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Steakhouse Puts Up A Sign That Asks Customers To Spend $100 Per Person Minimum, Gets Roasted Like Steak
There's currently a huge debate on social media where people are discussing how much customers need to spend at a restaurant. All thanks to Steak 48.
This high-end chain has locations in Houston, Charlotte, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and the latter two have adopted a new policy, stating that there is a $100 per person food and beverage minimum.
The restaurant says on its website that this requirement is "to ensure that each guest enjoys the total experience of food, service, and atmosphere." The $100 minimum does not include tax or a tip.
All of the Steak 48 locations also have a strict dress code. "Proper attire required for the comfort and enjoyment of all of our guests," the chain adds on its website. Banned clothing includes anything "excessively frayed", anything "emitting offensive odors", and exposed undergarments.
The majority of people on social media, however, aren't fans of the change.
Steak 48 has locations in Houston, Charlotte, Chicago, and Philadelphia
Image credits: teak48
Its restaurants in Chicago and Philadelphia have recently adopted a new policy
Image credits: OfficialTrpe
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
So true. If everyone started to boycot those chain restaurants, local restaurants would thrive and everyone would have better service and better food. Win-win situation.
Full of Giggles 4 years ago
How is it a win-win situation? A decline in business can force a restaurant to close. That means people will lose their jobs.
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perry anderson 3 years ago
The effectiveness of the upper-class cost. It does and should keep the ones with little money to spend out of the door. I may be able to afford it but would not go due to the dress code. I do not like starched underwear to go eat out.
perry anderson 3 years ago
So the big restaurant went from a mom-and-pop shop and is now huge. So they need to be punished for growing? Yes, they let you know beforehand. The more you spend the more service you get. Check it out anywhere you go, show them the money and they will show you the service even in the local stores.
Bogdan Samchuk 3 years ago
I remember one cafe with a minimum bill in my student years. Not a huge amount but not affordable for students on a daily base. When we had celebrated something we had to pay even bigger bills, but we always used to ignore this generally not a bad cafe, and I presume not only we because, in a year or little more, they had become bankrupt.
clive apps 4 years ago
Maybe all the gangsters and bikers should start earing there. They can afford the prices with all the money they make destroying other people's lives.
Steak 48 was intended as a luxury experience from the start. It opened in September 2020 and in the same month, executives told The Inquirer that it was aiming at a $120 check average, in line with other high-end steakhouses in town.
According to its website, Steak 48 serves "the finest steaks and high-quality seafood in an intimate and vibrant setting. Our diverse menu will satisfy any personal craving, as we serve the best USDA prime steaks, succulent seafood, and shellfish along with inventive and classically inspired side dishes and appetizers."
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#2
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago (edited)
Silly woman. Why should you pay someone above the minimum wage? If they run fast enough they can make a decent income on tips. /S
Dragonmonkey17 3 years ago
Some people don't tip or tip well. You cannot depend on tips to live on. Yeah you may have a good couple of nights but will the tips cover the bills when you have a bad week? It's too inconsistent even if you budget well and save.
#3
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
A person after my own heart! LOL! I say the same thing... your own amazing surf-turf and garden meal for 4 (or for 2 in my case) and for less than $100. Includes real butter and sour cream for the potato! :)
Alex Cranston 3 years ago
Wait a minute… you’re telling me if you go out and buy groceries at a store, take time to cook all the ingredients, and clean up all the dishes that it will be cheaper than going out to a fancy restaurant???? No f’ing way man, that makes no sense at all.
Konrad Mazurek 3 years ago
Sure. You can buy them. But can you cook them all perfectly and plate them for 4 people without anything getting cold while you do? How about the side sauces? Usually Bernaise, Chimichurri, Demiglace, Compound Butter? Sides? Creamed Spinach, Roasted Mushrooms, Onions & Roasted Garlic, Twice baked Potato? Can you have all of that ready for 4 people plated and delivered still piping hot?
Betty Ann German 4 years ago
For that price it'd better e Kobe beef (these Japanese cows are massaged and serenaded while they grow). And for that price, I want to be massaged and serenaded when I eat as well!
Vasana Phong 4 years ago
Nowadays you have to make your $ stretch, thinking in this perspective is a good way, hey that’s actually my weekly grocery bill.
