Every price on this site is the output of a process. Here is that process in full, including the parts where it is imperfect.
1. Sources, in order of preference
- Official chain websites and menu PDFs. The primary source wherever one exists.
- Official ordering apps and first-party online ordering. Usually the most current, because they are transactional.
- In-store menu boards. The ground truth, and the check we use when the published menu and the app disagree.
- Franchise-specific location pages. Used to establish how much prices vary between markets.
We do not treat third-party delivery platforms as a price source. Delivery platforms typically mark menu prices up by 15 to 25 percent, and quoting those numbers as the restaurant's prices would be misleading.
2. Cross-checking
A price goes live only after it has been observed across more than one location or more than one first-party source. Where locations disagree, we publish the most commonly observed figure and note that prices vary by market on the page itself.
3. Dating
Every menu page shows a "menu last verified" month. If that date is more than six months old, treat the page as directional rather than exact. We would rather show an honest date than pretend everything is current.
4. The arithmetic
Where we publish derived figures — cost per person, cost per bone, effective side cost inside a bundle — the underlying calculation is shown on the page so you can check it. For example, if a chain charges $3.58 to add two sides to any sandwich, we state that this makes each side $1.79 against an à la carte price of $2.75 to $3.59.
5. Portion assumptions
Catering estimates on this site use industry-standard assumptions:
- One third of a pound of cooked meat per adult when serving two or more meats with two sides
- Half a pound per adult when barbecue is the only main course
- One pint of a side feeds about three; a quart feeds about six
- Children under twelve counted as half an adult
6. Known limitations
- Franchise pricing varies by state and by individual operator.
- Seasonal and limited-time items rotate faster than any site can track.
- Nutrition figures are chain-published and vary with hand portioning.
- Some independent restaurants do not publish prices at all; where that is the case, we say so rather than estimating.
7. Corrections policy
Reader corrections are checked against a first-party source and, if confirmed, applied with the verification date updated. If you find an error, please tell us — include the restaurant, the item, the price you paid and the location.