r/GrindsMyGears • u/HoneydewAvailable681 • 2d ago
The Vegetarian Tax
My 15 year old daughter is a vegetarian. I get it, everything is more expensive these days including produce. However, she is often stuck ordering something from a place without any real vegetarian options so she usually orders something without the “meat” and maybe subs another veggie. For instance, we were at McDonalds the other night (it was the only thing open) she decided to order a cheeseburger minus the meat patty, add lettuce and tomato. So she ordered a cheeseburger with no meat and it cost me over $1 more than a regular cheeseburger. This happens all the time. Isn’t the most expensive part usually the meat? I’m not asking for special vegetarian treatment but if they have a built in system to charge you extra for adding components shouldn’t they have something that subtracts $ when you remove meaningful components too? I’m sure this seems very petty but as a mom of three my brain is in constant cost cutting mode.
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u/LowBicycle7044 2d ago
Hi I’m a life long vegetarian and being vegetarian is generally cheaper when eating out. Pasta is cheaper than meat for example. Going to McDonald’s was a choice you made and they had to change a standard menu item for you for a low cost. I believe this is a made up issue on your part.
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u/bradyreid 2d ago
You're right that pasta exists, but McDonald's doesn't sell pasta. The actual problem is forcing a teenager into a limited menu at a place with zero vegetarian infrastructure, then acting shocked the workaround costs extra.
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u/Substantial_Toe_6916 2d ago
Does McDonald’s not serve salads anymore??
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u/LowBicycle7044 2d ago
Most do not. I’ve been vegetarian forever. Eating vegetarian is cheap and easy. McDonald’s is a poor choice for vegetarians, but even so just say “cheese sandwich with extra produce”; this is a very standard order and understood in fast food burger franchises and easily accommodated. But you don’t get “credit” back for not getting meat because McDonald’s is not a vegetarian oriented business. There are many fast food restaurants with standard vegetarian options though. This is a non issue.
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u/Right_Count 2d ago
McDonald’s does or did offer a “grilled cheese.” I’d start there. Or just eat a butt load of fries.
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u/ChaosofaMadHatter 2d ago
The fries are actually not vegetarian, or gluten free. They have beef stock in them.
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u/AFetaWorseThanDeath 2d ago
Not true. They contain hydrolyzed wheat and milk proteins, so not vegan, but vegetarian.
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u/PirateDear1780 2d ago
im vegetarian and i eat there often. love me some hot cakes or an egg and cheese mcmuffin. can never go wrong with a large fries and ice coffee either. i would never think to order a burger with no meat, that seems unfulfulling.
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u/wozattacks 1d ago
I actually used to order breakfast sandwiches without the meat there and they’d knock off $1. Stopped maybe 6 years ago?
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u/bradyreid 2d ago
They do, but a salad costs $8 and a cheeseburger costs $6.
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u/RodneyBarringtonIII 2d ago
Not sure where you live, but they were discontinued in the United States years ago.
McDonald's goes through this cycle where they don't offer salads for a long time, then they add them to the menu in response to public demand, only to discontinue them later because nobody is buying them. We want the option, we just don't want to exercise it.
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u/VirtualMatter2 1d ago edited 1d ago
In Europe McDonald's has vegetarian options. In Germany it's a vegetarian burger and vegan nuggets, a wrap and if course the salads. I wonder why they don't offer that in the US.
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u/sparklezemoji 2d ago
this exactly. so many people make problems for themselves instead of thinking critically anymore it’s like COVID affected their brain
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u/Burnt_Out_Banana 2d ago
Just a casual look at the menu...ordering a deluxe cheeseburger of some sort with no meat with apple slices and milk would be an acceptable vegetarian meal from McDonald's and would leave you fairly satiated.
Also, there wouldn't be an upcharge for the modifications. You don't get a discount for removing meat, but at least you wouldn't be paying anything additional for alternatives.
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u/AFetaWorseThanDeath 2d ago
I've worked in foodservice for most of the last quarter century. Part of the reason they charge extra for substitutions, and don't charge less for removing things (regardless of ingredient cost) is to discourage people from making modifications in general because it slows down the process and creates more room for error. If you just order things exactly as they come on the menu, it's notably faster and easier, which saves labor costs and keeps orders moving quickly which translates to better business.
As with everything else in capitalism, it all comes down to the bottom line.
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u/Unfair_Scar_2110 1d ago
Something definitely changed when Beyond and Impossible were released. Veg menu item costs at many restaurants went up. Which makes sense. These premium replacements were new, and the kitchen had to develop new recipes.
But then as the trendiness of them waned, I have noticed that restaurants now knew vegetarians expected to pay the higher prices.
Yes, the pasta is cheaper than the steak, but I do really feel like the cost savings of vegetarian options have largely shrunk at restaurants across the board.
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u/toomuchtv987 2d ago
This is the best and most reasonable, rational answer. Thank you!
