Man Declines $4.50 Cheese at Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar & Grill. Then He Pulls a Slice Out of His Own Pocket
All about solutions.
A man just said no to a $4.50 cheese upcharge at Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar & Grill, and the internet is losing it. Canadian personal finance content creator Mitch McClure, @mitchmcclurewealth on TikTok, posted a video that’s funny, gross, and some would argue, even smart. The video starts with McClure sitting in front of his burger, hands in his hoodie pockets. The text on the screen says, “When Chuck wants $4.50 for cheese on a $9 burger.”
He then pulls out a slice of cheese and slides it onto his burger, giving a thumbs-up to the camera. Mitch captioned the video, “@Chuck’s Roadhouse please don’t raise cheese prices because of this #personalfinance #canadianfinance #budgeting #frugalliving.” The clip has over 1 million views, 24,000 likes, and 2,000 comments, with reactions ranging from disgust to support.
Some viewers asked about lint and whether the cheese came from a sealed packet. Others took it to the next level. One commenter said, “I bring my own ground beef and yeast and flour.” Another wrote, “Normalize pocket cheese.”
But there were many who got the point
One user said, “Restaurants should not be making a huge profit off of adding the extra ingredient. Like I get you want to cover your costs but holy hell, you think one slice of cheese is worth $4.50?!?” Another pointed out, “The round egg at McDonald’s is like $2.85 to add to your sandwich. They don’t give you any credit for removing the other egg item. Pay the price of 12 eggs to add 1 egg to a sandwich.”
A third commenter did the math: “That’s the cost of half of a full brick of cheese wtf. They are making 500% profit on cheese.” McClure followed up with a more serious video where he clarified his message. “A lot of people thought my last video was about a slice of cheese,” he says, cutting to a clip of Michael Scott from The Office screaming, “NO! GOD PLEASE NO! NO!”
He then explains, “But let’s think about it here. I have a 20-year-old car, I haven’t upgraded my phone in 5 years, and I eat at budget restaurants. But I travel multiple times per year, and I have enough to save and invest. Nothing wrong with spending money; I only do it on things that I value. I think it should be the norm for everybody to have at least one ridiculous budget hack. What kind of ridiculous budget hacks do you have?”
Mitch says it wasn’t about the cheese
His video is part of a bigger conversation about how people are cutting costs when eating out. According to NPR, a 2025 report found that 37% of American diners are eating out less often than they did a year ago, mostly because of high menu prices. Only 8% said they’re dining out more. For those who still want to enjoy a meal out without breaking the bank, experts say there are ways to make it work.
One strategy is to think about why you’re dining out in the first place. Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert, suggests deciding whether you’re going for the experience or just to socialize. “You might be getting just as much value and enjoyment by going out for a less expensive pizza than a nicer restaurant,” she says. Setting a restaurant budget is another key step.
Financial counselor Lindsay Plumb says it’s important to separate dining-out money from grocery money. “My grocery money does not touch, I call it, our ‘spend-with-joy’ money,” she says. “The spend-with-joy money I get to spend truly with joy, not worry about whether or not I can pay my mortgage or buy the groceries or if the kids need cleats.” Loyalty programs can also help stretch that budget, offering free or discounted items.
Planning ahead can save money too
Registered dietitian Amy Lawson recommends looking at the menu before you arrive. “Especially when we go to a restaurant, and we get there, and we are really hungry. Our hunger hormones are really loud, and they are telling us: ‘Give me all the carbohydrates … Give me the quickest source of fuel,’” she says. “It can kind of muddle in our brains the choices in terms of making the healthiest choice.” Ordering strategically can prevent impulse buys.
Another tip is to box up half your meal right away. Lawson says this helps avoid overeating and food waste while also giving you leftovers for the next day. “Restaurant portions can be excessive,” she notes. “In an analysis from the nonprofit ReFED, 25% of restaurant customers said they leave food on their plates always or most of the time.” That extra food can turn into a free lunch, saving you money in the long run.
Some take it a step further by recreating the restaurant experience at home
Palmer suggests ordering catering trays from a local restaurant and inviting friends over. This way, you get the social aspect of dining out without the high prices. Leftovers can last for days. Others mix takeout with homemade meals, like ordering pizza and pairing it with a salad or rice made at home.
If you do order takeout, picking it up yourself can save a lot of money. A report found that fast-food and fast-casual delivery orders in the top 10 U.S. metro areas cost nearly 80% more than if customers picked them up. That’s a huge markup for convenience. If you can swing it, grabbing your own food is the way to go.
McClure’s cheese stunt might seem extreme, but it’s a lighthearted way to highlight a real issue. People are looking for creative ways to save money, whether it’s through budget hacks, loyalty programs, or just being more mindful about their spending. And if that means pulling cheese out of your pocket to avoid a $4.50 upcharge, well, the internet seems to be on board.
(Featured image: Mitch McClure @mitchmcclurewealth on TikTok)
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