Tips for Saving Money at Restaurants

How to Spend Less Cash when Dining Out

Many restaurant lovers are suffering from withdrawals in today's economy, kept away by historically high menu prices and advice from financial gurus like Suze Orman, who strongly recommends not eating out for a month to save money. For many, one month might be considered going cold turkey. A more moderate approach to saving at restaurants is possible with a little effort and planning.

Look Online for Restaurant Savings

"Eat. Drink. Save Money." is the slogan of Restaurant.com, which gained national media attention for offering $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for $10. It's currently offering a $100 certificate for a cost of $4 at more than 11,000 local participating restaurants.

Valpak.com also offers local dining certificates and e-mails saving suggestions and more exclusive offers. Use the certificates, specials and e-mail blasts found on individual restaurant websites and look at the menu and prices to control cost and save at restaurants.

OpenTable.com is an online reservation vehicle that rewards users with dining cheques of $20-$50. Each reservation booked earns 100 points. DinnerBroker.com, another online reservations site, offers 10%-30% off meal prices for dining during off-peak hours. Other reservations earn points redeemable for gift certificates from participating restaurants.

Charge card reward programs provide another means to save at restaurants, especially when used to pay for the meal. Diners Club, the first charge card ever issued, automatically rewards use at one of its 4,000 participating restaurants by discounting each meal up to 20%.

Avoid Unknown Establishments

When every penny is precious there is nothing worse than spending money and not enjoying the meal. If the food is edible but poorly prepared, returning it to the kitchen and getting compensated is not an option. Stick to familiar restaurants that provide consistent good taste. Watch for chef and cook changes and heed word-of-mouth recommendations. In the past a full parking lot indicated good food but today it could be a restaurant serving quantity without much quality.

Pay Attention to Portions

From appetizers to entrees, quantity and quality offer the best food value when saving at restaurants. Good sized portions are easier to share and provide more take-home opportunity, stretching one meal into two. Larger sized appetizers can double as entrees, however Elizabeth Large, the Baltimore Sun restaurant critic wrote in her Dining@Large column that she noticed a creep in the price of appetizers. As customers continue the appetizer-for-entree-savings-at-restaurants trend, chefs are creating more tapas-like dishes and desserts.

Choose Ethnic Restaurants

Italian, Oriental, Indian, Mexican, Mediterranean, African and other ethnic restaurants offer lower priced meals, often with complimentary bread, chips and noodles served. The lower food cost and many times lower rent mean lower dining prices. In some areas where there are multiple ethnic restaurants centralized in one location the competition leads to lower prices. Meat is limited in the menus reducing food cost passed to the customer.

Drink Water

Many cost cutter restaurant goers choose water as their beverage. A session at a National Restaurant Association event called "Beverage Promotions That Maximize Sales" includes pairing food and beverage, so try to avoid getting lured in and ending up with a high priced meal. Drinking water before going to the restaurant is a zero calorie, healthy way to reduce hunger and save at the restaurant.