10 Best Dining Credit Card Choices for Passionate Foodies

Cooking your meals at home has a certain charm to it, and it can save you money. But it’s almost impossible to beat the convenience of dining out or ordering in. That’s why we put together this list of the best dining credit card options to help soften the blow to your wallet from what you’re paying for that convenience. 

We looked for the ones with the best perks for restaurant spending, including take-out and delivery purchases, in most cases.

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Overview — Do you love to indulge in fine dining while traveling? If you answered yes, Chase’s Sapphire Reserve® is the card for you. It’s a strong contender for the best travel and dining credit card, with very few exceptions. 

Rewards — The most salient reward is 3X the points when you spend money at most restaurants, anywhere in the world. Additionally, you’ll get 3X the points on travel purchases that start when you’ve used up the $300 annual travel credit. 

You’ll also get 3X the points on the first $1,000 you spend on groceries each month until April 30, 2021. 

Introductory offer — The first $4,000 spent within three months of opening your account will earn you 50,000 bonus points. If you redeem those points through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, that works out to $750 of travel expenses.

Chase partnerships — Like just about every Chase credit card, this one really shines in terms of partner benefits. 

With Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you get 7X the points on Lyft rides on top of the 3X you get for travel, along with 15% off every ride. 

You’ll also enjoy no delivery fee from DoorDash if you’re ordering in. Plus, you get reduced service fees for orders over $12 from DashPass. 

Lastly, this card will even help you burn off those reduced-price meals with $120 cash back on a Peloton All-Access or Peloton Digital membership.

Pros:

• DoorDash free deliveries
• Annual travel credit 
• 7X points on Lyft rides
• Extra points when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards

Cons:

• High annual fee

Overview — As its name indicates, the American Express Gold Card isn’t as widely accepted outside the US. That minor drawback aside, it’s one of the top-rated credit cards in the country with the rewards to prove it.  

Rewards — Paying at restaurants earns 4X the points with the AmEx Gold card, as does shopping at most US supermarkets. Quadruple points are valid for takeout and delivery.

And, you can earn up to $10 of statement credit per month when you use your card at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Cheesecake Factory, GrubHub, Boxed, and some Steak Shacks. 

Moreover, this is one of the best credit cards for travel as well. You’ll earn 3X the points when you book with amextravel.com or directly from airlines. 

Introductory offer — Spend $4,000 within the first six months of opening your account to earn 60,000 bonus points. Depending on how you redeem those points, that can be up to $600 in rewards.

Travel perks — American Express Gold makes a substantial effort to be an excellent travel card in addition to being one of the best credit cards for dining. It provides a $100 credit for hotel activities like space and dining, a global hotline for travel assistance, and baggage insurance. 

Cardholders also receive personalized travel assistance, including flight booking and hotel reservations.

Pros:

• 4X reward points for dining
• Monthly credit for select restaurants
• No purchase fees outside the US
• 60,000-point welcome bonus

Cons:

• Not widely accepted

Overview — CapitalOne’s Savor Rewards card is purpose-built for dining and entertainment spending. 

It doesn’t just reward your spending, though. Savor cardholders get access to numerous dining perks and entertainment experiences. And if you want a fee-free option, the SavorOne card is one of the best cash back credit cards with most of the same perks. 

Rewards — Spending money at restaurants (including fast food), lounges, bars, bakeries, and cafes will produce 4% cash back. You can redeem cash-back rewards in any amount and through numerous outlets. 

You’ll get an additional 4% cash back (for a total of 8%) when you purchase event tickets through Vivid Seats. 

Grocery store purchases earn 2% cash back; that’s not spectacular as far as grocery store rewards go, but it can still be significant. 

Introductory offer — After you’ve spent $3,000 within the first three months of opening an account, you’ll receive a $300 bonus. 

Additional perks — The best cash back card for restaurants also comes with a variety of ancillary benefits. 

