Paying More for the Same Meal
Going to a restaurant is a lovely treat for the whole family. Unfortunately, though, it’s gotten considerably more expensive over the years. Meals for everyone can set you back literally hundreds of dollars if you’re not careful. What happened? Well, some food simply became harder to get hold of. Let’s take a look at what’s more expensive now.
Grilled Lobster
Lobsters have a reputation for being a “rich people food”, even though they started off being eaten by the most humble in society. Now, they’ll have a serious impact on your wallet. Lobster prices have shot up thanks to overfishing concerns and labor shortages in the seafood industry.
Sushi
There’s nothing like a delicious plate of sushi, and it’s good for you as well. Unfortunately, though, you simply can’t afford to eat sushi every time you go out anymore. Fish are more expensive than ever due to overfishing and global shipping costs.
Beef Short Ribs
Beef short ribs used to be cheap once upon a time. But no more. They became trendy, more and more people demanded them, and prices went up. Now beef short ribs at a restaurant will really hit you in the wallet, especially if they’re slathered in sauce.
Scallops
Sea scallops are harder to harvest sustainably, and chefs usually sear them perfectly with butter, wine, or even bacon accents, adding to the cost. Many people think it’s not worth paying through the nose for scallops, since they’re small.
Roasted Bone Marrow
In the distant past, bone marrow was all that some peasants could get. All the rest of the animal had been eaten, after all! But now times have changed. Sourcing quality marrow bones isn’t cheap, and that’s why the meal costs so much.
Lamb Chops
Lamb chops were long considered a cheap sort of meal, but they’re really not anymore. Lamb isn’t raised very much in the United States, so much of it is imported, and with that comes a high price tag. That’s not even counting the expensive spices and herbs that go into it.
Filet Mignon
You could buy a fancy watch or you could buy a filet mignon, you decide. At least, that’s what it feels like at times. Cattle feed prices and processing costs have shot up, and all that cost gets passed on to you, the consumer. Sorry!
Duck À L’Orange
One of the classiest meals a person could have when going out… but with classiness comes a high price tag. Duck is more expensive to raise than chicken, and supply chain hiccups haven’t helped. Even the orange glaze is made with imported fruit and is thus expensive.
Truffle Mac and Cheese
This was a very exciting dish for those who crave the comfort of mac and cheese but want something fancier thrown in there. But unfortunately, it’s just so expensive. Truffles are very hard to get hold of, so they’re a food exclusively for the rich now.
Sea Bass
Many people find sea bass delicious, but then they go out for some and realize how high the prices have gotten. Sea bass has been overfished, making it harder to source sustainably, and then there’s the cost of international shipping. Sadly, when it comes to cost, this meal rates a C.
Oysters
You can blame climate change for oysters being more expensive than they used to be. Rising ocean temperatures and pollution have hit oyster farms hard, leaving farmers with no choice but to raise their prices. It’s a shame.
Foie Gras
Foie gras is a deeply controversial dish, as it’s made from force-feeding a duck or chicken. Some people claim to be able to provide it ethically, but can they, really? All that controversy comes with a high price tag, so you can expect it to hit you right in the wallet.
Wagyu Beef Burger
There’s no McDonalds here – a Wagyu beef burger is fancy food. And it comes to us all the way from Japan, which means high shipping costs, and that’s not even getting into how much it is to raise the cattle. Wagyu beef burgers are great, but you almost certainly can’t afford one every day.
Cioppino
This hearty seafood stew is delicious - but not cheap. It's loaded with shrimp, scallops, crab, mussels, and sometimes lobster. And all of those things come with a high price tag now due to overfishing. Sorry, seafood lovers, but it’s just not a good time for you right now.
King Crab Legs
If you want to make people think you’re super rich, order king crab legs at a restaurant. Limited harvesting seasons, strict quotas on fishing, and climate change impacts on crab populations have pushed prices sky-high.
Tuna Tartare
Many people love tuna, but they may be better off making their own tuna dishes at home rather than going to a restaurant. High-grade tuna is expensive due to sustainability issues and limited supply, and the cost gets passed along to you.
Branzino
You may have noticed that seafood prices especially have skyrocketed, and unfortunately there’s very little the average person can do about this. Branzino is mostly imported from Europe, and shipping costs add up. So it might be one to avoid if you’re watching your wallet.