Brian Michael 4 years ago
I like what they were going for but this meal would cost $119, I went to Costco website .
Honu 4 years ago
To be fair, prices on Costco’s website are often higher to compensate for delivery costs, but still this is far less than the $400 the restaurant would charge 4 people. Of course, at a restaurant you’re paying for the skill and service as well as atmosphere. I’m a pretty good cook, but I still enjoy eating at restaurants.
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But some people might not get to enjoy any of that now. Twitter user Dennis The Menace — whose Tweet we included in this listicle — hasn't been to Steak 48 prior to seeing the tweet posted showing the $100 minimum and it sounds like he's not going to.
Dennis believes the strict dress code has racial undertones. "I think, combined with their extremely specific dress code, this restaurant has made it clear that they don't want to serve people of color, and the community at large should act accordingly," he told Bored Panda. "People need to stop supporting places that are harming our communities."
#4
Christina Uhlir 4 years ago
But will you be able to afford steep health insurance premiums you'll need after eating in places like that.
Lori McKinney 3 years ago
It was because prostitutes were trying to get rich men and just ordered water. Not kidding, its really a problem
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
Well, it is an AMERICAN chain restaurant. (And before you comment - yes, I am an American, born & bred).
Leslie Burleson 4 years ago
Nah, the pretentiousness is fun... if you've got the money. This is like a once in a lifetime experience . Unless of course you're really loaded
#5
Travis Kidd 4 years ago
Yes, its from Twilight, he played basically the President of the Vampires, if you could call it that.
Load More Replies...Not everyone shares this sentiment. Black foodie Ernest Owens finds this current controversy a misplaced outrage. "It's obvious that faux-woke people in Philadelphia have drunk the anti-Black Kool-Aid and bought into stereotypes that suggest Black people are cheap and poor and lack taste. That is so far from the truth. In fact, we are the complete opposite," Owens wrote in Philadelphia Magazine.
"Go to any major steakhouse in Philly, and Black people are there," Owens continued. "Before the pandemic, Del Frisco's, Ocean Prime, Capital Grille, Chima, and other places along what I often describe as Center City's 'Steakhouse Row' were hot spots for Black diners. Any Black professional in town has likely gone to these places multiple times and will tell you so."
#6
Jo Johannsen 4 years ago
Ah, but don't forget the "experience". Oh, wait, Mom used to serve me that.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
Hahahahahaha! And probably a whack on the back of the head!
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Gabby M 4 years ago
WHAT!! Just a "touch" of Velveeta!!! No Lobster? No Crab? Throws my hands up!
Kiss Army 4 years ago
With crab & shrimp this side costs $34... without the seafood it's $13.
Load More Replies... #7
Rachel 4 years ago
And they're probably local restaurants, not chains named in this post
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Katherine Heasley 3 years ago
Yeah. I can get a terrific steak with sides, a drink, and a dessert for way less than $100 at the local brewery, and I'm guaranteed friendly service.
Vasana Phong 4 years ago
Local and mom and pop’s is what we need to support, especially in our Philly area.
"From political networking to engagement parties, we’ve made these restaurants our idea of a good time. I’ve hosted dinner parties at them, and members of my diverse social circles paid and tipped well without a sweat. And yes, I can cook my own damn New York strip just as well — but with steakhouses, it’s always been about the ambiance and experience of going out and being dapper. Dress-code policies that call for professional attire never bothered us because — just like anyone else — Black people know how to respect the rules of engagement. While some superstar athletes and musicians may have come to these places in their super-casual fits and sneakers, many more Black customers have shown up dressed to the nines."
Steak 48 ultimately responded to the whole ordeal. "Like many restaurants in our industry, we’ve had to make some updates to our policies, like the $100 per person minimum in [an] effort to support our staff and restaurant’s operations, and provide the ability to be successful as a steakhouse designed for the full sit-down experience," the chain told Bored Panda in a statement. "Our standard 18 percent minimum gratuity also helps ensure our staff is supported, especially as our community continues to reemerge after a challenging year."
#8
Ileana Sky Aviles 4 years ago
I get irritated when someone takes this argument route! Please, sit down!
Toast Of Saint Louis 4 years ago
I wouldn't be surprised if it was the actual restaurant who texted that response.
Collette Moisan 4 years ago
I could afford to go there, but would not waste my time in a place as crass as that. Disgusting!
