If you are planning to take a special someone out, choosing the right venue is paramount to having a successful evening and securing a follow-up meeting.
We have compiled a critical list of venues that should be avoided at all costs if your goal is anything beyond eternal bachelorhood.
This list deliberately excludes traditional fast food chains like McDonald’s or Burger King, as their inclusion would be too easy.
For beginners planning their first date or advanced daters looking to refine their choices, understanding why certain mainstream restaurants fail the date night test is essential. Read on to make sure your next outing doesn’t end in a culinary catastrophe.
1. Applebee’s
Applebee’s represents a corporate entity that is essentially a bland and boring choice, despite being disguised as a friendly neighborhood eatery.
Choosing this restaurant sends a clear message to your date: “You’ve got no imagination if you’re thinking of coming here,” which might as well be the establishment’s tagline.
Date night requires venues that showcase thoughtfulness and effort, qualities that are completely absent when opting for a generic, corporate atmosphere.
To secure that crucial second date, steer clear of places that are universally considered monotonous and lacking in unique dining experiences. If your relationship is to thrive, start by demonstrating creativity in your restaurant selection.
2. Denny’s
Denny’s carries a heavy cultural baggage, often being associated with themes of loneliness and isolation.
Those familiar with popular Christmas movies, such as ‘The Santa Clause,’ should already understand why this location is ill-suited for a romantic outing.
While the food is generally available 24/7, the atmosphere and typical clientele do not lend themselves to creating a special or memorable date night environment.
To avoid sending unintentional signals about the potential future of the relationship, it is highly recommended to seek out dining options that elevate the experience above a post-isolation pit stop.
3. Olive Garden
For those seeking an authentic Italian meal, the Olive Garden is likely not the place to find it. The source material suggests the food is about as genuinely Italian as “mustached, jumping plumber bros who originate from Japan”.
Furthermore, it is generally wise to avoid any location that heavily advertises all-you-can-eat offerings, such as unlimited breadsticks, which rarely contribute to a sophisticated date atmosphere.
A date night should focus on quality conversation and refined dining, not on consuming vast quantities of cheap carbohydrates. Choose a venue that promises substance over sheer volume to impress your company.
4. Waffle House
Taking a date to the Waffle House is strongly advised against, as the decision is depicted in the sources as catastrophic, potentially causing the “very fabric of time and space will unravel” before the eyes of the poor individual making this choice.
If the Waffle House is the limit of your date night imagination, you are labeled as a “sorry excuse of a person to date”. The atmosphere is suggested to be comparable to a gas station bathroom that also happens to sell waffles.
The environment is simply not conducive to romance or comfort, making it virtually impossible to achieve a successful outcome for the evening.
5. Pizza Hut
While Pizza Hut is an established American restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, known for its pizza, pasta, and side dishes, it remains an unsuitable choice for date night.
The chain is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands and has thousands of locations worldwide. Despite its history and widespread availability, the source material challenges the idea of selecting it for a romantic dinner by urging the dater to run the idea through their head and then say it out loud: “I’ll take her to Pizza Hut”.
The implication is clear—the choice sounds unromantic and ill-conceived, potentially leaving the dater relying only on their date taking pity on them.
6. LongHorn Steakhouse
If you choose LongHorn Steakhouse, the guy taking the date will likely enjoy the meat-centric experience.
However, the key issue here is considering what the date herself might want to order, which may not align with the restaurant’s heavy offerings.
Dishes like a “bacon-wrapped Angus steak smothered in Chipotle barbecue sauce with fried onions” are described as unlikely choices for a refined date night.
Successful dating involves choosing a venue that caters to both parties, and prioritizing massive, heavy meals risks making the evening uncomfortable for your company.
7. IHOP
The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) is heavily identified by the sources as primarily a breakfast place. While pancakes and related items are perfectly suitable for a morning meal, selecting such a location for a nighttime date completely misses the mark.
Date night expectations typically involve a setting that encourages a more formal or intimate dinner experience rather than one geared towards quick, casual daytime food.
Failing to recognize the difference between a place suitable for a casual morning meal and a place designed for romantic evening dining reflects poorly on the planner’s attention to detail.
8. Hooters
The inclusion of Hooters on a list of worst date night spots is presented as self-evident. The source material suggests that there is absolutely no need for further commentary or explanation regarding why this environment is incompatible with a romantic evening.
The entire concept and atmosphere of the restaurant inherently conflict with the requirements for a date that is meant to make a companion feel respected and special.
Choosing Hooters demonstrates a severe misunderstanding of the social requirements and etiquette involved in successful dating.
9. Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings makes the list as another casual, loud venue that lacks the necessary intimacy and refinement required for a successful date.
Like many corporate chains on this list, it represents a generic, non-imaginative choice that is unlikely to impress anyone hoping for a memorable night.
These types of sports-bar adjacent establishments are typically messy, focused on large groups, and prioritize televised entertainment over quiet conversation.
To avoid sending the message that you view the outing as merely a casual, low-effort stop, it is best to leave this venue for purely platonic gatherings.
10. Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery joins this compilation of unsuitable dining locations. Similar to others that feature all-day, casual breakfast and bakery items, Perkins struggles to transition into a venue appropriate for a romantic evening.
The very nature of casual family dining, combined with the focus on comfort food and baked goods, does not typically align with the expectations of an elevated or special date night.
Selecting a restaurant that fails to offer an atmosphere of sophistication suggests a lack of serious investment in making the date feel significant
Declan Kelly