OT: The Future of Dining out

[magnahorn]

Just curious, is this mostly an Austin thing? I'm in Houston, and while I've experience some of this I don't think it's nearly as bad as is being made out in this thread.

Yes, there is definitely inflation and food prices have soared, even in grocery stores and markets. Yes, restaurants are having trouble hiring staff.

But I still think it's being overstated. Hence my question where most of you are?

 

[WestlakeHorn]

My wife doesn't cook (her cooking sucks, so I don't complain). I work my a## off, so we tend to eat out often.

Definitely noticed the staffing issues and what it has done for service as well as restaurant capacity.

We are down at Port A this week, and the staffing issue seems even worse down here.

That said, the restaurant scene in Austin is busy these days, so I don't know that it is going anywhere. I had a similar experience in Plano a fews ago at a lacrosse tournament. Restaurants were packed and you better have a reservation.

You guys may be experiencing something different in other locations.

 

[snoop9928]

it still irritates the shit out of me how expensive bbq and fajitas have gotten. 25 bucks a pound for brisket and 50 bucks a pound for fajitas is such a crock of shit.

 

[Heightshorn008]

To me, it’s about value. What you get (food and service) versus what it cost.

My last few going out experiences have been good at what you get with both food and service but not good value relative to the price as prices have been raised.

We will be going out less frequently and more intentional when we do.

 

[The Sundance Kid]

The thread about increase costs for pick up orders and my wife's experience last night at 3 Forks (and other recent dinner outings) got me wondering what will happen with the high(er) end dining market in Austin?

Last night my wife went out with a friend and her mother, got a steak, some fries (they were out of mashed potatoes), split a salad and had 2 glasses of wine. $100 for her portion. Which is fine. The steak was overcooked (supposed to be medium) and the fries were cold...She said the service was great. We've had some other experiences lately where the service was not great, like taking a long time to greet, long time to get drinks, forgetting things etc...All the while prices are on the rise for good reason I suppose.

From the consumer POV prices are going up and quality and service are going down or staying the same.

• We can make a better steak than I've had out at dinner with our sous vi and a ribeye from HEB
• Craft beer just keeps inching up in price. I was at a Brewery (in Round Rock no less) the other day that charged $7.50 for a pretty pedestrian IPA. My eyebrow started to raise when prices went over $6 when we'd go out
• When you order a bottle of wine you're paying $50+ for a $9 (cost) bottle of average wine or even worse by the glass (I own a liquor store so know the wholesale prices). The glasses are the thick, washing machine safe type that diminish the product even further.
• The prices for food versus portions at some of these places also is rising
• If you have kids tack on babysitting

I love going out to dinner and will continue to do so but probably less than we have been because the ROI just keeps getting lower. Feels a little bit like the HD tv and live sporting events lately. I can have a spectacular bottle of wine with a spectacular steak at home for a fraction of the price. Yeah I obviously have to make it myself but SV is making that pretty fool proof.

I will say 80% of going out is the atmosphere, people watching and excitement of getting dressed up but with some of these headaches and having to drive to and from after a couple drinks I just don't know. Personally I'd rather just kick it at a sports bar but can't really do that right now and not on the top of the wife's list.

I know costs are going up on employees and food. Not sure what the answer is but I know it's probably not the American consumer continuing to settle for less. Maybe only the high high end places like Uchi keep doing well and the very rich are the only ones that go out frequently.

Thoughts?

Well, one thing for sure for me is...Covid has made me and my wife (from Nam) better cooks. When we have been out, sitting outside, the service has been pretty bad which I believe is due to a shortage of staff...understandable...but it still sucks.

One thing we will dine out for is an upscale Chinese place, we don't know how to cook Dim Sum, but again, service is bad.

I'm hoping once the pandemic subsides, things will get better.

 

[oostexan]

I agree. My wife and I can cook so much better at home, and part of that is my Primo and the fact that we prioritize getting good food, wine, and bourbon at home. I make great proteins on the Primo(rotisserie chicken, pork, steaks, smoking ribs and briskets, etc.) that are typically better than we can get when we eat out. We eat and drink really well for a quarter of the price and enjoy cooking together. Yeah…it’s a bummer doing the dishes though.

it’s gotten to the point where most of the time eating out just isn’t worth it.

