At one point I noticed that a Big mac and a large fry was $10, and that I could spend an extra $3 or $4 and get a steak, a baked potato, a salad, and loaf of bread at Outback.
The item in the top left (or #1) at many fast food restaurants is intentionally not the low margin cheap way to eat.
The cost of the Big Mac is certainly approaching sit down places, but that’s the “premium” burger. They have $5 meals now and you can always piecemeal from the value menu for $5-$6 a person.
You're not wrong. They've also got late hours while outback doesn't, but I realized that the food itself isn't really worth what they charge for it. There are circumstances when I might end up at a McDonald's but if I have the option to not eat their food I'll take it.
The cost of the Big Mac is certainly approaching sit down places, but that’s the “premium” burger. They have $5 meals now and you can always piecemeal from the value menu for $5-$6 a person.