Upscale restaurants are downscaling

**jIM_Ohio** · 02-06-2009, 06:53 AM

You need to define fine dining. Because if applebees and chili's is the comparison, I consider that slumming.

Chef left a 4 star restaurant here, not sure why.

**disneysteve** · 02-06-2009, 07:55 AM

Originally posted by jIM_Ohio View Post

You need to define fine dining. Because if applebees and chili's is the comparison, I consider that slumming.

Same here. That's why I said I'm sure they didn't turn into those.

Prior to the changes, dinner for two at these places (not including drinks) would run about $70-$80 depending on what you ordered. I haven't checked out the new menus but I'm guessing they brought it down to the $40-$50 range.

**GREENBACK** · 02-06-2009, 08:20 AM

Since Applebee's has been mentioned I'd like to comment on them. I first ate at an Applebee's over 20 years ago. Although it was a casual dining place then their menu was much better and the food tasted better. Applebee's today has pretty much gone to the prepackaged fast food model. I eat there occasionally but I can make better food at home. I suppose they have done this to keep costs down which I understand but the food isn't very good anymore(still like the appetizers though). Last time I was there I wanted my steak med. rare. Forget it. They only do medium which is actually well done as they prepare it.

I've noticed this trend at upscale places as well. I seem to be a lot more disappointed in the food they serve nowadays. They seem to be using cheaper cuts of meat or lower grades of it and they try to jazz it up with spices, and herbs, etc.. I have to eat out more than I would like to(work related) but I've become a lot more selective about where I go due to an overall lower quality dining experience and that's at the fancy places as well as the chain restaurants.

**Caoineag** · 02-06-2009, 08:21 AM

I think I did notice a few upscale (well, expensive anyways) restaurants looking like their prices had come down but I didn't go there anyways because they were overpriced for what they were to begin with (aka steak is excellent but the sides were less than edible).

Most of the places in my area have not brought down their prices but they don't have to. If you have a good restaurant, its still busy. If you have overpriced food, you are either out of business or headed that way. No amount of downscaling will save them. Denver's population eats out a lot so the good restaurants keep doing well while the bad restaurants are replaced.

That said, I am not sure how upscale my favorite restaurants would be in comparison to yours. We have always spent about $50 at our favorite sushi place and $70 (just entrees for 2) at our favorite fish restaurant. Most of our restaurants cost around $30 for two though.

**GREENBACK** · 02-06-2009, 08:29 AM

Personally, I don't mind paying extra for good service and quality food. It seems that you pay extra these days for poor service and bad food( forgot to mention the expected tip). If I'm gonna pay big bucks for food then I want an excellent dining experience. Provide me with that and I'll pay the price and leave a handsome tip. I could continue on the tipping thing but maybe that's a whole new thread in and of itself.

**disneysteve** · 02-06-2009, 08:39 AM

Another thing that I saw around the holidays was more restaurants doing gift card special deals. I bought a $100 card from a very fine Italian restaurant and they were giving a free $20 card with the purchase. They've never had to resort to that kind of stuff before. Also, many places advertising that never did before and more places putting out coupons that never did before.

**simpleyme** · 02-06-2009, 08:45 AM

I work in food service and i never go out to eat anymore I recognize most everything that comes out as premade,blehhhhh I have to go shopping weekly in restaurant supplies stores everything I ever thought was freshly made is not ,old and frozen blehhhh

Chili's is one of the nicer places we go! that and outback steak house;-)

**GREENBACK** · 02-06-2009, 08:47 AM

I agree that Outback still has quality steaks.

**disneysteve** · 02-06-2009, 08:55 AM

Originally posted by simpleyme View Post

Chili's is one of the nicer places we go!

We have to be fairly desperate to eat at a chain restaurant like Chili's, Applebee's or Ruby Tuesday. About the only time we resort to that is when we are out of town in an unfamiliar area and need to find something quick. The last time we ate at Chili's was in August when we were on vacation in Virginia. It was the night we arrived in town and we were all hot, tired and cranky and just wanted some food. The rest of the trip, we ate at good local, independent restaurants once we had time to explore the area. The last time we ate at Ruby Tuesdays was on vacation in PA in November. Same story. It was the nite we got there and the restaurant was next to the hotel. The rest of the trip, we found local independents.

We never eat at those places when we're home. I can't tell you the last time we were there in our home area.

**Goldy1** · 02-06-2009, 11:11 AM

We went to Outback last night. They have a memeber rewards card now. It sucks b/c each dollar you spend is a point. It was like 300 points needed to be spent to get a free appetizier or spend $500/500 points and get a $10 gift card.
Ok yea, so at $16 a meal not ordering drinks, I'd have to eat there quite a lot to get a little.
Cool thing is you get a free appetizier coupon just for signing up but I don't plan to use the card much.

I don't eat red meat but dh does. Hence, we go there. lol. They have ok chicken/salads.

**cschin4** · 02-07-2009, 05:05 AM

I guess I don't know what "fine dining" is. To me, if the food tastes good and I like it, that is good enough for me. Some days, I crave a Whopper or some greasy fish from Long John's. I can enjoy eating at McD's or Applebees or anywhere else if the food tastes good. Or, I can go to a fancy restaurant and get a good steak.
Sorry, but I like fast food, in between food like Applebees or Olive Garden and also food at a fancy restaurant.
Much of the spending in recent years has been the "snob appeal" of appealing to people with extra money to spend by giving them something "exclusive", "premium" or whatever. Serving me a tiny portion of food on a fancy plate with some carved radish beside it isn't necessarily any more impressive than a good burger with fries.

**sweeps** · 02-07-2009, 06:26 AM

Totally agree, cschin4. I've been to "fine dining" places where the food was not fine at all. And even if it is good, it's not unusual that I'll leave the place still hungry despite dropping a lot of coin.

**cschin4** · 02-07-2009, 06:43 AM

We were wined and dined at some swanky restaurant years ago when DH was in industry. At one place, I ordered some strange dish and got sick. Mahi-mahi with some unbearable disgusting fruit sauce and then something like "strawberries with pearl onions" or something bizarre.
Another time we were taken to another place and I ordered veal medallions and got like 2 coin size pieces on a fancy plate with some fancy garnish. We couldn't wait to get out of there because we were starving! I think we hit the McD's drive thru on the way home!

**simpleyme** · 02-07-2009, 07:53 AM

I heard a line yesterday that I thought was funny and would go with the general theme of this thread;-)

"take her to someplace nice, you know the kind of place were you look down when you order ,not up "

;-)

Upscale restaurants are downscaling