The 5 Chain Restaurants Americans View as Most Overpriced, Survey Shows

American diners are feeling the pinch in their wallets like never before. Fast food costs have risen significantly in the past decade, and a majority of consumers now view eating fast food as a luxury. According to a LendingTree survey, many Americans have been shocked by their fast-food bill in recent months. Yet among all the chains struggling with public perception, five restaurants stand out as the most overpriced according to recent comprehensive surveys and consumer feedback.

Shake Shack: The Premium Burger Chain That Breaks Budgets

According to survey data, Shake Shack received among the most complaints of any national chain about its food being overly expensive. This followed two price hikes in 2024, including a 3% increase in March. The chain’s troubles with pricing perception are easier to understand when examining the numbers.

A ShackStack burger costs seventeen dollars and fifty-nine cents, while even a standard hamburger with fries and a small soda exceeds twenty dollars. A single ShackBurger typically costs between six ninety-nine and seven ninety-nine dollars depending on region, with fries adding another four forty-nine, bringing the total to at least eleven forty-eight. These prices have pushed many customers past their breaking point, turning what was once considered affordable into a luxury expense.

Five Guys: Where “Out of Control” Pricing Dominates the Menu

Five Guys sits firmly in second place for overpriced complaints, with customers describing its prices as completely “out of control”. The burger chain has become infamous for shocking receipts that leave customers questioning their meal choices. One viral receipt showed a bacon cheeseburger for twelve forty-nine dollars, a regular soda for two eighty-nine, and a small fry for five nineteen.

Customer complaints include paying sixty-five dollars for two burgers, one fry, and two drinks. The chain’s premium positioning, which includes fresh ingredients and rigorous employee training, may justify some costs to business owners. However, consumers increasingly view these prices as excessive for fast food, regardless of quality promises.

Chick-fil-A: The Beloved Chain Pricing Out Loyal Fans

Chick-fil-A prices went up fifty-five percent over the last decade, including a fifteen percent hike in 2022 followed by a six percent menu-wide increase in January 2023. A LendingTree survey found that consumers see Chick-fil-A as the most high-end fast-food chain on the market. The pricing reality has stunned longtime customers who remember more affordable days.

Customers report paying seventeen dollars for two chicken sandwiches and a drink, with some receipts showing two meals costing over thirty-two dollars. Social media comments note that such amounts could have fed a family of four in the past. Many former fans have stopped visiting entirely, with one customer noting that a sandwich and fries together cost over ten dollars before adding a drink.

Applebee’s: The Neighborhood Grill That Abandoned Its Neighbors

According to FinanceBuzz, Applebee’s raised prices by forty-one percent from 2020 to 2024. The Quesadilla Burger jumped from ten forty-nine five years ago to fifteen ninety-nine today. The particular sting comes from the fact that Applebee’s built its brand on being the place where regular folks could enjoy a night out without breaking the bank, but when your neighborhood grill suddenly costs forty percent more, it’s no longer your neighborhood grill.

Sales at U.S. Applebee’s locations open at least a year slumped four point six percent in the first quarter, with customers earning fifty thousand dollars or less visiting less often and spending less when they did. The chain has priced out a significant chunk of its actual neighbors, creating a vicious cycle of higher prices and fewer customers.

TGI Fridays: The Party Chain That Killed the Fun

TGI Fridays jacked up prices by forty-five percent according to FinanceBuzz, with the beloved sizzling chicken and cheese dish rising from twelve sixty-nine five years ago to twenty fifty-nine today. The chain filed for bankruptcy in 2024 citing challenges from the 2020 pandemic and capital structure issues, significantly reducing its U.S. footprint.

TGI Fridays ranks among the top chains with the steepest price increases, sitting at fourth place behind only Waffle House, IHOP, and Texas Roadhouse. The financial struggles reveal how pricing decisions can backfire spectacularly, turning a once-popular destination into a cautionary tale about overpricing in the restaurant industry.

These five chains represent a broader trend affecting American dining. Sixty-two percent of Americans are eating fast food less frequently due to rising prices, while sixty-five percent have experienced sticker shock when ordering in the past six months. When restaurants that once offered affordable options begin charging premium prices, they risk losing the very customers who built their success. The message from consumers is clear: value matters more than ever, and chains that ignore this reality do so at their own peril.