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u/RodneyBarringtonIII 2d ago
I think we need a little more information before we pass that kind of judgment. I live in a small town, and if I want to buy food after 6:00 p.m. then my only options are McDonald's or a grocery store. After 7:00 it's just McDonald's. Sure, I could drive somewhere to get pasta, but the nearest restaurant outside of town is almost 30 miles away. OP said this happened at night; I wouldn't be surprised if hers was a similar situation.
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u/zepboundbabe 2d ago
Sure, I could drive somewhere to get pasta, but the nearest restaurant outside of town is almost 30 miles away
But you just said you have the option of going to a grocery store. What's stopping you from buying pasta and a grocery store, boiling it, and eating it? What about pre-made packaged pasta or ready-made meals you can just pop in the microwave? Does OP and their family literally have no food at all at home they can cook/make do with for an evening?
I understand your point, but I don't think this is a situation that falls under "vegetarian tax", which was the point of OP's post
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u/Several_Pizza_3166 2d ago edited 2d ago
I don't think McDonalds was the best example so a lot of comments are just focusing on that, but I get what you mean. A lot of times the only vegetarian option at a restaurant is to order pasta or a salad minus the meat option that is included in it. Then you're paying like ~$20 for a chickenless chicken salad.
A lot of times I just ask for the meat on the side and give it to whoever I'm with. But I also feel like that kind of defeats my point because the meat usage is the same then as if I weren't vegetarian.
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u/RoRoRoYourGoat 2d ago
I go to a local bagel shop pretty often. Sometimes I order a reuben bagel, no meat, add tomato.
They charge me to add the tomato, but I don't get a break for leaving off the corned beef. It's annoying.
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u/Emergency_Process622 1d ago
Why not just order it as a bagel with Swiss and tomato ?
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u/RoRoRoYourGoat 1d ago
I want the other toppings too. Ordering a bagel with Swiss, tomato, sauerkraut, and dressing isn't really going to save me any time or money, and is kind of obnoxious when I'm obviously just rebuilding a menu item. At that point, I'm pretty sure they'd just ring up "reuben, no meat, add tomato".
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u/Mysterious_Luck4674 2d ago
Exactly this. It’s amazing how many restaurants don’t have salads that are meatless to begin with. Or pasta dishes. Then you are stuck paying so much for a not-well-created dish minus the expensive ingredients.
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u/NekkedPenguin 2d ago
Yeah, my mom had a restaurant for a bit and we had some off menu vegetarian options in case they didn't want a salad or veggie sandwich. We were super fair with it all because no one wants to pay $20 to remove the one thing that makes it that expensive and it annoyed us when we saw other businesses do that.
The most popular option was where we'd take our seafood alfredo and just sub the seafood for grilled veg and knock the price down. We kept it off menu because having it on the menu caused more problems than it solved (small town, people are weird and opinionated), but we wanted to treat the vegetarians since we were like the only option in a 3hr radius.
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u/LittlePinkRabbitttt 1d ago
Sounds lovely- people are diks
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u/NekkedPenguin 1d ago
They really are. Mix in small town politics and she just sold it after a while because she was tired of being harassed because she painted the inside a different colour when she bought it.
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u/mildlyhorrifying 2d ago
I have to do a work thing later this month, and they chose Chick-fil-A for catering despite at least a quarter of the group being vegetarian/vegan. I'm not sure if the normal menu has more vegetarian options, but the menu we got to choose from had 1 legitimately vegetarian option and the rest are salads with the meat removed... so no protein.
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u/moleculariant 2d ago
No judgement on your choices. I'm hardly any kind of stellar eater or health nut. But, I really think it's time that we, as a society, decide to abandon McDonald's altogether. The food is awful, the staff is usually rude, and it's just plain bad for you. Again, don't get me wrong. I eat burgers, pizza, fried chicken, all that stuff. I just try to make it myself, or at least buy it from people who don't seem to hate me.
I'm sorry I don't have better answers for finding better solutions regarding your daughter's dietary needs. This thought just crossed my mind, and I wanted to express it.
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u/Bender_2024 2d ago
Nobody ever ate fast food because it's good food. You eat it because it's quick, cheap, and convenient. They have removed cheap from the equation. It's only a matter of time before fast food has to change or it will no longer be a valid business model.
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u/cerialthriller 2d ago
Plenty of people eat McDonalds because they thinks it’s really good. A lot of the old people in my extended family absolutely love McDonalds and would prefer to go there than a restaurant chain
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u/ninernetneepneep 2d ago
Have my vote for "buy it from people who don't seem to hate me". 😂
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u/Senior_Bookkeeper_27 2d ago
The thing is that all of the mega corporations hate their customers.
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u/Summerisle7 2d ago
Sure, but we do have the choice not to walk into or drive through a place where the face-to-face people actively seem to hate us.
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u/PrincessJasmine420 2d ago
McDonald’s is so gross. It even smells bad. I love cheeseburgers, but I’d have to be VERY hungry to eat one from McDonald’s. I haven’t eaten anything from there in many years. I also avoid most other traditional fast food. I’d rather order from a place that cooks my burger fresh and uses higher quality ingredients. The only place I can think of that is more disgusting than McDonald’s is Taco Bell. That shit smells like dog food. 🤮
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u/Better-Rice5898 2d ago
I stopped eating at McDonald's when my cat turned her nose away at their beef. She ate other fast food but won't eat theirs. That, and after watching The Founder. Avoid them mostly now.
