5 Guys isn�t that tasty for me - I�d probably just not eat it. Plus our child gets their regular cheeseburger (double patty).
even shake shack wasn�t that great.

This was the regular. The large is $1.50 more. But you're right, there are ways to save money. My point was that Five Guys is just a step above fast food -- although one of my favorites in this space. Getting a burger from a true sit-down restaurant will often cost more. In any case, it's not difficult to get to a high price for burgers. I paid $76 for Mexican takeout last weekend for 2 people. Although I'll admit it included a $20 growler of their beer .

This doesn't surprise me at all. If I would have guessed where burgers for 3 people cost $75, San Francisco would probably be my first guess, followed by several other cities in California, and then maybe NYC. It's why a lot of corporations with daily meal cost limits in their travel policies make exceptions for NYC and California.

Thanks for the link. This website also looks fun for me.

big yay on your yeast. I never once imagined that I would have 3-plus pounds of active dry yeast.

I was just showing that your price range wasn't outrageous. I don't like 5 Guys here, it's far too greasy. Shake Shack is great, I lived by the original for quite awhile.

Don't you have a Red Robin out there? Fries are free with the burger. While adult burgers are probably $15, the kids burger is $7 or less. A kid's milkshake is $3. Adult milkshakes are $5/each. That's $50, plus plus tax and tip, and you are at just under $65. That assumes both adults get the most expensive burgers.

also I can grill burgers nicely so I wouldn�t order a burger for myself. I�d get a grilled chicken sandwich with toppings. And I�m sure my spouse would get something also with interesting toppings. And for a family of 3, we would get 2 of the fries choices below.
I�m pretty positive that these are correct menu prices despite being DoorDash. These prices aren�t inflated from what I recall.

I will check but i haven�t heard of Red Robin. We have Chili�s and BJ�s Brewpub.

I have to figure out how to make French fries...

If you are complaining about costs, you need to realize that fries are optional, or order fries and grill burgers.
Chili's doesn't make bad burgers.

But even Red Robin will be expensive. The cost of a burger in San Francisco does not equal the cost of a burger in Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Colorado, etc. There's a core price, then there are all kinds of state and local taxes too. The taxes are a big part of what makes Chicago expensive, although not nearly as bad as San Francisco.

You ordered from Door Dash. I've never used them, but the two I'm familiar with (Uber Eats and Caviar) both increase the price of food and often add a delivery fee or service charge (whatever that is) too. For instance, the burger price I quoted from Five Guys is about $1 more if I order it through Uber Eats. Realistically, for the 3 person meal I quoted above, the price would go up by about $10-$15 + delivery tip on Uber Eats. But if I want the better price I have to get in my car and drive 4 blocks to Five Guys for curbside delivery instead .

Why don't you try frying them in a dutch oven before investing in the deep fryer. See if it is worth it to you to do all the cutting work and then double frying and having the splatter and oil smell in your house and then storing the oil. Have you tried frozen ones that you can put in the oven? Maybe you want french fries often and it would be worth it to you. If it is just once a month or so I would go pick some up somewhere and bring home to have with the burgers you are grilling or try the frozen.
I love Red Robin but before it was going out for a burger for 3 people and now you say that you and the wife probably wouldn't get a burger! Are any of those shakes in the freezer burger and fry flavored?

I wouldn�t get a burger but my spouse might. It�s just luck that the place where we�d go has chicken breast as a sandwich option.

the whole reason for this is for the French fries. My family enjoys my grilled cheeseburgers but the lack of fries is an issue.

it�s also amusing that regular burger buns can cost from 2.99-5.99 for a 4-pack of buns at supermarkets.

Oops it�s actually time to prep/cook supper for tonight. I�m in love with the Kitchn recipe of chicken with apricot and almonds.
https://www.thekitchn.com/moroccan-r...-kitchn-175757

They're not as crispy as fried chicken, but the skin does crisp up. I do them on a hot indirect grill (let's say around 210c) if they haven't crisped by the time they're close to being cooked then I put them directly over the flame for a minute or so. I have to say, since I've discovered reverse searing I haven't gone back to starting a cook direct then finishing indirect.

Living in a semi-rural region of Southern Ontario delivery is not available. Take-out is possible if we want to drive into town but it's just as easy to cook at home. The more I'm cooking the more I'm convinced that there isn't anything I can buy that I can't make equally as well except for sushi. Going out for a burger would be a serious step down.

I'm coming to that realisation too. Although I live in the inner city, and as I want my favourite neighbourhood restaurants and pubs to be there when this is over I do continue ordering/supporting them. But it's made me realise that a lot of home delivery restaurants are pretty awful (price wise, health wise, every which way wise) and only exist because generally we're too lazy to do it ourselves. I can make myself a great meal for $10 or I can get a below average meal delivered for $20+. Plus cooking gives me something to do, and I've rediscovered my enjoyment of it.

The prices I quoted are for the Red Robin in San Francisco. I then used the 9% sales tax figure provided above.