America's Most Overpriced Fast Food Chains, According To Diners

Rimma Bondarenko/Shutterstock

There are numerous reasons why so many people choose fast food over making a meal at home or dining at a sit-down restaurant: It's easier, it's faster, it's more convenient, and it's cheaper. Actually, scratch that last point. With the way inflation and price gouging have changed fast food culture, your typical fast food options may be just about the same price as a sit-down restaurant, if not more.

Today, we'll outline some of the U.S.'s most overpriced fast food chains, according to the opinions of real diners. We sourced from news outlets, Reddit, and TikTok to hear from these customers, some of whom come with actual receipts, and some who merely lament the days of cheap fast food and actual value menus. Regardless of how customers have shown their anguish over outrageous fast food prices, we've condensed their lists of grievances for you. Now, let's dish about America's most overpriced fast food chains.

The Image Party/Shutterstock

Readers may argue that Chipotle shouldn't even be on this list because, to some, it doesn't qualify as fast food. Even so, diners can't deny that Chipotle is one of the pricier "fast" options. The chain is known for its real ingredients, customizable options, and larger-than-life burritos. In recent years, however, those burritos have cost diners a pretty penny.

One customer on Reddit redeemed a free burrito and added double steak. To their surprise, that free burrito turned out to be $6 simply because of the additional meat. Commenters agreed that the extra cost was excessive, and some even reminisced about when a burrito would cost $7. Another poster on the Chipotle subreddit opened a discussion of Chipotle's outrageous pricing by sharing that their most recent burrito was nearly $20. Some commenters pointed out that the price may depend on location and that extra or premium items can add up quickly, but the consensus was that Chipotle is simply too expensive.

Summer_Wind/Shutterstock

Chick-fil-A is known for many things: juicy chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and being closed on Sundays. In recent years, though, customers have added another identifier to the chain's list: too expensive. Even with adjustments for inflation, a chicken sandwich should not cost nearly $6. And most customers won't stop at the chain and only get an entrée. Once you add in fries and a drink, you could be paying $13 for a quick bite.

Customers have noted Chick-fil-A's high pricing in numerous Reddit threads. One customer showed off a receipt for two meals costing over $32. People in the comments noted that back in the day, that could have fed a family of four. They also compared the price to a sit-down restaurant, saying they'd never pay more than $30 for fast food. This isn't just a recent occurrence, either; in 2023, a Reddit thread sparked much conversation surrounding Chick-fil-A's high prices. Multiple customers reported that they stopped dining there because the prices were too high. Some diners still can't get enough of Chick-fil-A, though, and have turned to interesting ordering hacks to get their fix. To each their own!

Ian Dewar Photography/Shutterstock

Five Guys is a must-mention for a list like this. The burger chain has made headlines about its steep prices, but customers keep coming back for more. Former President Barack Obama has even been photographed ordering a cheeseburger from the restaurant. While the expensive menu may be justified due to the chain's fresh ingredients, rigorous employee training, and premium products, there are many burger buffs who just won't take a bite of Five Guys' pricey buns.

A viral post on X, formerly known as Twitter, revealed a customer's Five Guys receipt with the following items: 1 Bacon Cheeseburger $12.49, 1 Regular Soda $2.89, 1 Little Fry $5.19. With tax and tip, that single meal came out to be $24.10. For perspective, a double-double meal from an In-N-Out in Los Angeles County would cost $10.45 — that's less than half of the Five Guys meal. While not every Five Guys is the same, it's common knowledge at this point in the burger community that its prices are ridiculous. A Reddit thread blasting Five Guys' prices is littered with commenters sharing their most expensive receipts. One commenter reported paying $65 for two burgers, one fry, and two drinks. If that isn't overpriced, we don't know what is.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Shake Shack is another burger joint that is often pitted against Five Guys and In-N-Out. It's known for its Shack burger with Shack sauce, crinkle-cut fries, and milkshakes. Originally from New York City, Shake Shack has slowly made its way to the West Coast and now boasts over 500 locations worldwide. The burger chain has gained a lot of fame in the fast food community, but it has also been the subject of much scrutiny. In late 2024, Preply conducted a study that named Shake Shack one of the most overpriced chain restaurants.

Customers have also taken to Reddit to rant about the excessive pricing of this fast food chain. One Shake Shack customer wrote that their two burgers, two cheese fries, and two shakes came out to $49.16. Paying nearly $50 for fast food seems a little outrageous, and other diners chimed in with their own opinions and experiences. One commenter who claimed to be a Shake Shack employee recommended sharing one fry when dining with someone else in order to bring the price down. That would leave solo diners to their own devices, but surely, there are cheaper burger options that won't clear out their wallet.

