It is no secret. I love a cheeseburger. I especially love it when it is topped with lots of pickles and mayonnaise.
Will I ever quit writing about them, you ask? Probably not.
Because there is always some sort of fresh news about cheeseburgers. You see, there was a time when a burger, fries, and a soda meant affordable relief. If we were hungry back in the day, and a little short on cash, you could always buy a cheeseburger. Somewhere. On the cheap.
Heckins. Now? Those days are over.
That era has slipped away.
It started several years ago, really. But it has gotten worse. If we look back to a 2024 study by MoneyGeek, the price of a basic burger meal had climbed 24 percent in just two years across the 50 largest US cities.
That is not just a little increase. That is a big chunk of change. The study said that Americans have noticed. But every time I see the lines at the drive-thru, along with the warnings of our stinking economy, I wonder how people can afford their Unhappy Meals.
The most expensive place to order that classic burger meal now is San Diego, where the average burger, fries, and soda costs $20.76. Yep. San Diego. High labor costs, high rent, and high everything all stack up on the receipt.
Behind San Diego come Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Big cities. Big cost of living.
At the other end of the scale is Detroit, where that same meal averages $8.12.
Chains are not immune. Shake Shack: ~$13–$15. Five Guys: ~$15–$22+ in many markets. Red Robin / casual sit-down burger places: ~$18-$25 (not fast food).
Some fast food places have been rolling out $5 deals to coax customers back.
Truthfully, I can’t get over how much it costs to have “fast food” these days. Part of the shift is inflation. Part is labor. And part of it is cultural. Like, “higher quality” experiences, supposedly. And of course, Trump and his tariffs have smacked us all in the face on so many things.
And oh, how those good burgers are in the media. There seems to be such a thing about the CEO of McDonald’s eating the Big Arch. Then Burger King. Then Wendy’s. What next?
But in my heart. A burger is still a burger. I will probably love them always. Even if they do cost me my firstborn son.
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“Nothing reveals a culture like what it eats.” — Margaret Mead
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“Inflation shows up first in everyday things.” — Paul Krugman
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“Food tells the truth about an economy.” — Michael Pollan
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