For instance, when you purchase select items with the Savor Rewards card, you’ll get a free extended warranty. Capital One cardholders also get access to Capital One Shopping, an online shopping assistant that automatically applies coupons to your purchases when available.

Pros:

• Redeem cash back in any amount 
• 8% cash back on event tickets
• 4% unlimited cash back on dining and entertainment
• No purchase fees outside the US

Cons:

• High credit score requirement
• Introductory APR doesn’t apply to balance transfers

Overview — Discover It® Student Chrome is one of many credit cards made to help students build their credit history. If you have a good credit history already, there may be better options. However, you can apply for this card with little or no credit history. 

The lack of an annual fee makes it especially appealing, and it will forgive the first late payment. 

Rewards — The reward scheme is pretty simple—2% cash back on gas station and restaurant purchases. Those aren’t the best credit card rewards for gas and restaurants, but they’re the most easily accessible.   

The 2% cash back is limited to the first $1,000 of purchases each quarter. Apart from gas and dining, all other purchases earn you unlimited 1% cash back. 

Introductory offer — Discover will match your cash back rewards earned in the first year. There’s no limit to the match reward, and it applies to cash back from any purchases in the first year.  

Additional perks — True to its name, this card tries to appeal to students beyond just being the best dining out credit card for them. As many a student is learning how to pay off a student loan, any help counts. Cardholders receive a $20 statement credit every year they maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Students can also refer friends to receive $50 statement credits for each approved referral.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Cash back match the first year
• Good-grade rewards
• Apply with little or no credit history

Cons:

• Relatively low rewards
• Not accepted worldwide

Overview — If you’re drawn in by our choice for the best dining credit card—the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, but were put off by the annual fee, you’ll love Chase’s Freedom Flex. 

It retains many of the same perks but offers cash back instead of points and has no annual fee. 

Rewards — This card’s reward scheme is a bit complex, and it will take some work to get the most out of it. And you’ll find that it can be the best credit card for food delivery if you make full use of its partner benefits.

Chase Freedom Flex offers 5% cash back on:

• Up to $1,500 spent on bonus categories each quarter.
• Up to $12,000 of grocery store purchases in the first year (excluding Walmart and Target).
• Travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• All Lyft rides purchased through March 2022.

Cardholders also get 3% cash back on dining (including takeout and select delivery) and drugstore purchases. All other purchases earn unlimited 1% cash back. 

These aren’t as good as some of the best credit cards for restaurant rewards, but they can be very lucrative to diligent shoppers.

Bonus categories change every quarter, so you’ll need to pay close attention to the reward calendar. 

Introductory offer — After spending $500 during the first three months, cardholders receive a $200 welcome bonus. There’s no limit to the match reward, and it applies to cash back from any purchases in the first year.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• High cash back rewards on rotating categories
• Partner benefits from DoorDash and Lyft
• Cash back rewards don’t expire while the account is open

Cons:

• Need to keep track of bonus categories
• Possible transaction fees outside the US

Overview — The Citibank bills the Prestige® as a travel card, and with an annual rate that high, you’ll need to do quite a bit of traveling to get your money’s worth. Alternatively, you can indulge in frequent fine dining because this card is almost as rewarding to foodies as it is to travelers. 

In short, this is the best credit card for dining and entertainment while you’re on the road.  

Rewards — The most significant rewards come from travel, but let’s start with dining and entertainment. Restaurant spending will earn you 5X the points. Additionally, cardholders get access to exclusive dining and entertainment experiences through the Citi Entertainment® program. 

You’ll also receive 5X the points on any air travel purchases and 3X the points on hotel and cruise line spending. Citi points never expire, and there’s no limit to how many you can earn with this card. 

Introductory offer — When you spend $4,000 within the first three months, you’ll earn 50,000 bonus points. If you redeem those points through the Citi ThankYou Travel Center, these points are a $500 value. This welcome offer is on par with our best credit card for restaurants.   

Additional perks — To encourage even more travel, cardholders receive the 4th hotel stay for free when booking at least four consecutive nights through ThankYou.com.

