Why Restaurant Week Might Not Be The Best Time To Dine Out

It seems like anywhere you are in the world, the cost of dining out is at an all-time high. And, unlike grocery prices, which sometimes dip back into relief after white knuckle peaks, this trend is impervious to reversal. The odd deal like happy hour, the dubious all-you-can-eat affair, or restaurant week can seem like a break in those compounding dollar signs. But, particularly in the case of restaurant week, when operators offer specials in some coordinated fashion, such as a certain number of courses for a fixed price over a predetermined period of time, the supposed savings don't always add up.

Most cities' restaurant weeks are usually timed to occur during the hospitality industry's slower times of year and typically provide a better value than participants' standard menu prices. That value, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, and sometimes it's a total ruse. In the former case, let's say a special occasion destination you've been dying to try is offering three-course dinners for $60, and one of those courses is dessert. Absent a sweet tooth, the package might not be worth $60, plus drinks, tax, and tip. Likewise is true when a place isn't bringing its best or signature items to the restaurant week table. When somewhere is known for its steak but it's deigned to offer mildly upgraded tuna sandwiches, you might want to skip it. And, you can always check prices against the norm for full disclosure.

The best restaurants are usually going to put out the best product. If there's a spot that's more or less beloved by the public, the media, and that weird middle population occupying social media platforms, you can go ahead and book it in good faith, even if its offerings seem a bit perfunctory. Maybe the roast chicken on offer, for example, doesn't quite excite you, but there's a fighting chance it'll actually end being one of the best birds you've ever had. Or, you might hate it, the whole dining room, and even us for suggesting this lark to begin with (you still shouldn't rank it a waste, because you proceeded in good faith).

Those super-fancy locales might also be worth a second look, even when their restaurant week fare seems fair. If you know you're not likely to allocate hundreds of dollars a plate to a place but you're still curious about what it can do, that's as good a reason to reserve as any, when there's even a slight price reduction. Similarly, if there's a whole cuisine category you've somehow missed, and an apparent specialist is in the restaurant week mix, you might want to give it a try. In the best case scenario, you'll end up with somewhere new to add to your regular rotation.