When I was young, we ate out maybe once a month, and occasionally that was at a decent restaurant. As I became an adult with my own income (and my own choices), I found myself getting a carry-out (take-away) every once in a while, and sometimes eating out.
Then, I met my wife. We now eat out twice a week: once with the immediate family, and once with the extended family (up to 9 people, depending on who's available). My immediate family usually eat at sensibly priced places; the family favorite by far is Texas Roadhouse, where I can get a flawless 6 ounce sirloin and 2 sides (usually a Caesar salad and a potato) for less than $10.
When we eat out with the extended family, her dad usually picks the place (you'd think it should be a democracy...), and it's always a low quality diner of some kind. Even though it's only a few dollars cheaper, there's a huge quality difference between a perfectly prepared steak (Texas Roadhouse) and the (usually) overcooked and under-seasoned things at these diners.