My wife and I went to Pappadeaux‘s for lunch last week. First thing we noticed was the new menu. Still a lot of the great items that are on there. Great selection. But we were really amazed at how high the prices have gone. We hadn’t been to Pappadeaux‘s in about six months. I think the prices for a lot of the entrées have gone up 35% to 40%? It’s just really expensive. The food is great. The service is great. Same Pappadeaux‘s. But they’re really going for some increased revenue in the form of pricing.
Pappas has always charged a premium, however --- the costs are increasing. Most restaurants have already upped their prices, even slightly.
We ate at goode company. Last week. Prices were much more reasonable.
Not even close as good as Pappadeux's.
Scalding hot take
I guess the Pappas marketing team has bots now lol. Goode Co is way better
The Goode Co Seafood off Westpark smelled like a sewer back up and the food was mediocre at best when we went in December. The smell was so overwhelming that I almost had to leave. It was like the grease trap combined with a toilet overflow.
Amen. They are not all frozen bs like Pappas.
No! Where is my swordfish! I always liked that
😂
Old menus on Google Maps from 1-2 years ago don’t agree with your 35-45% increase, but regardless, you need to remember that the “chefs selections” are seasonal and dependent on several external factors above and beyond them looking for “increased revenue”
Not to mention, costs of good has jumped as well. Surprised they didn't just put "market price" on the salmon.
Yep. Chef selection items often don’t have a written price. It usually says something like ‘market price’ because of those different factors you’re taking about.
True, their prices have been high for quite some time. We went on Saturday and I didn’t notice a significant increase over what it’s been for the last 5-10 years. And to be fair, the fried seafood is still somewhat reasonably priced. Hugely disappointed to find out that the bisque is no longer on the menu though. Our server said they still make it a few times per month.
I mean various reports also indicate a significant drop in restaurant patrons eating out. The more people get squeezed the less additional income they have, meaning less eating out so volume for restaurants. If you have fewer customers all you can do is cut quality, cut staff, or raise prices, there isn’t really much else you can do.
People don’t really grasp how interconnected all of these things are.
Our purchasing power just keep eroding and eroding.
It's (not) funny because I bet hardly anyone's salary has gone up 40% in five years to match the cost of living increases
And we can keep choosing where we eat....and can increase savings by not going there.
But but but… that would be uncomfortable. Also, what’s a “savings”?
Savings is just like extra spending money!!! - average Dallasite
Are you really trying to make a proletariat argument about eating at pappa’s lol?
well on the plus side, once seated you can't hear yourself think and have to yell to have a conversation with the person next to you.
https://preview.redd.it/4agcv6014scg1.jpeg?width=426&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b693a2c3d1ae797d0141b74d5ce85e1e05b0fec8
Right?! It used to be so nice to go to a restaurant and enjoy a nice meal and conversation. Now, every restaurant feels the need to blast music, and everyone talks at max volume. It’s ruined the dining out experience for many restaurants.
Acoustics plays a big part, and some restaurants are really bad at it.
Go somewhere else. There’s plenty of places like you’re describing.
I go to a lot of different restaurants. It’s not just one or two restaurants doing
bythis.Edit: removed word
Seriously, all the Papas restaurants are just unpleasant.
What a silly thing to lie about.
Wasn't that catfish opelousas $20 like 10 years ago? It was my favorite dish there.
I worked at pappadeaux years ago(2005ish). I think the ponchetrain was like 22 bucks then. I thought that was pricey at that time, but now? That price is absurd af...
It was around 22 bucks just 4 or 5 years ago.
Nah not quite that cheap, but it did seemingly jump $10 in the past 5 years.
Did it include oysters and jumbo lump crab back then? Because jumbo lump is $45-60/lb
Rich man's food
Omg! I was just at Pappadeaux and almost fell over at the new prices!
Was there for lunch, but the place was fairly empty. A ton of different restaurant options for lunch when the cheapest option at Pappadeaux is a $20 bowl of gumbo.
The $140 lunch that I purchased Friday won’t happen again!
