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Gastronomy Up To 75% Off Meals
Save Up To 75% Off Meals
THE THREE ESSENTIAL WEBSITES FOR ANY FOODIE ON A BUDGET
Other than scouting the list of sites that offer DAILY DEALS, another great way to minimize the cost of your meals include:
At least once a month, restaurant.com features an 80% off special, allowing you to get a $25 gift certificate for as low as $2. Of course, most restaurants will add a clause - you'll be required to spend at least $35 (or in some cases $50) and this usually excludes alcohol, lunch, and dinner on Friday/Saturday. Read the fine print!
Search the database for restaurants that have 1,000 point dining times. 1,000 points is the equivalent of $10 in Dining Credit applicable at any OpenTable restaurant (and there are plenty!), though you'll need a minimum of 2,000 points to get your gift card.
And this, of course, is where you go to make sure you're not going to be wasting the cash and the calories on a mediocre meal.
HOW TO WEED OUT THE GOOD FROM THE QUESTIONABLE
The hardest part is searching the long list of restaurant.com patrons for restaurants that are actually good. Here's where Yelp comes in.
- Cross-check with Yelp which restaurants are highly rated. (I usually go for restaurants that are 4*, and a few that are 3.5* if the reviews seem slightly biased, focus more on service instead of the food, or if they seem to serve at least 2-3 dishes which are consistently complimented.
- Read the fine print (the terms and conditions) for the restaurant(s) you're interested in going to. You'll notice that there's always a minimum order requirement and there's frequently limitations on mealtimes as well as days applicable.
- Check the menu to check the average cost of a meal there to calculate how much you'll be expected to pay.
Of course, you could always wing it and try out a restaurant without checking Yelp first. [1.] It's quite possible that you might not share the same opinion as everyone else and [2.] they could've made changes to their chef/menu since the less appealing reviews.
The Short-Cut
The results with this method are usually minimal and rather incomplete..
1. Visit Yelp and input your destination zip code under "Location."
2. Search for http://restaurant.com.
DOUBLE / TRIPLE DIPPING
Every once in a while, you'll find a restaurant that offers a $25 gift certificate on Restaurant.com AND earns you 1,000 points by making your reservation at OpenTable.com.
If you're the type to collect airline miles, you may even find some that earns you bonus points through your airline's dining program (E.g. SkyMiles Dining).
For those of you in the Bay Area, I've already done the above steps for you and saved you the trouble of looking. The restaurant.com gift certificates I've purchased are listed HERE.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T BE A TIGHTWAD AND FORGET TO TIP BASED ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT ON YOUR BILL AND NOT JUST THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT YOU HAVE TO PAY WHEN YOU USE ANY OF THE ABOVE METHODS. KEEP IN MIND THAT IN SOME PLACES, SERVERS EARN AS LITTLE AS $2.25 AN HOUR AND RELY COMPLETELY ON GRATUITIES TO EARN A LIVING.
While tipping etiquette may vary worldwide, in the U.S. it's 10% for poor to mediocre service, 15% for average service, and 20% [or more] for superior service.
Also, write a review. Most restaurants who participate in these programs do so to better advertise their business. If it's a good review, it'll bring them more business and keep them afloat - and if it's not, God knows they need to hear it so they can decide whether or not to do something about it.