A rediscovered 1975 guide to Los Angeles restaurants has resurfaced online, offering a glimpse into the past with remarkably low prices at some of the city's most well-known dining establishments. The vintage "The Menu Guide of Los Angeles" was shared by a Reddit user, prompting a flurry of online discussion about the cost of dining out half a century ago.

At the legendary Brown Derby, a chateaubriand for two could be purchased for an amount that would leave enough change for two coffees and still have $2 remaining. A filet mignon was priced at $7.85, a lobster tail at $7.25, and a combination of both for $9.25. The restaurant's famed Cobb salad, described as the invention of owner Bob Cobb, cost $5.50 for a full portion or $2.80 as an appetizer. Daily specials like beef stew, pot roast, or lamb stew were $4.85, with dessert at $1 and coffee or tea at just 50 cents.

Chez Jay in Santa Monica offered lobster thermidor for $6.50, a New York cut steak for $7.50, and a filet béarnaise for $7.75. Desserts like homemade cheesecake were 75 cents, and coffee or milk cost only 20 cents.

Don the Beachcomber's Polynesian chicken dinner, including soup or salad, fried rice, and tea, was $5.95. The Pacific mahi-mahi was $6.65, and its Steak Bora Bora was $8.95.

Benihana's prices also drew attention, with hibachi chicken listed at $6.50, sukiyaki steak for $7.50, and filet mignon for $8.25. The "Benihana Special," a comprehensive meal including soup, salad, shrimp, chicken, steak, vegetables, rice, tea, and green tea ice cream, was $11. A beer cost as little as $1, while warm sake was $1.75.

Gulliver’s advertised roasted prime rib with Yorkshire pudding and seasonal vegetables for $7.25. Desserts there were priced at $1.25. The guide also noted Gulliver's unique service where soup or salad would be "prepared by their 'Wench at Tableside.'"

Beyond the prices, the guide's intricate illustrations and handwritten designs were also a point of appreciation among commenters. Some users noted that restaurants like Chez Jay and The Warehouse in Marina del Rey are still in operation today.

Discussions on Reddit touched on the purchasing power of money in 1975, with one commenter suggesting prices should be multiplied by approximately 5.2 to approximate their current value. The minimum wage at the time was $2.10 per hour.