‘This is sad’: Insane price of McMuffin at Sydney cafe horrifies

Aussies have yet again been outraged by the price of dining out, with one bloke paying through the nose for a glorified McMuffin.

A recent photo of an expensive breakfast at a Sydney cafe, resembling a homemade McMuffin, has reignited the debate about cafe prices and whether Sydney’s brunch scene is officially out of touch.

The now-viral image, shared on Reddit, shows a plate with an English muffin containing sausage and egg, a hash brown on the side, and a garnish of lettuce with a quartered cherry tomato.

“For $26, I was expecting better,” said the unimpressed poster.

“This is a new cafe. I assumed based on the price that it would be ‘a little bit fancy,’ and I was intrigued about what they could do with an English muffin.

“Nope, I just paid $26 for a sausage McMuffin. This is why Sydney doesn’t compare to Melbourne for brunch.”

A Sydneysider paid $26 for this breakfast at a new cafe. Picture: Reddit

With over 1200 upvotes and hundreds of comments, it’s clear that the post resonated with many Sydneysiders.

“WHAT IS THAT? I love Sydney, but this kind of thing makes me hate it,” one user wrote.

“Wow, that is awful. I could get a full English at my local basic shop,” another person remarked. “Even the lettuce looks pathetic.”

“Yesterday’s salad is working hard out there,” someone else joked.

“That’s the saddest salad in the world right there,” one added.

Others labelled the dish a “cash grab” and a “rip-off,” while some pointed out that the same meal would “be around $8 at Maccas.”

“It looks like the owner is just drop shipping from McDonald’s,” someone else chuckled, while another asked, “Isn’t this just the McMuffin meal with a lettuce leaf?”

“Looks like the food we used to get at school camp,” quipped another.

Meanwhile, someone claimed that the meal looked like it was “worth a maximum of $2.50,” arguing that a business should charge “four times what the material costs,” making it a maximum of “about $10” for this dish.

People pointed out that it was basically a glorified McMuffin from Maccas. Picture: McDonald’s Australia

While the overwhelming consensus was that the plate looked “depressing” and was overpriced, some users suggested that it was the poster’s fault for not doing better research.

“You just need to find better cafes,” claimed one.

“I’ve eaten at a lot of brunch spots in Sydney. I’ve never seen anything this bad,” wrote another.

Someone else stated that Sydney has brunch options that can compete with or even exceed those in Melbourne but noted, “You’re unlikely to just stumble upon it.”

Others pointed out that it wasn’t an issue unique to Sydney, mentioning, “You’d pay the same in other cities,” and “there’s plenty of terrible value breakfast spots in Melbourne, too.”

One person even shared that they thought the dish looked “tasty,” while another said that the only issue they saw with it was the price.

The frustration over overpriced cafe meals is far from new.

For years, Australians have joked about paying $20 or more for avocado toast and $5 for a splash of alternative milk in their flat whites.

Earlier this month, a Brisbane local vented about paying $15 for two small cappuccinos, one with almond milk and the other with oat milk.

In Melbourne, a St Kilda pub-goer expressed outrage over paying $40 for battered fish and chips, alongside an orange juice over the summer holidays.

Last year, a TikTok foodie visited a cafe in Sydney’s affluent Potts Point and ended up spending $50 for a breakfast plate that included steak, eggs, bacon, avocado, and a hash brown.

According to industry experts, the rising cost of dining out is tied to a perfect storm of economic factors, including wages, soaring rent prices, food supply chain disruptions, and inflation.

Originally published as ‘This is sad’: Insane price of McMuffin at Sydney cafe horrifies