I used to buy a quart of gumbo to go. The secret was to get the rice on the side so you would get more gumbo. You got fresh bread and butter with the purchase. Bout eight years ago it hovered around $12. A bowl is now $18. I am afraid to cost out a quart. They may have quit offering them for sale.
Wholesale seafood prices are going up
$40 for pasta is fucking insane no matter where you go. The noodles better be made of caviar and truffles.
This has become unaffordable and unappetizing all of a sudden.
I wish we had the real inflation numbers available to us. As of now prices on the previous high price are doing up. (:
Seem like they’re based on raw materials and ignore the 18 layers of profit thrown on top of us.
Inflation, tariffs, and corporate greed. But hey, stocks are up!
Bring back the Mahi Alexander no one wants that weak ass salmon
You can sub it for redfish which I think is actually better
40, 50, 60 dollar entrees just shows how ridiculous prices have gone. Not blaming the restaurant as they must do what it takes to survive.
This is Tillman fertita we're taking about... "Survive?" That word selection is definitely a choice...Regardless, the owners of pappadeaux are not hurting in the least...
This isn't Tillman.
Appreciate the correction.
Mioptic view if you are thinking of only one of the principals. He and his group could close the entire chain and not feel a thing. But every employee would.
Most of the employees live off of tips... Higher food prices will affect the amount gained off a 20% tip, but it also directly increases the revenue and profits on the back end.
Also the word you're looking for was myopic...
And your point is. ....
The point is that you're acting like higher prices are a purely loving gesture for employees to give them more money instead of it being a cash grab for owners... Higher prices overwhelmingly put more in the pockets of the wealthy than they aid the workers.
Never said any such thing.
Here you're acting like the owners are just such philanthropic benefactors because they're keeping their doors open.
"Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, owned by the private Pappas Restaurants, Inc., doesn't publicly release specific profit figures, but industry reports estimate their U.S. sales for 2024 were around $221 million, with 38 units, showing strong performance within the seafood category despite some slight variations in reported units and sales from different analysis years, with profitability driven by their private ownership structure. Key Financial Insights (Estimates): 2024 U.S. Sales: Technomic estimated roughly $221 million in U.S. sales for 2024. Private Ownership: As a private company, Pappas Restaurants (owner of Pappadeaux) isn't required to disclose profits, making public data focused on revenue/sales. Industry Leader: They consistently rank as a top-grossing chain in the seafood sector, indicating healthy financial performance. What This Means for Profits: While exact profit percentages aren't available, significant sales figures like these suggest strong profitability for Pappadeaux, a key part of the successful Pappas family restaurant portfolio. "
Yeah, they were highly profitable in 2024... When inflation was highest it's been in a while. Now they suddenly raise their prices even more?
That may be your delusional interpretation but not anything I said.
Sure bro... I believe you.
Anyone remember when Pappadeaux was using fake red fish? any burying the taste under their toppings?
Holy crap! I remember when sea bass was $30 not that long ago.
This is why I eat at home.
thanks for posting, we were going next week but now we're out.
Always been overpriced and heavily overrated.
Everything I've gotten there has tasted fresh, was cooked well, and was well above the quality of most Cajun places, but it's always been pricey. It seems like you pay a huge premium for dinner Pappadeaux/citos just because it's dinner, but IMO, lunch there is a better value.
I mean Ira fresh sure. It’s still overrated though for the cost. There’s just better food.
What places in Houston do you like for Louisiana-style seafood? I used to really like Babin's, but a) only the Katy and Woodlands locations are left, and b) when I went about a year ago, the fish did not taste fresh at all. Gumbo was good and I loved their bread pudding, but seafood quality had really dropped from what I remembered.
Learn to grill, it’ll save you $100s of dollars every month
Most of the big restaurants have copy cat recipes online, too. There isn’t much a restaurant can make that you can’t make at home cheaper and healthier.
It's almost impossible to find the "real" recipes for anything Pappas related. they keep the recipes very close to the vest. Yes recipes exist but they're just generic not true Pappas recipes.
