LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
LendingTree is an advertising-supported comparison service. The site features products from our partners as well as institutions which are not advertising partners. While we make an effort to include the best deals available to the general public, we make no warranty that such information represents all available products.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
LendingTree is an advertising-supported comparison service. The site features products from our partners as well as institutions which are not advertising partners. While we make an effort to include the best deals available to the general public, we make no warranty that such information represents all available products.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
December 10, 2021
*Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.
This article was last updated December 10, 2021 . Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
If you eat out on a regular basis — whether dining out or ordering in — you can benefit from a credit card that offers cash back, points or miles on those purchases.
When choosing a restaurant credit card, it’s important to consider not just the number of rewards per dollar you can earn on dining purchases, but how else you plan to use it.
For example, frequent travelers may want a credit card that also earns rewards on hotel stays. Or, if you prefer to order in, you might want to consider a card that offers a credit for a food delivery service.
Based on our research of cards available through LendingTree, as well as top cards offered by major issuers, we’ve compiled a list of the best rewards credit cards for restaurants.
Cardholders with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card earn 4X points on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery, 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, gas stations, EV charging stations and on streaming services. Plus, a $15 credit for annual streaming purchases like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify®, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max and more! And earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases. With a $0 annual fee, that rewards rate is hard to beat.
Plus, earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. Points can be redeemed as cash back into a bank account with U.S. Bank, as a statement credit, toward travel, for gift cards or for merchandise.
Those looking to earn 4X points on dining at restaurants, takeout and delivery without paying an annual fee will love the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card. There is no limit to how many points you can earn and your points never expire as long as the account remains open.
For those who enjoy dining out while traveling internationally, this card is a great choice thanks to its foreign transaction fee of none. Plus, if you like to kick back and stream TV shows or music, you’ll appreciate this card’s annual streaming bonus. After 11 consecutive calendar months of eligible streaming service purchases (such as Netflix, Apple TV+ and Spotify), you’ll earn a $15 statement credit.
Cardholders with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card earn 4X points on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery, 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, gas stations, EV charging stations and on streaming services. Plus, a $15 credit for annual streaming purchases like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify®, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max and more! And earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases. With a $0 annual fee, that rewards rate is hard to beat.
Plus, earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. Points can be redeemed as cash back into a bank account with U.S. Bank, as a statement credit, toward travel, for gift cards or for merchandise.
Those looking to earn 4X points on dining at restaurants, takeout and delivery without paying an annual fee will love the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card. There is no limit to how many points you can earn and your points never expire as long as the account remains open.
For those who enjoy dining out while traveling internationally, this card is a great choice thanks to its foreign transaction fee of none. Plus, if you like to kick back and stream TV shows or music, you’ll appreciate this card’s annual streaming bonus. After 11 consecutive calendar months of eligible streaming service purchases (such as Netflix, Apple TV+ and Spotify), you’ll earn a $15 statement credit.
For additional details, see the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card review.
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a great rate in several popular spending categories. Earn 3% Cash Back on dining and entertainment; 3% Cash Back on popular streaming services; 3% Cash Back at grocery stores; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and tickets at Vivid Seats.
There’s also a relatively easy-to-earn sign-up bonus for new Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card cardholders: You can earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Spending about $166.67 per month on the card for three months should let you reach that amount.
Foodies who enjoy cooking at home as much as they do dining at restaurants will love the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
And once you’ve whipped up or ordered a tasty meal, settle in with a streaming show, content in the knowledge that the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card earns rewards on services such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+. (Be aware that some services are excluded, such as Prime Video, AT&T TV and Verizon FIOS On Demand.)
Plus, if you enjoy entertainment events, you’ll appreciate that this card’s entertainment category includes:
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a great rate in several popular spending categories. Earn 3% Cash Back on dining and entertainment; 3% Cash Back on popular streaming services; 3% Cash Back at grocery stores; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and tickets at Vivid Seats.
