This SoCal-Founded Burger Chain Under Fire For High Prices: 'Are You Kidding?'

Carl’s Jr. is attracting online attention from some California customers for all the wrong reasons.

A recent TikTok video decried the chain’s offerings as “the most overpriced slop.”

"I went there the other day and I thought it was a glitch in the matrix because what are you telling me I'm spending $17 — $17 for a freaking Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger combo — are you kidding?” the poster, who tagged his location as Los Angeles, said.

Commenters chimed in, with one advising “At this point go to a sit down restaurant” and another remarking that “Quality went down prices went up.”

A different burger chain with Southern California roots received some positive attention from commenters, with multiple users noting In-N-Out’s relative affordability.

Earlier this year, another Los Angeles-based customer took to Reddit to ask, “When did Carls Jr get so expensive??” — posting an image that lists the price of the chain’s five-piece chicken tenders combo at $19.17.

Started by Carl Karcher and his wife, Margaret, as a hot dog cart in 1941, the business eventually grew into multiple restaurants in Anaheim. Carl’s Jr. now has over 1,000 locations in the U.S. and a presence in 24 countries.

But the chain has encountered some recent trouble in the Golden State, with one of California’s largest Carl’s Jr. franchisees filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year in an attempt to close and sell 59 locations, Patch previously reported, citing media coverage at the time.

The move came as the franchisee's restaurants struggled in the wake of the state’s $20 fast food minimum wage, according to bankruptcy filings.