My question is, where are people getting dependably fresh seafood to cook at home? From my experience, even Central Market hasn't been reliable for fish quality.
Blue Horizon in the Rice Village area. Haven't been in a while though.
Bet they still paying the workers the same
They are indeed. Pappas is not known for treating their employees well.
I waited tables at pappasitos about 10 years ago. To this day they are one of the only restaurants where they feed you lunch for doubles(small chk fajitas or tortilla soup bowl, single enchilada plate, or chk quesadilla, I never chose anything but the fajitas lol) that and menu discounts are weird, they're given out at the "managers discretion", which means if they like you, you can bring your whole family in and they'll comp everything for you, but nobody really takes food home to go, it's kind of strange for a restaurant. Overall decent money for waiters, but they have it down to a science how much extra closing work they can get you to do for that $2.25 an hour
A middle of the road chain restaurant is now charging $40(+20%) for a seafood tagliatelle…
That’s what we have now.
Yay!
These prices are outrageous. Why do people still go to this place?
Go to the Monument Inn near the San Jacinto Monument. Much better food. Not cheap but not a chain restaurant.
Yea i love that place too :(
Before COVID, a dinner for two at Pappadeaux's was around $60 with adult drinks. Now, it costs more than $80 just to walk in the door! Waitstaff and kitchen are not making any more $$$...
Energy costs are the killer. Producers, suppliers, distributors, freight, labor…a rise in fuel cost is like a multi-faceted tax that helps no one. Time for oil companies to pay it back.
I still pine for their crawfish or lobster bisque. That stuff haunts my dreams.
Ahh the lobster bisque. I remember I had a tooth infection. I could barely eat anything for a couple days until I got it fixed. But the one thing I could eat was Pappadeaux's lobster bisque and French fries. We ate there two days in a row.
Went a couple weeks ago. The alligator recipe they use has changed, and it's nowhere near as good as it was. Anyone know of another restaurant in Houston that serves good fried alligator?
And now I see how they're able to afford to continue their crybaby lawsuit for a spot in the airport.
I mean Pappadeaux is great but it's always been on the pricier side compared to other restaurants
I also came recently after the new menu and we were shocked how high the bill was. Fried shrimp was likely the Sysco brand.
These prices are insane. Do they really expect patrons to pay this for a simple dinner?? People like to go to “fancier” establishments to celebrate milestone occasions, and I don’t see many celebrating anniversaries and graduations at papadeaux.
Family owns a restaurant. Majority of restaurants barely break-even with rising labor costs, insurance, liquor license, and soaring food costs. Family’s customers complain but we are not getting rich from owning a restaurant.
Agree. Hopefully with energy costs going down, restaurants can catch up on profitability. But it takes a long time. I think everyone is getting squeezed.
For the record I did show this post to my family and they agreed $40 for CATFISH of all seafood is nuts.
But I just don’t want people to think the average independently owned restaurant necessarily wants to gouge customers :/ Some of us are just trying to get by too.
My family jokes only the bartenders are making money.
Most average restaurants would fail if they didnt sell alcohol, its a huge profit center.
Yup, that’s also why everyone’s drinks are now $16.
Restaurants cant serve too many drinks either, gotta pump it up for the 1-2 that most people will have.
As for bars I usually go to dive bars or local bars, usually far cheaper than any fancy spot. Those local places usually make a killing with cheap drinks because people drink a LOT more. You dont care about $5 drinks on your tab, but people slow down at $10+.
Yeah I agree. Graffiti Raw used to do $5 Happy Hour Aperol Spritz’s and just saw they’re closing. RIP.
We rarely go there anymore because of pricing. We just get the ready meal Salmon at HEB and eat it with rice and a salad. Tastes just as good for a fraction of the price
You're definitely saving money but it doesn't taste as good. Pappadeaux's plates are made to be fresh and delicious...lots of butter and seasonings.
That's what all restaurants do, just drown everything in butter so it tastes good.
Chances are they use the cheapest cuts as well. If you cooked it it wouldnt taste as good, but you wouldnt drown it in butter like they do either.
