Given how the price of everything has skyrocketed, you can't fault restaurants for having to raise their prices.

Except... it really, really seems disproportionate to the rate of inflation in this heinous Trump economy. Because while they've raised their prices, they've also slashed the amount of food you get WHILE slashing the quality of what they're serving! And when people complain? Restaurants blame the consumer!

As if that wasn't bad enough... now we've got restaurants and servers saying that if you can't tip 25%, don't go out to eat? That's a bold statement given that half the time you eat out the service is ass. I ain't tipping 25% for shitty service. It's not an entitlement, it's a tip. I never know if it's a bad day for a server, so I rarely tip under 15% even when service is subpar... but 20%-30% gets reserved for exemplary service.

And since most all of the ingredients are just cheap Sysco crap that's not as good as what you can get at your grocery store, how is eating out even an option now-a-days? $16 for a grilled American cheese sandwich and fries made from frozen potatoes? Seriously? For that kind of money, I could buy an entire loaf of bread, better cheese, and a bag of frozen fries to make a better meal.

The only time I eat out any more is if it's social... I'm meeting up with friends and we need a place to gather. Or I'm traveling and don't have any choice.

Though it's beginning to feel like "not having any choice" is just making expensive excuses. A half-gallon of ice cream and a bag of potato chips from a nearby grocery store is probably half the cost and is a more tasty meal.