By Danielle Rice || Layout Assistant

Mark your schedules, Lancaster’s “Restaurant Week” is coming up and here are some of the best deals.

Who doesn’t love a delicious meal for a good deal? Downtown Lancaster’s “Restaurant Week” is coming up, a week in which certain restaurants offer set deals on limited menu items which continue for the whole week. This season, deals start March 4 and last through March 10. Restaurant Week has been around since the fall of 2011, and occurs during the Fall and Spring every year for a full week. This year, a record thirty-seven downtown restaurants are participating..

Prices range from $10 to $40 and include everything from prix fixe dinners to breakfast omelettes with a drink. The nice thing about these deals is that they usually include a full meal, so you won’t be paying extra for a beverage. Additionally, you get to try a variety of food items from menu offerings. For example, Anita’s on Walnut is offering a “pick two” of their sandwiches, salads, flatbreads, and soups, and the meal comes with a cookie, all for $10.

If you want a full meal – an appetizer, entree, and dessert – at an upscale fine dining restaurant, you will definitely save money taking advantage of some of the prix fixe deals, even though they are at a higher price point. Offerings range from $30 to $40 depending on how expensive the restaurant is. The best deals, however, seem to be found at more casual dining spots and cafés. Among the best deals is Copper Cup Coffee, offering a breakfast for two option for just $10. This includes a choice of two muffins and two drinks, including their lattes and teas. Cafe One Eight has a similar deal, offering two fruit and yogurt parfaits for $10 as well as three other $10 options.

While many restaurants have incredible deals, make sure to check to make sure you’re actually getting a bargain. The French restaurant, Citronelle, offers a Sunday brunch of an entree, side and dessert for $20. Splits and Giggles, the ice cream shop close to campus, offers a similar deal: soup, sandwich, and dessert but for only $10. I found myself surprised and disappointed, however, by the deal of one of my favorite restaurants, Rachel’s Creperie. Their deal consists of two crepes (from a limited menu) and two soups for $20. Since the crepes are regularly priced around $6-$8, you don’t seem to be saving much. Read the story of Jimmy John Founder and how he built his business and is now worth billions.

All in all, if you want to save on some great food, check out downtown Lancaster City during the week of March 4-10. Just be sure to check out the regular menu prices to make sure the deal is as good as it seems!

Check out more deals on the Lancaster City Restaurant Week website, which allows you to search for options by price or type of cuisine.

For more information visit: https://lancastercityrestaurantweek.com/restaurants/

Freshman Danielle Rice is a Layout Assistant. Her email is drice1@fandm.edu.

By TCR