And traveling will be just a little more comfortable with VIP lounge access with the Priority Pass™ select for Prestige users.

Pros:

• Exceptional travel rewards
• Access to exclusive dining events
• 4th night free on hotel stays
• $250 travel credit every year

Cons:

• High annual fee
• No introductory APR

Overview — A poor credit score will exclude you from some of the high-tier rewards cards. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t earn rewards at all (or get big loans). 

The Discover It® Secured Card requires a refundable security deposit when you’re approved, but it’s ideal if you want to earn rewards while rebuilding your credit.  

Rewards — Similarly to other Discover It® cards, this one earns 2% cash back on the first $1,000 you spend on gas and restaurants each quarter. Purchases over the $1,000 cap and all other purchases earn 1% cash back. 

The 2% cash back on dining doesn’t quite stack up with some of the other best credit cards for restaurants. Nevertheless, you’ll have trouble finding a better reward program on a credit card for fair to poor credit. 

Introductory offer — Discover will match all cash back rewards earned in the first year. You can redeem cash back rewards at any time and in any amount.    

Additional perks — Most of the ancillary benefits of this card revolved around helping cardholders stay on track with their credit. The first late payment doesn’t incur a fee, and late payments don’t raise the APR. 

There’s also no fee for going over the credit limit on Discover. It will assess creditworthiness every eight months. If possible, you will receive a transfer offer to an unsecured card.

Pros:

• Great for low credit scores
• No annual fee
• No fees for the first late payment
• Late payments don’t raise APR

Cons:

• $200 refundable security deposit
• Intro APR only on balance transfers

Overview — This pared-down version of the AmEx Gold card is ideal for people who love the perks of American Express but don’t plan to spend quite as much. 

American Express Green recently underwent some changes and now offers excellent value for a reasonable annual fee. It’s one of the more accessible options for the travel-loving foodie.   

Rewards — For starters, the AmEx Green card earns 3X the points on all restaurant purchases, including takeout and delivery. 

It also earns 3X points on all transit and travel purchases. In other words, triple points from spending on planes, trains, and automobile rides. These rewards, combined with the welcome bonus, make AmEx Green one of the best credit cards for dining rewards in its class.

Introductory offer — If you’re approved for an American Express Green card, you’ll earn 45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first six months. AmEx reward points are worth between 0.5 and 2 cents, according to third-party evaluators.     

Additional perks — American Express Green cardholders earn a $100 statement credit every year towards a CLEAR membership. CLEAR is a biometric scanning service that lets you check in faster and easier at select airports. 

It also includes up to $100 in statement credits when you use it to pay for airport lounge access from LoungeBuddy.

Pros:

• Excellent welcome bonus
• Free extended warranty on select purchases
• Easy-to-recover annual fee
• Dining rewards include takeout and delivery

Cons:

• Restrictive travel benefits

Overview — The Petal 2 is, first and foremost, a card that helps users repair their credit. It has no fees and rewards good credit behavior. That said, it still offers some excellent rewards if you keep up with the merchants Petal selects for cash back bonuses.   

Unfortunately, this card doesn’t support cash advances since they tend to encourage poor lending behavior. If you rely on cash advances often, this isn’t the card for you. 

Rewards — Petal 2 rewards include 1% cash back on most purchases and up to 1.5% if you pay your bill on time 12 months in a row. 

That’s not a lot and definitely pales in comparison to some of the best credit cards for eating out. But there’s only so much you should expect from a card in this credit range.  

You can gain an additional 2–10% cash back when you buy at select merchants. The merchant list changes frequently, and you can find it in the Petal app. You can generally expect big-box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot to be on the bonus cash back list.  

If you have a spotty credit history and aren’t a fan of security deposits, the Petal 2 is among the best restaurant credit cards you can find.

