Fast-Casual Inflation: How Menu Prices Have Risen in the Past Five Years [Data Study]

Eating out has gotten expensive. Whether you're grabbing breakfast on the go, trying to get your kids a quick meal, or craving a favorite drive-thru item, menu prices at fast-food restaurants have rocketed up in recent years, frequently rising at rates faster than inflation.

These price hikes aren't limited to drive-thru dining, however, as cost increases have also hit menus at casual-dining restaurants across the country. As a result, chains that used to be affordable can now come with some serious sticker shock when the bill arrives.

To better understand the full scope of these price increases and identify the biggest offenders, FinanceBuzz compared current menu prices for popular items to what those same items cost five years ago at 16 of the most popular chain restaurants in the country.

Key findings

• In the last 5 years, prices at chain restaurants went up an average of 42%. This is nearly double the rate of national inflation during the time period (22%).
• Eggflation: Breakfast giants Waffle House (96%) and IHOP (82%) are the chains with the highest increase in prices.
• Texas Roadhouse (46%) and TGI Fridays (45%) have also had price increases that are more than double the rate of inflation.
• Longhorn Steakhouse has the lowest price increases at 26%.

How much have chain restaurants raised prices?

From 2020 to 2025, the inflation rate in the United States rose by 22%. In that same time frame, the average price increase at 16 popular chain restaurants was nearly twice as high at 42%.

Menu prices at every single chain we evaluated rose faster than inflation in the last five years, with the biggest increases coming at Waffle House. Prices have nearly doubled since 2020 at the southern staple that specializes in breakfast items, with costs rising by 96% on average. Another chain known for its breakfast offerings, IHOP, has seen prices increase by 82% on average, the second-highest of any chain and 36 percentage points higher than the chain with the third-biggest increases, Texas Roadhouse (46%).

On the other end of the spectrum, five chains raised prices at rates that were relatively in-line with overall inflation. Longhorn Steakhouse and BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse came closest, raising prices by just 26% since 2020. Buffalo Wild Wings (29%), Outback Steakhouse (29%), and Olive Garden (30%) also increased prices relatively in line with inflation during the time period.

Chains with the highest price increases

Waffle House

As mentioned, prices at Waffle House have risen higher than at any other chain in the last five years. These prices may rise even higher as the breakfast-focused chain has announced an egg surcharge in response to the ongoing increase in the price of eggs across America.

These increases aren't limited to one part of the Waffle House menu, however, as the price of every single item we collected data on rose by at least 71%, whether it be a breakfast item or part of its lunch and dinner menu. Prices more than doubled for a number of dishes, including a 150% increase in price for a grilled chicken biscuit, a 110% jump for a bacon angus cheeseburger deluxe, a similar 110% increase on Waffle House's signature hashbrowns, and a 101% jump in cost for a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.

• Average price increase: 96%
• Largest single-item increase: Grilled Chicken Biscuit: 150%

IHOP

Prices at IHOP rose by 82% in the last five years, the second-highest rate of any chain. That price increase is also significantly higher than the third-place chain.

• Average price increase: 82%
• Largest single-item increase: 2x2x2 combo: 129%

Texas Roadhouse

While menu prices at Texas Roadhouse rose at a much slower rate than IHOP and Waffle House between 2020-2025, the 46% increase at the chain is still more than double the national rate of inflation in that time.

• Average price increase: 46%
• Largest single-item increase: Macaroni and Cheese kids meal: 63%

TGI Fridays

TGI Friday's is the final chain we evaluated where costs rose by more than double the rate of inflation, going up by 45% in the last five years.

• Average price increase: 45%
• Largest single-item increase: Sizzling Chicken & Cheese: 62%

Applebee's

Across the 16 chains included in this study, menu prices increased by 42% on average. Applebee's is the chain that came closest to matching that overall average, coming in at a 41% average increase in the last five years across 10 different menu items.

• Average price increase: 41%
• Largest single-item increase: Chicken Wonton Tacos: 57%

Cheesecake Factory

Known for its extensive menu, Cheesecake Factory is the chain with the most consistent price increases. Prices for all 10 Cheesecake Factory menu items we collected data on rose between 32% and 46%, the smallest spread between biggest and smallest increase of any restaurant.

