I Got All This From Tony Baloney’s in Atlantic City For 5 Bucks

How would you like to walk into a restaurant with five dollars and walk out with a bunch of food?

Yes, it's still 2023, and we didn't go back in time.

Since it's 2023, I didn't walk into the restaurant, I paid $4.99 plus tax through an App.

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The App is called "Too Good To Go", and I used it for the first time Sunday night. I used it to make my purchase at Tony Baloney's in Atlantic City.

One of my ckids told me about the App and I just had to check it out and try it.

The idea behind Too Good To Go is a sound one. Restaurants offer to-go bags of food - usually towards the end of their day. The food is good, but it's "extra' and would be thrown out otherwise.

It's a pretty sound idea: you get a good deal, and you're helping curb food waste.

Here's how the App describes itself:

"Every day food from your favorite cafes, restaurants, and shops goes to waste simply because it isn’t sold in time. From fresh sushi and spicy curries to buttery pastries and lush produce, a variety of food can be saved.

Too Good To Go lets you rescue this unsold food at a great price, ensuring it’s enjoyed instead of wasted."

The kicker here is that you have NO IDEA what you're going to get!

You reserve your bag sometime during the day - before they sell out - then pick it up at the prescribed time.

Prices and pick-up times vary. Each participating restaurant offering a deal only offers a limited amount of bags available.

I placed my order from Tony Baloney's at about 9 a.m. Sunday - with a pick-up time they had set for between 8:30 and 9 p.m.

Again, I had no idea what to expect, other than the "bag" was priced at $4.99.

They do have ratings for the various participating restaurants on the App - Tony Baloney's came in at 4.5 out of 5. Highlighted comments included, " Great Value", "Delicious Food", and "Great Amount of Food."

So, a little after 8:30 p.m., I popped into their Atlantic City location, ready to be surprised.

Here's what I received:

Three pieces of pizza, normally priced at $5 or so a slice. So, about $15 worth of pizza for five dollars.

Not bad, right?

I took it home, reheated it in the oven and it was great!

What it did do, was allow me to sample food from the restaurant - and try a few different types of pizza.

Now, I have the urge to try some of their pizza - for real.

When you open the App, you can choose your desired location, and participating locations will pop up.

I chose Egg Harbor Township with about a 15-mile radius. When I opened the App in the morning, besides Tony Baloney's these other businesses were participating at that time: Jace's Place in Margate, Twist Ice Cream and Pretzel in Linwood, and several locations of Manhattan Bagel. While most areas had an evening pick-up time, the bagel places were in the afternoon - I guess because of the nature of their business.

So, there it is! A new find! Too Good To Go!

I'd love to hear about your experiences with the App. Hit me up by email: joe.kelly@townsquaremedia.com.