Meals $10 and under

[roadman65]

I just ate at Waffle House and my Waffle, OJ, and Hash Browns totaled to $10 even. Considering at Wawa I'll spend nearly $18 to have a quickie breakfast with a beverage and a bagged side, I consider this to be a feat as I got waited on there where at Wawa you pick up at the counter.  You leave no tip there, but at least at WH you get served there so in reality it was more than ten, but even after I left the gratuity, it still was less than other places without a tip.

As many of us know these days eating out as well as buying groceries is a bit expensive compared to about 10 years ago when you could order a hamburger for average $7 in your local restaurant or get it on the value menu at Wendy's or Burger King at (ala cart of course).

[Bruce]

The best deal around is still the $1.50 Costco hot dog and drink.

For full-ish meals, I find myself going to Panda Express due to how easily I can pay $10 for a two-entree meal by redeeming upgrade points (which don't require an app, just the QR code).

[hotdogPi]

IHOP has a $6/$8 menu if you go between 3 PM and 9 PM, although I pay more than $10 ($10.25 specifically) for what I usually get (which is on the $8 side of the menu) after tax and tip. Also several $0 burgers and sandwiches; their rewards system is really good (better than other restaurants) if you know what you're doing.

Bertucci's had a "Throwback Thursday" menu for a few months one or two years ago that had the original 1980s menu at 1980s prices (typically beginning with 5 or 6).

[webny99]

The best deal around is still the $1.50 Costco hot dog and drink.

Agreed, I forgot about that one!

But for a fast food chain (excluding hot 'n ready options from a grocery/convenience store), Wendy's Biggie Deals are the absolute best value that exists anywhere. $5 for a burger or chicken sandwich, small fries, drink or frosty, and 4pc chicken nuggets is unconscionable, not just compared to other fast food restaurants, but even compared to the rest of Wendy's own menu. It's to the point where you can get 3 Biggie Bags (meaning 12 items total) for the price of one premium combo with upgrades.

I keep thinking it's only a matter of time before the Biggie deals disappear, but I've been thinking that for years now, so maybe they really are just here to stay. It seems like such a tricky value proposition to sustain, but Wendy's somehow manages to cater to the crowd pleasers while also maintaining a more positive brand image than McD's/BK. In the pizza realm, Little Caesars wasn't diversified enough to pull the same thing off and pretty much tanked after raising their large pizza price above $5 (though their remaining locations have actually seen an improvement in quality and variety of offerings).

[jeffandnicole]

Sam's Club has the $1.50 Hot Dog & Drink combo, and amazingly it has actually gone down in price. I used to pay $1.61 including tax. Last time I paid $1.48 including tax. Not sure why; not going to complain. Oh, and I use a CC every time.

For full meals, under $10 can still be had at most Fast Food restaurants when using the discounts offered via their apps or physical coupons. Some bars offer happy hour options that will allow a food and drink to total under $10.

For the OP's Wawa issue, a breakfast sandwich is $3.99, large coffee is $2.29. A bagged side (hash brown?) is $1.69. Not sure where the other $10 is coming from to make it a $18 breakfast order.

[1995hoo]

....

But for a fast food chain (excluding hot 'n ready options from a grocery/convenience store), Wendy's Biggie Deals are the absolute best value that exists anywhere. $5 for a burger or chicken sandwich, small fries, drink or frosty, and 4pc chicken nuggets is unconscionable, not just compared to other fast food restaurants, but even compared to the rest of Wendy's own menu. It's to the point where you can get 3 Biggie Bags (meaning 12 items total) for the price of one premium combo with upgrades.

....

"Unconscionable"? Are you sure that's what you meant? I've always understood that word to carry a negative connotation—e.g., "It is unconscionable that the gas station near Denny's was charging $4.59 a gallon on Saturday when the one near McDonald's was charging $3.69 a gallon." Charging $5 for the combo of a sandwich, small fries, drink, and chicken nuggets sounds astonishingly inexpensive these days (but, insofar as I know, we can't say it's "conscionable" because that's not a real word)—unless you meant to say you think it's a ripoff, which isn't what I think you meant.

[hotdogPi]

(but, insofar as I know, we can't say it's "conscionable" because that's not a real word)

Wiktionary lists it as a word.

[1995hoo]

(but, insofar as I know, we can't say it's "conscionable" because that's not a real word)

Wiktionary lists it as a word.

I just looked it up in the Shorter OED, which I keep on a shelf in my home office. It does list it as a word, so I guess I was wrong—although it also says the form is "obsolete."

[CoreySamson]

Taco Bell is definitely a great deal if you know how to order there. You can get 5 burritos and a drink for well under $10 ordering off the value menu. Even the $5 box that they rotate in and out can sometimes be an amazing deal.

