12 Must-Visit Restaurants To Checkout During This Year’s Restaurant Week

Listen, with everything that is going on in the world right now, we get that life can seem overwhelming. But we are here with a little piece of information that can soothe your aching heart in a jiffy - Restaurant Week is happening again this year! So, get your booster shots, mask up and enjoy!

So, what is Restaurant Week, and how did it start?

Tim Zagat, the author of the Zagat Survey, and Joe Baum, a well-known New York restaurateur, founded Restaurant Week in 1992 in New York City. The lunch-only advertising event was originally planned to coincide with the Democratic National Convention to attract visitors, media, and politicians to local restaurants. The initial restaurant week was a phenomenal success, and it has since extended across the country to communities big and small.

Now, restaurant week is almost like a fair in which restaurants offer discounted or fixed-price menus so that customers can experience a variety of foods that would otherwise be out of their price range. Typically, mid-and upper-tier restaurants participate in restaurant week, however, any restaurant is eligible to participate. Locals and visitors alike enjoy Restaurant Week and most businesses that participate see increased traffic throughout the event.

Is Restaurant week held only in NYC? No, cities across the country have restaurant week on different weeks. And what’s more exciting is, although it is supposed to be a week-only affair, restaurants hold offers for almost three weeks out of the year. And for the broke and the broken of every city, it is the best time of the year to put on something fancy and treat themselves!

Top 12 must-try restaurants for Restaurant Week

ABC Kitchen - NYC (Jan 18th - Feb 13th)

ABC Kitchen is a must-visit restaurant with a nutritious menu and a welcoming ambiance. Their $26 fixed price lunch menu includes two courses of exquisite selections, such as chilled cucumber-coconut soup and grilled jalapeno portobello sandwich. Your meal experience will leave you feeling light and thoroughly fulfilled.

Park Avenue Summer - NYC (Jan 18th - Feb 13th)

As the seasons change, so do our restaurant preferences. It's difficult to stick with one spot when new ones open up every day. Park Avenue Summer is a high-end restaurant in New York City that alters its name, appearance, and menu every season, pushing the concept of seasonal themes to new heights. Their Restaurant Week two-course lunch and three-course dinner menus feature some of the season's most delectable dishes.

Dining Room At The MET, NYC (Jan 18th - Feb 13th)

The Dining Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a place to wine, dine, and socialize while immersed in 5,000 years of art history. On the 4th level, you can enjoy seasonal food and stunning treetop views of Central Park. After strolling around the numerous lengthy hallways of historical artwork, travel upstairs to dine on their $26-per-person prix-fixe lunch menu, which includes seasonal wine selections.

Table, Donkey, And Stick, Chicago, (Mar 25th - Apr 10th)

The chefs at Table, Donkey and Stick have been experimenting with pizza throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Logan Square outlet’s fixed-price menu focuses on their specialties: meats and cheeses. You'll start with charcuterie, gourmet cheeses, and miniature latkes for just $39 before moving on to the main dish. Any of the options, especially the CDK burger with bacon jam, swiss cheese, and schmaltz dijon mayo, can't go wrong.

River North, Chicago (Mar 25th - Apr 10th)

The River North outpost of Avec, which took over the old home of Pacific Standard Time, delivers the Mediterranean menu of the longtime Randolph Street staple to a new environment. The $55 dinner menu at the location features classics like chorizo-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates, spicy Brussels sprouts, and wood-oven paella, but you'll be eating them in light, airy surroundings.

HaiSous, Chicago (Mar 25th - Apr 10th)

At Vietnamese restaurant HaiSous, whether you choose the $39 or $55 prix fixe menu, you'll want to bring at least one additional person because the meals are served family-style. You can upgrade to grilled steak and a whole roasted bass or share lemongrass braised chicken and stewed prawns. All the dishes can be made gluten-free if you let your staff know right away.

Jame Enoteca, El Segundo, LA County (Date: To be decided)

On the Westside, there really isn't much better pasta than Jame Enoteca, which is why visiting this El Segundo Italian restaurant during the LA Dine Restaurant Week/Month is a great idea. They provide special lunch and dinner menus that include an appetizer and meal for $35 and $45, respectively. They also come with a complimentary glass of wine.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib, Beverly Hills (Date: To be decided)

We'll eat at Lawry's any day of the year, but when the weather turns cool, there's something extra wonderful about this Beverly Hills landmark. Their special $65 menu for DineLA includes their hyped spinning salad, an entree of your choice (clearly the prime rib), aside (the creamed spinach is a must-try), and a dessert of your choice.

Mayura, LA (Date: To be decided)

Mayura is one of LA's top Indian restaurants, so there's no reason not to pay a visit to this Culver City icon. Their $65-for-two-people special menu is one of the best deals you can get for yourself and your plus one for the DineLA Restaurant Week. It includes bread, a beverage, an appetizer, a dessert, and two meals of your choosing. A variety of main course selections are available, ranging from aloo palak to savory fish curry.

Equinox, Washington DC (Jan 16th - Jan 30th)

Equinox was founded in 1999, long before fresh, Mid-Atlantic cuisine became popular, but that doesn't mean the kitchen is stuck in the past. Gray is a firm believer in plant-based cooking, and the three-course ($35) and five-course ($55) Restaurant Week menus feature inventive vegan dishes like navy bean cassoulet alongside omnivore specialities like BBQ shrimp and grits.

Kaz Sushi Bistro, Washington DC (Jan 16th - Jan 30th)

At his downtown Japanese restaurant, which launched in 1999, chef Kaz Okochi pioneered DC's sushi scene. On the Restaurant Week menus for one ($35) or two ($60), you'll find a number of Kaz staples, like salmon nigiri with mango, tuna with olive, and green tea tiramisu. 

Ris, Washington DC (Jan 16th - Jan 30th)

At her West End restaurant, veteran DC chef Ris Lacoste celebrates "We, the People: the Diversity of the American Table" for Restaurant Week. Thai brussels sprouts, tandoori chicken, Chile Relleno, and eggplant-parmesan meatballs are among the dishes on the menu, as are some of her comfort favourites like a cheeseburger with fries.

As a bonus, we have added one more restaurant for ya' all! 

40 Oak Classic American Grille (June 12th - June 18th)

Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Mintzer about the Restaurant Week intends to feature New York grown or produced ingredients as a part of the Taste NY Restaurant Week Challenge. The aim here is to highlight the connection between New York producers and local restaurants to showcase the value of supporting small businesses. 

Major cities across the country feature around a whopping 200 restaurants for Restaurant Week. Which one of these are you going to try? Let us know in the comments below.