 

[erac77]

it still irritates the shit out of me how expensive bbq and fajitas have gotten. 25 bucks a pound for brisket and 50 bucks a pound for fajitas is such a crock of shit.

Only time I’ve freaked out over a bill recently was when it had a pound of beef fajitas on it. Wow

 

[Art_Corvelay]

Just curious, is this mostly an Austin thing? I'm in Houston, and while I've experience some of this I don't think it's nearly as bad as is being made out in this thread.

Yes, there is definitely inflation and food prices have soared, even in grocery stores and markets. Yes, restaurants are having trouble hiring staff.

But I still think it's being overstated. Hence my question where most of you are?

I’m Houston. As an example, my wife went to State Fare at 1pm a couple weeks ago and was told it was a 45 minute wait because they only had two employees working.

 

[ndennis25]

The thread about increase costs for pick up orders and my wife's experience last night at 3 Forks (and other recent dinner outings) got me wondering what will happen with the high(er) end dining market in Austin?

Last night my wife went out with a friend and her mother, got a steak, some fries (they were out of mashed potatoes), split a salad and had 2 glasses of wine. $100 for her portion. Which is fine. The steak was overcooked (supposed to be medium) and the fries were cold...She said the service was great. We've had some other experiences lately where the service was not great, like taking a long time to greet, long time to get drinks, forgetting things etc...All the while prices are on the rise for good reason I suppose.

From the consumer POV prices are going up and quality and service are going down or staying the same.

• We can make a better steak than I've had out at dinner with our sous vi and a ribeye from HEB
• Craft beer just keeps inching up in price. I was at a Brewery (in Round Rock no less) the other day that charged $7.50 for a pretty pedestrian IPA. My eyebrow started to raise when prices went over $6 when we'd go out
• When you order a bottle of wine you're paying $50+ for a $9 (cost) bottle of average wine or even worse by the glass (I own a liquor store so know the wholesale prices). The glasses are the thick, washing machine safe type that diminish the product even further.
• The prices for food versus portions at some of these places also is rising
• If you have kids tack on babysitting

I love going out to dinner and will continue to do so but probably less than we have been because the ROI just keeps getting lower. Feels a little bit like the HD tv and live sporting events lately. I can have a spectacular bottle of wine with a spectacular steak at home for a fraction of the price. Yeah I obviously have to make it myself but SV is making that pretty fool proof.

I will say 80% of going out is the atmosphere, people watching and excitement of getting dressed up but with some of these headaches and having to drive to and from after a couple drinks I just don't know. Personally I'd rather just kick it at a sports bar but can't really do that right now and not on the top of the wife's list.

I know costs are going up on employees and food. Not sure what the answer is but I know it's probably not the American consumer continuing to settle for less. Maybe only the high high end places like Uchi keep doing well and the very rich are the only ones that go out frequently.

Thoughts?

Interesting topic.

Since I've had kids, going out has been an issue. My kids are currently 8 and 5, so a sitter is required if we leave them at home. If I bring the kids, then I've got issues of them ruining the experience for my wife and I (they constantly interrupt the conversation, have to go pee every 45 seconds, throw a rando fit, etc)

It has generally become much cheaper and/or simply easier eat at home.

I concur that I can get a much better meal and drink at home, than I can at most restaurants.

If we go out, its usually to one of three spots:
1. Neighborhood Tex Mex place two blocks from my house. We'll Bring the kids, and don't care how they act, cause everyone else brings their kids too.
2. A nice wine bar where we know the owners and can get good advice on wine we like.
3. A high-end sushi place. I have a good friend that works here, and can get us 'off menu' items, and will make recommendations for what we order.

Cooking a steak is pretty basic. Cooking some beef fajitas with a some flank steak is even easier.

Mixing up some margaritas is pretty basic as well.

 

[kerrpatcher]

Going out to dinner, especially when you throw in alcohol. Wines by the glass, cocktails and margaritas can add up real fast at $14+ a pop.

