Make Early Bird Dining Special

The modern trend is that eating out early is no longer primarily about saving money—it's about bringing the traditional pleasures of dining to an earlier hour that fits modern lifestyles.

 We're not just chasing "early bird specials" or low cost. We want special early bird dining.

Our Definition of "Early"

• Early bird dining begins when brunch and lunch spots close (around 3 PM)

• We're seated between 4 PM and 6 PM

• We stay flexible: Sometimes a late appointment means we miss lunch entirely and end up at 3:30 PM devouring BBQ ribs, brisket, cornbread, and fries— there's no room for anything else that day. 

There are all types of menus available early.

Today's trend reflects a societal shift: more people simply prefer eating dinner earlier, and restaurants have adapted with creative offerings:

• Some feature special value menus; others simply open their doors early  with the regular menu available.

• Lower costs in disguise. You'll find pre-theater menus, sunset menus, and fixed-price three-course dinners.

Where We Eat

We don't visit restaurants simply because they're open early or offer low prices. Our goal is finding places we genuinely enjoy and want to revisit. We focus on recommendations, not scathing reviews of places we'll never return to.

We will be honest about what we liked and what missed the mark, but our criteria are straightforward:

• Good value , attentive service, good food, and overall pleasant or interesting experience. 

• We’ll try to visit each restaurant at least two times before we write a review. But, sometimes, especially when traveling, it will be one visit. 

• However, if the first visit is great, were happy to report it. We might do a second or rarely a third visit if something was not quite right the first time, but there were some good things, so we want to return to evaluate consistency.

We're starting in Chicago and suburbs—with occasional excursions to nearby Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Wherever we travel, we'll always seek out a couple of early bird dinners.

Budget Considerations

We can't escape food inflation, so our sweet spot is $40–$100 for two people. We'll occasionally review special-occasion splurges. But we also appreciate simple pleasures: two sandwiches at the local hot dog or gyros spot, a shared salad, iced tea, water, and small fries—still achievable for under $40.

Dine-In Focus

While carryout and delivery (from low-cost options to premium services like DoorDash and Uber Eats) have exploded in popularity, our focus remains on the dine-in experience between 4 PM and 6 PM. Pickup and delivery won't be part of our guide.

Our Early Bird Checklist

After every meal, we discuss these factors:

• Menu – Type of cuisine and variety

• Food quality and preparation

• Price and value

• Service

• Ambiance and overall experience

• Crowd – Type and size.

• Noise level

• Sharing charges (always annoying!)

• Parking and accessibility

• Separate checks – That all-important question: "Can we get two checks, please?"

• The bottom line – Will we return?