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Erika's Picks for Best Dining Credit Cards
- Best for all-around dining perks:
American Express® Gold Card - Best for high rates on dining:
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Best for dining and entertainment:
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card - Best for dining and travel:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Best for dining and luxury travel:
Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Best for business dining:
American Express® Business Gold Card
Dining out can take a major bite out of your budget. Americans spent an average of $3,639 in 2022 on “food away from home” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That works out to just over $303 a month.
And that’s without adding in how much food prices have increased since then.
But if you regularly use a credit card for your meal purchases, choosing the right one can help you save money or earn rewards that can help to ease the bill. Some pay a flat cashback percentage for all dining out, while others have customizable rewards categories.
Best for All-Around Dining Perks
American Express® Gold Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year
- 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year
- 3x points for flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months
Annual Fee
$325 (rates and fees)
The American Express® Gold Card offers a high rewards earning rate on purchases at restaurants worldwide and supermarkets in the U.S. Not only that, but its travel rewards are substantial, whether you book directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
There is a limit to that higher earning rate, but it’s substantial ($50,000 for restaurant rewards and $25,000 for U.S. supermarket rewards), so you’ll likely get a good return on the annual fee if you dine out a lot.
While some rewards cards are more limited — perhaps only giving you an elevated rewards rate at restaurants but not on groceries — the Amex Gold pays you back the same 4x on both types of purchases.
And those aren’t the only benefits you get. Other perks make this card an excellent choice for foodies:
- $100 Resy credit: Up to $50 twice a year as statement credit when making Resy purchases (enrollment required)
- $84 Dunkin’ credit: Up to $7 monthly in statement credits at U.S. Dunkin’ locations (enrollment required)
- $120 dining credit: Up to $10 monthly in statement credits when using your Gold card at partners GrubHub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys (enrollment required)
Anyone who loves to dine out can get a lot of value from the American Express® Gold Card. If you spend about $10,000 per year at restaurants (including those outside of the U.S.), you’ll earn $400 in cashback, which more than cancels out the card’s somewhat high annual fee.
Even if you rarely go out to eat, buying food to cook at home offers the same rate. If you spend $1,000 per month at qualifying U.S. supermarkets, you’ll receive $480 cashback per year.
Best for High Rates on Dining
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points on dining, takeout, and delivery on your first $2,000 each quarter
- 2x on groceries, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations, and EV charging stations (excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs)
- 1x on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible net purchases in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$0
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card offers robust dining perks, including some of the highest rewards available for restaurant purchases — but unlike competitor cards, it has no annual fee.
If you’re someone who likes to dine out but also often brings home takeout or orders delivery, the Altitude Go card is a great option. It rewards you with high cashback on all of these dining options, even when you're not technically dining “out.”
This card is also solid for its elevated rewards at grocery stores and gas stations (excluding supercenters and wholesale clubs). If you love to pick up takeout on the way home to watch your latest TV obsession, you can earn cashback on streaming services and a $15 statement credit on annual streaming subscription fees for Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and others.
The one catch is that the 4x rewards on dining and takeout are only on your first $2,000 each quarter. So, if you spend more than that on restaurants, you may want to upgrade to a fee-based credit card.
All information about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The fact that you can earn such a high rate with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card without paying an annual fee is impressive. Plus, these rewards are pretty all-encompassing when it comes to food.
Dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery earn the same rate. Plus, for the meals you do prepare at home, your groceries — including grocery delivery orders — still earn a respectable cashback.
You’ve got flexible options for redeeming your points earned on those nights out to dinner and evenings eating takeout on the sofa. These include merchandise, gift cards, travel, and deposits to your U.S. Bank account (so it’s great if you’re already a U.S. Bank customer).
All information about the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Best for Dining & Entertainment
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 8% cashback on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% on dining, entertainment, select streaming subscriptions, and grocery store purchases (excluding superstores)
- 1% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is tailored to people who like going out — whether that’s to eat or see a concert. Both dining out and grocery spending earn an elevated cashback rate, but note that superstores like Walmart and Target don’t qualify.
It’s also a good travel card, with perks like travel accident insurance and no foreign transaction fees. Plus, you earn increased cashback on hotels and rental cars when booking through Capital One Travel.
If going out to shows (or staying in to watch them) is your jam, you’ll appreciate the 3% cashback rate on entertainment and streaming services, and the whopping 8% on specific Capital One Entertainment experiences.
