KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Seen any restaurant ads promoting dinners for under nine dollars lately? It’s getting more common, especially as families are getting more wallet-conscious.
But if you’re not careful, you still might end up paying more.
According to
WalletPop.com, a website devoted to pinching pennies, many chain restaurants are using some pretty sneaky methods to raise your final bill.
The site says that although many menu items are nine bucks or less, today’s menus are designed to steer you towards more expensive items.
Some of the most common menu tricks?
The highest profit items are often printed in larger font, for one thing, or highlighted somehow, like being placed in a box or paired with a tempting photo of the dish.
Then there’s the combo meal, which seems like a good deal because it includes sides. But WalletPop says you end up spending more anyway, because you buy more food than you would otherwise.
And watch out for fancy names for common foods, like “heirloom” tomatoes in an otherwise-ordinary pasta dish. Those exotic-sounding titles are there to convince you it’s worth the extra money.
Not sure how much the dish even costs? It’s not surprising, since WalletPop says more and more restaurants are removing the dollar signs and even the whole price from the menu—a practice common in many upscale restaurants, but just confusing and misleading in more family-friendly venues.
The best way to avoid a surprising post-dinner bill? Ask before you order. Make sure you know the price on everything you order, and don’t order more than you know you’ll eat. (It wouldn’t hurt to fill up on bread before you even place your order.)
Don’t forget to tip your server, too. And if you are unhappy with the costs, don’t take it out on your server. Remember; they didn’t set the prices. They’re just there to take care of you. If you really want to make a complaint, ask to speak to the manager.
You might even get a free meal out of the deal.
