But, if you really want the soft drink, say yes to refills or don't be afraid to ask for a to-go cup on your way out. After all, you've paid for it. It's no secret that it often costs more to eat healthy -- fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins are more expensive than French fries or burgers.

Take a shrimp Caesar salad , for example. The restaurant buys the romaine lettuce and other ingredients in bulk, and croutons are cheap, often made from day-old bread to give them that nice crunchiness.

So, the true cost is in the seafood. It's a common perception that seafood is more of a delicacy and it's healthy, so we're willing to pay more for it. However, there's a good chance that the shrimp in a Caesar salad are not the large, high-cost Atlantic shrimp but low dollar product that's not much more expensive than chicken.

The iceberg lettuce wedge is another budget buster on the menu. In the s and 60s, people thought iceberg lettuce was suave and sophisticated so the lettuce wedge became a popular salad in restaurants. Even though it's made a comeback now, it's basically a head of lettuce that is mostly water, drizzled in ranch dressing.

For the best salad value, choose one that you couldn't create at home, with ingredients like fresh lobster or sirloin to justify the cost.

Relaxing with a glass of wine is a reason many patrons enjoy dining out, and restaurateurs enjoy you enjoying that.

And why not? The markup on wine is usually around percent, and it's not uncommon for it to be higher. How do restaurants justify that markup?

Well, a food critic for the San Francisco Chronicle said that a markup of at least 2. Also, the profit margin on wine by the glass is sometimes higher than by the bottle because the restaurant may be left with opened bottles that they have to use quickly or throw away.

For some, paying that high price to have a glass of wine is part of the package, but if you want to avoid this budget buster, see if you can bring your own wine.

Many restaurants allow this and simply charge a corkage fee. Many people order seafood in restaurants because it's perceived as a higher value, healthier choice than other proteins.

We think that seafood is better quality, more exclusive and therefore worth the expense. Sometimes this is true, but sometimes, seafood is just another menu budget buster.

We'd not only expect that, we'd pay it. Then, you have the issue of quality. Maryland crab cakes are delicious, but "Maryland-style" crab cakes mean those crustaceans hale from another, less exclusive locale though you'll pay a Chesapeake Bay price. Another example where you might not get what you're paying for is a seafood medley or fruits de mer fruits of the sea dish.

Your shellfish -- shrimp, lobsters, mussels, oysters and clams -- are your high dollar items, but you'll probably also have other swimmers mixed in to give the dish quantity and help the restaurant manage raw food costs.

So, what do you do if you want to enjoy some good quality seafood? Ask where it's from. If you want shellfish, order the lobster, mussels or clams and leave the other fruits de mer out at sea.

Whether it's the Blue Plate Special or the Chef's Special, almost all restaurants have that limited-time- only dish. But is this a truly unique dish from a creative chef, a pricing scam or something the kitchen need to get rid of before it expires?

The answer could be all three. A daily special is often a way for the chef to get creative, and spice up the menu for the restaurant's regular diners. But, it can also be a way to establish a pricing structure and manage diners' perceptions. Specials can also be ways to get rid of surplus.

If the salmon is not moving quickly enough, it may end up as a "Salmon Surprise" that week. Additionally, if that particular restaurant does catering or hosts special events, they may have leftovers they need to use. Specials also give restaurants pricing flexibility.

Specials are a temporary item on the menu, if they're listed at all, so the chef can change prices based on changing costs or low sales. To avoid busting your budget on a daily special, ask some questions about the preparation to help determine how special things really are.

Once upon a time, desserts were a way for restaurants to make easy money. But, with the popularity of the pastry chef today, every fine dining restaurant in town features signature desserts, complex tarts and labor-intensive delicacies.

So, if you want a little value for your dollar, order the dessert and watch the restaurant work for it. Breakfast is a favorite pastime, especially on the weekends. But, unless you order the omelet stuffed with crab and lobster, you're probably spending too much.

How do most people begin their breakfast? With a cup of joe. The mark-up is about percent and a profitable item for a restaurant, regardless of refills. And, we're not even discussing the skinny, soy-milk, and whipped cream specialty coffees. Orange juice isn't much different. Imagine a 64 ounce 1.

You don't have to be a math genius to know this is a triple digit markup. On to the food: The majority of breakfast items like pancakes and egg dishes are highly profitable and cheap to make. Syrup, especially if it's a fancy specialty, may be the costliest part of your meal. Omelets are no different.

Bacon, ham, turkey, peppers, tomatoes -- regardless of the type or style are still very inexpensive ingredients and unless specified, fairly generic and purchased in bulk. In other words, don't expect gourmet mushrooms or organic tomatoes in that omelet. With appetizers and side dishes, restaurant-goers have a hard time determining a good value.

Subsequently, these items are more profitable for the establishment. The entrée is your main focus and that's what sets the standard. Jody Pennette, the founder of CB5 Restaurant Group, told Forbes in October that the prices on appetizers and side dishes had increased disproportionately to the raw food costs of these items.