Lastly, not only will you score decent rewards on meals out and groceries, but you’ll also get access to Capital One Dining, which gets you reservations at hard-to-book restaurants across the U.S. and special culinary events, like chef collaborations and curated dinners.
What makes the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card stand out is the extra-high rewards on entertainment. You earn 8% cashback on Capital One Entertainment purchases. So, a $150 event ticket would return you $12. Not bad at all!
However, there are limitations — be sure you’re using the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform and no other Capital One entertainment-adjacent platforms.
This is a fun card because you can earn solid rewards on not only your dinners out but also on any shows afterward. If you go to a lot of sporting events, concerts, theatre performances, and other entertainment events, you’ll get the highest rewards on those purchases.
Best for Dining & Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards Rate
- 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries
- 2x on all other travel purchases
- 1x on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$95
If travel is a priority along with dining out, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a winner. You earn 3x points on dining with this card, on top of strong travel rewards, including:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Car rental coverage (primary)
- Baggage delay insurance
- No foreign transaction fees
You also receive quite a few extra perks, like a $50 annual hotel travel credit. Online groceries and certain streaming subscriptions qualify for higher rewards rates, too.
In addition to the elevated restaurant rewards, this card offers a complimentary DashPass membership for one year (must activate card before Dec. 31, 2027), worth $120, and up to $10 each month on DoorDash orders not from restaurants.
While the 3x points on dining is similar to other cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also rewards travel spending very well.
Redeeming your rewards points go further with this card, too — redemptions for travel purchases on Chase Travel™ are worth an extra 25% above other types of redemptions.
If your travels are more on the budget side than the luxury side, the Sapphire Preferred is a more affordable alternative to its sister card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Best for Dining & Luxury Travel
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Rewards Rate
- 10x points on hotel stays and car rentals through Chase Travel℠
- 10x points on dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 5x points on flights booked through Chase Travel℠ (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually)
- 3x points on restaurants and travel
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$550
While there are plenty of low- or no-annual-fee cards with a good rewards rate at restaurants, if you’re looking for a premium rewards card, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
This is one of the best travel rewards cards out there and also has a high earning rate on dining-in and takeout purchases.
The annual fee is substantial, but what you can get in return is definitely worth it. These include:
- $300 annual travel credit
- Statement credit to help with the cost of Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS
- 50% bonus on point redemption value when used for Chase Travel™
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Auto rental coverage
- Complimentary access to over 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide (enrollment required)
The restaurant rewards rate, though excellent, almost pales in comparison to the other numerous perks you get with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, like robust travel protections, travel credits, and a high rewards rate on travel purchases.
The Reserve is simply an excellent card that offers a ton of rewards for you if you love dining out and traveling. Be sure that you’ll use the perks, though, as it’ll be hard to recoup the fee on restaurant rewards alone.
Best for Business Dining
American Express® Business Gold Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories, up to $150,000 in combined purchases (1x thereafter)
- 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$375 (rates and fees)
The Business Gold Card now comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and Limited Edition White Gold. White Gold design is only available while supplies last. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
The American Express® Business Gold Card is similar to the non-business equivalent card, but the 4x point rewards rate can fluctuate month to month. You still earn a high rate, but it’s in two categories of six options, based on where you spend the most money.
This is a nice feature if your business expenses vary across different billing cycles. You can rotate between U.S. dining, U.S. gas stations, U.S. media advertising providers, electronic goods retailers and software/cloud system providers, transit providers, and wireless phone providers.
Other benefits include:
- Up to $20 per month in credits for U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores (enrollment required)
- Walmart+ membership credit of up to $12.95 per month
- Hotel Collection experience credits
- Baggage insurance*
- Trip delay insurance*
- Car rental loss and damage insurance*
* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
The American Express® Business Gold Card has a strong suite of benefits that don’t just reward you for dining out, but also for traveling, plus numerous other common business expenses, like advertising, software, transit, and phone purchases.
If you frequently take clients out for meals or travel for meetings and conferences, this card’s annual fee is easily paid for in benefits and perks.
Bottom Line: How To Choose a Credit Card for Restaurants and Dining
If you’ve already determined that you want a great credit card that rewards restaurant spending, dig into why and how you’ll use the card.
Think about your spending habits and whether they skew more towards dining in or delivery. Also look at other areas of your budget where rewards would be beneficial.
Consider other factors, too, like whether there’s an annual fee or a high APR. Some cards offer travel coverage, complimentary meal delivery memberships, or reimbursement for applications like TSA PreCheck®. You want to be sure the rewards will outweigh any annual fee.
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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