Boomers can afford these prices so why can’t you. /s
Wow!
Increase the prices, decrease the customer base.
Edit: grammar
Have they brought back the crab cakes? My wife and I would go there for our birthday every year until they stopped selling the cran cakes
They have them as an appetizer. One huge one.
It was always an appetizer. Glad to know they brought them back i was disappointed a couple of years ago when they told me they didn't have them anymore
How much for just popcorn shrimp 😆
I used to work there in 2001 and the Redfish Pontchartrain was $19.99. The Catfish Opelousas was $17.99.
Why I order off the kids menu
No! Where is my swordfish! I always liked that
$8 for a side salad.... wow.
This is why My family keeps going to chilis
Since you mentioned Chilis, we tried Chilis again about 4 months ago. And I have to say that they really improved. Quality of the food, available selections. It was really good. And the price was manageable. I told my son who is in college to quit going to Whataburger for $20 a pop and just go to Chilis for the same or cheaper!
I agree so much! Its bananas, I can get a whole meal and tip...Less then fast foods places.
Dear sir or madam, if you’re eating at chili’s for dinner, the prices at pappadeaux has never been a concern for you.
I got some Pappadeaux NY week. I hadn't had it in eons. I've been eating at restaurants less, anyway, because I've been trying to lose weight, but cost is a factor, too. I'd get Pappadeaux like a couple times a year but get Pappasito's more often because of the prices. But even Pappasito's charges like $40 for beef fajitas. My nearest "OK" Chinese place is cheaper than both, but I can't eat that much...it's just oil and sugar with flavoring.
Pappadeaux and Pappasito's still have customers, FWIW.
Great. It was already overpriced last time I went.
Fun fact. If you look at the bottom right hand corner of every menu page at a Pappas restaurant you can see the date of their last menu price increase.
They pissed me off changing the gator bites smfh
Got a $50 gift card and still can't afford to go...
There's no way in he** that I'd ever pay $45-47 for redfish or $40 for catfish. Just no.
WOW! 20 for shrimp? I remember it was only 10 not even 5 years ago.
Those prices are insane for bland gulf coast seafood.
They have a large corporate overhead that adds to premium prices. 80+ restraunts across multiple states.
yeah the price for the fried shrimp even at lunchtime was a little steep when I was in Dallas a couple weeks ago, but I only get to have it a couple times a year AT BEST. My wife jokes that if we still lived in Houston we would go there on a regular basis - but at those prices I'm not so sure.
Pappadeaux’s is trippin. $60 for a dish? At P-deaux?
https://preview.redd.it/41bgfoexdscg1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b6697d4b176e79dd48dbff44a8bcee3fdf605d7
It's always been a higher priced restaurant.
Taco Bell is expensive.. This is right on the nail..
For context, the seafood platter was under 12 bucks in 1988
$12 bucks in 1988 is $32 today. Inflation sucks.
Place sux
Oh so this is the place Moneybag Yo was talking about in that song lol.
Prices have been going up everywhere for the past 4 years. There is nothing surprising about it. You paid their prices, right?
Naked looks to be the better option all around - pocketbook and waistline.
Try Orleans in Katy, just as good and literally half the price.
Just say you can’t afford it lol
Edit: u/DepartureRequest don’t write a paragraph and then block me like a coward if you can’t handle criticism.
Why did you bother responding if your only goal was to be dismissive and rude? This isn't about whether someone can afford something, it's about costs exploding while value collapses. The K-shaped economy is wreaking havoc on real people and real businesses, regardless of how convenient it is for you to ignore.
Edit: blocked? Learn to use Reddit dude. lol
They’re accusing you of blocking them
I understand that. That’s why I said what I did in my edit.
They’re accusing you of blocking them
Negative. I tried responding and I couldn’t. I tried going into their profile and it didn’t load. Clear signs they blocked me.
Thanks for the downvote
That was not me
Food sucks
Some fishermen have died bringing in that seafood.
When there’s Snapper and Redfish, who the hell is eating salmon
Yeah I used to substitute snapper in my Opelousas