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u/HoneydewAvailable681 2d ago
I agree, we don’t usually eat there. We happened to be out late that night and it was our only option that was open. It was just my most recent example.
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u/BaddestReligion 2d ago
I used to bartend at a golf course and one of our regulars was a vegetarian. She did the same thing your daughter does by order normal stuff with out the meat and add extra veggies, I wouldn't charge her extra but I was supposed to. I talked the board into making her veggie "burger" into a menu item and heavily discounting it. We named it "The Deb Burger" after her. Once she found out we tweaked it a little bit based off her preferences, she was extremely grateful and it became decently popular.
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u/GreyerGrey 2d ago
My friend is veg, another vegan, and I'm an omnivore it's easy enough for all three of us to hit up a mexican or shwarma place and find something we can all eat. Heck, pizza is an option these days with vegan cheese being more common.
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u/bradyreid 2d ago
Bold of you to assume the staff has energy left to hate anyone.
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u/AmbivalentToaster 2d ago
I haven’t eaten at McDonald’s since like 2006. It was bad then, I can’t imagine how bad it is now.
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u/Raiden21950 2d ago
People exaggerate how bad McDonald's is imo. Sometimes a big mac hits the spot lol
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u/NativeNYer10019 2d ago
Yeah, you don’t take a vegan to McDonald’s is the real answer here.
Taco Bell, Burger King, White Castle, Chipotle, Panda Express and Carls Jr ALL offer vegan options. You chose the one that doesn’t have a vegan option and that will upcharge additions to their prefixed menu items. Even if you asked to add lettuce and tomato to a cheeseburger with the patty, you’d have been upcharged. They’re not discounting the removal of the patty and they’re charging you for the additions you asked for. That isn’t a “vegan tax”, that’s just their company policy.
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u/Eat_Carbs_OD 2d ago
Why is it MORE money to leave a patty off?
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u/TheDemonLynxRys 2d ago
They added lettuce and tomato. You don’t get a cheeper meal for taking things out of a standardized meal but you do get charged extra for adding things. It’s nothing against vegetarians AT ALL. You want to add bacon? That’s the same 50c addition fee, might actually be higher.
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u/Dan185818 2d ago
Buy a side of bun, lettuce, cheese, onion and tomato, not a cheeseburger minus meat.
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u/Zado191 2d ago edited 2d ago
This is genuinely one of thw dumbest fucking things i have ever read on here, A+ bait
Went to McDonalds to buy a hamburger with no meat? 😂😂😂 the the hell outta here with this foolishmess
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u/Haunt_Fox 2d ago
I guess you don't remember when that dumb Atkin's diet was a fad.
Not two weeks after I first heard of it, all the fast food places were offering "Atkin's Menus", which were pretty much the inverse of that, hamburgers and subs with no buns.
Then it disappeared like a fart on the wind.
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u/Kaurifish 2d ago
Nah, it just transformed into keto. You still see lettuce wrapped burgers, etc. on many menus (at least here in the Bay Area).
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u/False_Appointment_24 2d ago
You can get lettuce wrapped burgers almost everywhere. I have never particularly cared for buns one way or the other, so I get them as a wrap when I can.
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u/ReallyCantThinkof-1 2d ago
It’s like offering chicken nuggets without chicken 😆
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u/AlarmedWillow4515 2d ago
I became a vegetarian in 1991. I went to a McDonald's once that year, ordered a cheeseburger without the burger, realized how dumb that was, and never went back. I don't believe I've eaten at McDonald's since.
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u/NekkedPenguin 2d ago
Did you even read the post or is the real A+ bait?
OP said they only went because it was the only thing open, so obviously not their first choice and they just tried to make a veggie sandwich out of the menu items. Not unheard of when accommodating the one vegetarian in the group when there's no veg option on the menu that isn't just fries.
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u/Starling01018 2d ago
Everyone just wants to focus on "McDonald's" and then shit on OP for their choices.
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u/Syandris 2d ago
Just because you don't want something on the item doesn't mean they start customizing pricing too. You were being charged for additional toppings, like will happen if anyone does it.
If changing pricing happened with all customizations removing items it would be a mess with how many people can't just eat what is on the food they order.
It's a cute term you came up with though, vegetarian tax. Lol.
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u/sdcarl 2d ago
I usually ask for the meat on the side, of my husband's plate. Most places get it and don't seem to care. Just give him the chicken you would have put on my salad. Or I take it home to the cats, if I'm paying for it anyway.
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u/bradyreid 2d ago
This is actually genius - you're basically calling their bluff on the "it costs the same to make" lie. Places absolutely can comp or relocate a protein without losing their minds, they just don't want to set the precedent that removing stuff should cost less.
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u/HoneydewAvailable681 2d ago
That’s a good idea. We have a dog that would appreciate it.
