The $78 Airport Meal That Has Twitter In Shambles

If you've enjoyed a meal at the airport anytime recently, then you know that this isn't exactly a cheap place to grab a bite. Still, no matter how expensive folks expect airport dining to be, this viral airport meal is still making jaws drop, and for good reason. We're all worried about food prices these days. From the "how many groceries $100 gets you" meme to Coachella partiers' outrage at the festival's viral food prices, it doesn't really matter where you're shopping or what you're getting, food is more expensive than it used to be.

On September 20, author and New York Times columnist David Brooks took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his own experience with just how expensive food is. He posted a photo of a simple meal at an airport restaurant and included the caption, "This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport." "This is why Americans think the economy is terrible," he added. $78 for a single meal at an airport is steep no matter what you ordered, but the food pictured made this price seem even more outlandish. The photo of the meal includes a plain hamburger with three ketchup packets, some mixed greens, a slice of tomato, and a small side of crinkle-cut French fries. Next to his plate, he has what appears to be a glass of scotch on the rocks, and as it turns out, this drink has more to do with the price tag than meets the eye.

Since grocery prices have gotten quite high lately and restaurant prices have surpassed groceries, folks on social media have been sharing their own struggles with just how little food you can get for your money these days. It's clear that David Brooks was attempting to add to this ongoing dialogue when he shared his seemingly pricey airport burger. And, the internet ate it up –– so to speak. In just two days, the post gained over 34 million views and nearly 19,000 comments. It's clear that this image struck a bit of a chord with those of us who long for the days when our food required a smaller chunk of our paycheck.

Amidst the busy comment section, though, there were more than just complaints about food prices. Many folks speculated about whether or not this meal really cost the amount that was stated and whether some vital context may have been missing from the post. Sure enough, a subheading under the tweet was added that stated, "readers added context they thought people might want to know." The context? "The restaurant has noted that 80% of this tab was Brooks' bar bill." So, it seems that perhaps you can get a burger for a more reasonable price at the airport if you don't intend to throw back a few drinks at the same time. This, by no means, indicates that airport food is reasonably priced, but hey –– at least it's cheaper than airport alcohol.