8 Best Credit Cards For Dining Out [Unleash Your Inner Foodie]

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Eating out can get expensive if you aren’t careful. You might save some money clipping coupons for restaurants, but that takes time and not all restaurants offer coupons.

But, if you use the right credit card, you may earn cash back or points from your favorite restaurants. You can even get points buying gift cards to your favorite restaurants.

Which are the best credit cards for restaurants? Let’s get into it.

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Ranked in order from best to worst:

1. Capital One Savor Rewards

Capital One Savor Rewards Overview

The Capital One Savor Rewards card offers a great 4% cash back on dining, plus you can earn cash back in other ways too. If you love dining out and going out for entertainment, you’ll get the best bang for your buck with the Capital One Savor Rewards card. And you’ll be quite pleased with this card’s entertainment category since it’s generously inclusive.

Capital One Savor Rewards Annual Fee

$95

Capital One Savor Rewards Bonus Points

If you spend $3,000 or more within three month of opening a Savor Rewards card, you’ll get a $300 bonus.

What you can Earn From Capital One Savor Rewards

4% cashback on dining
4% cashback on entertainment
4% cashback on streaming services
3% cashback on groceries

Capital One Savor Rewards Pros:

The earnings are unlimited
Rewards never expire
You can redeem points in any denomination

Capital One Savor Rewards Cons:

No introductory APR
Balance transfer APR is high – up to 23.99%

2. Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase Freedom Unlimited Overview

If you’d prefer a credit card with no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a great option. You can earn 3x points on all dining purchases, plus there are other ways to earn points.

Related: Get an easy $200 bonus by opening a Chase checking account.

You’ll need good credit to get approved, and there’s no minimum threshold to meet to cash out your points.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Annual Fee

Chase Freedom Unlimited Bonus Points

If you spend $500 or more within three months of opening a Chase Freedom Unlimited card, you’ll get a $200 bonus. It’s only one-third of the Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus, but it’s a lot easier to get there. And hey, no annual fee!

If you don’t spend over $4,000 in three months, definitely go with this card over the Sapphire Preferred.

What you can Earn With Chase Freedom Unlimited

3x points on dining (including takeout)
5x points on grocery purchases (does not include Target or Walmart)
5x points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on drug store purchases
1.5x points on all other purchases

Chase Freedom Unlimited Pros:

No annual fee
Cashback rewards never expire
0% APR for the first 15 months

Chase Freedom Unlimited Cons:

You need good to excellent credit to qualify
The category earnings can get confusing

3. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is great for travelers and diners. You’ll earn the most cash back on dining out, and that includes takeout.

You can boost your earnings by using your points to book travel through Chase, but you also have the option to cash out a lower value.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Annual Fee

$95 per year

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Bonus Points

When you spend $4,000 or more within three months of opening a Sapphire Preferred card, you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points. That’s $600 worth of cash if you decide to redeem via cash back. Highly consider this if you tend to spend that much over three months. This is where the Sapphire Preferred card really shines.

What you can Earn From Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

3x points for dining out (including takeout)
5x points for travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
2x points for travel booked any other way
3x points on groceries
3x points on streaming services
1x points on everything else

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Pros:

There are many ways to earn bonus points, including dining out or traveling
You can earn bonus points on each anniversary date (10% of your total purchases)
You can break your payments up on the My Chase Plan with equal payments and no interest

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Cons:

Everyone pays the $95 annual fee
You need great credit to qualify

4. US Bank Altitude Go

US Bank Altitude Go Overview

If you want a credit card with no annual fee and incredible rewards, go with the US Bank Altitude Go credit card. It’s an especially attractive card if you dine out often, but you also get great rewards for grocery shopping as well as basic rewards for regular purchases.

US Bank Altitude Go Annual Fee

US Bank Altitude Go Bonus Points

If you spend $1,000 or more within three months of opening an Altitude Go card, you’ll get a $200 bonus.

What you can Earn from US Bank Altitude Go

4x points on dining out
2x points on grocery shopping
2x points on gas purchases
2x points on streaming services
1x points on everything else

US Bank Altitude Go Pros:

Your points never expire
0% APR for the first 12 months
No annual fee

US Bank Altitude Go Cons:

Entertainment spending doesn’t count for cash back
You need excellent credit to qualify

5. American Express Gold Card

American Express Gold Card Overview

The American Express Gold card pays cash back for purchases, including dining, but they also offer some great ways to earn bonuses on your dining out. While the main benefits are for eating out, you’ll earn 1% cash back on all purchases aside from eating out. It has similar 4x points as the Capital One Savor card, but with a much higher annual fee.

Consider this if you think you’ll be able to capitalize on the higher bonus payout within three months.