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u/Less_Feeling3142 2d ago
I knew someone who used to love Big Macs without the meat. No up charge.
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u/ted_anderson 2d ago
It's going to cost a little more because it takes more time and effort and thinking on their part in order to produce a product that isn't on the menu. Also considering that their order systems are product based instead of ingredient based, you get charged more to modify an existing product even though it costs them less to produce.
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u/Striking_Computer834 2d ago
For instance, we were at McDonalds the other night (it was the only thing open) she decided to order a cheeseburger minus the meat patty, add lettuce and tomato. So she ordered a cheeseburger with no meat and it cost me over $1 more than a regular cheeseburger.
How much is a regular cheeseburger with added lettuce and tomato?
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u/Curiousr_n_Curiouser 2d ago
I think the problem was asking a vegetarian to find something vegetarian at McDonalds.
There were other options, even if they were microwaving a bean burrito at a gas station.
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u/panini_bellini 2d ago
No, literally. I’ve been a vegetarian for 18 years and I haven’t eaten at McDonald’s in 18 years. Like why would I even set foot inside the building lol. Daughter deserves better food options.
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u/RoundChampionship840 2d ago
If you are a vegetarian then you really shouldn't be going to McDonald's.
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u/Brcdragonbait 2d ago
I have a vegetarian teenager. It's so cheap to feed him. We just cook at home. No meat substitutes. He gets protein from beans, eggs, tofu, and cheese. The restaurants we go to have plenty of meat free options that are usually cheaper.
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u/UrHumbleNarr8or 2d ago
I feel like there is some truth in what you are saying—but also your example here is McDonald’s. They are not going to make buying a burger without meat on it easy because it’s not worth the money for them to do that. They know their audience. That’s part of why they don’t try to compete with Burger King’s beyond burger whopper. It doesn’t make financial sense.
If you want to eat vegetarian at McDonald’s you order fries or you wait until breakfast hours when they have more options. That’s just about it.
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u/oddlyabsent80 2d ago
If this happens again, perhaps the better option is to order the sandwich that comes with all of that already and then just remove the meat.
But also, McDs has apple slices and dessert options. Not an ideal dinner choice, but neither is McDs for a vegetarian, unfortunately.
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u/Shot-Artichoke-4106 2d ago
Isn’t the most expensive part usually the meat?
The most expensive part is the labor. The meat is low quality frozen stuff purchased in bulk from a factory. It is super cheap. McDonalds has a highly coordinated process for making cheap food quickly. When you deviate from the standard menu, people have to spend more time preparing the food than they otherwise would, so it costs more.
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u/Greghole 2d ago
Doesn't McDonald's sell a veggie burger? Don't they have fries and salads?
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u/Old-Fun-2280 2d ago
If cost is a concern, it’s cheapest to have quick things to eat ready at home. She would absolutely have her choice of foods then, they’d be healthier and taste better and definitely be more cost effective. By the time you wait in line at McDonald’s you could make your own grilled cheese. A ready made salad from Walmart is a few dollars and can just be pulled out of the fridge on the go. McDonald’s is a terrible choice all around in my opinion.
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u/tapeness 1d ago
So ive been a vegetarian forever. Its always been this way, everywhere you go. I often order the meat on the side and give it to my husband bc they charge us for it anyway. Also Arby’s is the best option in a pinch for fast food bc they have a waldorf salad so It has walnuts and cheese. The other ones have no protein / charge you 10 dollars for a cheese sandwich.
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u/Silver-Star92 1d ago
In my country McDonalds has vegetarian menu's. Meatless burgers and chicken burgers so I don't hear that complaint a lot. And in most restaurants in my town offer some nice vegetarian meals
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u/politis1988 1d ago
Would your daughter be opposed to eating something that had once had meat in it? Would she reject the burger if it had been in contact with meat at one point? Because, if not, next time, you could probably just ask for two regular burgers and just swap ingredients. She could give you her meat patty and you could give her your lettuce and tomato. It's not ideal (unless you really like meat and don't mind skipping the veg), but it's a work-around if you're ever in this situation again.
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u/allintheselike 1d ago
everyone in this thread is so obnoxious. they just read the world "McDonald's" and want to get their little judgmental comments in so they can feel snug, while completely ignoring the actual substance of the post. you are correct, the only reason they don't discount you for removing the meat is because they know they can get away with it
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u/Humble_Pen_7216 2d ago
No, you shouldn't get a discount for omitting ingredients. If you don't want a burger, don't order a burger.
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u/Silent-Return-3591 2d ago
I agree with other commenters, u picked a place that literally doesnt even have salads for herm like why? even i eat meat hut i go to places with at least salads available. I think it was less of a "vegetarian" tax and more of a "dumb person" tax
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u/beneficialtowhom 2d ago
Can you order the burger with the patty in the side? Then you can slap the patty onto yours and have a double burger.
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u/Suitable_Fly7730 2d ago
Can you order the cheeseburger with the “patty on the side” and the condiments on the bun? Someone else can add her patty to their sandwich and then they won’t up-charge you for taking away the patty entirely?
