Picture this: You’re scrolling through your phone, stomach rumbling, debating where to grab lunch. You settle on what seems like a quick, reliable choice, only to see your total creep past thirty bucks for what amounts to a burger and fries. Sound familiar? Well, you’re not imagining things.
Americans are speaking up louder than ever about the cost of chain restaurant dining. Recent research analyzed tens of thousands of customer reviews, picking through words like “rip-off,” “expensive,” and “pricey” to figure out which chains are catching the most heat for their pricing. From gourmet burger joints to casual dining staples, the results paint a pretty clear picture of where diners feel like they’re paying way more than they should.
1. Shake Shack: The Burger That Breaks the Bank
According to Preply’s study, Shake Shack received the most complaints among fast-food chains about its food being overly expensive. Here’s the thing that really stings for customers. This comes after two price hikes in 2024. The cost of a single hamburger, or ShackBurger as it’s called, typically falls between $6.99 and $7.99, depending on the region.
An order will run you around $4.49, bringing your grand total to at least $11.48, and that’s not including one of its namesake shakes or other beverage. Let’s be real, when you’re dropping nearly twelve dollars for just a burger and fries, that’s steep. Researchers analyzed the language of 57,245 reviews for over 10,000 restaurants in 50 cities across the country. The verdict? Shake Shack topped the list.
2. Five Guys: When Prices Get Out of Control
Five Guys and Sugar Factory rounded out the top three spots for most overpriced fast-food chains. Five Guys has earned itself a particularly brutal reputation. Five Guys, whose prices have been decried as “out of control,” and Sugar Factory followed Shake Shack as the chains with the second and third most overpriced food complaints.
At Five Guys, burgers with two beef patties cost between roughly $9 and $13, depending on where in the country you dine – and that’s before you add the famous Five Guys fries. Honestly, when a basic meal can easily sail past twenty dollars, you start to wonder if you should’ve just gone to a sit-down restaurant instead. The quality might be there, but customers are clearly questioning whether it’s worth it.
3. Chipotle: Rising Prices Meet Portion Complaints
Chipotle Mexican Grill’s food prices are increasing by approximately 2% to offset inflation costs, according to Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer Laurie Schalow. This is the first time the chain has raised prices in over a year, she said. Still, that latest bump came after a string of other increases that have customers feeling priced out.
It also revealed in October 2022 that its prices were about 13% higher compared to a year prior, per CNN. Making matters worse, at some Chipotle locations, customers filmed workers to try to make sure they didn’t skimp on their burrito bowls. When you’re paying premium prices but worried about getting less food, something’s clearly gone wrong.
4. Waffle House: Shocking 96 Percent Price Surge
Hold onto your hats for this one. Waffle House took the top spot with a staggering 96 percent price hike, followed by IHOP at 82 percent. Casual chain restaurants like IHOP, Waffle House, and TGI Fridays have raised their prices by nearly 42 percent on average over the past five years.
The kicker? The study, which tracked 16 chain restaurants from 2020 to 2025, found that all of them raised their prices above the national average inflation rate of 22 percent. These were supposed to be the affordable spots where regular folks could grab a plate of eggs and hash browns without breaking the bank. Not anymore.
5. IHOP: Breakfast at Dinner Prices
Waffle House took the top spot with a staggering 96 percent price hike, followed by IHOP at 82 percent. IHOP’s transformation from budget-friendly breakfast joint to pricey pancake palace has left longtime fans scratching their heads. Finance Buzz says IHOP and Waffle House had the steepest increases, followed by Texas Roadhouse and TGI Fridays.
What used to be a go-to spot for a cheap stack of pancakes now feels like you’re splurging. The chain built its entire brand on being accessible and affordable, which makes the steep price increases feel like a betrayal to customers who’ve been loyal for years.
6. Cheesecake Factory: Massive Menus, Massive Bills
Menu prices at The Cheesecake Factory were 10.5% higher in the second quarter than they were a year ago. But same-store sales rose just 1.5% as customers visited less and ordered less food when they did. Customers are voting with their wallets, and the message is clear.
The chain’s reputation for huge portions doesn’t seem to be justifying the prices anymore. I think people expect a certain value proposition when they’re handed a menu the size of a small novel, yet many diners are walking away feeling like they paid too much for what they got.
7. TGI Fridays: The Struggling Chain’s Price Problem
Texas Roadhouse, TGI Fridays, Applebee’s, and other American-style restaurants raised prices by around 40 percent. TGI Fridays is prominent among the restaurant chains that struggled through 2025. From peaking at about 600 locations and billions in annual business, Fridays has faced significant financial struggles and greatly reduced its number of locations.
The pricing strategy clearly backfired spectacularly here. When a casual dining chain that’s supposed to represent fun and affordability starts charging premium prices, customers bail. TGI Fridays learned this lesson the hard way.
8. Panera Bread: Hospital Food at Premium Prices
Panera has become notorious for pricing that makes customers do a double-take. Panera Bread is probably the worst bang for your buck on the market. The Signature Take Chicken Sandwich and The Spicy Take Chicken Sandwich both cost $12.59.
Despite its simplicity, Panera bread is charging a whopping $8 for a plain cheese sandwich. Eight dollars for grilled cheese? That’s just bread, butter, and cheese. Reviews indicate that many Panera Bread customers are dissatisfied with their purchases. Those numbers speak volumes about customer frustration.
9. Texas Roadhouse: Steakhouse Prices Without the Steakhouse Experience
Texas Roadhouse, TGI Fridays, Applebee’s, and other American-style restaurants raised prices by around 40 percent. That’s a massive jump for a chain that positioned itself as the affordable alternative to upscale steakhouses. The study, which tracked 16 chain restaurants from 2020 to 2025, found that all of them raised their prices above the national average inflation rate of 22 percent.
Customers expected reasonable prices for decent steaks, not premium pricing that approaches what you’d pay at higher-end establishments. The value proposition that built the brand has eroded significantly, leaving diners wondering why they don’t just go somewhere nicer for the same money.
10. Applebee’s: The Neighborhood Grill with Non-Neighborhood Prices
Texas Roadhouse, TGI Fridays, Applebee’s, and other American-style restaurants raised prices by around 40 percent. Applebee’s entire brand was built around being your friendly neighborhood spot where everyone knows your name and the prices don’t hurt. According to some rankings, Applebee’s is number 4 (out of 10) for customer experience, number 8 for menu, but number 2 for value.
Interestingly, customers still rate it decently for value, which suggests the pricing complaints are more about expectations versus reality. When your marketing screams “affordable family dining” but the bill suggests otherwise, customers notice. The disconnect between brand promise and actual cost is what really frustrates diners.
