Valentine’s Day can be stressful knowing that you have to spend money on either a dinner date, a gift for your Valentine, or even a night out with your friends. But don’t worry because this year, I got you covered. To make the stress of Valentine’s Day a little easier, the restaurants listed below will guide you to the perfect Valentine’s Day spot. Whether you’re craving sushi, steak or just some drinks on this special day, these are the 8 best restaurants around East Lansing to take your Valentine.
1. Maru
When you make a reservation at Maru for Valentine’s Day, not only can you expect to get a gourmet meal of either fresh sushi or hibachi, but you will also receive a complimentary glass of champagne with your meal (if you are of age to drink). Maru has two locations within 10 minutes of Michigan State’s campus, one in Meridian and one in East Lansing. If you have a sushi-loving Valentine who would fall head over heels for a free glass of champagne, book your Valentine’s Day dinner here!
2. State Room Restaurant
The State Room is located in the Kellogg Center on Harrison Road right across from Brody Neighborhood. From 5 P.M. to 10 P.M. on Valentine’s Day, this restaurant will have a special menu for you and your Valentine. This menu is $49 per person and includes 4 courses. Choose from a variety of different appetizers, a soup or a salad, a gourmet entree and a sweet dessert. While this meal is more on the expensive side, it definitely is a deal for the quality of food and quantity of courses that you’ll receive. This may be the perfect place to splurge on your Valentine, especially if you live on campus and don’t have a car.
3. Olive Garden
If you want to avoid the crowd of couples on Valentine’s Day, then stay home with your Valentine and order Olive Garden’s Dinner for Two To-Go special. The restaurant created a special to-go menu for couples who wish to have a night in on Valentine’s Day. The menu gives you the option of soup or salad along with bread sticks, a dipping sauce for the bread sticks, one of two entree options, and one of two dessert options. This to-go meal price starts at $35.99. Also, if you haven’t already heard, you can get your Valentine a bouquet of Olive Garden bread sticks too. Who could pass up Olive Garden bread sticks?
4. Outback
Outback is also having a special four-course dinner for two called the “Aussie Celebration” for Valentine’s Day. This meal includes a Bloomin’ Onion to share, a salad for each person, an entree for each person with a side, and a cheesecake to share for dessert. This offer is available from February 13th until February 17th. For any couples that have to celebrate Valentine’s Day before or after the 14th, Outback has your back with this deal.
5. Chili’s
Hi, welcome to Chili’s! If you’re of age to drink, Chili’s has a special margarita for the whole month of February called “The Grand Romance.” The margarita is only $5, so grab your Valentine or your “Galentines” and head to the nearest Chili’s for a fun Valentine’s Day.
6. Omi Sushi
If you and your Valentine prefer wine to champagne with your sushi, then Omi is the perfect spot to go for your Valentine’s Day date. Omi is featuring 50% off all wine on the 14th. Sushi and wine make for a perfectly romantic night. This sushi restaurant is also on the cheaper side, but you can definitely expect to receive delicious food for the dollar amount. Not to mention that Omi is extremely close to campus, making it the perfect destination for couples who don’t have their own transportation on this special day.
7. Qdoba
Qdoba is currently promoting their “Qdoba for a Kiss” campaign. This campaign combines charitable contributions with romance, which is perfect for people who have so much love to give on Valentine’s Day. For this campaign, Qdoba will be donating to the No Kid Hungry Foundation, whose goal is to end child hunger. Customers can donate $1 or more during the span of this campaign, and if Twitter, Facebook or Instagram users post the hashtag #QDOBAFORAKISS, then Qdoba will donate $1 to the foundation as well. Additionally, if you purchase an entree from Qdoba and share a kiss with someone or something, then you will receive a free entree of equal or lesser value. If PDA makes you cringe, don’t worry, you can share a kiss with anything at all, even your burrito!
8. Capital Prime
Capital Prime is one of the nicer restaurants of this bunch. If you’re looking to treat your date on Valentine’s Day to a fancy dinner, this is definitely the place to go. If you make a reservation at Capital Prime on February 14th, 15th or 16th, you will receive a five-course dinner for two that includes an appetizer, a salad, an entree, a dessert and a glass of champagne to wrap up your special night. While Capital Prime is further away and more expensive than some of the other restaurants mentioned, it is the perfect place to treat someone you love if you’ve been saving up for this special day.
Hopefully one of these Valentine’s Day restaurant deals stood out to you. Whether you’re single, looking for a Valentine or have a Valentine, you still need to eat some delicious food for the holiday. So grab your friends or your significant other, and go have a fun, romantic day with delicious food from some of the best restaurants around East Lansing to take your Valentine.