There’s also a relatively easy-to-earn sign-up bonus for new Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card cardholders: You can earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Spending about $166.67 per month on the card for three months should let you reach that amount.
Foodies who enjoy cooking at home as much as they do dining at restaurants will love the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.
And once you’ve whipped up or ordered a tasty meal, settle in with a streaming show, content in the knowledge that the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card earns rewards on services such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+. (Be aware that some services are excluded, such as Prime Video, AT&T TV and Verizon FIOS On Demand.)
Plus, if you enjoy entertainment events, you’ll appreciate that this card’s entertainment category includes:
For additional details, see the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card review.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), and 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. Terms apply. Maxing out the higher rate on supermarket purchases can net you 100,000 points.
There’s also a generous welcome offer if you can meet the high spend requirement: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. If you value each point at 1 cent, the welcome offer is worth $600, but valuations differ depending on how you redeem your points. You may be able to get more value when transferring your points to one of 19 Amex airline partners or three hotel programs, but you may get less value when redeeming for hotels or flights directly through Amex.
To see rates & fees for the American Express® Gold Card please click here.
The American Express® Gold Card comes with valuable credits that can help cardholders recoup the amount of the card’s $250 annual fee.
Get up to $10 per month in statement credits (for a maximum of $120 per year) when you dine at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment is required.
Plus, enjoy up to $10 each month (for a maximum of $120 per year) in Uber Cash when you add this card to your Uber account and use it to pay for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the United States.
Just by taking advantage of the dining credit and the Uber credit, cardholders can come within $10 of recouping the $250 annual fee.
To see rates & fees for the American Express® Gold Card please click here.
*Terms apply
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), and 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. Terms apply. Maxing out the higher rate on supermarket purchases can net you 100,000 points.
There’s also a generous welcome offer if you can meet the high spend requirement: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. If you value each point at 1 cent, the welcome offer is worth $600, but valuations differ depending on how you redeem your points. You may be able to get more value when transferring your points to one of 19 Amex airline partners or three hotel programs, but you may get less value when redeeming for hotels or flights directly through Amex.
To see rates & fees for the American Express® Gold Card please click here.
The American Express® Gold Card comes with valuable credits that can help cardholders recoup the amount of the card’s $250 annual fee.
Get up to $10 per month in statement credits (for a maximum of $120 per year) when you dine at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment is required.
Plus, enjoy up to $10 each month (for a maximum of $120 per year) in Uber Cash when you add this card to your Uber account and use it to pay for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the United States.
Just by taking advantage of the dining credit and the Uber credit, cardholders can come within $10 of recouping the $250 annual fee.
To see rates & fees for the American Express® Gold Card please click here.
*Terms apply
For additional details, see the American Express® Gold Card review.
Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations AND 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Especially when you consider this card’s $0 annual fee, there’s a lot to love about the rewards structure.
There is a welcome offer of 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
To see rates & fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
Hilton has 18 brands with more than 6,500 properties in 119 countries. These range from luxury properties such as Waldorf Astoria to more affordable options such as Hampton by Hilton and Tru by Hilton. If you tend to make Hilton your home away from home, the Hilton Honors American Express Card with its $0 annual fee and its high rewards rate on Hilton stays is an excellent choice for your wallet.
Plus, the Hilton Honors American Express Card provides cardholders with complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, as well as the chance to earn an upgrade to Gold status (through the end of the next calendar year) when you spend $20,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
To see rates & fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
*Terms apply
Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations AND 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Especially when you consider this card’s $0 annual fee, there’s a lot to love about the rewards structure.
There is a welcome offer of 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
To see rates & fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
Hilton has 18 brands with more than 6,500 properties in 119 countries. These range from luxury properties such as Waldorf Astoria to more affordable options such as Hampton by Hilton and Tru by Hilton. If you tend to make Hilton your home away from home, the Hilton Honors American Express Card with its $0 annual fee and its high rewards rate on Hilton stays is an excellent choice for your wallet.
