How to: SD Restaurant Week on a budget

What’s the best bet when you’re young and kinda broke, but still want to eat like a rock star at San Diego Restaurant Week? Search for the best deals, make a game plan and score. The best way to do this is opt for lunch rather than dinner. Another tip to get the most of your money is to choose places where an adult beverage or a decadent dessert is part of the deal. Our aim is to spend just $15 at each of our chosen restaurants.

Here are our top 5 lunch spots to check out during San Diego Restaurant Week from Sept. 20-27:

Draft Republic

This spot offers a two-course dining experience, each course including a local beer pairing. The options included have variety, from tuna tataki to house-made pasta. Two filling meal options, beers and a decent price. This is a total steal in my book.

4282 Esplanade Court, San Diego. cohnrestaurants.com

The French Gourmet

French-style cuisine is so in. The French Gourmet offers six options to choose from in its two course menu offering. The top items, in our opinion, include: seafood crepes, eggs benedict and steak pommes fries. Guests can also choose to add either an appetizer or one of two decadent deserts.

960 Turquoise St., Pacific Beach. thefrenchgourmet.com

La Gran Terraza

Choose from 8 different options for your entrée, then add a desert and beverage, all at a discounted price? Yes please. It is not clear whether the beverage is adult or not, but with three different desert choices including berries alcala, a seasonal chef’s trio and a milk chocolate apricot crème brulee, this place fully meets our requirements either way.

On the University of San Diego campus, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego. sandiego.edu.com

Croce’s Park West

Mainly, the multiple Ahi options make this eatery a no-brainer. Choose an entrée and appetizer or dessert. My choices would be the ahi tuna bahn mi and vanilla lavender honey crème brulee.

2760 Fifth Ave., Suite 100, downtown. crocesparkwest.com

Brockton Villa Restaurant

Brockton Villa features two different salad options, a veggie bowl, a chicken sandwich and grilled salmon among several other menu items. Yeah, I’d say there’s something for everyone here. Start with one of three appetizers or end with a decadent gelato, s’mores or berry shortcake. Mmm, we’re sold.

1235 Coast Blvd., La Jolla. brocktonvilla.com

For more information about San Diego Restaurant Week, visit: sandiegorestaurantweek.com

Source: DiscoverSD