For Savings on Restaurant Dining, Go Sit in the Bar

If you’re heading to a restaurant and you’re on a budget, think about sitting inthe bar. It can save you money. At one of our favoriteplaces, in the dining room, three sliders, with fries, cost $10.95. In the bar, the sliders (without fries) are just $6.95 – and cheaper yet on Slider Fridays. Another local restaurant serves several kinds of tacos in the main dining room, accompanied by rice and beans. Cost for the three-taco platter? $9.99. In the bar, they are three for $5.99 (without the padding of rice and beans) and on Taco Tuesdays, they’re 99 cents each during happy hour.And  Happy hour can net you some tasty treats for not a lot of dough. Maybe it’s stuffed potato skins (hey, it’s a veggie) or a special price on the salad bar. If you’re with a group, order several well-priced happy hour treats to share – a veggie platter, artichoke dip and a plate of hot wings, maybe. Share them around and for the price of one appetizer each, you’ve all got dinner. Next time you go to a restaurant with a separate bar, ask to see the bar menu and the dining room menu. You might be surprised at how much money you can save by sitting in the bar. Nobody says you have to order a beer or a glass of wine. Unless they’re two-fers – then share them with a friend and split the cost. For a more detailed story on this topic, check it out on  our sister site, Living on the Cheap.