Eating out, especially with friends, can be both fun and convenient. You get out of the house, pick from a near-endless selection of restaurants, and enjoy a meal without the stress of cooking or doing dishes afterwards. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost, and that cost has been rising even more steadily than grocery prices in the last few years. If you want sit-down dining that doesn’t break the bank, menu deals can be your best friend — and the best deals are on Monday and Tuesday.
Since less people eat out on Mondays and Tuesdays than the rest of the week, restaurants incentivize customers to come in by offering special deals and pricing. For instance, Applebee’s offers BOGO 50% off burgers with a promo code every Monday. Tuesday is BOGO for traditional wings at Buffalo Wild Wings, Ruby Tuesday’s (fittingly) offers cheap burgers with fries and free kid’s dinners on Tuesday, and Papa John’s used to offer significant discounts such as two-for-one pricing on Tuesdays, though this has seemingly been discontinued in recent years in favor of all-week promotions. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and many local joints have their own weekly specials as well.
Other time-based restaurant deals
In addition to the day of the week, the time you go to a restaurant will also impact the deals you can get. Many restaurants offer a Happy Hour with discounted food and alcohol to encourage people to come eat during their slower times. For instance, many Applebee’s locations offer Happy Hours from 3-6pm and 9-10pm, in which you can get half-priced appetizers (including the chain’s best appetizer) and certain mixed drinks for just $5. Texas Roadhouse also has a good Happy Hour deal, with one location offering $1.99 margaritas during the promotion.
Some restaurants will also run promotions during a period of time significant to the chain. For instance, on March 2nd of this year, McDonald’s offered an Egg or Sausage McMuffin for just $1 to celebrate national Egg McMuffin Day. While it isn’t certain this will return next year, it seems quite likely. Sometimes, a restaurant earning some kind of award will also net you a deal, such as when Applebee’s offered $0.50 boneless wings after they were declared “America’s Favorite Boneless Wings.” In general, it’s never a bad idea to keep up with a restaurant you enjoy so you don’t miss a great deal. One way to do this is to download a restaurant’s loyalty app so you receive notifications and exclusive offers during promotional times.
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