Yes, but I'd argue that some food prices in the US (especially fast food and some lower end restaurants that lower classes frequent) have been artificially low in the US for decades and it has created unrealistic expectations.

Honestly there are some categories of restaurant in the US that probably shouldn't exist as widely as they do... but this is not what people want to hear.

I'm not sure where you're located, but in my corner of the US it's impossible to get someone to do the full job at server wages at lower end restaurants because the tips are never good enough anyway. You think paying people more is going to reduce their output at Waffle House?

That's what you want, but I've talked to people about this (~250 patrons) while doing some restaurant consulting and it seems there's a fairly common expectation of the opposite. The common refrain is that food prices have gotten too high and the current prices should be the norm without tips.