The best credit cards to use at restaurants — whether you're dining in, ordering takeout, or having your food delivered

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The best credit cards for dining rewards in 2021:

4x points at restaurants worldwide: American Express® Gold Card
DoorDash perks and 3x points on dining: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
2x points on all dining: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
4% cash back on all dining: Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
3% cash back on dining with no annual fee: Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5x points on dining: Citi Prestige® Credit Card

Eating out can add up, but the good news is that it's easier than ever to earn bonus credit card rewards on your spending.

Dining rewards shouldn't be the only factor you consider when picking a card; other factors like the welcome bonus, annual fee, and redemption options should also be on your priority list. But when two cards offer similar features, a better earnings potential on dining (or other bonus categories), can tip the scales.

With that in mind, here are the credit cards for maximizing your rewards on dining, whether you're enjoying a meal out or ordering in through a service like GrubHub or Seamless.

American Express American Express® Gold Card

American Express® Gold Card

The American Express® Gold Card offers the best blend of value and earnings potential for restaurant lovers. First of all, the 4x points that it earns on dining purchases is fantastic. But it's the annual dining credit of up to $120 that puts the card over the top.

After enrolling, cardholders can earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits each month when they pay with their card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on dining out worldwide as well as travel (excluding the purchases that qualify for the $300 travel credit). Another recently added benefit for those who like to order in is a complimentary year of DashPass membership with the delivery service DoorDash — this membership waives delivery fees and offers lower service fees on orders of $12 or more. Even better, Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders get up to $60 in statement credits with DoorDash in 2021.

You'll receive up to a $300 travel credit each year that can be used for reimbursement on hotel, airline, car rental, and other travel purchases as well — and as a limited-time COVID benefit, cardholders can apply the credit to gas and grocery purchases through June 30, 2021.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® also gives cardholders the ability to transfer points to any Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partner, such as Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Hyatt, and others. When you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, your points are worth 1.5 cents each (50% more) when you use them to book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal or redeem through Pay Yourself Back (including toward dining purchases).

This card does charge a $550 annual fee, but if you can take full advantage of its benefits and rewards, the Sapphire Reserve is worth every penny.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

If you want to earn Chase points but you don't want to pay the steep Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great alternative. It also offers a free year of DashPass membership with DoorDash, and it earns 2x points on all dining.

Points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are worth 1.25 cents apiece when you use them to book travel through the Chase portal or with Pay Yourself Back, or you can transfer them to airline and hotel partners to potentially get even more value.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a reasonable $95, so it's a good pick if you want solid dining and travel perks but prefer a more modest annual fee.

Capital One Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you prefer earning cash back to earning travel rewards, the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card is a top pick for maximizing your restaurant spending. You'll earn 4% back on all dining purchases, as well as on entertainment, with no cap.

Based on the average American's spending, you could earn $377 in cash back each year on dining and entertainment purchases alone if you pay with the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card. The card also earns 2% back on groceries, and 1% on everything else.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns bonus cash back on a variety of categories, including dining. You'll earn 3% back (3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points) on dining purchases, and there's no annual fee.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® now earns 3% cash back on dining purchases, with no cap on how much you can earn. This card has no annual fee, either.

If you're not sure which of these two cards is a better fit for you, read our in-depth comparison of the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Citi Prestige® Credit Card

Out of all the cards on our list, the Citi Prestige® Card offers the highest rewards rate for dining out — 5 points per dollar. You'll also earn 5x points on air travel and 3x points on hotels and cruise lines.

While the bonus categories are great, it's important to point out that this card does come with a hefty annual fee of $495 for the primary cardmember.

You should probably only choose the Citi Prestige® Card if you can take full advantage of its numerous travel benefits, which include a $250 annual travel credit and Priority Pass airport lounge access. Note that through December 31, 2021, cardholders can apply the travel credit to purchases at restaurants (including takeout) and supermarkets, as well as the usual travel categories like airfare, hotels, rental cars, and more.