Assuming you’re a cook-at-home advocate, then user name checks out.

 

[Dirty_Franke]

Im in the industry and very interesting to see these type of threads pop up on what is a much more frequent basis. The current reality is restaurants are booming at levels well over 2019 and have been for the better part of 2021. Restaurants were too slow to raise prices, but cost increases have finally started to be passed on in a big way to the consumer over just the past couple of months and more is on the way.

It is a double edged sword right now. In truth the industry needs a pull back to get the supply chain back in order, pricing to come off and staffing back to acceptable levels...but at the same time nobody wants to see the sales go away. The demand pull back has to be coming, as I cant see people paying these price points ongoing + retail price points (for meat) are going to push people to other proteins. The export market demand is real and fueling pricing increases as well.

Personally...the alcohol is what I just cant justify anymore. Two glasses of wine and two beers for the wife and I just buying house wine & domestic beer is $30 of the bill and that is a minimum...reality is likely closer to $40-45. I can cut that cost out, still have a great meal and open a bottle of wine at the house for a fraction of the cost.

I know alcohol is a big earner for restaurants (or I assume it is since the margins are incredible) but like you said, if you're a drinker it's the majority of the bill and it's a commodity product.

That might be the change I would make if running a restaurant. Really find value on your drink menu where you can and try to charge a dollar less here and there. It'd make a big difference to me. I actually paid I think $5.50 for a pretty good IPA the other day and was generally surprised and definitely raised my opinion of the place (District 6 in Georgetown).

 

[Dirty_Franke]

Interesting topic.

Since I've had kids, going out has been an issue. My kids are currently 8 and 5, so a sitter is required if we leave them at home. If I bring the kids, then I've got issues of them ruining the experience for my wife and I (they constantly interrupt the conversation, have to go pee every 45 seconds, throw a rando fit, etc)

It has generally become much cheaper and/or simply easier eat at home.

I concur that I can get a much better meal and drink at home, than I can at most restaurants.

If we go out, its usually to one of three spots:
1. Neighborhood Tex Mex place two blocks from my house. We'll Bring the kids, and don't care how they act, cause everyone else brings their kids too.
2. A nice wine bar where we know the owners and can get good advice on wine we like.
3. A high-end sushi place. I have a good friend that works here, and can get us 'off menu' items, and will make recommendations for what we order.

Cooking a steak is pretty basic. Cooking some beef fajitas with a some flank steak is even easier.

Mixing up some margaritas is pretty basic as well.

If we're taking the kids it's usually a brewery with an outside area and food truck/menu. My kids are almost the same age and we have the exact same experience...

 

[LWULFE]

I wish I could have steaks for 2 at home conveniently, but my wife's idea a a could steak is burnt to a crisp. I like it medium rare. That makes using a sous vide difficult. It is a pain to wait so long for a steak for one during the week. That is why dining out for steak is still best.

I think I can get better quality on some seafood meals at a nice restaurant, but not always.

I will relate that I had a way overpriced meal at Silo Terrace on 1-10 in San Antonio on Xmas eve. I ordered the surf & turf. It was a 6 oz filet topped with lump crab meat and bernaise sauce with French green beans and fingerling potatoes. The steak was overcooked and sent back. The 2nd one was still a little over medium rare, but acceptable. The lump crab meat was nothing and the bernaise sauce looked like some melted butter on top. It cost $72! If the taste was exceptional, I wouldn't have an issue, but I could have gone to any decent steak restaurant and had a bigger portion with better preparation for less. My daughter rated her meal and the restaurant a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10. I gave it a 4. The server was excellent. He deserved to be a place with better food quality. Also, the place was empty on Xmas eve despite not having availability on Open Table. I don't believe half of the tables were ever occupied during our entire 2 hours there.

 

[Uncut Degenerate]

A) III Forks is pretty middle of road IMO, I’ve been there a handful of times but I wouldn’t ever go out of my way to get a table there

B) the hot tables in Austin still have great service. I was at Uchi this week and the service was an 11/10, Hai hospitality does it right. I went to Comedor a week and a half ago and similar, great, attentive service.

C) I get the whole cooking your own steak great thing but there are just some days I don’t want to clean the damn kitchen.

