Food & Drink

Dining Deals: 5 tips for making the most out of local restaurant weeks

Book early and research menus to get the most out of restaurant week specials.

By Stefanie Gans December 5, 2017 at 10:00 am

5 Restaurant Week Tips

Find the Most Expensive Restaurant
Restaurant weeks aren’t always a deal. If the entree price on the normal restaurant menu doesn’t match or exceed the full amount of the restaurant week price—which usually includes appetizer, entree and dessert—it’s probably not going to save you money. Thinking about it this way translates to getting the appetizer and dessert free, which makes it feel more like a deal.

Plan Ahead
Because not every restaurant partaking in a given restaurant week boasts a four-dollar-sign menu, it makes sense to make a reservation early at the most expensive restaurant. If dinner is booked, try the restaurant for lunch or brunch which usually knocks down the price by more than $10.

Region-Wide vs. Town-Specific
The restaurant weeks sponsored by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington span Washington, Maryland and Virginia, and follow the same price guidelines for appetizer-entree-dessert. But many cities with their own promotional celebration may let restaurants decide on individual specials, like two-for-one dinners or other couple-centric options, like a shared dessert. Make sure to research what each restaurant offers in the town.

Surcharges Happen
At those coveted most-expensive restaurants, options there are often surcharges for specific dishes. Though these places want to play the restaurant week game, they still want to offer a certain quality product and therefore will add a fee. Read the menu carefully to see if that ribeye with table-shaved truffle over risotto will add $15 to the check price.

Extended Specials
Because of the hectic nature of restaurant week dining rooms, it’s often a good idea to see which restaurants keep those specials for an extra week or, sometimes, through the month. Going to eat during the extension can mean less frazzled servers and a calmer kitchen, and still a cheaper night out.