Plus, the Hilton Honors American Express Card provides cardholders with complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, as well as the chance to earn an upgrade to Gold status (through the end of the next calendar year) when you spend $20,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
To see rates & fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
*Terms apply
For additional details, see the Hilton Honors American Express Card review.
Cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. Be aware that after spending $1,500 in the rotating category for the current quarter, your earning rate will drop to 1% until the next quarter rolls around and you activate the new category. See the bonus category calendar here.
There’s also a generous sign-up bonus for new cardholders: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!
Plus, there’s a great intro purchase APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months. After which, an APR of 16.49% - 25.24% variable will apply.
Between a generous welcome offer and a fantastic rewards program — which offers both ongoing rewards and rewards in rotating bonus categories — the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a standout choice for earning cash back with a $0 annual fee as long as your spending tends to align with the rotating categories.
A few examples of past 5% categories include the following:
Cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. Be aware that after spending $1,500 in the rotating category for the current quarter, your earning rate will drop to 1% until the next quarter rolls around and you activate the new category. See the bonus category calendar here.
There’s also a generous sign-up bonus for new cardholders: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!
Plus, there’s a great intro purchase APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months. After which, an APR of 16.49% - 25.24% variable will apply.
Between a generous welcome offer and a fantastic rewards program — which offers both ongoing rewards and rewards in rotating bonus categories — the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a standout choice for earning cash back with a $0 annual fee as long as your spending tends to align with the rotating categories.
A few examples of past 5% categories include the following:
For additional details, see the Chase Freedom Flex℠ review.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, cardholders earn 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus, cardholders receive the following sign-up bonus: New Offer! Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. This card earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem for 50% more value for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal or transfer 1:1 to partners.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a $550 annual fee, so it’s not for the occasional traveler. But if you travel frequently enough that you’d benefit from its premium travel benefits, this is the card for you. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® grants cardholders a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership (enrollment required), which gets you into more than 1,300 airport lounges across the world.
You can also get a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to reimburse your Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck membership when you charge the application fee to this card.
Redemption options for rewards include booking travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, which gets you 50% more value per point, or transferring points to the following airline and hotel partners:
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, cardholders earn 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus, cardholders receive the following sign-up bonus: New Offer! Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. This card earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem for 50% more value for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal or transfer 1:1 to partners.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a $550 annual fee, so it’s not for the occasional traveler. But if you travel frequently enough that you’d benefit from its premium travel benefits, this is the card for you. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® grants cardholders a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership (enrollment required), which gets you into more than 1,300 airport lounges across the world.
You can also get a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to reimburse your Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck membership when you charge the application fee to this card.
Redemption options for rewards include booking travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, which gets you 50% more value per point, or transferring points to the following airline and hotel partners:
For additional details, see the Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.
Ultimately, the best dining credit card for you comes down to how you plan to use the card. If dining is one of your major spending categories and you want to maximize what you earn when you eat out and order in, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is likely to be a good fit. But if you also want to earn a competitive rate on grocery store purchases as well, consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card instead.
If you travel extensively and want a card that rewards dining while also providing premium travel benefits and unparalleled flexibility in how you redeem your rewards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® could be the best card for your wallet, despite its $550 annual fee.
Finally, if you’re loyal to a particular hotel chain, take that into account. For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Card is a great choice for foodies who frequent properties in the Hilton family.
To see rates & fees for the American Express® Gold Card please click here.
To see rates & fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
Glen Luke Flanagan is a senior credit card writer for LendingTree. He joined the team in June 2019, and covers topics including new credit cards, how your credit score works and what you need to know about credit card interest.
Before joining LendingTree, Glen worked in journalism and government communications. As a journalist at newspapers in North Carolina and South Carolina, his reporting won awards from the North Carolina Press Association and the South Carolina Press Association, respectively.
Glen earned his bachelor’s degree in media studies with a concentration in journalism from Radford University, graduating summa cum laude in May 2014. He also earned a master’s degree in English with a concentration in technical and professional communication, as well as a graduate certificate in marketing, from East Carolina University in May 2022.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.