It’s been over ten years since my TV series Cheap Eats sent me across the country in search of affordable food.
Back then, it was a boom time for food trucks, the rise of farm-to-table (at least in marketing), and an American palate that felt increasingly adventurous.
Today, that palate is still hungry for the next big thing — maybe too hungry.
Food trends, fueled by TikTok and other short-form video platforms, have pushed us into a constant stream of birria ramen burritos, BBQ brisket biryani, and other Frankenstein-style mashups. As alarming as that might sound to more seasoned (ahem, older) food folks like myself, a far more serious villain has entered the chat:
The high cost of eating out.
When I filmed Cheap Eats, I had $35 to cover four meals: breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. The budget focused only on entrée prices — no tax, no tip, no drinks.
Even then, the number made sense.
Today, that budget feels like a time capsule from the pre-pandemic era. Since then, food costs have exploded. Restaurant wages are up. Rent, in many markets, has climbed right alongside them.
If I had to rebuild that budget for 2026? $80 feels reasonable. $70 would be a challenge.
I break this down in more detail — including whether frozen chicken tenders actually hold up — in the latest episode of Outrageous Foods.
For most of my adult life, grocery shopping meant sticking to the perimeter: meat, fish, produce, dairy. Frozen food barely registered.
Then I became a parent.
Then I became a parent to a teenage boy.
“Can we get Raising Cane’s?” he asked me at the start of 2025.
That question quickly became a habit — and an expensive one.
Raising Cane’s is a billion-dollar franchise built on a very simple premise: fried chicken tenders and a beloved dipping sauce that lands somewhere between remoulade and a more aggressive Thousand Island. It’s also shockingly expensive.
At our location, combos start north of $10 and can push close to $20 for bigger appetites.
In an effort to curb my son’s Cane’s habit, I turned to the freezer aisle.
Specifically: premium frozen chicken tenders.
They aren’t cheap. At around $12 for a 24-ounce bag, you’re paying roughly 40% more than basic options like Tyson. But it’s still a significant savings compared to Cane’s.
I’ll jump straight to my son’s verdict:
“Not as good.”
Fair.
But here’s my take: premium frozen chicken tenders + an air fryer make a compelling substitute for fast food — both in price and convenience.
I’m not in the habit of eating fast food, or even fast-food knockoffs. But in my increasingly informed opinion, having a decent at-home alternative in a world where “cheap eats” barely exist anymore is a win.
Even if it isn’t as good as Cane’s.
Cheap Eats, as I knew it, may be gone.
But something else has taken its place.
Food tech — Instant Pots, air fryers, flattops, pellet grills — has given home cooks better tools and fewer excuses to overspend on dining out. And the freezer section? It’s quietly leveled up.
Even novice cooks can now compete with fast food that is no longer cheap.
And if you really want to replace Raising Cane’s at home?
I’ve got a recipe for their sauce.
Yeah. It’s that easy.
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