American Express Gold Card Annual Fee

$250

American Express Gold Card Bonus Points

If you spend $4,000 or more within three months of opening a Gold card, you’ll get a $600 bonus.

What you can Earn from American Express Gold Card

4x points on dining out
4x points on groceries
3x points on travel
Earn up to $120 a year in UberCash for using your American Express Gold card at UberEats or Uber rides ($10 per order)
Earn up to a $120 dining credit for using Grubhub, Seamless, or ordering out at Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris, Boxed, or Shake Shack ($10 per order)
1x points on everything else

American Express Gold Card Pros:

Comes with personalized travel services
No foreign transaction fees
Includes personalized rewards for shopping and entertainment

American Express Gold Card Cons:

The annual fee is steep
The higher cashback is on dining out only, not entertainment

6. Costco Visa Anywhere Card by Citi

Costco Visa Anywhere Card by Citi Overview

The Costco City Visa Anywhere card by Citi is exclusive for Costco members, but it offers many benefits. Shockingly, you get higher cashback percentages on dining out than you do your Costco purchases, so it’s worth it for Costco members that also like to eat out. Since you already pay your Costco membership, there’s no annual fee which is a nice feature.

Costco Visa Anywhere Card by Citi Annual Fee

$0 (except Costco membership fee)

Costco Visa Anywhere Card by Citi Bonus Points

Unfortunately, no sign-on bonuses exist for this card.

What you can Earn from Costco Visa Anywhere Card by Citi

3% cashback on restaurants and travel
4% cashback on gas up to $7,000 in the first year, but 1% afterward
2% cashback on Costco purchases
1% cashback on all other purchases

Costco Visa Anywhere Card by Citi Pros:

You earn cashback as an annual credit on your statement
No foreign transaction fees
No annual fee

Costco Visa Anywhere Card by Citi Cons:

Only Costco members qualify
The APR is high

7. Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card

Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card Overview

The Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card pays double points for dining out, along with several other categories including grocery shopping. It’s a great everyday credit card to carry, especially if you love eating out. You can redeem your points via cash back, statement credit, direct deposit, or gift cards.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card Annual Fee

$95

Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card Bonus Points

If you spend $3,000 or more within three months of opening a Premium Rewards card, you’ll get a $500 bonus.

What you can Earn from Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card

2x points for dining
2x points for travel
2x points for groceries
1.5x on all other purchases

Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card Pros:

No limit to the amount you can earn
You can deposit your funds in an eligible Merrill account including your child’s 529 Savings plan
No foreign transaction fees

Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card Cons:

No introductory APR
3% balance transfer fee

8. Discover It Secured Credit Card

Discover It Secured Credit Card Overview

If you have bad credit and can’t get approved for the traditional rewards credit cards above, consider the Discover It Secured credit card. You’ll earn cashback on dining purchases, and you won’t need great credit to qualify.

You will need a security deposit down on the account, which becomes your credit line, but it will help you build credit. You’ll get the benefit of improving your credit score with on time payments and earning cashback on dining out and other purchases.

Discover It Secured Credit Card Annual Fee

Discover It Secured Credit Card Bonus Points

If you spend $4,000 or more within the first six months, you’ll get a $600 bonus.

What you can Earn from Discover It Secured Credit Card

2% cashback on dining out
2% cashback at gas stations
1% cashback on all other purchases

Discover It Secured Credit Card Pros:

Discover matches your cashback dollar-for-dollar for the first year
No annual fee
You’ll build your credit and earn money back

Discover It Secured Credit Card Cons:

You need to make a security deposit
You’ll lose your security deposit if you miss a payment

What to Look for in a Credit Card for Restaurants

When you’re looking at your options for a credit card for restaurants, focus on these key areas:

Annual Fee

The annual fee can be high if you aren’t careful. Make sure your rewards will total more than the annual fee to ensure you get the most out of the card.

Rewards

Make sure the credit card offers rewards where you’ll use it. Most restaurant credit cards are good at any restaurant, but some are also good for takeout or delivery.

Fees

Read the fine print on the fees. The annual fee is one fee, but there may be other fees they charge including statement fees, over the credit limit fees, and other fees.

Reward categories

Pay close attention to the reward categories. Not all credit cards offer rewards for the same categories year-round. If the categories rotate, you may want to look at other cards for your restaurant rewards.

Rewards expiration

Don’t assume all credit cards let the points accumulate indefinitely. Some credit card points expire if you don’t redeem them within a certain amount of time or if you don’t use your credit card for a certain period.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for the best credit cards for restaurants, you have many options. Knowing where you’ll use the card and what kind of rewards you want helps. Of course, if the card pays cashback for general purchases too, your savings can add up even more.

Be sure to pay attention to all the details and fine prints to make sure you are getting exactly what you wanted.