Sue Phillips 4 years ago
They have some nerve calling themselves a steak house with no porterhouse on the menu.
Christina Uhlir 4 years ago
The price is very high for our planet, the immensely suffering animals, and for your body ravaged by chronic diseases after years of dinning in places like this one...... believe me, it's coming to you.
Amanda Hunter 4 years ago
It's not a case of pay grade, it's the audacity, and value for money.
#9
BlahBlahBlackSheepah 4 years ago
That "welcome" sign kills any ambience that was there. Its got the same tone as public pool rules
Julie C Rose 4 years ago
That’s not fair on public pools. My local pool has a cartoon of one kid reminding another kid that if you need to poo, you should do it in the toilet, not the pool.
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WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
Flip flops are footwear. Not the most elegant footwear, but still footwear.
Niall Mac Iomera 4 years ago
They're not saying thongs aren't footwear. Just not what you expect if you're paying a minimum of $100 a head.and especially if they say they do to increase ambience.
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Sue Phillips 4 years ago
Right?! I thought about going in wearing those paper slippers they give you when you're getting a pedicure.
Mrs. Jan Glass 4 years ago
A dress code makes sense when it is a safety issue, i.e. no shorts in a fondue or teppanyaki restaurant, or closed shoes in a historic building. So if you are going to enforce a dress code but are fine with any kind of footwear, your code might be, oh, less about safety and more about systemic oppression.
Mindy Keys 4 years ago
If I were paying for the "experience" of a $100 per person meal (which I would not), but hypothetically, I would expect a proper dress code, people all dressed up, white linens, etc. Like the old steakhouses of the 50s. Not f----ing Flip Flops. Bless.
#11
Alex Cranston 3 years ago
Idk dude… some of their clothes definitely look “excessively frayed” 😂 🤣
#12
Dorothy Parker 4 years ago
Why not simply change the chain's name to The One Percent? They're the only ones who can eat there on a regular basis.
#13
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
Waiter: "And sir... how did you find your steak this evening?" Me: "Well I just moved a few F*king peas over and there it was!!"
Easily Excitable Panda 4 years ago
Why would I go to Steak 48 in Philly when I can get a genuine Philly Cheeseteak at local restaurants - including the original?
Fabrice 4 years ago
I must say that I have seen this stuff before. Usually in another place and in another type of earthenware.
Ruth Beaty 4 years ago
For that much money I expect a lot more food and a doggie bag at then end of my meal, maybe two of them. And my server damn well better be paid decently.
#14
sofacushionfort 4 years ago
“medium well, well-done, and Vladimir Komarov”
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Greg Bex 4 years ago
The gelatinous pile on the right looks like something my cat horked up on the carpet in the middle of the night.
Barbara Goudie-Bradford 3 years ago
Late to the party but this made me spit out my drink 😂👍😂
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Fabrice 4 years ago
I must say that I have seen this stuff before. Usually in another place and in another type of earthenware.
Jessica Bertram 4 years ago
i totally get your joke. it seems to be flying over others' heads.
Load More Replies... Ileana Sky Aviles 4 years ago
Actually Friday's look better and more appetizing than this...whatever this is!
Leandro FR 3 years ago
From the looks of it, the way it went in when eating, it came out the same. Visually nothing has changed. Only the environment has changed. From the plate to the toilet.
#15
Marco Conti 4 years ago
What's the problem? You don't like grey text over an out of focus (but full color) page? If it was readable it would be yet another reason to roast them online.
#16
#17
Tracey Hirt 4 years ago
That’s not going to hurt corporate in the least. The only person it will hurt is the server who can’t turn your table and is surviving on tips. In many states, including Texas, tipped employees are paid as little as $2.13 per hour, with the expectation that tips will bring them up to minimum wage. That $2.13 has not increased in more than 30 years.
elfin 4 years ago
Basically tips are a donation to the employer that they use to pay their workers.
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Romek Vili 4 years ago
It is like mini vacation. You sit there all day, eat brakfast, lunch and dinner.
#18
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
And to miss that the food you've got served wouldn't even cost $25 in any other family run restaurant who'd let you in, even if you hadn't $100 to spare.
Becky Moore 4 years ago
I had to scroll back; that's weird! Plus they're trying to be all posh and then stick an emoji at the bottom :P
#19
John Baker 4 years ago
Because you'd have to be blind to not see you're paying $100 for a $15 meal.