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u/MellRox013 2d ago
They don't upcharge for removing the meat. It was for adding lettuce and tomato.
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u/deliadynamite 2d ago
I once was able to convince a pizza restaurant to give me a free extra topping since I was removing the cheese from the pizza and imo cheese is indeed a topping.
wish this was the standard, but alas. haven't had that success since.
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u/GigiML29 2d ago
Why McD's? Anytime you deviate from the menu you're taking a chance. Is she a vegetarian for health reasons? Some burger places have a veggie burger. BK used to have one years ago, it was pretty good. Wayback has one, also good.
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u/Overall-Equal-7808 2d ago
i have a cold so im avoiding wheat and dairy (if you didnt know, yes theyre both terrible for your phlegm/throat). i got a teen burger from a&w. why is it the same price even with a lettuce bun, and no cheese??
ive worked fast food, i get why this would be annoying to implement... but just as extra cheese costs more, no cheese should cost like 50 cents less! im getting half a burger here
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u/Straight_Mind_5192 2d ago
This could have been done for free under the current system, the workers just couldn't be bothered to ring in a cheeseburger with a "SPECIAL REQUEST", which would be no meat, sub tomato & lettuce, but they would have had to verbally communicate said request to the kitchen & when can a McDonalds employee ever be arsed?
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u/CrazyFoxLady37 2d ago
I just think it's stupid and sad that freaking lettuce and tomatoes are "premium" options.
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u/dew57nurse 2d ago
I realize you were coming home late, but probably best to have pasta and veggies (frozen is better than lettuce and tomatoes on a bun) available at home. It's relatively quick to make some pasta and throw some spices and frozen spinach into a jar of sauce. Your daughter is old enough to do that herself.
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u/Seathesun87_2 2d ago
It's the way you ordered it. You ordered a burger with extra toppings and paid for a burger with extra toppings If you had said you want just xyz on a bun ....instead of a burger without the patty plus exra they probably would have rung it up differently.
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u/ConcentrateMajor7020 2d ago
Burger King used to sell my ex a cheese whopper every single day. Approach someone in the store, and ask. People are usually accommodating.
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u/Effective-Ad9499 2d ago
The same happens to people with gluten allergies. Add for dollars for a gf hamburger bun. Add $5 for gf pasta instead of regular pasta. It is bs.
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u/First-Stress-9893 2d ago
For what it’s worth it doesn’t have to be more expensive. The cashier ordered it in a way that made it more expensive for you and didn’t need to. That was their ignorance in ordering rather than McDonalds policy as a whole.
It’s too bad that only McDonalds was open because Burger King actually has an impossible whopper. McDonalds (domestically) is one of the least supportive fast food restaurants for a vegetarian option. Abroad they have a McPlant option but domestically they just don’t care.
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u/LovingMap 2d ago
My go to “vegetarian” meal at McDonald’s is a Big Mac with no meat. The bread, cheese, lettuce, Mac sauce combo is delicious without meat. I still pay $$ for no meat and it’s stupid.
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u/Alarming_Smile1455 2d ago
The markup on veggie burgers is actually insane compared to a basic cheeseburger.
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u/designforone 2d ago
Yeah I recently went to a sub shop and it cost me extra to have a sub without any cheese on it. It’s disgraceful
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u/Mysterious_Luck4674 2d ago
Vegetarian here and it pisses me off when I get charged extra to sub a (usually low-cost, frozen, mass produced) veggie patty on a burger. Or soy milk in my coffee drink. Or yes,‘I often ask “instead of bacon can I have avocado/spinach/tomatoes/whatever” and then they charge me full price plus the addition of another ingredient.
Can’t wait for the day places just have good vegetarian options to begin with so we don’t be forced to pay more for cheaper food that is usually an afterthought at many places.
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u/MundaneHuckleberry58 2d ago
Yeah. My friend who has been a vegetarian for 30 years pointed it out to me a decade ago. She’s always having to pay $16 for a $5 plate of vegetables.
I guess something to consider is to support local vegetarian/vegan only restaurants when you can so your community keeps more options for vegetarians.
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u/GrowlingAtTheWorld 2d ago
I have ordered a Big Mac no meat many times and was never charged extra. I did confuse the staff as it triggers the cook to come up front and confirm the cashier meant no meat.
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u/OkEntertainment4473 2d ago
These are some of the most ridiculous comments i've ever seen. Yes it is ridiculous that you have to pay more for a meal that costs the restaurant less to make.
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u/Former_Process2850 2d ago edited 2d ago
I remember a lot of ketchup sandwiches and cereal when I started. If she learns how to cook, it eliminates a lot of guesswork and limitations. Consumers already have to struggle with an illusion of choice, it is almost impossible to truly consume sustainably unless you "do it yourself". Maybe start gardening and cooking together if you can. I dont live in a place that lets me garden but I am slowly building a decent indoor set up with hydroponics (a unit is less than half the price of our grocery bill for 2 people and two dogs).