• Average price increase: 40%
• Largest single-item increase: Classic Burger: 46%

Hooters

Hooters has been in the news recently for a potential bankruptcy filing in the coming months, but for now the chain is still slinging wings and beer to its customers, with an average markup of 40% compared to five years ago.

• Average price increase: 40%
• Largest single-item increase: New England Style Clam Chowder: 55%

Chili's

Chili's is another chain that has kept its price increases relatively consistent, with costs rising between 30% and 47% for every single menu item we collected data on.

• Average price increase: 39%
• Largest single-item increase: Crispy Honey-Chipotle Crispers: 47%

Denny's

While Denny's is another breakfast-forward chain, costs have gone up at a rate less than half that of Waffle House and IHOP, rising by just 36% since 2020.

• Average price increase: 36%
• Largest single-item increase: Build Your Own Grand Slam: 63%

Cracker Barrel

Between 2020-2025, Cracker Barrel prices rose by 35% on average, though costs for menu items like combo or sampler meals tended to increase a good deal more than the costs for popular side items and kids meals.

• Average price increase: 35%
• Largest single-item increase: Cracker Barrel Sampler: 52%

Red Lobster

Despite a tumultuous year where the company filed for bankruptcy and closed dozens of stores, Red Lobster has come out the other side with new ownership and a new CEO at the helm. It plans to continue operating more than 500 locations across the country, which is good news for fans of the iconic seafood brand.

What fans may not like, however, is the knowledge that prices at Red Lobster have increased by 34% in the last five years, 12 percentage points higher than inflation in that same time.

• Average price increase: 34%
• Largest single-item increase: Tie between the Chocolate Wave and Bar Harbor Lobster Bake: 46%

Olive Garden

Olive Garden is the first of five chains we looked at where price increases were within 10 percentage points of the overall national inflation rate of 22% from 2020-2025, with Olive Garden prices going up by 30% on average.

• Average price increase: 30%
• Largest single-item increase: Chicken Alfredo: 40%

Outback Steakhouse

Menu prices for 40% of the menu items our team evaluated from Outback rose at a rate equal to or lower than the overall inflation rate from 2020-2025, including its signature Bloomin' Onion appetizer, which exactly matched the inflation rate with a 22% increase.

• Average price increase: 29%
• Largest single-item increase: Wood-Fire Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie: 43%

Buffalo Wild Wings

Similar to Outback, prices for a number of popular menu items at Buffalo Wild Wings actually rose slower than inflation in the last five years, including its popular boneless wings (19%).

• Average price increase: 29%
• Largest single-item increase: Medium Traditional Wings: 41%

BJ's Brewhouse

BJ's is tied with Longhorn Steakhouse for the lowest average price increase among all chain restaurants — just 26% in the last half decade. Six different BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse menu items we looked at increased in price by 25% or less.

• Average price increase: 26%
• Largest single-item increase: BJ's Original Wings: 36%

LongHorn Steakhouse

Costs for eight different menu items we evaluated at LongHorn — including signature items like the Flo's Filet and Texas Tonion — rose by less than 30% between 2020-2025.

• Average price increase: 26%
• Largest single-item increase: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Kids Meal: 40%

Tips for saving money for the whole family when dining out

• Maximize your rewards when eating out. Get the best bang for your buck by using a credit card for dining out to help rack up rewards and offset food prices.
• Set a budget. Cut back on unnecessary purchases and plan your fast-food expenses to keep more money in your pocket.
• Look into a food delivery side hustle. Read up on our Deliver with DoorDash guide to see how you can create your own hours and earn some extra cash on the side.

Methodology

FinanceBuzz collected prices from each restaurant. Prices were collected for 2025 and 2020. Only menu items available to customers in both years were included for each restaurant.

2025 prices were pulled from each restaurant's mobile app or website directly. Previous menu prices were pulled from FastFoodMenuPrices.com with the use of the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.

Inflation rates are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator. Inflation rates were collected in February of 2025.

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