Feeding a Family: Where the Money Goes
A family of four can eat here for around $47 or around $75, and the difference is rarely the entrées.
Here is where the money actually goes.
The three decisions that move the bill
Drinks. Four soft drinks add roughly $14 — more than a kids meal and more than a starter. Tap water is the single largest saving available at any table and requires no planning.
Starters. A Cactus Blossom at $7.99 or a Combo Appetizer at $12.99 is most of another entrée. Shared, they are also 2,250 and up to 1,380 calories respectively.
Which kids tier. Kids Meals are $4.99 to $7.99; Ranger Meals are $8.99 to $10.99. Two children on the Ranger tier rather than the Kids tier adds around $8 before anything else.
- Four soft drinks — around $14
- One shared starter — $7.99 to $12.99
- Kids vs Ranger tier — around $4 per child
- Two adult Early Dine entrées — saves around $3 to $5
- Dessert shared rather than each — saves $14
The exclusion parents run into
Ranger Meals are excluded from kids meal coins, certificates and most other offers. If you are planning around a promotion, check it covers the tier you are ordering from.
The practical consequence is that a $10.99 Ranger Meal can end up costing more than an $11.99 adult Early Dine entrée once a kids offer applies to neither. For an older child with a large appetite, an Early Dine entrée may genuinely be the better order.
Two worked totals
Leaner: two adults on Early Dine at $11.99, two kids meals at $4.99, tap water, free bread. $33.96 before tax and tip.
Fuller: two 8oz sirloins at $15.99, two Ranger Meals at $10.99, four soft drinks at around $14, a shared Cactus Blossom at $7.99 and a shared dessert at $6.99. Around $83.
Both are the same four people at the same restaurant. The gap is drinks, starters, dessert and tier — not the quality of the meal.
Frequently asked
Do kids meals include a drink?
Yes — a soft drink, juice or milk, plus one side.
What age are kids meals for?
Twelve and under. Ranger Meals are the larger tier for the same age group.
Is a Ranger Meal better value than an adult entrée?
Not always. At $10.99, and excluded from most offers, an $11.99 Early Dine entrée can be the better order for a big appetite.
Keep reading
The Kids Menu and Ranger Meals
Two tiers that are easy to confuse, and one of them is excluded from most offers.
Read →
Is It Expensive? What a Meal Actually Costs
Four worked examples rather than an opinion — what a table of one, two or four actually pays.
Read →
Early Dine: The Complete Guide
The largest standing saving on the menu, needing no code and no app — with restrictions worth knowing before you travel for it.
Read →