Tipping based on the $ value of the food. If I go to one steakhouse and order a steak, baked potato, salad and a drink and they charge me $70 and I leave a 20% tip, the server gets $14. If I go to another steakhouse and order the same thing and they only charge me $30, the server gets $6 Just because one restaurant is fancier doesn't mean that the level of service is automatically any better. They both took my order, got the order right, kept my drink refilled, etc. Why am I giving one server $8 more for the same service?