Comment by purple-again | Hacker News Reader

Comment by purple-again | Hacker News Reader

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Not sure what your point is considering that I expressly noted the existence of fast food steak houses like your example in my parent comment. I mentioned the existence of places like Longhorn Steakhouse and Outback Steakhouse which are places where you can get a $20 steak. Cattleman’s is a two dollar sign on Google indicating it’s a typical fast food steakhouse restaurant like those examples above.

Most people would draw a clear line between a hamburger and fries from McDonalds for $5 and a hamburger and fries from an upscale burger place for $20. Those steakhouses you are referencing are McDonalds equivalent and every city in America has them in additional to upscale steakhouses that are 4 dollar signs on Google. It looks like Mahogony Prime Steakhouse would an example in OK. The comment I was responding to expressed disbelief at $100 steak which is a staple of the American experience (meat eaters obviously) and not at all “just for upper middle class” Americans. Giving out a steakhouse gift card for birthdays and graduations was pretty common amongst lower class families when I was growing up. Buying a $100 steak twice a month might be upper middle class behavior but buying it once or twice per year is well within all but the lowest classes ability to purchase when desired.

>considering that I expressly noted the existence of fast food steak houses like your example in my parent comment

My point was to highlight that these are high-end places that go for the $100/head, not the common steakhouse experience, and hardly required to get a decent steak, as the parent makes it appear:

"If you're going out, a decent steak would cost you over $100"

Well, no, a fancy high-end steakhouse will cost you that. You can have a decent steak for much less.

>Those steakhouses you are referencing are McDonalds equivalent

No except in the eyes of golf & country club types, $200K/year FAANG engineers, or Paris Hilton-caricatures saying you can only get a "decent froyo" at some $50/cup high end place.

I wouldn't consider Outback, or Longhorn for that matter, or places like McCormick & Schmicks or Cheesecake Factory as "fast food". They're just chain restaurants that also serve steaks.

They're not McDonalds, however, nor some kind of "McDonalds of steaks", to be considered "fast food" (a place like Sizzler buffet might be that). And there are tons of non-chain restaurants serving steaks with similar prices.

I've eaten at lots of Michelin-star restaurants in Europe and around the globe, and had $300/head bills a few times, but I don't consider restaurants with $30/$40 steaks or places like Outlook beneath me or "fast food".

It's just the rampant US-version of classism (if one think it's bad in the UK, have them wait till they talk to some upper-middle class US people).

the accusation of classism is sort of a harsh take here. I would never buy a steak from outback for the simple reason that I can buy a nicer cut from my butcher for <$20 and probably do a better job cooking it on my cheap cast iron skillet. on the rare occasion that I go out for steak, I spend as much as it costs to buy something I couldn't reasonably do at home. with steak, that's a lot of money.

> Well, no, a fancy high-end steakhouse will cost you that. You can have a decent steak for much less.

It depends on what you call "decent" and what's the general quality of produce in your country. There are cheaper steaks here too, but they it's just pieces of charred mediocre meat, which you wouldn't risk to order done medium rare anyway.

> It's just the rampant US-version of classism (if one think it's bad in the UK, have them wait till they talk to some upper-middle class US people).

Not that there's anything wrong with classism, but classism itself is your attitude towards people, not things. Taste in food is not and cannot be classism by definition.

>Not that there's anything wrong with classism, but classism itself is your attitude towards people, not things. Taste in food is not and cannot be classism by definition.

Of course it can. You use food and restaurant choices to signal your class. You're not an "Olive Garden peasant" for example...

Some people probably could use it for this purpose, I imagine. However, I and people I know use them to enjoy ourselves.

Besides, how exactly would you signal it and to whom? Since transition to WFH, I haven't met a single colleague of mine offline. I eat out completely alone 90% of the time, and just with my girlfriend 9% — whom are we showing off to? Each other?

>Besides, how exactly would you signal it and to whom? Since transition to WFH, I haven't met a single colleague of mine offline.

That would be a good counter-argument if I said people are doing this food signalling thing just or particularly or generally these last months.

But humanity and restaurants existed before covid/wfh, and would (I bet) exist after it. I was referring to something people do in general (and have done for centuries), not to what temporary situation they are forced because of WFH to do.

That said, even with WFH one can (and many do) flaunt their food buying habbits online, with pictures of the high class foods they stocked their fridge, their expensive deliveries, their subtle knowledge and enjoyment of expensive coffee beans for their espresso habbit, and so on...

I can't say it with 100% certainty, because I'm from Ireland, not the US, but I'm 90% sure you're out of touch here.

Here, you can get a good steak in a proper, table service, not fast food, not chain restaurant for the equivalent of $30-$35. $100 would be stupidly expensive, you would only pay that in the most expensive restaurants in the country.

Its the exact same in the US. Definitely a false dichotomy between $100 steak and "fast-food steak".

Maybe it's a regional thing, but high end steakhouses in Texas sell their steaks at around $30-$60. You can of course find a $200 gold dusted wagyu, but those are outliers not the norm.

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