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Love is in the air, along with the sound of millions of people trying to make restaurant reservations.
Valentine's Day is the second busiest day of the year for restaurants, and it presents some very unique and decidedly unromantic problems for couples. While wining and dining your sweetheart may be just want they want, consider doing it any other day of the year. Here's why you should skip the restaurant res and cook up some love at home instead.
Want to take your love out for their favorite meal? You better check whether the restaurant will actually have that dish available. Most places have a set menu on Valentine's Day, with only a few options available in order to streamline things in the kitchen. They're usually pretty stereotypical "romantic" foods, too, like steak, lobster, and lots of chocolate. They're designed for logistics, so they're usually not great.
Supply and demand applies in restaurants just like everywhere else. You want a Valentine's Day reservation? You're going to pay more for it than on any other day — sometimes way more. Considering the abbreviated menus and all the other hassle, it's just not worth the super high price.
Service industry employees hate Valentine's Day, and some even call it "rookie night" because so many people go out to eat that don't normally. Restaurants sometimes do three times more business than usual, so it's stressful and fast-paced. Plus, many customers expect everything to be perfect, and when it's not, they get irate. Do yourself and restaurant employees a favor and just skip it — or at least treat your server with kindness and tip generously if you do go out.
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Is sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in a restaurant along with 18 other couples romantic to you? It'll be hard to focus only on each other when there's so much going on around you in a busy dining room. Plus, you may only be able to score a very early or very late reservation, throwing other plans that night out the window.
Related: The Best Frugal First Date Ideas, According to Thrifty Redditors
Turning over three times as many tables as a regular night means that you'll be rushed through your meal, especially if you normally enjoy a leisurely-paced dinner. There's going to be two or three other couples that still need to use your table before the restaurant closes, so you won't be able to chat over an extra glass of wine.
Related: Romance on a Budget: 25 Cheap At-Home Date Night Ideas
Have you made your Valentine's Day reservation yet? No? Fat chance now. If you haven't made it a couple weeks before the big day, chances are your top restaurant picks are already booked solid. Most restaurants don't reserve tables for walk-ins for the holiday, either, so just showing up and waiting is a hopeless endeavor.