Flat rate restaurant dining prices?

9

97prizm

Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
4,886
Location
USA
Hello All,

Has anyone here participated in a flat rate restaurant Dinner? Recently ( It's gone up) I was able to get a great sense of one of my locally owned restaurants which I've dined at a few times. I received, a salad Pomegranate with a Vinagriette ,a soup, and and Entree (somewhat customizable) plus dessert for $60 USD now $75 USD. What is everyone's opinion?
 
97prizm said:
Hello All,

Has anyone here participated in a flat rate restaurant Dinner? Recently ( It's gone up) I was able to get a great sense of one of my locally owned restaurants which I've dined at a few times. I received, a salad Pomegranate with a Vinagriette ,a soup, and and Entree (somewhat customizable) plus dessert for $60 USD now $75 USD. What is everyone's opinion?
Click to expand...
Inflation diesel went up. The cost must be passed down to you. It has too
 
The descriptions of everything in the first post were incomplete.

Is the service anything to speak of (ergo, pay for)?
What's the food quality?
Is this a "tip included" price?
The 3 course dinner you mentioned did seem to more resemble a lunch.

"Dinners" disappeared from menus a long time ago (in my travels, anyway).

"Prix Fix" dinners may also be gone. They were selected, highlighted offerings at many restaurants designed to simplify choosing.

A favorite of mine was the "$5.95" to "$7.95" dinners in a diner. You got a main course, a starch, 2 veggies and bread/roll too.
The entre' was usually one of the all time faves....meatloaf, a fish dish, turkey, a stuffed cabbage dish, pot roast.......good stuff.

Come to a NJ BYOB and you'll never be happy anywhere else again.
 
Last edited:
I guess i don't understand what a "flat rate" dinner is? You pay and get what they give you? Like pot luck?

Nonetheless its been a very long time since i spent $75.00 on one meal, in fact 4 (5 if you could the 3 year old) ate for not much more than that a few weeks ago,

But to answer your question - obviously i have not participated in a flat rate dinner at a restaurant...
 
97prizm said:
Has anyone here participated in a flat rate restaurant Dinner?
Click to expand...
We have a few venues in our area that offer several choices of entrées as well as side dishes, desserts, bread, drinks etc for a set price, plus local musicians who entertain on a stage as patrons dine, typically in a large rural barn type setting with a country store. Think, a locally owned Cracker Barrel with live music and a buffet setup. Cost is typically around $25 to $30 each and the few I’ve patronized were always packed and the food was actually above average. Just simple all you can eat country cooking and entertainment but enjoyable. Soup, salad and an entrée at $75 bucks seems a bit rich for what sounds like a lunch.
 
atikovi said:
Think he means, all-you-can-eat.
Click to expand...
I think he means prix fixe.

A prix fixe (a French term meaning “fixed price”) is a menu that offers a full meal at a set rate. Typically, that means diners get three courses consisting of an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Diners choose from multiple options for each of the three courses, but the price remains the same no matter the selection.

Restaurant costs have gone way up. Food costs are up. Labor costs are up. Quality waiters/waitresses aren't working for peanuts in high quality restaurants.
 
Leo99 said:
I think he means prix fixe.

A prix fixe (a French term meaning “fixed price”) is a menu that offers a full meal at a set rate. Typically, that means diners get three courses consisting of an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Diners choose from multiple options for each of the three courses, but the price remains the same no matter the selection.

Restaurant costs have gone way up. Food costs are up. Labor costs are up. Quality waiters/waitresses aren't working for peanuts in high quality restaurants.
Click to expand...
Agreed, from the OPs' description its a prix fixe and not a smorgasbord. 75 bucks is not a bad price for that usually its a lot more, the "tasting menu" usually starts around $50 around here..
 
I would rather use my hard earned money for something other than expensive restaurant food. I love eating good foods however my wife and I consider cooking and smoking meats a fun hobby and would rather enjoy making our own meals. OP it appears for a $60 meal for one you could go to 95% of the nice restaurants where I live and select from the menu. My wife and I go to a local dinner theatre and it cost $75 each for the live theatre plus a nice steak, soup, salad, and dessert. I do have friends that eat out almost every day.
 
We need more detail on the entree. If it’s a prime steak then your price isn’t bad. If it’s spaghetti, it’s a ripoff.

Going out to eat isn’t a good value, it’s an experience and that’s why it costs more than making it yourself. I love going out to eat with friends or just my wife and having some drinks and trying new places. I fully realize I could make dinner at home for much less and we do that often as well.
 
I'd say that's VERY expensive. I just went to a Steak house with my brother and his wife. I had 8 oz Filet, brother and SIL split a prime rib each meal with two sides. Wife had 1/2 rack of ribs and a ceasar salad. Two glasses of wine, two Margaritas, and two beers. Total $110.00 dollars!
SIL left the tip....nice!
 
So it is like a Fancy meat and 3?

Im just an ol country boy but i can get out of J alexanders for like 50 bucks a head and golden coral you could do what at least 3 times on 75 bucks...
 
DuckRyder said:
I guess i don't understand what a "flat rate" dinner is? You pay and get what they give you? Like pot luck?

Nonetheless its been a very long time since i spent $75.00 on one meal, in fact 4 (5 if you could the 3 year old) ate for not much more than that a few weeks ago,

But to answer your question - obviously i have not participated in a flat rate dinner at a restaurant...
Click to expand...

I don’t think the reference is to any kind of all you can eat setup. Of course the hoist toity phrase is “prix fixe”, which really only means fixed price. There’s a seminal restaurant near me where it’s just a single available meal at a fixed price. They have two parts where a less formal cafe occasionally had a prix fixe meal, but mostly it’s a la carte.

As for all you can eat, obviously buffets come to mind. However, I’ve been to restaurants where one has to order from a server every time. One time my family went to a sushi restaurant with “all you can eat” price. But not exactly, as they had a limit of 3 on any particular item on their menu. I also went to one where one had to sit at the bar and order straight from the chef. And he recommended getting in their most expensive item before the hour was up. I don’t think they were that strict on counting the hour though.
 
gman2304 said:
We have a few venues in our area that offer several choices of entrées as well as side dishes, desserts, bread, drinks etc for a set price, plus local musicians who entertain on a stage as patrons dine, typically in a large rural barn type setting with a country store. Think, a locally owned Cracker Barrel with live music and a buffet setup. Cost is typically around $25 to $30 each and the few I’ve patronized were always packed and the food was actually above average. Just simple all you can eat country cooking and entertainment but enjoyable. Soup, salad and an entrée at $75 bucks seems a bit rich for what sounds like a lunch.
Click to expand...
Some folks have lots of moo-lah

OP doesn't list his/her location. If that $75 meal is on the left coast, it would be $35-40 here. My lady friend and I had a nice early dinner the other night, at a well respected semi upscale seafood grill and we BOTH ate very well for $60 total.
 
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