Is Restaurant Week a Deal?

RSS Archive

My Town Marked Down is the official blog for Postabon, a community of deal-finders. This blog shares our experiences in finding a good value in New York City - whether it is a designer dress 70 percent off, free entrance to a museum or an incredible brunch special. Read about our adventures and some of our community members' favorite deals in the Big Apple.

July 13, 2010

Last night marked the first night of summer Restaurant Week here in New York City. For those unfamiliar with Restaurant Week, participating restaurants offer a three-course meal for lunch at the price of $24.07, or dinner for $35.

I find myself often going overboard when it comes to Restaurant Week, and end up making several reservations throughout the week. Then the next month comes, I look at my credit card bill, and wonder why I thought I could afford five nights of 50+ dinners. See, with Restaurant Week, dinner does come at $35, but add in tax, tip and one of those “discounted” glasses of wine at $7, and the next thing you know, you are paying $57 (case in point: my trip to Park Avenue Summer last night).

Still considering the prices of some of these entrees, you can sometimes get a great deal during Restaurant Week. Here are our suggestions for getting the most bang for your buck!

Lunch! Many restaurants offer a great lunch menu during Restaurant Week. If you work at a job that offers summer Fridays (read: you don’t work at Postabon) or you happen to have an afternoon off, consider going for lunch. Often restaurants offer the same menu for both lunch and dinner. For example, Ruth’s Chris offers the same menu at both lunch and dinner, so clearly it is a better deal to go for lunch and spend $11 less. That being said, if going to dinner, look to find a restaurant that offers a unique dinner menu.

Get the Real Deal! When deciding on a restaurant, compare the menu to the real menu at the restaurant. I believe the point of Restaurant Week is to actually sample dishes from a restaurant, so if a restaurant offers “specialty” items during the week that they would never offer otherwise, I’m more likely to pass on that restaurant.

Check the Dates! Before pressuring yourself to make a reservation sometime over the next two weeks, see if the restaurant offers an extended Restaurant Week menu. For example, some restaurants are offering their Restaurant Week menu through summer. Others may offer the same exact prix-fixe menu all year long, so there’s no reason to go out of your way now to dine there.

Get Out the Calculator! Before heading to dinner, determine what you would plan on ordering. Then compare it to the regular menu to see if you are getting a deal. Often, steakhouses are the best bet during Restaurant Week because a steak would cost close to $30 - nearly the price of the entire prix-fixe dinner.

Beware of the Side Dishes! While steakhouses are a great deal, look for steakhouses that throw in a choice of side in the prix-fixe price. One steakhouse I visited last year (cough cough Smith & Wollensky), just plopped down a piece of meat on the plate, and since I wanted mashed potatoes with my steak, I had to spend another $11 to get ONE side for the table. See if the restaurants you’d like to visit include side dishes. Parlour Steakhouse for example offers a choice of a side if you order a steak, as does Ruth’s Chris.