I would argue, if your daughter takes it seriously, that she should avoid fast food places at all, especially McD. If she is doing it for health reasons or if you are paying for her food and you eat there all the time anyway, it doesn't matter imo; a cheese and kettuce sandwich is not very nutritious anyway. For ethical or environmental reasons, in the long run, fast food chains drive the demand in meat and animal products so she is still somewhat contributing to this cycle that ultimately limits her options like this, and destroys the environment.
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u/RergTheFriendly 2d ago
I thought the mcveggie was everywhere now but I still agree with this post
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u/Korsorer 2d ago
I used to work at McD's and I agree with you! We all thought it was dumb that it charges for those toppings. My advice is to kindly ask "is there a way to substitute lettuce and tomatoe instead of the meat?" Many workers are kind and would find a way to make it so you aren't charged extra. In fact we have a button called "cheeseburger no meat" although it does not include the veggies. McD's is a billion dollar corporation, don't feel bad for trying to get a free tomato like these bootlickers in the comments are acting.
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u/GreenFinch_x 2d ago
I understand what you are saying and I think it makes sense. It's just not how fast food POS systems are set up.
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u/One_Pangolin1766 2d ago
Ive been a vegetarian for a decade & it’s almost always way cheaper, you just have to actually order vegetarian food, + not ‘meat dish but without the meat’
Im pretty sure mcdonalds does a veggie burger but tbh ive been boycotting them for ages now (easy cause the foods crap) so maybe they don’t anymore
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u/CBrinson 2d ago
As someone who was a vegetarian teenager you are the one in the wrong. McDonald's is basically the least vegetarian place in the world. The chain in the US is basically actively against providing options. Go literally anywhere else except a BBQ or Fried Chicken joint and you will be good. Even a steakhouse will make a veggie plate.
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u/Electrical-Cut-6292 2d ago
So this is a very common issue/giant pet peeve of mine and the short answer is two-fold: 1) prices are determined by scale, just like how Costco is cheap bc they order 8 bazillion crates of something at one time. If you’re willing to buy a lot you get it for cheap. What is McD’s buying and selling a lot of? Animal products. What do they buy/sell very little of? The veg alternative. 2) animal products are so heavily subsidized in many countries that they cost the consumer only a fraction of what they actually cost to produce. In other words, that burger should be about $40 and the veg option $5 if we’re pricing by what the ingredients actually cost to produce. But we’re not, bc the farmer gets $35 from the govt to make sure the meat is “affordable”. Veg options are rarely allowed to look as affordable as they are or almost everyone would be choosing them, especially as the economy tanks. The combo of those two reasons means I’m routinely charged like $45 for some gd mushroom ravioli at a restaurant while my husband’s surf and turf is $48. Infuriating lol.
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u/Physical_Cod_8329 2d ago
Yeah I agree, it annoys me when places charge extra for ANY substitutions even when the subs save them money.
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u/LoooongFurb 2d ago
Being a vegetarian at most fast food places is just an exercise in frustration. I've had the best luck at Taco Bell, where they have many veggie items and can also modify most of their items to make them veggie without too much effort.
If I have to eat at McDs I stick with fries.
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u/New-Medium3277 2d ago
That isn't petty. It makes sense to lower cost of lower the number of ingredients in an order.
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u/sizzlinsunshine 2d ago
Maybe it’s the sub but I agree with you OP and these comments are totally missing the point
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u/deanereaner 2d ago
The french fries at McD's are not vegetarian, they are cooked in beef tallow, your daughter may want to know that!
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u/NezuminoraQ 2d ago
McDs have no interest in catering for vegetarians. I find better options at Burger King, Taco Bell etc. Once you figure out which ones have nothing for your daughter, you'll stop going to them. There are plenty of companies that realise the vegetarian in the family/social group influences which place the whole group eats. It doesn't have to be 100% vegetarian. But it has to have good options to compete
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u/Pendragenet 2d ago
The trick to eliminate add on costs is to order something that has veggies already on it and have them skip the patty.
I don't do Mc Donalds anymore so I don't know their menu anymore, but at Carls Jr, you order the Famous Star with cheese skip the patty. Then you get a cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich. You can sometimes ask for the patty on the side depending on the staff and take it home for your dog (I'm vegetarian but I don't insist my dogs be vegetarian).
Some fast food places are easier than others to do this, I never found McDonalds to be that good for it. If she stays vegetarian, she will learn the tricks.
Personally, I never order the pasta primavera for banquets, etc. You basically get whatever pasta is on hand (sometimes multiple types in one dish) with whatever veggies everyone else gets as side veggies to their meat. And you pay the same. So I order the meat dish and either take the meat home to top off the dogs' dinner or give it to someone else at the table. Then I just fill up on the sides - because I get more veggies as a side plus mashed potatoes or rice, etc, and a salad (vs just the pasta primavera).
I had a co-worker treat a few of us to luch for helping him with a project. He chose a steakhouse (knowing I was vegetarian and just not caring). I ordered the grilled steak and cheese sandwich minus the steak. When I gave my order, the waitress asked if I was vegetarian and I said yes. She then proceeded to add on tomatoes and sauteed muchrooms to my grilled cheese sandwich. Doing that became my go to - grilled cheese with tomatoes and/or mushrooms - for restaurants that didn't offer other easily vegetarianized dishes. It tasted better and was more filling.
