User's Guide

Sucker-Free Restaurant Week

Not this week!
Not this week! Photo: jarrodtrainque/Flickr

Summer Restaurant Week will take place from August 9-14 and 16-21 and reservations are already open for American Express cardholders (the rest of us plebes have to wait until the 24). $20.09 for a three-course lunch and $30.09 for dinner are certainly enticing prices, but not every restaurant is a great deal. Below, our three questions to ask to make sure you’re getting the best Restaurant Week has to offer.

Does the restaurant regularly offer a similar deal?
While you’ll never go wrong eating at L’Espalier, they regularly offer a $24 three-course lunch. You’re better off at Locke-Ober, which has no such deal.

Does the Restaurant Week menu bear any resemblance to the regular menu?
Some less-than-scrupulous restaurants will fill their Restaurant Week menus with dishes they wouldn’t be caught dead serving the rest of the year - think penne pomodoro at a restaurant known for their wildly inventive take on Italian cuisine.

Is the Restaurant Week menu actually more expensive than ordering a la carte?
This is rare, but every so often, you’ll see a restaurant where you could easily spend less than $30 for dinner by ordering from the regular menu. These are not suitable Restaurant Week destinations.

Unofficial Guide to Restaurant Week Boston [BostonChefs]

Sucker-Free Restaurant Week