#20
#24
Uber Mensch 4 years ago
To paraphrase from Pulp Fiction: that better be one good ducking milkshake!
Mary Kay Seckinger 3 years ago
You could get an appetizer, a steak and TWO sides for less than $100. The sign might as well say, order alcohol or be prepared to EAT UP.
#25
#27
If I could I would live under water 4 years ago
Not where I come from, I pay 30-50 € and take the test home for the next day
lenka 4 years ago
I'm not in the US so I dont know the chain, but on the rare occassions hubby and I splash out for a celebratory dinner we would easily spend over $100 each but being told that it is compulsory to spend that much has me looking for a restaurant with manners.
K Witmer 4 years ago
That's fine if it's good food but this place makes TV dinners and puts them on plates
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LMS 4 years ago
Standard for what? Maybe you are rich enough to be able to toss out a couple hundred on a meal, but the majority of us do not! I'm sorry, but even if I wanted to spend that much on a single meal I would refuse to go to Steak 48 on principle alone. No restaurant should tell me what I have to spend or eat
Maria Ribaulo 4 years ago
I would hate to have someone take me to this place. Looking at the menu, I'd barely get to $40 if someone else was paying. AWKWARD!
Joe Edwards 3 years ago
I can take my GF and daughter for dinner and it wouldn't be more than $75
Vicki Brown 3 years ago (edited)
There's "expected" and then there's "required". I've eaten at steakhouses where we usually get to $40-$50 per person, And that included an alcoholic beverage and desert. I can get a Very Good Meal with sufficient "experience" for well under $100 per person..
#28
Devinshire Kineally 3 years ago
here i thought i would never have the opportunity to wear a monocle!
#29
Must Be Bored Again 4 years ago
Not a defense but maybe part of why they are doing it. Actually trying to keep instagrammers from taking over the place for the cost of one drink or appetizer. A lot of instagrammers wear questionable clothing.
Dodo 4 years ago
Sure, but then they could just implement a 'you must order at least two courses per person' rule or something.
Load More Replies... #30
BlahBlahBlackSheepah 4 years ago
Who the hill brags about eating in a chain restaurant? That s is embarrassing
Russian Otaku 4 years ago
Same people that brag about having a worthless piece of s**t phone with a label on it or a bag less useful or as durable as a random 10 dollar backpack but costs upward to a grand or more
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kath morgan 4 years ago
Nowhere worth eating at demands you spend over a certain amount. They just assume you will lol
#32
#33
Anthony Goldstein (female) 4 years ago
What does bustier tops mean? Are big boobs not allowed?
Tracey Hirt 4 years ago
A bustier top is a corset-like shirt designed to push the breasts together and up, maximizing visible cleavage.
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VeninTheNonBinaryRogue 4 years ago
How the heck are they gonna know whether or not I’m wearing a sports bra?!?
Russian Otaku 4 years ago
So dress like a tool/dumbass instead of wearing real practical/comfy clothes
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What do you think ?
Ileana Sky Aviles 4 years ago
$100 is average for a night out at a nice place but for a chain and with this pretentiousness? F off! Food looks appalling!
Alexis Draskinis 4 years ago
It wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt per person. Me & hubs go out, usually get an app & a dinner each. He gets beers & i get martinis (@ $12 a pop) & we still barely spend $150. Only way we're $200 is after tax & a nice tip
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Mark McCloskey 4 years ago
I once was with a team that was installing a large piece of sculpture in Chicago. We, being a bunch of knuckleheads decided to go to a very fancy steakhouse and try to get seated (we were prepared to spend a lot of money on our bosses credit card which he had given us permission to do, nice guy!). We Were NOT dressed accordingly. A friendly woman who was obviously employed there began speaking with us, very friendly. We explained that we were putting a sculpture in a nearby park and suddenly we were VIPs! We were sat at a beautiful table and even comped their famous desert. The whole experience was fantastic and the woman, who was a manager there gave us all her card and said if we were ever in town again she would love to have us back. We spent almost 200 per person wearing t-shirts and baseball hats. That was great service and every time I go to Chicago, I try to visit, with proper attire, these days...
Vicki Brown 3 years ago
HOw in the world did you manage to spend $00 per person? You all ordered prime rib and the $80 cognac?
