"Shocked" Gordon Ramsay Customer Pays $41 for Burger Meal, Blasts Chef Online
Updated April 8 2021, 4:15 p.m. ET
If you want to save money while traveling via airplane, a good rule of thumb is to make sure that you fuel up on grub before passing the security checkpoint. Businesses know that you're not going to leave and go through security all over again, so they can pretty much charge you whatever they want. A $2 bottle of Smartwater all of a sudden is $6.50. Want a beer? Enjoy dropping $12.50 on it, and I'm pretty sure a pair of BOSE headphones from those vending machines goes for about one human soul.
Even though it's pretty much common knowledge that airport prices provide a Fyre Festival level of value, there are always people who are just finding out how expensive something is after the fact. Like the time I went to Yankee Candle, left with three items, stopped myself, looked at the receipt, and waltzed right back in to return them after realizing I spent $54 on scented wax.
When you're traveling and are hungry though and long for good food, it's tempting to just bite the bullet and fork over your cash on what could possibly be the only good food you'll be eating for a while, especially if there are any delays, and munching on unsalted pretzels and Lotus Biscoff biscuits doesn't sound like an appetizing prospect.
This is what this one diner did at Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food restaurant at London Heathrow Airport.
They ordered a short rib burger, french fries, and a soft drink, which came out to 30.25 British Pound Sterling, or roughly $41 U.S. dollars. Added to these item charges were a coverage charge (to be seated presumably at the restaurant?) tax, and a service charge.
They posted a copy of the receipt to Twitter from an account with a pretty suspicious looking username (way too many numbers).
While the amount certainly sounds steep for a burger and fries, many Twitter users commented that this is simply par for the course for diners who are air-commuting.
Others wondered why the user had agreed to pay for the burger in the first place, as the menu and their item prices are available for everyone to see.
Looking at pictures of the burger and fries served up by the restaurant, however, shows a pretty delicious looking sandwich.
While many would argue that outside of an airport, even a burger and fries that beautiful shouldn't cost $41 with everything included. But still, the location of the restaurant needs to be considered.
While this diner was salty about the price of the food he was served at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, the man's "celebrity chef" status has certainly been earned. He has been awarded 16 total Michelin stars throughout the entirety of his career.
Some of other famed "food personalities" like Nusret, aka "Salt Bae" utilized their viral fame to hoodwink people into coming to their restaurant.
Loads of visitors to Salt Bae's various restaurants and locations in NYC, Miami, and other places over the world have complained about the quality of food not being up to par.
Others expressed concern about the salt pouring off of his "sweaty" forearms seasoning their food, while others were irate over the fact that the prices of the meals weren't put on the menu and staff members didn't reveal those prices prior to ordering.
Interestingly enough, the individual who posted this tweet didn't have anything negative to say about the quality of the food that they were served, just the price — which in all fairness, some people agreed was ridiculous.
But is that enough to warrant an unfavorable online for a business? It's kind of like leaving a 1-star review for an Amazon product because the delivery guy decided to punt it across the lawn like Jim Carrey in the beginning of the first Ace Ventura flick.
One would think that an airport like London Heathrow would have some of the highest priced food options out there. But there are reportedly some other airports in cities that are nowhere near as celebrated or populated as The Big Smoke that have pricier eating costs despite not having many "fine" options.
Like Newark Airport. JFK in NYC is also bereft of any fine dining options at a reasonable price, which is a shame, given that so many fly in and out of it on any given day.
Philadelphia International Airport apparently has a lot of reasonably priced food options, and I know first hand that Atlanta's got the same. However the best airport for food in the U.S. is evidently in Denver.
Which is good news considering that prior to getting on the plane, you can legally get baked then satisfy your munchies without breaking the bank.