Happy National Cheeseburger Day today to all who celebrate! (You can pick up some cheap burgers today if you find the right spot.)

Now, not to rain on your parade or anything, but…

It turns out burgers are getting more expensive by the minute. And we now have the proof.

For all who may have suspected it, burger prices really did creep up lately. Men’s Journal now pegs the median burger price at $14.47, up 3.4% year-over-year. Yet another great reason to become a true burger master and crush restaurant-quality beef on your own grill.

What’s extra cool for us meat nerds is that the restaurant software-maker Toast came out with a live price tracker that charts industry-wide price changes on things like burgers and beer.

So, next time the wife complains about how much we spent on meat at the grocery store, we’ve got some hard data to justify it

Track the Damage

Toast’s Menu Price Monitor updates monthly with medians and year-over-year changes for burgers, wings, beer, burritos, you name it.

Beef prices have soared for various reasons, like a decreasing herd size, supply chain issues (thanks again, COVID), and export demands. But it isn’t just beef.

“Food away from home” keeps drifting up, which means the whole plate got pricier. Beer at restaurants ticked higher, dairy is hitting records, and frying oil isn’t exactly on sale.

Which can only mean one thing…

Cook It All Yourself

If we’re going to beat the rising prices, we’re going to need to grill at home more. Which no one in this group is really complaining about, are we?

We can always avoid the ridiculous prices with a restaurant-level Oklahoma onion burger: thin beef, a stack of onions, savage crust, tiny receipt.

But If Money’s No Object…

There’s always the A5 Wagyu + foie + lobster + gold-leaf fever dream.

It’s literally one of the most expensive burgers possible. This is the burger for people who don’t know what a gallon of milk costs.

Seems like your 401k might have to take a hit, but go crazy if you want 👇 (And if any of you are crazy enough to do it, you better take a pic and share it with the class.)