Deutschlandreform/Shutterstock

For those who think fast food is just burgers and fries, think again. At first glance, Panera Bread is a quaint, home-grown bakery that offers healthy alternatives to fast food and a quiet place to sit. But spend a little longer there, and you'll realize the chain is one of the most expensive casual cafe experiences money can buy.

Looking at the menu, it's hard to find a full meal that costs less than $10. For example, the classic "You Pick Two" would cost at least $12 before tax and tip, and that's just if you're getting a small cup of broccoli cheddar soup and half a grilled cheese. Prices vary by location, but it seems like diners all over are fed up with Panera's expensive menu.

One Reddit poster even complained of a nearly $9 bacon breakfast sandwich. Commenters chimed in saying that Panera is just overpriced, reheated cafeteria food, and that the price is only so high because customers are still willing to pay for it. Another thread is riddled with comments saying that the food quality has gone way down and that Panera is no longer a good value. So much for fresh bread!

Kit Leong/Shutterstock

Chicken fingers. Fries. Texas toast. Coleslaw. Cane's sauce. That's basically the whole menu at Raising Cane's. With such a simple menu, you'd expect reasonable prices, right? Wrong. There are many reasons Cane's customers complain — long lines, limited sauce options, tiny tenders, too-soft bread — but to top it all off, the price hikes have become too much.

Raising Cane's customers have taken to social media to air their grievances with the chicken chain. A user on TikTok shares a past Raising Cane's menu (from an unknown time) that shows an $8.79 Caniac combo. That iconic meal comes with six chicken tenders, fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, two Cane's sauces, and a large drink. Nowadays, the TikToker says the Caniac combo costs nearly $17. A commenter on her posts claims to have worked at Cane's in 2019, when the Caniac combo was a little less than $9. A Reddit post echoes the same criticisms, saying that Cane's pricing has gone wild. Commenters agreed and said that ordering from Raising Cane's is basically a luxury now. If you don't feel like dropping a paycheck at Cane's, you can still get your fix by making your own Cane's sauce at home and frying up some chicken tenders for cheap.

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Starbucks doesn't quite fit into the traditional idea of fast food, but we've decided to include it on this list because it's fast, it's food, and it's definitely overpriced. Even the most loyal Starbucks customers have complained about the coffee chain's outrageous prices.

On the Starbucks subreddit, many customers have claimed that Starbucks used to be a daily ritual for them, but because of its current prices, they're avoiding the chain altogether. The main poster wrote that a small breakfast sandwich and a regular drip coffee cost them more than $10. To verify the claim, we checked Starbucks pricing in our area, and indeed, a grande drip coffee and a Bacon, Gouda & Egg sandwich would add up to $9.20.

The chain used to boast a loyal following, with regular, daily customers heading in for their special orders. But since prices have increased, many have abandoned their Starbucks run. Another poster on Reddit revealed that they would regularly drop over $100 a month at Starbucks, but now, they only spend $5-10 at best. Sounds like bad business for Starbucks.

wisely/Shutterstock

Taco Bell is one of those hate-to-love-it fast food places. As an equalizer among all high schoolers, college partiers, stoners, and business people alike, the chain has to be one of the most beloved fast food restaurants. But in recent years, customers seem to have turned their backs on Taco Bell because of laughable price hikes.

A Reddit user posted their "one of everything" Taco Bell receipt from 2015, and commenters read the chain for filth. They noted how eight menu items cost less than $3 and only two menu items cost more than $4. A commenter in New Jersey did their own "one of everything," orders using the same menu items and found that their total was 27% more than the original poster's inflation-adjusted price. There are multiple threads of unhappy customers saying that Taco Bell used to be their go-to cheap option, but now, it's too expensive for what it offers. With the prices Taco Bell proposes, there's no way customers can comfortably live más.

The Image Party/Shutterstock

There was a time when Carl's Jr. mocked fancy burger restaurants for outrageous pricing with its "Six Dollar Burger" that only cost $3.95. But now, the chain has succumbed to the same behavior it once abhorred. The irony isn't lost on customers –- it's a frequent joke on Reddit threads that Carl's Jr. has now surpassed its original parody of expensive fast food.

