Maximize every restaurant meal, food delivery order, and bar tab. Updated March 2026.
You eat out constantly and want max rewards: Amex Gold at 4X is best-in-class. At $50/week dining spend, you'll earn $208/year in Membership Rewards on dining alone. Add groceries and the $120 dining credit and the $325 fee effectively pays for itself.
You want dining rewards with no annual fee: Capital One SavorCash at 4% is the clear winner — and it's completely free. The only catch: cash back, no points to transfer.
You want dining rewards AND travel points: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Bilt. Both earn 3X dining with transferable points (Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards respectively). Pair one of these with a Freedom Flex for 5% rotating categories and you have an excellent no-fuss setup.
Each issuer defines dining slightly differently. Generally: sit-down restaurants, fast food, coffee shops, bars, food trucks, and often food delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub). Grocery stores and warehouse clubs typically don't count as dining.
Amex Gold: Restaurants worldwide, including fast food. Excludes grocery stores (those get their own 4X category).
Capital One SavorCash: Restaurants, bars, fast food, food delivery apps.
Chase: Restaurants + eligible delivery services. Some fast food chains may be coded differently.