Maybe it's your turn to pick the restaurant for date night. Or you're getting lunch with your best friend who just announced she's going gluten-free and vegan. Or your sister called and needs to come over for a late-night vent sesh, complete with Insomnia cookies delivery. No matter what the reason, chances are you'll be eating out at some point this week. Unless you're seriously craving something specific, you'll have to decide where to go. We make decisions all day every day, and picking what to have for dinner is usually more frustrating than fun. Fortunately, technology can help with everything, including finding the perfect meal.
Check out this list of restaurant apps, designed with your busy schedule and indecisive taste buds in mind. These apps can do everything from pick the restaurant (and even the exact meal!), to calculating the tip and paying the delivery guy. All you have to do is show up and eat.
If You Want to See What Friends are Eating: Yelp
If you haven’t heard of Yelp, where have you been? Yelp is an international platform that offers restaurant reviews, photos, local deals, and “hot and new” suggestions to users. Want to limit the distance from you, price range, or type of cuisine available at the restaurant? Filter the results to meet your exact needs. If you just want to let the app decide, simply enter your location and let the app recommend a restaurant.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
#SpoonTip: Filter by “offering a deal” to see restaurants that have promotions going on right now. Just check in with Yelp to reap the rewards.
If You Want to Avoid Chains: LocalEats
LocalEats takes a different approach to the rating system, pooling websites, magazine reviews, food critiques, and user reviews to provide the most genuine suggestions possible. Oh, and they don’t bother with all those popular chain restaurants either. They look at the local and independent establishments in your city.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
If You Have a Dietary Preference: HealthyOut
Whether you're gluten-free, vegan, paleo, lactose-free, or simply looking for a balanced meal, HealthyOut is the app for you. This app gives you the nutrition data for a number of restaurants and items on their menus, and also identifies any common allergens in the meals. Health modifications even show you what adjustments you can make to certain dishes to work with your dietary needs. While the app may not find every single restaurant near you, it's a great tool for finding a quick meal to meet your dietary preferences.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
If You're Gluten-Free: Find Me Gluten Free
This app has been a lifesaver for me on so many trips. While you can walk into a restaurant and ask for gluten-free accommodations, this app makes your dining decisions easier, less stressful, and more confident. You can also filter out chain restaurants, or limit the results to only include “dedicated gluten-free menus.” The app will tell you what GF features the restaurant has (i.e. burger buns, bread, dedicated facility, etc.).
Available on Apple and Android devices.
If Atmosphere Matters to You: Zagat
If you’re like me, you judge a restaurant off more than just the food. Service, atmosphere, special features, and location can all make or break a dining experience for me. Zagat provides reviews on all these features, along with the food, of course.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
If You're Indecisive: Food Genie
Food Genie is “making wishes about where to eat come true.” Why spend over an hour trying to agree on somewhere to eat, when you and your friends can just leave it up to the Food Genie? This restaurant app has a comprehensive database, powered by Yelp, and you can either leave the choice completely up to the app or filter your dining preferences.
Available on Apple devices.
If You Want to Be a Couch Potato: PostMates
Check out a full list of restaurants on their site, order anything on the menu, and pay the delivery fee. The app has real-time tracking, and will show the delivery times even prior to ordering. This way you can base your dining selection off of how intense your hunger is.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
#SpoonTip: Become a member of Postmates Unlimited for $9.99/month and get FREE delivery on all orders over $20!
If You Want Cookies at 2AM: UberEATS
Order and pay with your Uber account. Thank the driver. Pig out. No need to tip and no more fumbling around with dollar bills and loose change. Oh, and it’s available 24/7 (just keep an eye on the restaurant’s hours of operation) and you can even schedule an order ahead of time.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
If You Just Want a Quick Deal: Food Coupons
This app pulls all the current deals and promotions for fast food/casual dining, giving you one concise database of deals. The app has over 50,000 restaurants, and uses your location to narrow down the deals that are available near you. The app also shows any Groupon deals, printable coupons, and special offers, making it a one-stop-shop for all your couponing needs.
Available for Apple devices.
If You Want a New Date Night Option: Groupon
Groupon has deals on everything from last-minute trips to electronics, local spas, laser tag spots, and gyms. But one of their biggest sections is their restaurant deals. You can search local finds within your area, and buy the Groupon now to use whenever you want. Keep an eye on the deals, as Groupon often has “deals of the day” and other special promos that mean extra savings for you. Whether it’s your pick for date night, you’re getting drinks with the girls, or you simply want to treat yourself to froyo, Groupon has a deal for you.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
If You're Ready to Book a Table: OpenTable
This is quite possibly the most popular and efficient online booking system out there. OpenTable allows you to choose a restaurant, input your party size and date of reservation, and see all the time slots available. Once you book a reservation, let your friends know directly through the app, and then add it to your calendars.
Available on Apple and Android devices.
#SpoonTip: By making reservations through this mobile app, you earn Dining Rewards points that can be redeemed for discounts and deals at participating restaurants. Each reservation will earn you 100 Dining Points, but special offers can earn you up to 1,000! You can then redeem your points for credit towards an expanded number of restaurants on the website.
If You're Ready to Pay the Bill: Tip Calculator
Chances are after getting through a long day, picking a restaurant, and stuffing your face, the last thing on your mind is math. Take the homework out of eating out by downloading Tip Calculator. All you have to do is enter the total check amount and the quality of your service (1-5 stars), which the app uses to determine the appropriate tipping percentage. Splitting the check? Indicate the number of guests and the app will tell you exactly how much each person owes, including tip.
Available on Apple devices.
And there you have it. From the first talk of eating out all the way to paying the bill, these 12 restaurant apps will make dining out a treat, not a chore.