Why do Restaurants not mention the cost of alcoholic drinks on their menus?

[Mac4life30]

I have no problem with the $8 or $9 drink!! Is the $17 Cosmo I don't want to get.

So is it wrong to ask? I once asked and the waiter looked confused and shocked that I asked. He didn't even know the cost and had to go find out.

 

[JanaDee]

That's not so bad. I once ordered 2 cosmos at lunch, they were $17 each.

I feel your pain. My DH is a top top! shelf brandy and whiskey drinker and some of those are "are you kidding me? For *that* thimbleful?" kind of things.

 

[elgerber]

I have no problem with the $8 or $9 drink!! Is the $17 Cosmo I don't want to get.

So is it wrong to ask? I once asked and the waiter looked confused and shocked that I asked. He didn't even know the cost and had to go find out.

Absolutely not! I think it's totally ok to ask the price of something before you commit to paying for it.
We were having lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls, on the Canada side. I ordered a margarita that was made with Cabo Wabo. I used to buy Cabo quite often, so I knew it was not going to be a cheap drink, especially considering where I was ordering it. The waitress came back to the table, and wanted me to know it was $14, to make sure I still wanted it. She looked so embarassed and tried to be discreet about telling me. I had no issues, I expected it, but her reaction was so funny!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Im curious as to why they would only list the cost of a beer however not mention the cost of the Margarita that is just above the beer. Is it because is socially incorrect to list the cost? Is it correct for me to ask the cost?
Now keep in mind I am not expecting them to list the price of every single alcoholic drink however if they bother to mention it on the menu why not also mention the price.

Most restaurants have a bar menu where the price of mixed drinks appears and/or a wine list with the prices. They do this because liquor prices can fluctuate and they can reprint their bar menus but not have to print their main menus. Some chain places will put just a few of the more popular drink prices on their menus. .

 

[tvguy]

I clearly will have to pay attention.

I have never ordered a drink from a drink menu that did not have the price listed.

Doesn't mean that every restaurant does it, but I have never seen it. But I am in California, so I wonder if the price has to be listed? Calories do.

 

[MIGrandma]

If you have to ask then you can't afford it.

Completely disagree with that statement.

I have to disagree. I can afford the $16 martini but I refuse to pay $16/plus tip for a Martini that isn't even made with premium vodka.

It doesn't bother me to ask the server what the cost of a drink is. If I feel it's too much I won't order it, it the price doesn't seem too high to me then I'll go ahead and order it.

What I hate is restaurants that make you get the "souvenir glass" with a drink. Some will let you get it in a regular glass, but some won't. I don't need or want the glass, so then I just won't bother to order it if they won't let me have it at a cheaper price in a regular glass.

 

[Mac4life30]

I know for sure I seen prices listed at a restaurant called the Yard House. Last night at Cheesecake Factory they did not have prices listed. For some reason I recall seeing prices at Disney World. At lease La Cava has prices listed for the Specialty Margaritas.

 

[marmalade]

If you have to ask then you can't afford it.

This is not always the case, there is a local restaurant that serves an $8 Sam Adams Octoberfest. I can definitely afford it, but do I really want to pay $8 for a mass produced beer at a local restaurant?

 

[BillSears]

"If you have to ask you can't afford it." Is an old saying that is the typical response to not having the price listed. It's just a joke guys I'm not saying you are all broke and can't afford to pay for a drink. I'm sure you can all afford a $16.00 drink but you wouldn't want to waste your money on it without knowing.

 

[suzannen]

Having quite a few friends who are bartenders, this answer is actually very simple. The main reason is because the cost of a drink can vary tremendously depending upon the brand of tequila, vodka, gin, etc. used/requested. There are SO many different brands and the variations in cost is immense. A great many customers will specifically request a particular brand. Therefore, a restaurant/bar cannot list a set price for a mixed drink unless it is something like a pre-mix for a frozen margarita, in which case you would never use an expensive tequila.

If a specific brand is not requested, bartenders will use whatever the "house" brand is. It is certainly proper to ask what is the cost of a drink is, and if brand is not specified, you will either be quoted a price using that house brand or given several choices of brands to select and then given a price.

 

[Mac4life30]

Having quite a few friends who are bartenders, this answer is actually very simple. The main reason is because the cost of a drink can vary tremendously depending upon the brand of tequila, vodka, gin, etc. used/requested. There are SO many different brands and the variations in cost is immense. A great many customers will specifically request a particular brand. Therefore, a restaurant/bar cannot list a set price for a mixed drink unless it is something like a pre-mix for a frozen margarita, in which case you would never use an expensive tequila.

