The 8 Best Chain Restaurant Dishes That Cost Less Than $12

If you can remember dining at chain restaurants before 2020 or so, this article might make you a touch sad. Dishes under $12 used to be commonplace, but the march of inflation is relentless. Luckily, there are still some places where you can score good eats for cheap. The opposite of the chain restaurants that overcharge customers, that's what we're celebrating.

For the record, we understand why prices are so high. Restaurants, even big chains, operate on razor-thin margins. Workers deserve decent wages, and a business has a right to make a profit. That said, the heights that food costs have reached is lamentable. The biggest food story of the first half of the 2020s is how much prices have risen, and fears of further inflation due to tariffs. It's true whether you're looking for a place to eat out or shopping for Kirkland pantry items under $10, many people are tightening their belts. Here are some items on chain restaurants' menus that are less than $12, depending on the location.

Soup and salad for lunch is dependable, but maybe less exciting than other options. Well, what if you add a plate of freshly baked Cheddar Bay biscuits to that soup and salad? Coming in at $9.99, this offer includes either New England clam chowder or lobster bisque, choice of coleslaw, house salad, or Caesar salad, and a whopping four biscuits. Oh, and if you were wondering? Red Lobster is one of those chain restaurants that serve fresh biscuits. The Cheddar Bay mix might be sold on grocery store shelves, but in-store, it's all freshly made biscuits.

If you haven't yet tasted the majesty of Cheddar Bay biscuits, know that one Redditor said, "I want these biscuits to be my last meal." Buttery, just the right amount of salty, and plenty cheesy, these biscuits are the gold standard of chain restaurant table bread. Beyoncé taught us that Red Lobster is for the most special of occasions, but if you're just looking for a quick, cheap lunch? Chowder, salad, and a swim in the Cheddar Bay for $9.99 is pretty great.

With a price tag of $6.75 at the restaurant we checked, the Texas patty melt at Waffle House is a steal. A good patty melt is a prerequisite for a good diner. The patty melts at Waffle House are phenomenal. Maybe that's to be expected, because just about everything at Waffle House is top tier, but if you were looking for a sign to try the patty melt? Then consider this your gentle nudge to indulge in a cheeseburger on toast.

Don't just take our word for it. Burger fans love it, too, judging by the approving comments on a photo of the dish posted to the subreddit r/burgers. Over on YouTube, vlogger Kyah Malone tried the sandwich for the first time and called it "fire." Kyah also remarked that she didn't know the sandwich came with onions. This feels like a good time to bring up the fact that you can get a few kinds of patty melts at Waffle House. Some of those are going to cost a little more, though. The Texas bacon patty melt, for instance, is $9.05. That's still under $12, yes, but you should also be aware that adding a side of hash browns adds $3.45 to your order. Keep the bacon off of your sandwich, though, and you can add hash browns while coming in under $12.

For all the warnings that eating too much avocado toast was why Millennials couldn't get their finances straight, it's funny to see avocado toast become one of the most affordable menu items at IHOP. With a price point of $9.59, this dish is served with roasted cherry tomatoes, two eggs your way, and a side of either hash browns or fruit. IHOP's avocado toast is a veggie-packed dish that won't break the bank. There are plenty of ways to take your avocado toast up a notch, and IHOP roasting the cherry tomatoes is definitely a nice touch. We also recommend putting at least one of the eggs directly on top of the toast and eating the open-faced sandwich with a knife and fork.

One YouTuber said the toast had so much avocado they wouldn't be able to finish it. Of course, if you can finish the toast, you can rest assured knowing you had about as healthy of a meal as you can get at a chain diner. Avocados are loaded with fiber, potassium, and folate, among other nutrients.  

