Make the Most of Restaurant Week

If you’ll be in the DC area soon, note that Restaurant Week is August 13-19.

Restaurant Week, which happens in major cities across the US,  was new to me when I moved to DC. But I was quick to pick up on the opportunity to eat a 3-course dinner at fancy-pants restaurants for, at the time, $30.02.

In the years since, my eagerness and reservations have subsided, partially because my usual price point has increased somewhat from the days when I was on the first rung of the non-profit  ladder and partially because I’ve figured out what restaurants are actually a deal during Restaurant Week.

Restaurant Week can be a great way to try expensive restaurants for less. However, what you save in money you can often pay in rushed servers, mass produced food, and unusually loud dining rooms.

Here are some tips on how to make the most of your Restaurant Week experience:

• Go for the $$$$ — you get the best deal at restaurant week at the highest end restaurants. Unless you usually partake of all 3 courses, at a $$ restaurant you’ll wind up spending more than you normally would on an entree and appetizer or dessert. Restaurants with $$$ or $$$$ on Open Table will offer the biggest savings.

  Sometimes there’s no difference between lunch and dinner menus, so if you’re flexible on your dining times, you can get an amazing experience for only $20.

• Check the menus online — restaurants often post what they’re offering in advance and that can be a great way to narrow down your reservations.-Sometimes a restaurant will save money by offering dishes for Restaurant Week not usually on their menu. If you’re going specifically to enjoy the restaurant’s dishes at a discount, make sure you’re actually getting them.-Look for restaurants that have their entire menu as an option. Most of the time you’ll get a choice of 3 options, but a few give you the run of their menu.
• Avoid the week of Restaurant Week (as strange as that sounds)–See if the deal is being extended beyond the official Restaurant Week and avoid the crowds. The week before or after is often less well publicized allowing you to get better reservation times and more placid dining room.–Check for luncheon specials or pre-fixe menus. These are often priced similarly to Restaurant Week and are available throughout the year. The Prime Rib in DC, one of my favorite steakhouses, offers a $28 3-course lunch throughout the year, that is $8 more than restaurant week but comes unrushed and whenever I’m in the mood for a good steak.
• Get better service — stand out from the usual Restaurant Week crowd. Dress nicely (you won’t believe what I’ve seen) and stray a little from the set menu. Ordering a nice bottle of wine not on special can quickly change the tenor. We asked to see the wine list and selected a nice mid-range bottle While friends were being rushed in and out within an hour, we were allowed to linger for several hours. The waiter even brought out his favorite dessert for us to try and the chef concocted another that might pair well with our wine.

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Related Posts:

• 5 Ways to Get More Out of Restaurant Week