With inflation, can you really make a cheaper cheeseburger at home? – Tampa Bay Times

Every element of a cheeseburger tells its own little tale of markets.Lettuce, for instance, tripled in price this year after a drought and a virus stifled iceberg and romaine supplies. And while most everything costs more in 2022, beef has actually gone down year-over-year as supply has improved.Consumers don’t always think about this stuff the way produce brokers or restaurant owners must in times of inflation. But they always want tasty cheeseburgers for a decent price.One thing I know: If you want a tasty cheeseburger in St. Petersburg, go to El Cap.I visited the vintage sports bar on Fourth Street N after work on a recent Tuesday seeking to compare the costs of a restaurant burger versus cooking one at home. Then I compared both to a McDonald’s quarter pounder. On value, there is more to consider than price, but we’ll get there.This is also the inspiring true story of how one reporter came to eat five cheeseburgers in a 24-hour period — a high and low point of my life that I do not recommend.El CapBehind the bar, a longtime employee named Mary extolled the merits of El Cap’s never-frozen burgers. She guided an impromptu history tour through the
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