Hey, sometimes you don't want a steak, even at a steakhouse. In that case, LongHorn's got you covered. The crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich is a great fried chicken sandwich that, at lunchtime, costs $9.99. Plus, you still get your choice of a side, soup, or salad. A good chicken sandwich is one of life's delectable treats, and having this on their lunch special is a solid move. Sure, a big, juicy midday steak is going to be a rich, tasty experience, but it could weigh you down in the afternoon. Instead, opt for the chicken sandwich, which can fill you up but won't make you sleepy at your two o'clock meeting.

That's not to say this is some puny little sammie, though. You're asking for large portion sizes if you order the buttermilk chicken sandwich, one glance at a menu picture can confirm that much. As for taste? The breast is well-seasoned and the veggies are crisp. What more could you ask for? LongHorn's got a pretty solid lunch, here.

A classic breakfast if ever there was one. Now, the super slam is different from the grand slam, just to be clear. Two pancakes, two eggs (your way), four pieces of meat (two sausage links and two pieces of bacon), a side of hash browns, and the whole thing is slightly less than a Hamilton at $9.99 at the Denny's we checked. For the record, the grand slam is also under $12 — at $11.79 — but we're recommending the super slam here. Largely because one person on Reddit claiming to be a Denny's employee said they always recommend the super slam to customers. "I work at a Denny's, and whenever someone orders the og slam, I tell them about the super slam every time."

The difference between the two dishes is a matter of hash browns. Counterintuitively, the less expensive item is the one that comes with the extra side. What's the catch? Well, the super slam is a promotional item that comes and goes, not unlike a McRib at McDonald's. The good news is that both dishes are under $12. For the best deal, though, you should keep an eye out for when the super slam is back in town.

How do you make biscuits and gravy better? Add a side of breakfast meat. Cracker Barrel's plate comes with three biscuits and a big ramekin of sawmill gravy. Now add bacon or sausage on top, and that's breakfast. A whole lot of breakfast, in fact, and for only $7.99 at the Cracker Barrel we checked. There's no shame in getting a to-go box and saving a few for later — there are plenty of simple ways to use leftover biscuits.

Now, we should mention an important caveat here, because this is a dish that makes people get righteously protective. The best biscuits and gravy are going to be the ones that you — or possibly your parents or grandparents — make at home. Some people think this means Cracker Barrel makes bad biscuits and gravy. Taste is subjective, after all. However, if you're looking for a plate of biscuits and gravy — plus bacon or sausage — and you didn't have to do any cooking? This item at the old country store is a good deal, and plenty of people love what Cracker Barrel serves. 

A burger doesn't have to be complicated. A burger has to be tasty. At Red Robin, Red's double meets those criteria. Lettuce, tomato, and secret sauce are the only toppings you need, and the combination of two patties and two slices of cheese will fill you up. Best of all? It's $9.99, and includes a side of your choice. Steak fries, kettle chips, steamed broccoli, or salads are available at no extra cost. Things like mac and cheese, onion rings, or coleslaw will add a couple bucks to your order. The point is, though, you can get a double cheeseburger and a side for not a lot of money.

Oh, and about that "tasty" aspect? The Red's double is delicious, and you don't have to simply take our word for it. One Redditor called this the best burger they'd eaten in a while, with another chiming in that it's even good with a gluten free bun. "Solid with the gluten free bun too. Underrated burger."

This menu item is a truly impressive array of food, given the price point. The griddle stacker at Bob Evans is a complete breakfast, all arranged in sandwich form. The building materials for the stacker are three hotcakes, a fried egg, American cheese, both a sausage patty and bacon, and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. On the side, you'll get a ramekin of black pepper maple honey. All this, plus your choice of hash browns, home fries, or seasonal fruit. Somehow, the whole thing costs $7.99 at the Bob Evans that we checked.

Who needs utensils? Well, maybe if you add that black pepper maple honey, you'll want to take a fork and knife to this sandwich. If black pepper maple honey doesn't sound up your alley, you can enjoy the dish with honey from the bottle that's on every Bob Evans table. Drizzle some of that on top, and you're in for a bit of heaven.