It sounds like a real good deal, but in 1855 prices it was actually a lot more outrageous than a $16 burger in 2014. I mean, you could have some perfectly good “Fried Mush” for only 12 cents!
Spend some time with this menu from an SF restaurant in the 1850s:
Burrito Justice has more on the chicken:
IMPORTANT INFLATIONARY UPDATE:
2014 Roast chicken has just breached peak-1855:
$84 at Tosca
$48 at Zuni’s.
So I guess we’re doing alright. Read on for more analysis by Mr. Justice, as well as Anthony Myint’s official review of this place (based on the menu).
In other historo-inflationary updates, 1855 is kind of kicking 2014′s ass when it comes to $4 toast.
Note the “Board per Week, payable in advance .. $14″ notice, which suggests that this was not just a restaurant, but, also, a boarding house with rooms upstairs, probably two huge meals a day for that $14 per week.