Duck Confit
Duck confit is a duck cooked in its own fat, and that’s a cooking technique that costs money. Ducks also take a long time to raise, so demand is high and supply is low. Restaurants sometimes serve this dish with wild mushrooms, making it cost even more.
Avocado Toast
Avocado toast is another one that started off as a regular person’s cheap meal, and then suddenly rich people started eating it, making prices soar. They are climate issues and labor issues when it comes to harvesting avocados, and that makes the meal more expensive.
Caviar
Caviar is considered the rich people food to end all rich people food, and many a person has ordered it off the menu purely to prove how fancy they are. With sturgeon populations dwindling, the price of caviar is only set to rise and rise unfortunately.
Octopus
They are many schools of thought that say people shouldn’t eat octopus, they’re just too intelligent to be used as food. But if you do want to eat one, be prepared to be hit in the wallet. They’re expensive to harvest and difficult to prepare.
Veal Chop
Veal is another controversial meat, since it’s made from young cattle. But plenty of people like it – maybe too many, since high demand is another reason for the high price tag. Farming cattle is expensive, and the cost goes back to you.
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich
People find soft shell crab sandwiches delicious, but then they see the price tag and change their minds about getting one. Soft shell crabs have a super short season, and demand is sky-high when they’re available, making the price of them sky-high.
Bouillabaisse
Another expensive seafood dish, and another example of a humble food gradually becoming the domain of fine dining. With the prices of all seafood rising due to climate change and overfishing, it may be best to avoid bouillabaisse altogether.
Lobster Risotto
Lobster risotto is another expensive lobster dish. It combines two premium items: lobster and arborio rice, and it’s difficult to make. The restaurant buys the ingredients and hires a good chef to combine them, and all those costs go back to you.
Rack of Lamb
Lamb is just expensive, there’s no getting around it. And a rack of lamb is difficult to prepare, only the best chefs can do it. So unfortunately, it’s another dish that ordinary people have simply been priced out of.
Sea Urchin Pasta
This type of pasta has become a trendy favorite at upscale seafood spots, but sea urchin isn’t cheap. It’s harvested by hand and has a short shelf life, so it’s always going to be expensive. Bad news for people who love it, but it may be one to avoid in the future.
Surf and Turf
Remember the days when you could go out for steak and lobster and it wouldn’t put you back all that much? Yeah, those days are over now. With beef and lobster prices both climbing high, restaurants charge through the nose to put them side-by-side.
Black Cod
Yep, another seafood recipe that the average person wouldn’t be able to order in a restaurant. Black cod is considered delicious by a lot of people, but it’s also very hard to catch sustainably, and thus prices are getting higher and higher. Maybe this is another one you should avoid, especially if you’re trying to eat in a more environmentally-friendly way.
Porcini Mushroom Risotto
Porcini are a particular type of mushroom that are considered absolutely delicious, but are very hard to harvest. They can also be imported, which drives the cost up even higher. Plus, porcini mushroom risotto sometimes also contains truffle oil, and you already know how expensive that stuff is.
Bison Burger
Bison burgers are another specialty meat that will hit you right in the wallet. The demand for bison burgers is high, as many people think it’s healthier than beef burgers, and yet bison are hard to raise. It’s no wonder restaurants charge such a high price for them.
Peking Duck
Peking duck is a very hard meal to make, and requires a skilled chef. And those skilled chefs cost a lot of money. Plus, ducks are hard to raise, much harder than chickens. If you’re trying to save money, it’s probably best to stay away from duck as a meal.
Crab Cakes
The price of crab is shooting up due to overfishing, and that’s not good news for crab lovers. Even a single crab cake at a restaurant will set you back a lot of money. And overfishing is a problem that unfortunately doesn’t have a good solution yet.
Stuffed Quail
Quail is small but mighty expensive. It’s not widely farmed, and prepping it with stuffing - often wild rice, foie gras, or dried fruits - requires time. And you always have to pay a lot of money for things that take time.
Lobster Benedict
The price of eggs has skyrocketed recently, and thus so has the price of lobster benedict. Don’t forget, lobsters are also expensive due to overfishing and the labor required to fish them in the first place. This is a dish many people simply cannot afford anymore.