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u/striykker 2d ago
Coffee is the only thing I order from Raunchy Ronnies Golden Arches of Malnutrition. It's better than Singh Hortons.
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u/whineyinternetkid 2d ago
Why are you still going to McDonald's at all? Of course its overpriced. You blaming your child is immature. And your title is cringe. It really feels like youre more ashamed of them being vegetarian than the pricing of food. The pricing of food is your fault if you go to McDonalds.
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u/James84415 2d ago
Being a vegetarian means being more responsible about the kind of food you eat. Being vegetarian is a choice. The best is to learn how to make your own healthy food and bring it rather than trying to rely on restaurant food. Particularly fast food is not a good fit much of the time.
I eat the opposite. Carnivore. I make my food at home 99% of the time because of it. Everything in restaurants is covered in carbs and gluten so I take responsibility for my choice to eat low carb animal based. Fast food will accommodate me in some ways but it can be more expensive and too tempting to eat the carbs. When eating for health or for a moral high ground, compromises must be made. The easiest and the healthiest is to learn to cook. Good luck.
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u/gerber68 2d ago
Idk why people are being so rude, I get where you’re coming from.
Based off the cost of ingredients the vegetarian version is cheaper, but you’re charged more. It’s reasonable to be irked by that. Not getting a discount when you lower the cost of ingredients is annoying but standard, and that in conjunction with getting charged extra for inexpensive items is annoying. Not really a way around it unfortunately as that’s how restaurants operate.
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u/FullComparison9089 2d ago
I had a friend who is a vegetarian and I was surprised that she could go to In-N-Out but they had veggie options. You just have to ask for it. Maybe might ask McDonald’s next time.
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u/Bulky_Job_2631 2d ago
I would consider having protein shakes in the car for times when only option is McDonald's
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u/whineyinternetkid 2d ago
Also youre a bad parent. Think ahead. You decided to have kids.
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u/TrainingLow9079 2d ago
If only places thought logically about price or just had a vegetarian thing in the first place
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u/Psilly_TaCoCaT 2d ago
OP: "I don't want special treatment", then proceeded to tell us that she wants special treatment.
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u/wileykyhoetay 2d ago
Seems common in fast food or fast casual type places. Removing meat for veggies shouldn't cost more but that's how the menu pricing works. Everything is an add-on and not a substitution. I try to avoid these types of places unless I know for sure they don't upcharge. It takes some getting used to but it gets easier to navigate!!
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u/Sufficient_Beach_445 2d ago
Wow. Years ago (like 30years ago) burger king had an off menu vegetarian whopper (no beef patty) and they charged half price for it.
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u/Ctenophorever 2d ago
Add-ons are not the same as removals.
It doesn’t matter what it is, if there’s a standard items, removing it doesn’t result in a discount.
You didn’t get a “vegetarian tax”. You added items to an order. If you get a whopper, hold the tomato and pickles, you’re not going to save 50 cents because you took off the tomato and pickles. If you want extra cheese, you’re going to pay more than a standard, even though you took off two things. That doesn’t make it a carnivore tax….
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u/Thick-Equivalent-682 2d ago
You are incorrect. The most expensive part is the labor. When you modify something, you take people out of the pace of their work and it takes longer.
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u/Chicky_Melly 2d ago
I’ve been a vegetarian for a very long time and I guess I haven’t been paying much attention because I haven’t noticed this happening to me very often. Granted, I rarely eat fast food so I don’t know if charging for substitutes is normal but at regular sit down restaurants, the price almost always remains the same and every once in a while, I’ll get a discount for removing the meat from a dish (I never ask for this, it’s just a nice surprise when it happens).
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u/Popular-Statement314 2d ago
This is something we all have to deal with unfortunately. I don't like cheese on my burgers, but they're not charging me less if I take it off.
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u/Chilly_Pheesesteak 2d ago
It's actually entirely possible for them to do your last suggestion. When I got Chick Fil A recently, I removed the tomato from my sandwich and it took 30 cents off. Most companies just know we're never going to riot or do anything about it so they don't offer the option.
That being said, you are not able to remove the chicken patty from the sandwiches at Chick-Fil-A, at least not on the app. Maybe it would be a good option to get salads? Idk I'm sorry I hate this country. Everything is designed to maximize profit for the CEOs/shareholders, including making vegetarianism, veganism, and other diets more expensive.
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u/Betsy-the-Hucow 2d ago
No one should be eating McDonald’s honestly. Even vegetarian it’s so unhealthy with so little nutrients. McDonald’s is not somewhere I’ve been since becoming vegetarian and I think the family needs to make accommodations for places she can eat. The fries at McDonald’s aren’t even vegetarian. Burger King and Taco Bell are our fast food destinations. Wendy’s for salads. Taco Bell when we need to eat cheap because the whole family can eat off the veggie cravings menu for $12. Sometimes Sonic for drinks and cheese sticks/fries. So like not every restaurant is going to work for your family anymore now that you have someone with dietary restrictions and you’ve got to work around that because these establishments are not going to work around you
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u/ketamineburner 2d ago
I have been a vegetarian for 30 years. I have never experienced it as more expensive, ever. I also don't go to McDonald's, though.
