Finding the best deals when hunger strikes takes a bit of patience, but once you know
what to look for, you can get the most bang for your buck from any fast food establishment.
When you need to eat smart, always make sure to watch out for these overpriced items.
When you want some quick Chinese-American grub, Panda Express makes grabbing an order
of General Tso's Chicken or a side of Egg Rolls that much easier.
According to Globe Newswire, due to popular demand, the chain brought its signature fried
rice back to menus nationwide in 2013.
The restaurant's full order of fried rice typically goes for $7.80, and while you can
definitely fill up on the dish, you're still paying too much.
When you want to indulge in some hearty fried rice, compare the cost of the meal at Panda
Express to the cost of making the dish at home.
According to Pennies & Pancakes, you can make this classic staple yourself for a measly
49 cents per cup.
Do yourself and your wallet a favor and don't get tempted by this extremely overpriced meal,
especially when you can make your own at home and tailor it to your liking.
Chipotle changed the way we picture fast casual food in America, thanks to its revolutionary
burrito assembly line and high-quality ingredients that go into every dish.
While the restaurant is great for delicious burritos and tacos, certain add-ons don't
make sense if you're keeping an eye on your budget.
Guacamole comes in as one of the worst fiscal offenders at Chipotle.
According to Priceonomics, a serving of guacamole on a burrito costs the restaurant 52 cents,
but retails at around $2 on menus.
This equates to a 285% markup, making this a very poor add-on if you're watching your spending.
If you want to treat yourself, you may indulge in that extra guac, but don't forget the high price you will pay.
"You know what's in all of this food."
"Yes."
Finding good macaroni and cheese can prove challenging.
This iconic staple has won the affection of pasta lovers for centuries, but the dish really
took hold during World War II.
Back then, when other foodstuffs were meticulously rationed, its low cost made it a go-to option.
One of the greatest charms of mac and cheese is that you can fancy it up to your heart's
content without breaking the bank.
When you make it at home, this dish can go for as little as 88 cents to about $2.77 per serving.
At Panera Bread, you have the opportunity to grab this beloved comfort food, but if
you're looking to save some money, you might just want to walk away.
A small size of mac and cheese at Panera comes in at $4.99, whereas a large costs $7.99.
And a bread bowl of mac and cheese sets you back $5.99, which could get you a full meal
at some fast food joints.
Even if you order the small size, you can expect to pay a price that's marked up almost 200%.
Next time you have to place an order at Panera, do your bank account a favor and don't get
tempted by this cheesy treat.
If you make pizza at home, you can always save a ton of cash.
On average, your standard takeout pizza with a few meat toppings carries a wholesale cost
of $1.90 but retails for $14.
This results in a whopping 636% markup, according to Small Business Chronicle.
If this number already has you in shock, you definitely don't want to hear about the high
markup Papa John's assigns to its veggie pizza.
When it comes down to it, Papa John's not only weighs in as the most expensive franchise
out of any fast food pizza chain, but it also serves up the most expensive veggie pizza.
Factor in how veggies on pizza are typically marked up by 525%, and you can feel confident
knowing that this particular pie serves up the most overpriced pizza experience around.
When the craving strikes and you need to grab a pizza, learning how to make one at home
can save you the most.
If you do decide to order out and you're watching your budget, stay away from this pizza at all costs.
McDonald's breakfast has had a tumultuous time as of late.
Due to the 2020 pandemic, all-day breakfast disappeared for several months.
While the menu ebbs and flows, the chain's hotcakes continue to stand as a crown jewel
of its breakfast selection, delighting fans since the product was introduced in 1977.
Although we continue to love the one-of-a-kind taste of this breakfast staple, anyone who
needs to save some money should steer clear of these treats.
Pancakes generally clock in as one of the cheapest foods to make, averaging only four cents apiece.
If you measure this incredibly meager price tag against the one you see at McDonald's,
you end up with a dazzling 2,609% markup.
Even if you go all out, pancakes you make at home should only run you 23 cents each.
You can try to improve the balance by requesting more toppings on your pancakes to decrease
the markup, but either way, these hotcakes could see a significant price cut and still
bring massive profits.
Nothing feels as comforting as a big bowl of chicken noodle soup.
This classic recipe traces its lineage back to ancient Greece and has genuine healing
properties that have been backed by science.
Sometimes when we feel down, it's so much easier to order a to-go bowl from a restaurant.
But despite the impulse to grab some, quote, "homestyle" chicken noodle soup from Panera,
you might want to pump the brakes if you're looking to make your dollar go further.
According to Reader's Digest, homemade chicken noodle soup only costs a restaurant about
30 cents to make, meaning you're spending far more on this dish than you realize.
Next time a craving strikes, opt to whip up this classic in your own kitchen and avoid
the needlessly inflated cost.
One of the greatest small luxuries comes in the form of fast food fountain drinks with unlimited refills.
According to Delish, this menu item stems back to 1955, when McDonald's teamed up with
Coca Cola to sell soft drinks at its restaurants.