Pros:

• No late fees or annual fee
• Accepts applicants with limited credit history
• Doesn’t require a security deposit
• High cash back potential

Cons:

• Doesn’t allow cash advances

Overview — U.S. Bank’s Altitude® Go Visa Signature® is not what you would call a luxury credit card. And yet, it has a set of rewards that rivals some of the best top-tier credit cards for shopping and dining.   

The only problem is that it doesn’t reward you in any other significant ways besides food spending. 

Rewards — Spending on restaurants, takeout, and delivery will earn you a whopping 4X the points from this card. That’s comparable with the best credit card for eating out, but there’s more.

Fancy a night in? This card still delivers. 

Grocery store spending, gas, and streaming service purchases earn twice the points. And you’ll get a $15 credit for steaming service purchases after 11 months. 

Introductory offer — When you spend $1,000 in the first three months with this card, you’ll receive 25,000 bonus points that never expire. That’s a $250 value, according to U.S. Bank. 

Additional perks — Fringe benefits is the only area where this card falls short, which is to say that it has almost none. Aside from the streaming service credit and double points, there’s very little to encourage entertainment spending. 

Overall, this is arguably the best credit card for restaurants and groceries, but not much else.

Pros:

• Quadruple points on restaurant spending
• 12-billing-cycle 0% intro APR
• No annual fee
• Double points on gas and groceries

Cons:

• Limited reward structure
• High credit score requirement

With over 1,000 credit cards to choose from, finding the right one for you can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. 

Even the cards listed in this article vary widely in terms of their target audience. So before you make a final commitment, you should be clear about what you need and whether a card provides it. 

Some things may seem obvious, but there’s a lot you might not be considering. In this buyer’s guide, you’ll learn what to look for when comparing the best dining rewards program. 

Start With Your Credit

The first thing you should do is figure out your creditworthiness. That’s the fastest way to narrow the field since credit cards with the best rewards generally require good to excellent credit. 

FICO divides credit scores into categories based on their range, and we used the FICO rating system in this article. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Credit below 580 is rated poor
• 580–669 is fair
• 670–739 is good
• 740–799 is very good
• 800+ is excellent

Even if you’re approved for a card, your credit score might only qualify you for a high APR.   

Figure Out What Counts as Dining

With your credit in hand, you can start comparing best credit card reviews with confidence. And you should start by checking if they reward you where you want to spend. 

Not all the cards have the same definition of dining. Otherwise, you may not be earning the rewards you expect when you make purchases.

Luckily, we did all the digging to find out the particulars from each company for you, so check out the main features above. 

Chase is excellent about encompassing just about any food or drink establishment into the dining category. Other companies are less inclusive, especially when it comes to delivery services, such as DoorDash and GrubHub. 

Points or Cash Back

Card reward programs broadly fall into bonus points or cash back. 

Since points often provide the best returns when used on travel, they’re a little less pandemic-friendly. But cards that earn points tend to have much more attractive welcome bonuses. 

For all intents and purposes, the best cash back credit cards for restaurants are more straightforward. You earn back a percentage of what you spend. There’s not much that can go wrong. 

Your primary consideration will come down to how good the welcome bonus is if you choose a bonus points reward system. 

Annual Fee

Choosing a card with a yearly fee is perfectly fine. It just means that you start in the red. 

To estimate your real rewards, you’ll need to ignore everything you will earn before you’ve made back the annual fee. In many cases, cards with a high annual fee have exceptional reward structures, so earning the annual fee back isn’t as challenging. 

Added Perks

More often than not, your choice will come down to which card offers the better benefits in addition to the rewards. The best credit card rewards for restaurants and entertainment are often in the small print. 

Check out the perks listed above, and you could be rewarded with surprisingly lucrative bonuses!

Credit card companies are always competing for customers, which is a great thing. On the other hand, we were sometimes indecisive which one deserves the title of the best dining and entertainment credit card. After all, there are so many choices.

As dining and entertainment is a popular category for credit card rewards, your main problem will be finding one that approves you under favorable terms. 

If you have great credit, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Gold cards provide excellent value without too much work from your end.