Girl’s Gotta Eat: Apps and Websites for the Savvy Diner and Drinker

There are few things that I love more than a good deal.  Good stuff for cheap is awesome.

I also happen to love eating.  As in when I’m eating one meal, I’m planning my next.  If I could, I would eat out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but as the idea of going broke in a month and gaining half my body weight in 30 days isn’t feasible or appealing, I’m a bit savvier with my dining out.  You need to be when you live in New York City, or any other big city for that matter.  There are just so many places to eat.

So I did a bit of scoping on the discount dining scene.  I wanted something more Gilt than Groupon; an app or website that offers more than your average dining deal.  I stumbled upon Scoutmob and Savored, and I’ve used these apps and websites repeatedly because they’ve helped me find restaurants that are delicious, easy on the wallet, and off the beaten path.  Here’s the lowdown on these bad boys.

Scoutmob is an app and a website, and it’s my go to for dinner and drinks with a few friends.  The app has almost 200 deals in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, and you get 50% off food and drinks.  You must use the app to get the deal, and each restaurant has a max discount, but I’ve still saved between $15 and $25 on my bill. Their restaurants are highly ranked on Yelp and unique, and some of my favorites are Tromba, Ballaro Caffe Prosciutteria & Wine Bar, Wine Bar, and Casimir Café & Bar.

I use the app more than the website, but I also like to read their “Local Finds,” a daily newsletter that includes a featured restaurant, what to do that week, and lists like their top five favorite breakfast spots or the best booziest treats in NYC (I’ll be reading that right after I finish this post).  Since there’s a max discount, I recommend Scoutmob if you and a friend or date spontaneously want to eat and drink at a yummy and inconspicuous restaurant.

If you’re not in New York City, don’t worry, you can still use Scoutmob.  The app works in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC.  I’ve only used it in NYC, so let me know how the options are in your city!

Savored is also an app and a website, and I use it when I need a reservation at a great restaurant for a great price.  Based upon restaurant availability, you can get up to 40% off your entire bill, and unlike Scoutmob, there is no max discount.  Another plus: no awkward exchange of coupons or “um, yea, my bill is xyz% off;” the reservations notes your discount and it’s automatically added to you bill so you can look Chanel even though you’re rocking Forever 21.

This app is for the gal who plans because you must make a reservation via Savored to get the discount.  I haven’t used Savored as much as Scoutmob because I’m more of a last minute kind of gal, but I keep my eyes peeled for discounts to New York City establishments like‘21’ Club and Le Cirque.  For you non-New Yorkers, you can also use Savored in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably drooling over the prospect of all this delicious food and drink for cheap.  I hear ya.  So grab a few friends, pick a place, and it’s a date!  Let me know if Scoutmob and Savored are as awesome in your city as they are in NYC.  I love a good food story.  Bon appétit!

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