This gives restaurants a nice cash cow. Another trick of the trade -- use mysterious ingredients that your average person doesn't eat or use.

If you don't cook with lavender, use truffles or Beluga caviar in your recipes, you won't know what they should cost. The presence of that exotic element in your appetizer or side dish justifies the higher price, regardless of the quantity or quality used in the recipe. So, skip the appetizer or extra side dish, and not only for cost reasons.

Ordering them leaves you less likely to finish your entrée. That's leaving money on the table. Another thing leaving money on the table? Most people enjoy pasta , and what's not to love? It's filling, it's tasty, it works with seafood, meat or primavera and it's one of the more affordable items on the restaurant menu.

But appearances can be deceiving. Earlier we mentioned that food costs average between 30 and 42 percent of menu prices, average being the operative word. Pasta, for example, brings that number down which is why restaurant owners love you to choose the penne over the beef.

Pasta costs around 18 percent of menu price, so restaurants can make a killing. Even served with shrimp, veal or fancy mushrooms, there is still a nice profit margin factored into most pasta dishes.

So, if pasta is a restaurant rip-off, what should you order? According to Clark Wolfe, a restaurant consultant from New York in a Forbes article, "Choose labor-intensive, time-consuming complex dishes that call for hard-to-find ingredients.

Wolfe added, "If you can whip it up yourself in 20 minutes with stuff from your kitchen cupboard -- do that. In other words, go hard or go home.

And we think that especially applies to the next item on our list. If you're familiar with comic strips, you know Popeye, the spinach-eating sailorman. One of Popeye's friends, Wimpy, was a bit of a mooch with an insatiable appetite for hamburgers.

Today's restaurant patrons are no different. However, the new gourmet burgers are enough to make anyone, including Wimpy, reconsider his options. But, today's restaurants have found ways to spice up the standard hamburger, and in doing so, command a higher price tag.

Already the store is littered with teenagers, boba in hand, looking for a relatively cheap sandwich and egg roll combo. It might be the best bang for your buck of any restaurant in the city.

There are so many places to get affordable, excellent Mexican food in the Mission District. That said, newcomer Tacos del Barrio is sitting somewhere in the middle of the various price points. Or, one could purchase a plethora of pupusas, a timeless cheap eat. The 14 Restaurants in San Francisco Changing the Narrative for Gluten-Free Diners.

This friendly Bayview waffle and coffee house has stellar prices. The 11 San Francisco Legacy Businesses to Add to Your Eating and Drinking List. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

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Sandwiches:Turkey or ham sandwich Burgers:Classic cheeseburger 10 Budget Busters on Everyday Restaurant Menus · Soft Drinks · 9: Salads · 8: Wine · 7: Seafood · 6: Specials · 5: Breakfast Foods · 4: Side Dishes and Appetizers

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Low-priced dining options - Pizza:Margherita pizza Sandwiches:Turkey or ham sandwich Burgers:Classic cheeseburger 10 Budget Busters on Everyday Restaurant Menus · Soft Drinks · 9: Salads · 8: Wine · 7: Seafood · 6: Specials · 5: Breakfast Foods · 4: Side Dishes and Appetizers

Taco Bell is a special mix of Tex-Mex fast foods, a combination that is not available in many restaurants around the US. What puts Taco Bell on this list to save money eating out is their special Dollar Menu.

Finally, Taco Bell is one of the restaurants that stays open late, so even if you have a craving late at night, you can still get a large quantity of food for a low price.

With over 3, restaurants all over the US, Chick-Fil-A is one of the largest restaurant chains in the country. Chick-Fil-A sells a variety of chicken sandwiches.

These sandwiches are healthy and delicious. I recommend signing up with their rewards app as it is one of the best ways to get free meals.

These points add up and allow you to get a free entrée, free drink or fries, or if you save up your points, a free meal. This delicious sandwich consists of roasted ham paired combined with fresh tomatoes, melted cheese, and lettuce.

And with Subway being the largest franchise in the US, you will have no difficulty in finding a restaurant near you when you want to eat out.

If you eat here frequently, it makes sense to join their rewards program so you can earn a free sandwich after spending a certain amount of money. You will find special deals for kids and adults. Most people who visit this place swear by the taste that has remained consistent throughout the years.

In fact, these cheap family restaurants tend to have the best deals, including specials every night of the week and even happy hour with discounted menu items. There are many credit cards that offer big rewards and cash back at restaurants. Restaurants are known to offer discounts on regular prices, including 2-for-1 deals from time to time.

At the end of the day, a quick search for restaurants near me is a great starting point to eating out on a budget. Home Save Money 13 Best Places To Eat Out For Cheap.

Table of Contents. About The Author. Jon Dulin Hi, my name is Jon and I run Compounding Pennies. And, we're not even discussing the skinny, soy-milk, and whipped cream specialty coffees. Orange juice isn't much different.

