Entertaining

Restaurant Dining at Home

Save gas. Save cash. Ditch going out to the restaurant and enjoy that same meal at home for a fraction of the cost.

Photo: Steven Miric/Photodisc/Getty Images

Restaurant Dining at Home

We've chosen some sample menus from some of the nation's leading restaurant chains and calculated a cost per serving (not including tax or gratuity). Then we created comparable menus from MyRecipes, and found that you truly can eat at home for a fraction of the cost of dining out. And you don't even need a reservation.

Pizza Night

California Pizza Kitchen: $18.99 per person
Original BBQ Chicken Pizza, 1/2 pizza
Field Greens salad
Imported beer, 1 bottle

MyRecipes: $4.24 per person
Quick 'n Easy Chicken Barbecue Pizza, 1 serving
Simple Green Salad with Vinaigrette
Imported beer, 1 bottle

Italian Feast

Olive Garden: $34.44 per person
Appetizer: Hot Artichoke-Spinach Dip served with Tuscan Bread, 1/4 of appetizer
Garden Fresh Salad
Minestrone
Lasagna Classico
Tiramisu
Gabbiano Chianti Classico, 1 glass

MyRecipes: $10.92 per person
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Italian Tossed Salad
Minestrone
Classic Lasagna
Tiramisu
Gabbiano Chianti Classico, 1 glass

Steak Dinner

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse: $75.45 per person
Lobster Bisque
Lettuce Wedge with Blue Cheese Dressing, 1/2 serving
New York Strip Steak
Baked Potato, 1/2 serving
Fresh Asparagus, 1/2 serving
Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
Rush Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 glass

MyRecipes: $17.30 per person
Lobster Bisque
Iceberg Lettuce Wedges with Blue Cheese Dressing
Grilled Steak
Loaded Baked Potato
Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Rind
New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Rush Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 glass

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Tex-Mex Grill

Chili's: $30.20 per person
Strawberry Margarita, 1 glass
Classic Nachos, 1/2 of appetizer
Baby Back Ribs with Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Molten Chocolate Cake

MyRecipes: $14.68 per person
Strawberry Margarita
Choriza-Beef Nachos
Sweet-Hot Baby Back Ribs
Cheesy Ranch and Bacon Mashed Potatoes
Molten Chocolate-Caramel Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor

Chinese Home Bistro

P.F. Chang's China Bistro: $34.00 per person
Chicken Lettuce Wraps, 1/2 of appetizer
Hot and Sour Soup, 1 cup
Kung Pao Shrimp
Flourless Chocolate Dome
Chateau St. Michelle Riesling, 1 glass

MyRecipes: $10.07 per person
Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce
Hot and Sour Soup
Kung Pao Shrimp
Flourless Chocolate Torte
Chateau St. Michelle Riesling, 1 glass

Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Rose Nguyen

More Restaurant Food at Home

• Homemade Chinese Takeout
• Pizza, Pronto!
• Mexican Meals in Minutes
• Speedy Thai Suppers
• Fake Your Party Food with Takeout, from Real Simple
• Chinese Takeout Menu
• Restaurant Favorites Made Healthy