On the Los Angeles subreddit, a Carl's Jr. customer posted their receipt from a recent transaction. They ordered one meal with a simple upgrade, and it came out to over $17. People in the comments were already aware of Carl's Jr.'s inflated pricing and suggested that the money would be better spent on small businesses instead. One customer on the Carl's Jr. subreddit posted that their Double Western large combo was $18.47. To them, it was worth the cost (nostalgia and cravings are a hard thing to beat), but it wasn't lost on them that getting Carl's Jr. for a family of four could cost more than $60. Other commenters lamented that their favorite meals are now too expensive to enjoy, and they've stopped spending money at Carl's Jr. altogether. Maybe those small businesses are worth a try.

SrideeStudio/Shutterstock

McDonald's is one of the biggest (if not the definite biggest) names in fast food. The company has been around for more than 70 years, and it's safe to say a majority of Americans have tasted a least one item off its menu. It used to be the prime example of cheap, fast food dining, but ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, things haven't been the same. Even with its prices skyrocketing, lots of customers can't help but eat there. But others have had enough and started turning to alternatives.

One parent created a Reddit thread about the surprise they felt when looking at their McDonald's receipt. The bill for two meals came out to $24.99, leaving the customer in shock. The top comment claimed that while menu prices are expensive and overpriced, the restaurant's app offers cheap deals. While that may be true, it seems a little unfair for the customers who don't have the app. Why should they pay full price if McDonald's is already willing to cut costs? Senators have caught wind of McDonald's price hikes and have claimed that its price increases outrun inflation. Business tactics and politics aside, there's no denying that the golden arches may as well be real gold at this point.

Gerardo Mora/Getty Images

Remember the five dollar footlong? Fast food connoisseurs could only dream of a price that low nowadays. Obviously, with inflation, nothing will cost the same as it did ten years ago, but people can dream, right? And even then, it seems excessive to pay anything more than $10 for a sandwich when you could easily make one at home. The same could be said of any fast food, but that doesn't stop customers from complaining about Subway's pricing.

On Reddit, Subway customers asked why Subway got so expensive. Apart from the given answer of inflation, it may be because people are willing to pay for it. The original poster mentions that a footlong at their Subway would cost almost $8 and that they'd rather just buy their ingredients and make a sandwich at home. Another Reddit thread boasted a $35 receipt for two footlongs and two juices and asked, "When did Subway get so expensive?!?!" People in the comments don't seem to look too empathetically at Subway customers' complaints because they were met with scoffs. The top comment says, "They're not worth going to, like, ever. You're spending $12 for a sandwich that would cost you like $4 to make at home." So much sass, but they're not wrong.

FOOD PHOTO STOCK/Shutterstock

Jack in the Box has fallen in and out of the public's favor for years, but it never fully made it out of the spotlight. As one of the staples of American fast food, Jack in the Box specializes in stereotypical burger joint offerings while also featuring seemingly random, but beloved, snack items like tacos, egg rolls, and curly fries. The diverse menu may be enough to reel some customers in, but others feel like the food is simply not worth the price.

Diners at Jack in the Box have complained on many a Reddit thread that its prices are rising faster than inflation and that at its current price point, they'd rather eat at Shake Shack (the most infamous overpriced fast food joint). In one particular thread, a poster hesitantly expresses that Jack in the Box doesn't seem worth the price anymore. Many commenters agreed, even saying that its coupons don't cut it. When you've got the munchies, it might be more worth it to split a Costco pizza and a bag of chips.

Wolterk/Getty Images

El Pollo Loco is known for its Mexican-style grilled chicken, and customers have always loved this healthier alternative to fried chicken compared to other fast food joints. The food is fresh, it tastes great, and there are options for bigger families and solo diners alike. But recently, chicken hasn't been the only thing getting flamed at El Pollo Loco. The chain itself was under fire in 2024 for a customer complaint about outrageous pricing.

A customer went to the El Pollo Loco drive-thru and quickly split after seeing the price of one 12-piece family meal. She says in her TikTok, "I was okay when it was $23.99, $28.99, but $43.99? That is crazy." The meal in question includes 12 pieces of chicken, three large sides, tortillas, and salsa. Her video caught a few eyes and was even covered by Fox Business.

Before this incident, El Pollo Loco customers were already up in arms about its prices. One diner on Reddit claimed that their 2-piece meal came out to $18, $3.39 of which was for the drink. Commenters agreed that El Pollo Loco, along with every other fast food place, has hiked up prices way too high. Certainly, the only thing that's "loco" is the restaurant's price gouging.