Imagine a 64 ounce 1. You don't have to be a math genius to know this is a triple digit markup. On to the food: The majority of breakfast items like pancakes and egg dishes are highly profitable and cheap to make. Syrup, especially if it's a fancy specialty, may be the costliest part of your meal.

Omelets are no different. Bacon, ham, turkey, peppers, tomatoes -- regardless of the type or style are still very inexpensive ingredients and unless specified, fairly generic and purchased in bulk.

In other words, don't expect gourmet mushrooms or organic tomatoes in that omelet. With appetizers and side dishes, restaurant-goers have a hard time determining a good value. Subsequently, these items are more profitable for the establishment.

The entrée is your main focus and that's what sets the standard. Jody Pennette, the founder of CB5 Restaurant Group, told Forbes in October that the prices on appetizers and side dishes had increased disproportionately to the raw food costs of these items.

This gives restaurants a nice cash cow. Another trick of the trade -- use mysterious ingredients that your average person doesn't eat or use. If you don't cook with lavender, use truffles or Beluga caviar in your recipes, you won't know what they should cost.

The presence of that exotic element in your appetizer or side dish justifies the higher price, regardless of the quantity or quality used in the recipe. So, skip the appetizer or extra side dish, and not only for cost reasons.

Ordering them leaves you less likely to finish your entrée. That's leaving money on the table. Another thing leaving money on the table? Most people enjoy pasta , and what's not to love?

It's filling, it's tasty, it works with seafood, meat or primavera and it's one of the more affordable items on the restaurant menu. But appearances can be deceiving. Earlier we mentioned that food costs average between 30 and 42 percent of menu prices, average being the operative word.

Pasta, for example, brings that number down which is why restaurant owners love you to choose the penne over the beef. Pasta costs around 18 percent of menu price, so restaurants can make a killing. Even served with shrimp, veal or fancy mushrooms, there is still a nice profit margin factored into most pasta dishes.

So, if pasta is a restaurant rip-off, what should you order? According to Clark Wolfe, a restaurant consultant from New York in a Forbes article, "Choose labor-intensive, time-consuming complex dishes that call for hard-to-find ingredients.

Wolfe added, "If you can whip it up yourself in 20 minutes with stuff from your kitchen cupboard -- do that. In other words, go hard or go home.

And we think that especially applies to the next item on our list. If you're familiar with comic strips, you know Popeye, the spinach-eating sailorman. One of Popeye's friends, Wimpy, was a bit of a mooch with an insatiable appetite for hamburgers.

Today's restaurant patrons are no different. However, the new gourmet burgers are enough to make anyone, including Wimpy, reconsider his options.

But, today's restaurants have found ways to spice up the standard hamburger, and in doing so, command a higher price tag. Chefs add unique burger toppings like foie gras, special mushrooms or truffles; stuff patties with lobster or gruyere cheese or make them with Kobe beef, ostrich, or salmon.

Spices and spreads like pesto, curry or wasabi are other ways to jazz up this standard fare. In the minds of customers, this also elevates the burger from the sandwich category into fine dining.

But, with these sophisticated ingredients, you get a very small portion relative to the price. How many truffles fit on a burger? How much wasabi do you need on the bun? Do a few lobster pieces justify the cost?

To avoid this budget buster, stick to your good, old-fashioned burger. You may not feel as classy, but you'll get a better bang for your buck and still love the taste. People would expect New York City to have some of the more expensive restaurants in the world, and it doesn't disappoint.

In April , Masa, a Japanese and sushi restaurant in Manhattan's Columbus Circle, was ranked as the most expensive NYC restaurant. So after all that, would the best deal be some good old-fashioned Chinese food from the local takeout place? Yes and no.

International is another area where prices can be deceiving. Looking at Japanese fare, most would say sushi is worth the price. It has low food costs but high labor.

After all, it takes talent and time to make the rolls; most people can't do this at home. So, when you get your 4 to 6 ounces to grams of soybeans, remember that it cost the restaurant about 50 cents in food and labor. If you love Chinese food, chicken-fried rice is probably on that list.

Assume any restaurant is buying eggs, rice and oil in bulk. Add tiny bits of chicken, the cheaper veggies of the day, toss it all around and you've got your entrée. The better deal is the beef and broccoli stir-fry. It's more expensive but it's healthier and a better deal for your wallet.

Or go Mexican and consider guacamole. They mash it up, add some spice and it's done. Remember, if you can do it quickly and easily at home, it's probably not worth the restaurant's price.

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Contents Soft Drinks Salads Wine Seafood Specials Breakfast Foods Side Dishes and Appetizers Pasta Gourmet Hamburgers International Dishes. Getting Your Just Desserts. That's part of restaurant strategy.

A Big Bite in the Big Apple. Lots More Information Related Articles 10 Reasons You Should Host a Potluck 5 Easy Cheap Dinners for Families 5 Frugal Gourmet Recipes. Sources Arumugam, Nadia. October 19, November 1, html Bockelman, Christine.

March 29, November 2, April 27, November 4, html CBSNews.