurant DH and I have been to cost $60+ for the two of us, for salad, main, dessert and coffee. Not extravagant by some standards, but I felt bad spending so much when we could get an equally good meal for less. (Mine was to die for but DH didn't like his dish)

We do have upscale restaurants in our area that probably cost as much as some quoted (except the $1000 meal, I can't imagine!) we just don't go there. We couldn't. I wouldn't be able to enjoy something I had to spend to much on. 

Pizza costs about $30 for a 16" unless you get the cardboard type 2 for 1 deals from the chain restaurants. 

It varies, but in a year we probably eat 12-15 fast food meals together, 3-6 nice meals. 

[Sativarain1]

My favorite places to buy food are locally owned places. I usually buy two meals and split with the kids, and an appetizer to share. The bill is never more than $25-$30

[annethcz]

I will start by saying that we used to eat out more often, but that we've intentionally cut back in order to save more money.  It also seemed silly to me to go out to eat at the occasional chain, and allow my kids to order crappy, overpriced food off the kids' menu that I would never dream of serving them at home. 

I'd say that we go out perhaps? once a month as a family, and DH and I go out to eat alone a few times/month.  This past year when we went out as a family we either went to a pizza buffet (about $60 for our family of 6) or to a locally owned Mexican place (about $80 for our family of 6, including a drink or two for both DH and I).  As for when DH and I go out, the cost varies tremendously.  If we meet for a lunch date, we could spend $15 at a sort of fast food Greek place (2 gyro lunch specials), or $30 for gourmet pizza (2 drinks and 2 small pizzas), or $40 for a nice sit down lunch (2 entrees and 2 drinks).  We also run the gamut for for dinner.  For a casual dinner DH and I will go to the local dive bar for burgers, fries and beer, and spend $20.  For a mid-range dinner we'll go to the above-mentioned Mexican place and spend $40-50 on 2 entrees, a couple of drinks, and maybe a dessert for DH.  For special meals we're likely to go to our favorite Greek/Mediterranean place (complete with belly dancers) and spend $100-150, which would include 2 entrees, a bottle (maybe 2) of wine, dessert and coffee.  I think the most we've ever spent on a dinner was $220 for our 10th anniversary. 

[StephandOwen]

An average dinner out for dh, ds and myself is probably around $40, including tip. When dh and I go out for a date it can be $60-100. We just got married and our dinner that night at one of the nicest restaurants on that island was about $300 and included 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, 1 glass of wine, a large bottle of water and 2 mixed drinks for me. The best dinner ever!

[sunflower.mama]

We live in a high COL suburb.  We don't eat out because we don't enjoy it with 3 small kids.  Once a year we'll leave them with family for our anniversary and spend $150.  I like to cook so eating out always "feels" like a waste to me when I realize what I could cook with the $.  Hopefully as we age and our budget expands I will be able to enjoy it more.

Pizza night got a whole lot better around here because a gourmet Italian place started offering takeout pizza for $5 per large cheese.  We get 2 for $10 and there's dinner and leftovers.  Big deal around these parts as you can't even buy frozen at grocery store for those prices.  It's so popular you have to call several hours in advance.  I am happy to do so!  So now we have pizza night once a week.  We didn't when it was $25 plus.

[nolansmummy]

We live in a fairly Low COL in a college town. There are a ton of great local places to eat here, and if we decide to go out we know that there will be at least a 50$ bill. That is only if we are not eating an appetizer, or a desert, or getting drinks. Usually though, we plan to spend at least 100$ for a family of four. For pizza its usually 30$ or less. If we want cheap pizza we go to CICIs on kids night.

[matey]

I can't imagine spending such huge amounts to go out to eat. Every once in the while we get the urge to go out. When we finish our meal both DH and I feel we have eaten too much and ds has always picked at whatever he has. Complete waste. Then we get the bill and freak out because it is almost a whole $30 and we could do SO many things with that money. All the meals it could have bought. The we swear off going out until the next time.

We went out to eat the other day with a gift card from christmas. It isn't even enjoyable with 2 kids. The only thing I ever want todo when we want to go "out" is to get thai take-out and eat it at home. That's out enough for me and super cheap with no tip. We can get thai and an app for around $15 at the take out place. My sister bought us dinner (carryout) the other day from the nicer thai place. It was $40 for 3 full meals and two appetizers. No tip since carryout.

I hate when our bill with tip hits $30. That is TOO much. But like I said, we've just about sworn off going out anyway.

[Maluhia]

I live in Australia (Western) where the COL is HIGH.  It would cost $30 to take my family DH, myself, and DD out to McDonalds.  Yeah.

[zebra15]

DS is 10 and rarely eats from the kids menu anymore. Sodas are over $2 each and since no kids meals means I have to now pay for his too... When I take DS out dinner is close to $40  $10-$15 meal, drinks, tax, tip.... it all adds up fast.  I will say I am a huge coupon fan and have been following Groupon lately.  I have been able to get that number closer to $25-30.  However we rarely go out.  My income is bare minimum  and I just cant afford it.

Even if we stop at McDonalds that is close to $15, to 'value meals' are $6-7, not much of a 'value' if you ask me.

[Drummer's Wife]

I would say a typical bill for us is around $100 - though I'm talking sit down, local good real food (as you asked, OP :D).  We are a family of 6, though.  That's what I plan on when we go out to eat at one of the places we really love around here. 

For fast food?  It's $30-40, could be less if we are talking a cheaper place and we don't get meals/kids meals - just individual items.  But even somewhere like McDonald's we tend to spend more than $30. 

Special occasions of course are a bit higher.  One of the meals we had in Denver over the holidays cost $150 - with tip, I'm a high tipper, though, and give 30%.  But that also included a couple drinks for DH and I, and it was higher priced food. 

I think for us it's just having 6 people to feed.  Now that the kids are bigger, they actually eat full meals themselves (for the most part, sometimes we go out to eat and they barely touch their food).  My DD is almost 10 and prefers ordering off the adult menu - as it's what has been offered to her lately, and she seems to refuse to go back to the kid menu. 

DH and I are planning a trip to Hawaii for our 10 yr anniversary, and were just last night budgeting for food.  It will just be the two of us, but even 10 years ago when we got married there, our meals were expensive - like $100+ for dinner, a little less for lunch.  We were trying to guess how much food prices have likely gone up at restaurants there now.