 

[FrancoBevo]

dining out is nothing more than a social event or a trip down memory lane at this point. I get very little out of going to a place like iii Forks anymore. I can make just as good a steak and i know i'll have a much better wine selection.

there are probably a handful of places scattered around the globe where going to the place is the thing i want to do, a wine bar and a restaurant in Ireland where we made a lot of memories, that type stuff. Otherwise, i'm kind of done with it, unless of course, the point is to get together with friends.

 

[jwebtx]

Limited and often unacceptable front-of-house service.
Significant challenges finding competent cooks at prices restaurants can afford (pass on).
Odd hours due to staffing.
High menu prices.

That is the sum of the new norm. Of course there are exceptions, but I find them rare at all price points.

 

[magnahorn]

I’m Houston. As an example, my wife went to State Fare at 1pm a couple weeks ago and was told it was a 45 minute wait because they only had two employees working.

I live in Bridgeland (Cypress). I mostly go to the same few restaurants. We've been to Union Kitchen and Ambrisa at Town Lake in the Cypress area. We've been to Dario's, Perry's Steakhouse, Mia's Table and a few other spots. We've really not experienced much of the problems other than noticing the price increases.

 

[RipperXXVI]

Agreed! We find our meals at home are much better than what we can find locally in St. Louis with exception of Vietnamese and Japanese foods. So much so we have upped our home Cooke game including sous vide, big green egg and a Vitamix plus ninja foodi. Sad part on the meat is our best option isn’t even our grocery store butcher any longer. Porter Road,
wild Fork among others just provide better ROI. On the other we do all we can to support small businesses over Amazon anywhere we can. Small restaurant’s wiññ need to adapt I just don’t think the current model with upping delivery or tacking on curbside or credit card fees is sustainable.

 

[blk240]

The thread about increase costs for pick up orders and my wife's experience last night at 3 Forks (and other recent dinner outings) got me wondering what will happen with the high(er) end dining market in Austin?

Last night my wife went out with a friend and her mother, got a steak, some fries (they were out of mashed potatoes), split a salad and had 2 glasses of wine. $100 for her portion. Which is fine. The steak was overcooked (supposed to be medium) and the fries were cold...She said the service was great. We've had some other experiences lately where the service was not great, like taking a long time to greet, long time to get drinks, forgetting things etc...All the while prices are on the rise for good reason I suppose.

From the consumer POV prices are going up and quality and service are going down or staying the same.

• We can make a better steak than I've had out at dinner with our sous vi and a ribeye from HEB
• Craft beer just keeps inching up in price. I was at a Brewery (in Round Rock no less) the other day that charged $7.50 for a pretty pedestrian IPA. My eyebrow started to raise when prices went over $6 when we'd go out
• When you order a bottle of wine you're paying $50+ for a $9 (cost) bottle of average wine or even worse by the glass (I own a liquor store so know the wholesale prices). The glasses are the thick, washing machine safe type that diminish the product even further.
• The prices for food versus portions at some of these places also is rising
• If you have kids tack on babysitting

I love going out to dinner and will continue to do so but probably less than we have been because the ROI just keeps getting lower. Feels a little bit like the HD tv and live sporting events lately. I can have a spectacular bottle of wine with a spectacular steak at home for a fraction of the price. Yeah I obviously have to make it myself but SV is making that pretty fool proof.

I will say 80% of going out is the atmosphere, people watching and excitement of getting dressed up but with some of these headaches and having to drive to and from after a couple drinks I just don't know. Personally I'd rather just kick it at a sports bar but can't really do that right now and not on the top of the wife's list.

I know costs are going up on employees and food. Not sure what the answer is but I know it's probably not the American consumer continuing to settle for less. Maybe only the high high end places like Uchi keep doing well and the very rich are the only ones that go out frequently.

Thoughts?

Why can’t you kick it at a sports bar?

 

[Tex51]

maybe take your wife out so she doesn't have to cook?

My wife actually loves to cook. We do go out all the time I was just agreeing with OP about how expensive everything has gotten and the lousy service also, it’s no longer enjoyable.