New Survey Shows How Often People Typically Eat Out

Go ahead, treat yourself. We love talking about all things food and recipes, but even Michelin-starred home cooks need a break every now and then. Maybe you've had a hard day at the office. Maybe you're simply in a rush. Maybe it's noon and you have a craving for that one pasta sauce from the corner joint that you're pretty sure is a bechamel base with parmesan (or, Taleggio?) but you can't make it quite the same way at home. Maybe the dull hum of existential nausea has ruined your appetite. Go get it back with a splurge at your favorite restaurant. Or, don't? If you're like other U.S. eaters today, your eating-out habits might be a little different across the board. 

So, which is it? Lately, are folks sitting down in restaurants more, or less? Tasting Table asked 626 restaurant-going readers about their dining habits to find out, once and for all, how often people typically eat out — and the result might surprise you.

It looks like the days of back-to-back dinner dates are long gone. Only 7.83% of diners said they eat out five or more days per week. Maybe everybody's used up those steakhouse gift cards floating around the junk drawer. 7.19% eat out an average of four days per week. Next up, 15.65% eat out three days per week — whether it's a shortened work week or a long weekend, we're here for it. Let the celebrating begin. A quarter of voters like to dabble in dine-in: 25.08% eat out two days per week.

Finally, we want to know, what's the current restaurant trend? The results are in, and it looks like folks are staying home. Is it worth it to spend the extra money, or leave the couch when meal delivery services are literally in the palm of your hand? Nearly half of voters don't think so: A whopping 44.25% of voters said they eat out just one day per week. Check, please — today's diners are taking their meals to-go.