The practice eventually expanded with a super-size option, and while it seems like we get a great
deal, especially considering some of these cups exceed our maximum stomach volume, anyone
pedaling fountain drinks actually makes some major money at our expense.
"And can I get a coke?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"If we get it at McDonalds."
According to Business Insider, restaurants receive a 1,500% markup when they sell fountain drinks.
This price difference comes back to the fact that these beverages consist of carbonated
water and high fructose corn syrup, both of which are low-cost.
If you really want a great value, opt out of the massive fountain drink next time you
visit a fast food establishment.
You'll get more value for your buck, and likely a better taste, by picking up your own cans.
Waking up without morning coffee may feel impossible, but luckily, Starbucks always
has a convenient location nearby whenever you need an extra boost of energy.
While the chain has truly tapped into our desire for to-go coffee, the company seems
to rely on overpriced drinks to drive its revenue streams.
Despite the overhead of production and transportation, coffee doesn't cost that much to make.
As a result, fast food restaurants can charge what feels like an arm and a leg for coffee products.
According to Business Insider, simpler cups of coffee, like Starbucks' Cafe Latte, can
be marked up to 2,900% when compared to the cost of making the same drink at home.
While you might have a chance of reducing this ratio if you order a fancier drink, don't
expect to save a buck when you grab a coffee creation from your local Starbucks.
If you ever encounter an ingredient with a suspiciously low price, the seller may be
passing it off as something it's not.
This is troubling for consumers, as these mislabeled products can contain hazardous
additives or allergens that threaten our collective health.
"That smell … the kind of smelly smell … the smelly smell that smells ... smelly…"
According to a study published in Food Security, the fishing industry is especially guilty
of food fraud, since sellers can easily pass off certain species as more desirable fish.
Restaurants might not even know when they're being duped, as this industry is not regulated
enough to enforce punishment on seafood sellers who engage in vague sales practices.
Experts found that 21% of fish tested don't match up to their sales labels.
So the next time you order a Long John Silver Pacific Cod Combo or Culver's North Atlantic
Cod Sandwich, you might end up eating a much cheaper fish than what you paid for.
When it comes to avoiding overpriced fast food items, quality could play a major role
in determining what's worth the extra dollar.
When hunger's on the line and you're craving a bacon burger, you want to get a sandwich
that's guaranteed to satiate your appetite and taste great.
Luckily, there are plenty of options; according to Uproxx, at least eight different fast food
chains want to compete for your bacon burger love by offering up different takes on this meaty meal.
While Wendy's classic Baconator continues to impress, we can't say the same for the
Triple Bacon-Jalapeño Cheeseburger.
Compared to similar burgers from Burger King and McDonald's, Wendy's Triple Bacon-Jalapeño
Cheeseburger isn't up to the challenge.
Business Insider reports that the meat lacks the juiciness one would expect from a burger
of this caliber, and while it does provide an interesting flavor combo, it doesn't warrant
the inflated price tag.
Next time a bacon burger craving strikes and you want to make your dollar go far, be sure
to avoid this menu offering.
Ordering a salad at a restaurant is a recipe for overspending.
According to Yahoo!
News, you could see a price difference of 284% between a salad made at home and a fast food salad.
As the cost of this healthy side continues to rise, you can bet you'll be losing out.
When you think of eating fresh and healthy, Dairy Queen's salad might not immediately spring to mind.
Its three-ounce side salad goes for $5 and consists of a small serving of lettuce and
vegetables that look like they're past their prime.
Considering what you get, it feels a little ridiculous to order this item.
If you crave a salad that tastes great and offers a lot of bang for your buck, you'll
have to look elsewhere, because this side salad just won't cut it.
Subway stumbled into a fantastic business model.
The sandwich chain set the pace for fast food restaurants that follow an assembly-line approach,
guaranteeing a quick meal that is made right in front of the customer.
This method of preparation also yields massive profit margins for the brand.
A good portion of the chain's sandwiches are excessively marked up, and even the promotional
$5 footlong subs rake in a profit of $1.20 per sandwich.
This difference may appear negligible, but the ways in which Subway potentially cuts
corners have led to the uncovering of one of the most overpriced sandwiches at any fast food joint.
In fact, in January of 2021, consumers launched a class action lawsuit against Subway, claiming
that their tuna sandwich doesn't use 100% real tuna.
If you want to make sure you get what you pay for, avoid Subway's tuna sandwich at all costs.
“This is just too much tuna.”
“This is fabulous”
It's hard for a fast food burrito to live up to its cost.
According to Lifehacker, a burrito with meat has a markup of 346%, and if you add sour
cream, that amount increases to 425%.
This is awful news for anyone who loves Del Taco's burrito creations — particularly
the Macho Combo Burrito.
This item features the aforementioned meat and sour cream add-on, making it a prime example
of overpriced indulgence.
Such a phenomenon haunts most Tex-Mex restaurants.
According to Forbes, you most likely won't find a burrito anywhere that gives you a fair bang for your buck.
The next time a burrito craving strikes, make sure you stay far away from this iconic menu
item and create your own instead.
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