[gonealookin]

I paid $9.80 for the #1 at In-N-Out in Carson City last time I went there (a Double-Double, fries and soda).  No app or coupon or anything, that's the standard price including the sales tax.  For me that's still the best quality/value offering in fast food.

[triplemultiplex]

Well, you get what you pay for.

[Scott5114]

Braum's has the Bag of Burgers, which is five small burgers for $6. Even if you add cheese it's still under $10 and it's enough to feed two people. I usually add cheese and get fries too and the total ends up being about $12.

[webny99]

....

But for a fast food chain (excluding hot 'n ready options from a grocery/convenience store), Wendy's Biggie Deals are the absolute best value that exists anywhere. $5 for a burger or chicken sandwich, small fries, drink or frosty, and 4pc chicken nuggets is unconscionable, not just compared to other fast food restaurants, but even compared to the rest of Wendy's own menu. It's to the point where you can get 3 Biggie Bags (meaning 12 items total) for the price of one premium combo with upgrades.

....

"Unconscionable"? Are you sure that's what you meant? I've always understood that word to carry a negative connotation—e.g., "It is unconscionable that the gas station near Denny's was charging $4.59 a gallon on Saturday when the one near McDonald's was charging $3.69 a gallon." Charging $5 for the combo of a sandwich, small fries, drink, and chicken nuggets sounds astonishingly inexpensive these days (but, insofar as I know, we can't say it's "conscionable" because that's not a real word)—unless you meant to say you think it's a ripoff, which isn't what I think you meant.

I was intending it as a synonym for "unthinkable" or "beyond belief", but as you note, unconscionable usually has a more negative connotation, so it wasn't quite the right word for that context (unless you think of it as "unfair", but that would be applicable to Wendy's competitors and/or employees, not the end consumer).  "Astonishingly inexpensive" works just as well for what I was trying to convey.

[jeffandnicole]

Taco Bell is definitely a great deal if you know how to order there. You can get 5 burritos and a drink for well under $10 ordering off the value menu. Even the $5 box that they rotate in and out can sometimes be an amazing deal.

They usually have a 'Cravings Box' deal via app only that provides for a premium-type entree, a taco, nachos or cinnamon twists and a soda for $5.99.  We'll sit in the parking lot, create the order on the app, send it, then a minute or two later go in use the drive thru to get our order.

[LilianaUwU]

I don't know why, but all of your posts are blank­. Maybe it's because meals at under $10 don't exist thanks to capitalism.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Noodles and Company has been advertising their $7 and up menu lately. Many of their items are under $10 if you skip adding meat.

[hotdogPi]

I just went to UNO. They have half price individual pizzas on Mondays. One of them (not mine) was $10 after tax and tip (tipping on the original price).

They also just introduced a 2.5% credit card fee, which we did not pay because we used cash. Hopefully this means the prices on the menu will remain what they are currently for longer.

[Scott5114]

I don't know why, but all of your posts are blank­. Maybe it's because meals at under $10 don't exist thanks to capitalism.

Do I have to go get a Braum's receipt to prove you wrong?

[cockroachking]

I don't know why, but all of your posts are blank­. Maybe it's because meals at under $10 don't exist thanks to capitalism.

I know that the US Dollar is quickly devaluing, but it hasn't quite yet become as worthless as the Canadian Dollar 

[rickmastfan67]

Taco Bell is definitely a great deal if you know how to order there. You can get 5 burritos and a drink for well under $10 ordering off the value menu.

Only if you get there during Happy Hour (2-5PM) for the $1 drink.

[roadman65]

For the OP's Wawa issue, a breakfast sandwich is $3.99, large coffee is $2.29. A bagged side (hash brown?) is $1.69. Not sure where the other $10 is coming from to make it a $18 breakfast order.

Don't remember what I had exactly, but I know one thing for sure order Ala carte for lunch and dinner and it can run you up over the ten mark especially if you get a hoagie. 

Then again I might of piled on this and that too, and might of added too much as Wawa is a hard place not to impulse buy.

[hbelkins]

Sheetz has a number of meals (sandwich, fries Fryz and drink) well under $10.

[formulanone]

Culver's Kids Meals are a steal for $7.

Sure, the burger and fries are about 30% smaller than the standard ones, but you get a scoop of custard and a little drink (I rarely need a whole "medium" drink during the meal, anyhow). I don't eat as much as I used to, so it works out well.

[Takumi]

Cook Out trays are still under $10, though adding a milkshake might take it over that.

There's also always pizza.

[Road Hog]

Braum's is quite yummy. I ordered a No. 2 combo last time I was there (double cheeseburger, fries and a drink) and it came out in the $9.70 range even after taxes. Their breakfast items are very underrated.