America's Best Restaurant Deals
Hungry? Check out these 25 standout restaurants for good food at a fair price.
The typical consumer spends around $2,200 per year eating out, according to the National Restaurant Association. Since you're porbably looking for ways to stretch those dining dollars without compromising on quality, we’ve come up with a list of great restaurant deals that won’t bust the bank.
These restaurant deals are a curated collection from the more than 200 table-service chains we rated based on a recent survey of almost 69,000 Consumer Reports subscribers. Our focus was on restaurants that earned high scores for overall satisfaction (service, ambience, value, and variety). Most important, though, was the taste of the food.
In order to qualify, we insisted on above-average marks for delectability. We were equally insistent that the meal—dinner and drinks—cost no more than $25 per person, the real-world amount survey respondents told us they spent at each chain.
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For perspective, some of the very best restaurants in our ratings were so extravagant that most people would consider them exclusively for special occasions. At $77 per person, the Japanese restaurant Nobu was one of the trendy standouts that was truly splurgeworthy, as was Mastro’s Steakhouse, at $86, and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood at $60.
Our goal was to single out more affordable fare, and some of our picks were downright cheap. You can pay as little as $14 for a meal at HuHott Mongolian Grill or Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q.
Here are our picks for great restaurant deals:
Great Grub for $25 and Under
Restaurant | Median Dinner Price | Cuisine | Primary Location |
Charleston's | $22 | Traditional American | Midwest |
Abuelo's | $18 | Mexican | Midwest and South |
Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano | $24 | Italian | Midwest |
Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q | $14 | Barbecue | Southwest |
Bravo! Cucina Italiana | $24 | Italian | Eastern half of U.S. |
Razzoo's Cajun Cafe | $17 | Cajun | Texas |
Gloria's Latin Cuisine | $19 | Salvadorian, Mexican | Texas |
Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill | $25 | Barbecue | California |
Bahama Breeze Island Grill | $23 | Carribean inspired | Eastern |
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen | $15 | Bar & Grill | Eastern half of U.S. |
LongHorn Steakhouse | $24 | Steakhouse | Nationwide |
Marlow's Tavern | $21 | Bar & Grill | Florida, Georgia |
Pappasito's Cantina | $23 | Mexican | Texas |
Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza | $20 | Italian/Pizza | Eastern U.S. |
Cantina Laredo | $24 | Mexican | Eastern half of U.S. |
Carrabba's Italian Grill | $23 | Italian | Nationwide |
Granite City Food & Brewery | $19 | Bar & Grill | Midwest |
Jim & Nicks Bar-B-Q | $17 | Barbecue | South |
Rafferty's Restaurant & Bar | $19 | Bar & Grill | Georgia |
Texas Roadhouse | $19 | Steakhouse | Nationwide |
Giordano's | $19 | Italian/Pizza | Midwest |
HuHott Mongolian Grill | $14 | Asian | Midwest |
Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que | $25 | Barbecue | Arizona |
P.F. Chang's China Bistro | $23 | Asian | Nationwide |
Romano's Macaroni Grille | $21 | Italian | Nationwide |