Avoid Easter brunch and Mothers Day too. Since Covid most restaurants have lost their MOJO while prices and tipping are out of control, so it's easy to feel stung.

On Valentine’s Day restaurants are full of people who don’t eat out often, all in couples (so often taking up tables for four). Unless it is a Monday or Tuesday (slow days), restaurants hate Valentine’s Day. Regulars, or people who eat out often, avoid going out that night.

Yes, it's a known thing not to go out on Valentines Day. Whether the food is good or not, the prices are inflated and the everywhere is crowded. We go during a different week.

Anonymous wrote:No restaurant used V day to get rid of old food, that is ridiculous , it is one of the busiest days of the year.

it isn''t a great night to go out because it is hella busy. I ran restaurants for years. I never eat out that night. Its a madhouse

+1 that's wrong. More like they get a huge bulk order of sysco stuff to feed crowds, so will get convenience bagged salads rather than meticulously washed field greens. Bulk meats, chocolate desserts, etc. Everyone gets the same stuff.

It’s never smart to go to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Poor quality food served to those who don’t eat out often.

We usually do our favorite takeout for Valentine's day. This year we did Roaming Rooster. Can't get up on True Detective and went to bed early. We bought each other small, inexpensive gifts and some Trader Joe's chocolate.

No restaurant used V day to get rid of old food, that is ridiculous , it is one of the busiest days of the year.

it isn''t a great night to go out because it is hella busy. I ran restaurants for years. I never eat out that night. Its a madhouse

Yes I learned this in my 20s on a date with some guy. It’s an absolute scam.

And the real chef probably isn’t even on duty.

Bad food isn't "a thing" in DC restaurants on Valentine's Day. That sounds like user error to me, especially given that $75 is on the low end for a Holiday prix fixe menu. You chose the wrong restaurant.

Valentine's Day does tend to be a sh!t show in local places, but because the staff is overwhelmed -- not because it is a regular thing to hand people a salad of iceberg lettuce, bagged crouton, and dried-out shredded carrot.

We don’t buy chocolate, flowers or restaurant meals on or near Valentine’s Day.

We might go out in a week to celebrate instead. 😜

I didn’t know restaurants used the holiday to clear out the old food. Yuck!!

If we did go out or order out, we would do so from one of the family run places where we live. They don’t jack up the prices.

^"Marley"

We went to a movie instead, "Bob Markets One Love". Enjoyed it. We used to go out to dinner for Valentine's Day but it is a big ripoff now just as roses are on Valentine's Day.

I learned this lesson in my 20s. Yes very well known, just like going out to bars on NYE (otherwise known as amateur night).

Yes, days like valentines, Mother’s Day, and restaurant week are used to clean out the fridge and get rid of garbage inventory because they know people will pay significant markups for trash.

Yeah I know, a few days late.
For the first time, my partner and I decided to “go out” this year for Valentine’s Day. So, basically, what I found is that Valentine’s Day menu is a scam.

$75 set menu per person plus tax and tip.
Our dinner was ok. Decent, but a far cry from what I would expect for $75+.
The salad had a type of lettuce in it that is usually associated with cheap low quality places.
The main course was solid but pedestrian.
The dessert was not as advertised. Like, it literally was not the thing the menu said it was, but a ballpark approximation missing key details.

I’m not going to name the restaurant but it was in Arlington.

So this is a known thing, right?
We should have known better? Restaurants have become a ripoff even not on holidays.
Luckily, we were able to laugh about it, but we will not be doing that again, lol.