Fast food used to be the ultimate budget-friendly option for families on the go. Those days feel like ancient history now. Costs have risen by nearly 50% in the past decade, transforming what was once a quick, cheap meal into something that makes you wince when the cashier announces the total. When ordering a burger and fries starts feeling like a splurge rather than a sensible choice, something has fundamentally shifted.
Americans are fed up with paying premium prices for what should be affordable comfort food. Language-learning platform Preply analyzed over 57,000 Google reviews of more than 10,000 restaurants in the top 50 major U.S. cities, and the results paint a clear picture. Let’s take a closer look at which chains are draining wallets the fastest.
Shake Shack: The Burger That Costs More Than Your Lunch Break
Shake Shack received the most complaints of any national chain about its food being overly expensive, coming after two price hikes in 2024. That’s quite the accomplishment in an era when nearly every restaurant seems to be raising prices. A single ShackBurger typically falls between $6.99 and $7.99 depending on the region, with fries adding another $4.49, bringing your grand total to at least $11.48. Still want a shake with that? Be prepared to shell out well over fifteen dollars for a basic meal.
Here’s the thing though. Shake Shack uses only high-quality, fresh ingredients, including its own proprietary blend of antibiotic- and hormone-free, vegetarian-fed and humanely raised beef. The chain positions itself as fast-casual rather than pure fast food, which partially explains the steeper prices. Yet for many Americans struggling with inflation, explaining ingredient quality doesn’t make the receipt any easier to swallow.
Five Guys: Where a Simple Order Becomes a Budget Decision
The Preply study ranked Five Guys as the second most overpriced restaurant for chains, and anyone who’s recently ordered there probably isn’t surprised. The burger joint has developed a reputation for shocking receipts that leave customers doing mental math before they even walk through the door. Think about it: when you need to budget for fast food, is it really fast food anymore?
One viral receipt showed a bacon cheeseburger for $12.49, a regular soda for $2.89, and a small fry for $5.19. That single meal pushed past twenty dollars before tax. The generous portions of fries might soften the blow slightly, yet customers increasingly question whether any burger justifies these prices. When similar money could buy ingredients for several home-cooked meals, the value proposition starts looking shaky.
Chick-fil-A: Pricing Out the Fans Who Made Them Famous
Chick-fil-A prices went up 55% over the last decade, and a LendingTree survey found that consumers see Chick-fil-A as the most high-end fast-food chain on the market. That’s a remarkable transformation for a brand built on affordable chicken sandwiches and legendary customer service. Longtime fans remember when their favorite meal didn’t require checking their bank balance first.
Customers report paying $17 for two chicken sandwiches and a drink, with some receipts showing two meals costing over $32. The quality remains consistently high, sure, and the chain still draws massive crowds. Yet scroll through social media and you’ll find former regulars who’ve stopped visiting entirely. They’re not angry about the food quality. They’re just exhausted by prices that no longer match their definition of fast food.
Sugar Factory: Dessert with a Side of Sticker Shock
Sugar Factory rounded out the top three most overpriced chains according to the Preply study, joining Shake Shack and Five Guys in the hall of expensive dining. This glitzy dessert and dining destination became Instagram-famous for its over-the-top milkshakes and candy-filled interior. Unfortunately, the prices match the spectacle rather than the substance.
The restaurant markets itself as an experience rather than just a meal, which partly justifies the elevated costs. Those towering milkshakes topped with entire slices of cake don’t come cheap. Still, when families calculate whether one visit equals an entire week’s grocery budget, even the most photogenic dessert loses its appeal. Sugar Factory exemplifies how experiential dining has pushed certain chains completely out of reach for average Americans.
Chipotle: The Burrito Bowl That Broke the Bank
Chipotle might not have officially ranked in Preply’s top three, but the fast-casual giant has drawn significant fire for pricing. The chain went viral after a TikTok user complained that her burrito bowl cost $19.82. Nearly twenty dollars for rice, beans, protein, and toppings strikes many customers as absurd, especially given the chain’s assembly-line service model.
Customers noticed the ever-upward swing of costs on brisket bowls and general price increases that occurred several times between 2021 and 2025, with July 2023 pricing sailing 20% above the close of 2020. Chipotle maintains that quality ingredients and fair labor practices necessitate higher prices. Customers counter that they remember getting fuller bowls for substantially less money just a few years ago, making current prices feel like corporate greed rather than economic necessity.
Why This Matters More Than Your Next Meal
In 2024, LendingTree asked more than 2,000 Americans how they felt about fast food, and nearly 80% said they now see a quick burger or nuggets as a luxury. That’s a stunning shift in American dining culture. Fast food emerged as a democratic option, available to anyone regardless of income. Now it’s becoming yet another thing average families need to carefully budget for.
The impact extends beyond individual frustration. The losses with low-income shoppers have come alongside a steady increase in prices, with the average cost of a McDonald’s menu item jumping 40% from 2019 to 2024. When major chains report declining sales among lower-income customers, that signals genuine economic pain rather than mere pickiness. These families aren’t choosing healthier home-cooked meals out of preference – they’re being priced out entirely.
What do you think? Has your favorite chain become too expensive, or are quality ingredients worth the premium? Share your thoughts in the comments.