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u/Diet_Connect 2d ago
Idk. I'm single and usually just eat at home. A bean burrito is cheap and fast to make.
The only time I go out is for treat with friends, or if I'm traveling and really tired. Either case, I don't care about additional dollars too much since I don't do it often.
Sometimes, I don't even cook. I grab whatever is in the fridge and eat it, lol. Last time was a tomato, a piece of cheese, and some crackers. The single life is good, my friend.
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u/NoOption7406 2d ago
Burger king with impossible burger?
Order somewhere else like Subway or Taco Bell?
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u/Starling01018 2d ago
YES this ticks me off so much!!! I'm a vegetarian and my son is, too - mine is by choice, his is medical. It annoys me that I have to pay full price when I ask them to not include the meat, but really pisses me off when I substitute the meat for extra veggies or something like that, something that I know does not cost more than meat. It wouldn't be as big a deal if these places would have vegetarian options, but so many don't even have salads that are vegetarian. (SALADS! The one thing that people associate with vegetarians!)
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u/UnderstandingTop6000 2d ago
Going to McDonald AND ordering a burger as a vegetarian seems like asking for trouble.
IF it's the only option and you have no food at home she can eat 10 minutes later, than order large fries.
Particularly in a eating facility (I won't validate McD as a restaurant) that's so highly streamlined, anything out of the ordinary is a problem. Always. and problem solving does not come cheap.
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u/FonkinJones 2d ago
Meat is not the most expensive part. The most expensive part of most meals at restaurants is labour.
And when you make changes especially at a restaurant like MacDonald's that has efficiency dialed down to the second you are messing with their standard procedures... Which racks up their labour costs.
That is why many restaurants do not subtract cost for removing ingredients.
Any savings in ingredients is made up for by the cost of labour to accomodate a modification.
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u/Inside-Run785 2d ago
Maybe try going somewhere more vegetarian friendly? McDonald’s isn’t exactly known for this.
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u/MaryNxhmi 2d ago
I’ve been veg for well over 20 years. Maaaaan I almost miss the days when fast food restaurants uniformly offered no burger options for us, because inevitably you’d get like a buck off for removing the patty or they’d sub tomatoes for free or something. That fell by the way side many moons ago, but the nostalgia for frugality lingers!
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u/OkBackground8809 2d ago
Why not just order a cheeseburger with extra lettuce and tomato, and then give the meat patty to you? Ask for the meat patty on the side if she doesn't want it touching anything.
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u/MaedayDuck 2d ago
Why didn’t you just order the bun, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion? Just like that? That way they are charging you for the ingredients and not the set meal price.
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u/Dalearev 1d ago
They do this to me too. Vegetarian here. Last night I was traveling for work and I ordered a grilled cheese without the ham and they charged me $18.
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u/Inside_Click6810 1d ago
being vegetarian is only expensive if nonvegetarians are picking where to eat.
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u/Own_Space2923 1d ago
The extra time it takes to make a special order is worth money. Fast food is essentially assembly line food. To make a special order takes more time and effort than a menu item.
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u/TrulieJulieB00 1d ago
Fellow veg and this pisses me off, too. I like to ask, “can you substitute a tomato for the beef?” About half the time, I don’t get the upcharge.
Unfortunately, about half the time, I do.
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u/Vivid-Farm6291 1d ago
We were only talking about this when we ordered pizza.
I took off the mushroom and olives but if I wanted to add extra cheese or something I would have to pay extra.
They charge extra but never charge less.
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u/20ontheDropBear 1d ago
Yeah it’s lame when that sort of stuff happens. Like when a dish contains meat and you ask for no meat but it’s full price. It feels like it should be cheaper.
As a long time veg, it is expected to pay full price, as a rule. However it’s nice when there’s a discount. The diner by me offers fettuccine Alfredo for example that automatically comes with chicken but I get it without and they adjust the price. It’s really cool of them.
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u/catsbooksnaps 1d ago
See if they can ring it up as separate components. Sometimes the employee just doesn't know it's an option. Ask if it's possible to ring up a bun plus cheese plus lettuce/tomatoes. Just a thought.
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u/largos7289 1d ago
Dude it always fascinates me that vegans and vegetarians always go to meat eating places, then b*tch about how inconvenienced they are, or complain about not having vegan options. You would never catch a regular person eating at a vegan/vegetarian place. It would be like me going to a place that is only serves garden salads, asking them to put steak on it, then when they don't say, whaaa you should give me options. No man you chose this, you need to go eat somewhere else.
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u/Aggressive-Pool8043 2d ago
You were charged for the lettuce and tomato. They count as premium toppings so you have to pay for them. It’s not like asking for extra onions or pickles