Rant: Don't Dine Out On Holidays!

Last weekend was Mother's Day, by far the most popular holiday for dining out at restaurants. People want to honor and impress their mothers, to make them feel special, so they believe that treating them to a special brunch, lunch or dinner will make that happen. However, that isn't always the case, as far too often the experience is only mediocre or average. 

Because the restaurants are so busy, they may have difficulty handling the great numbers of customers, so they often limit their holiday menus. The large amount of customers also often means you have to wait at the restaurant more than usual. More mistakes by servers and the kitchen commonly occur, and the food quality may not be as good as it normally may be. I have heard plenty of stories of bad, or just average, dining experiences on the holidays.  

If you have dined out on a busy holiday, think about your experience. Was it a stellar dinner, or closer to average, or even mediocre? Were there server issues? Was the food as delicious as it normally was at that restaurant?  

If you truly want to enjoy a special holiday dinner, then consider making reservations for the days around the holidays, and not the holiday itself. The restaurants won't be as busy, and your experience will more likely be more representative of the restaurant's usual quality. It will be a more impressive meal, one that will better honor whoever you are treating. There's no reason you have to celebrate just on the holiday. 

Father's Day will be held on Sunday, June 21, and it's considered the third most popular holiday for dining out. Rather than take your father out on that Sunday, which will be quite busy, why not consider doing so on the Friday, June 19, or Saturday, June 20? Your experience should be much better on either of those days instead of the Sunday holiday.  

I'll note that there are exceptions, some restaurants which still are able to provide a stellar experience even on busy holidays. However, you need to be very selective in where you dine, carefully choosing the restaurant where you plan to celebrate. You need to do your research, to locate those special restaurants which can handle the holidays. More often, those are small, independent restaurants, and they can impress you even at the busiest of times. 

Do you know any such restaurants which still deliver their best on the holidays?