The 22 Best Free Restaurant Apps (Slideshow)
22) Chefs Feed
You go to a doctor for medical advice, but who should you turn to for dining advice? Why not some awesome chefs? Check out Chefs Feed for restaurant recommendations from the experts themselves. The app also includes dish recommendations at restaurants across the country.
Availability: iOS
21) Chewsy
When you're at a new restaurant, deciding what to order can be a daunting task. With Chewsy, you can see what food critics have to say about the best dishes and take a peek at what your friends have to say about the food. Discover and share your favorite dishes with Chewsy, view reviews made by others, and write your own. Or, sort through photos of delicious-looking dishes before you order. Chewsy is an easy way to decide what to order the next time you eat at a restaurant.
Availability: iOS
20) Ness
Don't be alarmed, but this handy food app probably knows what you want to eat more than you do. Ness recommends restaurants based on the food and restaurants you like. Not only that, it can recommend places based on "what you're in the mood for, and where you are." Ness learns your dining preferences as you rate and save restaurants in the app.
Availability: iOS, Android
19) LocalEats
You can easily avoid another boring visit to a chain restaurant with LocalEats. The LocalEats app only lists independently owned restaurants across the United States and select international cities. Search through a city's restaurants on the Top 100 list and sort by price, neighborhood, or type of food. The handy "nearby" feature uses GPS to show popular local restaurants wherever you are.
Availability: iOS, Android
18) Tweat.it
It's the go-to street food and food truck finder for food lovers in New York. Find your next meal on the go with the real-time map that is updated based on mobile food vendors' locations. You can also view a food truck's tweets to find discounts, the day's specials, and more. New trucks are added constantly without the need of an app store update.
iOS, Android
17) I Know the Chef
A concierge service you can access right from your iPhone. Membership awards you with VIP access and prime reservations to some of the best restaurants in New York City. Join the service for $59.99 per quarter or $200 per year. Select your preferences, such as alcohol and table location, and make note of any dietary restrictions, and I Know the Chef will pass these preferences onto participating restaurants.
Availability: iOS
16) BlackboardEats
This is an app that gives you insider perks and awesome deals at your favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. You might get discounts on your meal, free bottles of wine, special menus, and more. With the app, specials appear on your phone, and you can get promo codes straight from your phone to present at the restaurant.
Availability: iOS, Android
15) DailyGobble
Forget about printing coupons when you want to save on restaurant fare. DailyGobble can show you the restaurant deals that are available near you. Instead of printing or redeeming a promo code, DailyGobble keeps things simple with a refund program.
Availability: iOS, Android
14) Poggled
Poggled is a great app for late-night food, drinks, and fun. It alerts users about nightlife events at different locations around Chicago, New York, Denver, and Milwaukee. You'll receive exclusive deals on drinks and food at "members-only prices." Don't end the night with an empty stomach or wallet. With Poggled, it's easy to have a fun night without breaking the bank.
Availability: Android
13) HealthyOut
It's not always easy to be healthy when you eat out. Stay on track with HealthyOut, an app designed to find healthier options at your favorite restaurants. The app covers popular diets, such as Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, and Zone. Ditch the salads with the unique filter "Not a Salad." Each dish comes with helpful information like calories and points so you can be sure you've chosen a healthy option.
Availability: iOS, Android
12) HappyCow VeginOut Guide
With lists of vegan, vegetarian, and vegetarian-friendly restaurants and businesses in more than 150 countries, this app from HappyCow.com is your guide to compassionate eating worldwide. Use the app to find more than 50,000 reviews of restaurants, bakeries, catering services, farmers' markets, and more. You can submit your own reviews, upload photos of the dishes you've tried, and save your favorite vegan and vegetarian spots as an offline reference. For $2.49 you can download the higher-grade version with more features.
Availability: Android
11) Seamless
Need to order food on the fly? Seamless provides an easy way for you to order food from awesome restaurants all over your city, and even though GrubHub and Seamless are now owned by the same company, they still offer separate apps. Seamless is available in New York, Washington, D.C, San Francisco, and other major cities in the U.S. The app features more than 12,000 available restaurants and more than 400,000 user reviews to help you choose the best restaurants to order from.
Availability; iOS, Android
10) Savored
The Savored app gives you another great way to save on your next meal. You can receive discounts of up to 40 percent on your food and drinks at hundreds of restaurants throughout the U.S. Reservations you make through the app are free and you'll receive confirmation instantly. Just select when and where you'd like to eat and Savored offers similar restaurants with discounts and open tables.
Availability: iOS, Android
9) Restaurant Nutrition
Brought to you by Unified Lifestyle by the Foundation HealthCare Network, this app is a great resource for healthier eating options at more than 250 restaurants. Browse 60,000 food items, review and rate dishes, keep a food journal, and post about what you ate right from the app. You can view and upload food photos, set food allergies, and see gluten-free options at restaurants.
Availability: iOS, Android
8) Where to Eat?
When you're out with friends or family and hunger strikes, "where to eat?" can be a difficult question to answer. Download this app and you'll always know where to find the best food in town. Customize the app to suit your needs. Use the "Shake-to-Suggest" feature to keep things interesting, and browse user ratings and reviews and share your own.
Availability: iOS, Android
7) Zagat
Enjoy the usefulness of the Zagat guide in app form right from your smartphone. The new app will begin with recommendations in nine popular U.S. cities, and you can read up on some awesome restaurant locations. Browse menus, reliable reviews and ratings, and even peruse articles and videos straight from the app.
Availability: iOS, Android
6) Scoutmob
With Scoutmob, you'll find discounts at restaurants, bars, cafés, and more. The app isn't just focused on dining deals; you can also find discounts at local stores and shops. The database includes many restaurants in some of America's most popular cities, such as Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago.
Availability: iOS, Android
5) Find Me Gluten Free
The Find Me Gluten Free app is a great way to find gluten-free restaurants, menus, and businesses near you. You'll find gluten-free options at restaurants, fast-food joints, bars, cafés, and markets. You can even get directions to gluten-free businesses. Suggest your favorites to add even more locations to the app's database.
Availability: iOS, Android
4) Yelp
Yelp is the answer to all your questions about food, shops, and services anywhere you are. Whether you're out and about in your hometown or vacationing somewhere new, Yelp lets you search for nearby restaurants and businesses (but primarily restaurants), browse reviews, and find local deals. Use the map or search for addresses and phone numbers and use the brand-new photo viewer to find out more about the businesses near you.
Availability: iOS, Android
3) GrubHub
This app is a delivery and takeout lover's dream come true. You enter your address or search your current location to find nearby delivery and takeout options. The restaurant network includes more than 20,000 dining locations in more than 500 U.S. cities, and you can browse menus and order delivery right from the app. You can also save past orders so you can get to them quickly when the craving hits.
Availability: iOS, Android
2) Opentable
Download this app and you can start making reservations at more than 20,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada right away. Just find your restaurant, choose a date, and select the time you'd like to dine and the size of your party. The app will display all the available tables for that time slot. Tap the table you want, and OpenTable will reserve your spot.
Availability: Android, iOS, Windows
1) Urbanspoon
This highly popular app has received a lot of media attention, and for good reason. It's an all-in-one dining app for the everyday user. Shake your phone for random suggestions. Find nearby restaurants with the built-in GPS feature. Search through a huge list of restaurants for user ratings and recommendations.
Availability: iOS, Android