Check The Fine Print For The Best Restaurant Week Experience

If you're a gourmand on a budget, there's a good chance that you have your city's annual restaurant week firmly marked on your calendar. During these events — which can sometimes go for longer than a week — a bunch of local restaurants (usually including some high-end spots) typically offer prix fixe menus for relatively cheap prices compared to their regular menus. But if you want to avail yourself of these deals without any unexpected surprises, you'll want to pay close attention to the fine print on these specials.

Those low restaurant week prices usually come with limitations. Some are obvious: For example, regardless of restaurant, the deal will usually only apply to the set prix fixe menu. While a restaurant may offer its regular menu during restaurant week too, it'll usually be full price. Then there are not-totally-obvious rules that are still fairly well-known if you've ever dined out during restaurant week before. A big one is that despite the phrase "restaurant week", restaurants won't offer the deal on a Saturday night, at least in New York City. But even if you're attending a restaurant week in a different city, this rule might still apply, since the idea is that restaurants can fill up on a Saturday without a special deal. If you're unsure, check with a restaurant before you book to be sure you can get the deal. If the event occurs over an extended period (such as NYC's three-week restaurant "week"), be warned that restaurants may not be participating for the entire period — so check that carefully.

Different restaurants may set different rules for their restaurant week menus, and these might vary a lot more than the fairly-typical rules mentioned above. Diners with dietary restrictions may need to pay attention to the rules, as restaurants may be quite strict about their prix fixe dishes: Some might let you choose between a number of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, while others may only let you choose an entree, or may not offer any choice at all. To allow the kitchen to work quickly, restaurants may also ban substitutions or modifications on their restaurant week special (arguably, you shouldn't necessarily be asking for many substitutions anyway if it's just to suit your tastes). So if you're a fussy eater, check that menu in advance. If you have an allergy, you can hope that a restaurant might be more willing to accommodate, but know that they're not legally required to adjust meals for allergies and might be less inclined to do so during restaurant week.

Although restaurant week menus are usually set-price, watch out for potential extra costs: For example, maybe the restaurant is offering chicken and filet mignon entrees, but the steak might cost you more. Lastly, not all restaurant week menus will include beverages. If they do, it'll often only be one, and potentially limited to only non-alcoholic drinks.

Bear in mind that restaurants don't sign on to restaurant week purely because they're feeling generous — the goal is usually to boost their sales and bring in new customers, who can hopefully turn into regulars. While the numbers inevitably vary, it can lead to a sales boost of over 20% for them, according to restaurant technology-solution firm CAKE (via Restaurant Hospitality). This is why restaurant weeks tend to occur at times when sales slump, such as in winter or spring.

The first known restaurant week occurred in New York City in 1992, devised by a local restaurateur along with the founder of the Zagat guide in order to get good publicity for the restaurant scene from hordes of reporters who were visiting the city for the Democratic National Convention at the time. Obviously, restaurant weeks have evolved and nowadays are generally targeted to the general public, enticing them with fine dining options at discounted prices. But to make those discounts work, restaurants need to be strict (for example, by not allowing modifications that slow the kitchen down and make it harder to get customers in and out).

Ultimately though, a good restaurant should make sure its restaurant week deal works for both the establishment and its customers (for example, offering a high-quality signature dish that still makes sense within a discount prix fixe menu). Just be sure to do your research to make sure you'll have a good time while getting a good deal.