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Carol Emory 4 years ago
Sorry, 100 per person and a dress code doesn't automatically make for a classy dining experience. We have plenty of local hot spots with great food and friendly staff. I'll take them over cheap overdone steaks and pompous personalities any day.
Vivian Ashe 4 years ago
This is so American. Chain restaurant wants to draw a better quality of diner, but instead of improving their food quality and charging accordingly, they greet you with a big, tacky sign requiring you to buy an obscene quantity of food. Based on their menu, a reasonable meal of a small steak, a vegetable side, and a glass of wine won't get you close to their $100 minimum. They want you to order an appetizer, a salad, a main course, several sides, a dessert, and some alcohol. Apparently, stuffing yourself until you are sick is part of the "total experience" they desire for you. Sadly, this attitude is common in the U.S. because we've been brought up to believe that ordering a reasonable sized meal in a restaurant makes you look poor, and that "fancy" meals should be enormous.
Tracy Rowe 3 years ago
I don't know where you live, but I wasn't brought up that way.
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WindyWolfe 4 years ago
That's ridiculous, they should be glad that people are coming even in this time right now!
Dre Mosley 4 years ago (edited)
I'd never eat there. You don't tell me the minimum I'm spending. Go to hell. Too many other steakhouses to choose from. Hell, you don't even have to go to a steakhouse to get a good steak. Besides, there's Charlie's, Ruth Chris, and Bern's in my area; this place wouldn't have a chance in hell here.
Ileana Sky Aviles 4 years ago
$100 is average for a night out at a nice place but for a chain and with this pretentiousness? F off! Food looks appalling!
Alexis Draskinis 4 years ago
It wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt per person. Me & hubs go out, usually get an app & a dinner each. He gets beers & i get martinis (@ $12 a pop) & we still barely spend $150. Only way we're $200 is after tax & a nice tip
Load More Replies... Mark McCloskey 4 years ago
I once was with a team that was installing a large piece of sculpture in Chicago. We, being a bunch of knuckleheads decided to go to a very fancy steakhouse and try to get seated (we were prepared to spend a lot of money on our bosses credit card which he had given us permission to do, nice guy!). We Were NOT dressed accordingly. A friendly woman who was obviously employed there began speaking with us, very friendly. We explained that we were putting a sculpture in a nearby park and suddenly we were VIPs! We were sat at a beautiful table and even comped their famous desert. The whole experience was fantastic and the woman, who was a manager there gave us all her card and said if we were ever in town again she would love to have us back. We spent almost 200 per person wearing t-shirts and baseball hats. That was great service and every time I go to Chicago, I try to visit, with proper attire, these days...
Vicki Brown 3 years ago
HOw in the world did you manage to spend $00 per person? You all ordered prime rib and the $80 cognac?
Load More Replies... Carol Emory 4 years ago
Sorry, 100 per person and a dress code doesn't automatically make for a classy dining experience. We have plenty of local hot spots with great food and friendly staff. I'll take them over cheap overdone steaks and pompous personalities any day.
Vivian Ashe 4 years ago
This is so American. Chain restaurant wants to draw a better quality of diner, but instead of improving their food quality and charging accordingly, they greet you with a big, tacky sign requiring you to buy an obscene quantity of food. Based on their menu, a reasonable meal of a small steak, a vegetable side, and a glass of wine won't get you close to their $100 minimum. They want you to order an appetizer, a salad, a main course, several sides, a dessert, and some alcohol. Apparently, stuffing yourself until you are sick is part of the "total experience" they desire for you. Sadly, this attitude is common in the U.S. because we've been brought up to believe that ordering a reasonable sized meal in a restaurant makes you look poor, and that "fancy" meals should be enormous.
Tracy Rowe 3 years ago
I don't know where you live, but I wasn't brought up that way.
Load More Replies... WindyWolfe 4 years ago
That's ridiculous, they should be glad that people are coming even in this time right now!
Dre Mosley 4 years ago (edited)
I'd never eat there. You don't tell me the minimum I'm spending. Go to hell. Too many other steakhouses to choose from. Hell, you don't even have to go to a steakhouse to get a good steak. Besides, there's Charlie's, Ruth Chris, and Bern's in my area; this place wouldn't have a chance in hell here.
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