If a specific brand is not requested, bartenders will use whatever the "house" brand is. It is certainly proper to ask what is the cost of a drink is, and if brand is not specified, you will either be quoted a price using that house brand or given several choices of brands to select and then given a price.

I agree with you. A simple Martini can have several different costs depending on the brand. The issue is on drinks listed on the menu that already have the brand of alcohol specified. Here is an example right out of a menu. It clearly states the type of alcohol.

Whiskey Smash
Bulleit 95 Small Batch Whiskey, Passion Fruit, Aperol, Lemon and Lime

 

[Jedana]

Im curious as to why they would only list the cost of a beer however not mention the cost of the Margarita that is just above the beer. Is it because is socially incorrect to list the cost? Is it correct for me to ask the cost?

Now keep in mind I am not expecting them to list the price of every single alcoholic drink however if they bother to mention it on the menu why not also mention the price.

Sometimes it's due to the alcohol. If you use "top shelf" tequila, it will cost more than the "bottom feeder" tequila.

 

[suzannen]

I agree with you. A simple Martini can have several different costs depending on the brand. The issue is on drinks listed on the menu that already have the brand of alcohol specified. Here is an example right out of a menu. It clearly states the type of alcohol.

Whiskey Smash
Bulleit 95 Small Batch Whiskey, Passion Fruit, Aperol, Lemon and Lime

If that's the case, then it could be that they are indeed charging more for these drinks and do not want to discourage several rounds being ordered.

I would not hesitate to ask the price outright before ordering, the same way that I always will ask the price of a nightly food special since restaurants notoriously charge higher for those very specials too.

 

[BillSears]

This is an example of the Disney drink menu. It shows exactly what is in it but doesn't list the price.

 

[MIGrandma]

This is an example of the Disney drink menu. It shows exactly what is in it but doesn't list the price.

I can tell you that Godiva Flight in September 2013 was $9.50. Yeah, the price might have been a little high for the amount of alcohol you actually got, but it's Disney so you're apt to pay more than you might at a local bar/restaurant.

I ordered that twice at the bar at our resort during my last visit. I don't recall if the prices were on the menu or not, but I wanted it, ordered it, drank it, loved it, and happily paid for it.

I make them at home too with the Godiva liqueurs. Sometimes if I don't feel like paying a high price for a drink when we're having dinner out, I'll just order something non-alcoholic and then "look forward" to a Godiva flight when I get home!

 

[JanaDee]

This is an example of the Disney drink menu. It shows exactly what is in it but doesn't list the price.

Let me tell you, that Chocolate Martini was worth every single penny. I had 2.

 

[tvguy]

So I e-mailed California Alcohol Beverage control, no legal requirement here to post prices, but guy said he has rarely been in a restaurant that didn't.

Checking my favorite restaurants, and drink prices are on all their menus online, not so sure about in the restaurant though.

In googling, did run into other treads on other forums on this, and prices being on the menu seems to be more common than not.

Asking around at work, however was a bit frightening. Seems some of my coworkers frequent places that have a fixed price deal on Friday and Saturday nights. $125 per person for all you can drink house brands, $150 a person for premium liquors. And that is PER night, not both nights.

 

[POOHsie]

This is an example of the Disney drink menu. It shows exactly what is in it but doesn't list the price.

I've seen those drink books at various bars in WDW. It's more like presentation art than an actual menu. On the one hand, it makes the drinks look very desirable. On the other hand, when you get the same book at different bars, you're disappointed that they aren't offering unique libations to match the bar's theming.

As a printer (retired), we've produced elaborate puff pieces like the Disney drink book. Expensive photography and layouts, 6-7 print colors, varnishes, lamination, sturdy binding, small production run = a per book cost that would boggle your mind. Not practical to print pricing in a piece like this. That info can go on an accompanying sheet which can be reproduced cheaply and often. Of course, Disney doesn't give you a price list sheet, and that's annoying. Are we supposed to pretend we're elitists like in an old movie, where prices weren't printed and money grew on trees (until the stock market crash)?

 

[Mac4life30]

Smoked Turkey is one of my fav drinks on that menu

Of course it has no price. I had 2 during my last trip one at the Wave and another at Tambu. Both places charged me a different price for the same drink.

 

[bcla]

By the same token, why don't convenience stores list prices for most of the stuff they sell? You know - maybe a shelf tag or a sticker?