As fans of food who are not currently what you might call “dating anyone,” we decided to once again be of service to those of you out there who are “dating someone,” and rate a new set of restaurants on their “dateablity” (if it’s a good place for a date or not). We went to a grand total of six restaurants: one “cheap” restaurant, two “nice” restaurants, two in the “middle,” and one dessert spot.
Some of the restaurants we visited were recommended to us on the Valentine’s Day survey, others were based on our preference.
We graded each restaurant in 5 categories:
- Food (tasty or not)
- Lighting (the dimmer the better)
- Seating (booth or not)
- Cost (how reasonable)
- Bathroom (clean and good mirrors for makeup)
Each category is a crucial aspect of a successful date, at least from a girl’s point of view, but I am sure the men would want a nice bathroom, too.
WAFFLE HOUSE
The first restaurant we went to was the infamous Waffle House. Waffle House is a dinner type of restaurant that serves breakfast food and is open 24 hours a day, meaning you could go on a date there for dinner if you are craving the classic all star meal.
To be frank, you can not get better than Waffle House. The food is amazing and cheap. You can either sit in booths or the counter, so we chose the booth which wasn’t that special but booths are the perfect seating for a date.We both ordered waffles with a side of eggs and hash browns, and to keep it simple the plates were clean after.
The lighting was ok (it was a little too bright for the ideal date lighting), but still most definitely date-suitable. However, the bathroom was not ideal at all. It was gross and the lighting was terrible. The mirrors were dirty and the soap was definitely filled with water. But with that being said what can you really expect from a 24-hour diner?
Waffle House ratings:
- Food 10/10
- Lighting 7/10
- Seating 9/10
- Cost 10/10 (Cheap)
- Bathroom 4/10
Overall, Waffle House has all of the necessities for a successful date, earning an 8/10 score which would have been higher if it was not for the bathroom. Side note: there are thousands of Waffle Houses, so they’re very accessible and a good location if you and your date live far away. And maybe you’ll find one with better bathrooms.
HOUSTON’S
The second restaurant we went to was the Houston’s on West Paces for lunch. We are big Houstons fans. I mean they really have it all. The food is so good, ranging from salads to burgers to salmon. Anna ordered the steak and Maxine ordered the burger leaving both of us full and happy. However, while the food is amazing it is definitely on the pricier side, and the bathroom was not ideal. The bathroom was very dark which is good for the restaurant lighting, but bathroom lighting should be bright so you can see any flaws or makeup/hair that needs to be fixed. The bathroom did have a lot of mirrors which is always a plus and it was super clean, unlike the Waffle House. The overall rating of Waffle House was a 8/10.
The seating and lighting could not have been better. We got seated in a booth, and the cushions were so comfortable and soft. The lighting is the real winner at Houston’s. It’s dim and definitely on the darker side but not too dark, perfect for a date.
Houstons Ratings:
- Food 10/10
- Lighting 10/10
- Seating 10/10
- Cost 7/10 (More expensive)
- Bathroom 7/10
Overall Houstons is perfect, especially if you going on a big date like Valentine’s day or anniversary. Houstons is an 8.8/10 overall.
MIRKO PASTA
Mirko Pasta is a well-known Italian restaurant that is located on Roswell Road.
Starting off, the food did not disappoint, we both got spaghetti but we probably could have just shared one order. Everything was very well cooked and the noodles were very high in quality (due to their flavor and soft texture). The food was more pricey than Waffle House but less than Houston’s.
The seating was also very good. Big shock we got seated in a booth again, but honestly booths are the only seating when it comes to a date. Tables with uncomfortable chairs are absolutely not ideal and awkward for a date.
The lighting was perfect. Like Houston’s, it was dimmed but still had perfect visibility. The bathroom was the best one yet, while we would have liked a little more lighting the mirror was nice and big. Houston’s was an 8.6/10 overall. Mirko also has a great location on Roswell Road, a perfect center meeting spot for people who live in various places. Mirko’s overall rating
was 8.6/10
Mirko Pasta ratings:
- Food 9/10
- Lighting 8/10
- Seating 10/10
- Cost 8/10
- Bathroom 8/10
SUPERICA
Superica is perfect if you are looking for something casual but not too casual. Superica is nice but not anything fancy, it is the perfect Goldy Locks restaurant. Superica is a Mexican restaurant located on Roswell Road. Superica is nice enough to dress up for if you are looking for something a little formal. Superica has many different seating arrangements You can sit in a booth, a high table, a regular table, or you can even sit outside.
The menu is huge, with many different Mexican foods, and we were tempted to order everything. We both got a quesadilla with a side of rice and beans. It was so good we devoured it. For our drink, we got Mexican Cokes, which is way better than regular Coke by the way. The lighting was dim but not too dark. The bathrooms were a bit dirty with paper towels overflowing the trash all over the floor, but it was well-decorated. Lastly, the pricing at Superica is fair.
Superica Ratings:
- food 10/10
- lighting 8/10
- seating 9/10
- cost 8/10
- bathroom 4/10
Overall Superica was 7.8/10. It lost a few points because of the bathroom but the food made up for it.
SWEET CHARLIE’S
Sweet Charlies is an ice cream shop, located right next door to Superica, which makes things very simple. Sweet Charlies is a rolled ice cream shop so you have many options for what combination of toppings and flavors you want on your ice cream. The bathrooms were very clean, but they weren’t as good as Houston’s, and the mirrors were ok but they weren’t that big though, which could be an issue if you haven’t noticed that you’ve spilled ice cream on your dress. The seating was minimal with only a few stools; luckily it wasn’t that busy so we nabbed two. The price was reasonable and affordable. The lighting was a little bright because they were bright fluorescent lights, but ice cream shops aren’t generally known for their romantic lighting.
Sweet Charlies
- food 10/10
- lighting 5/10
- seating 9/10
- cost 10/10
- bathroom 5/10
Overall Sweet Charlies was a 7.8/10 because the lighting was a little too bright, but the ice cream was amazing.
JALISCO
The last restaurant we went to was Jalisco (by the way, it’s called Jalisco, not Jalisco’s…mind blown?), which is a fan favorite. Jalisco is located in Peachtree Battle Shopping Center. Jalisco is perfect if you want something really casual. The food is amazing. The menu is endless. We sat in a booth but there were also tables. The lighting was perfect, not too bright but also not too dim. Of course, we had to get the quesadilla to compare it to Superica’s quesadilla. It was a tough decision but we agreed that Jaliscos won. We also got cheese dip and it was amazing. The bathrooms were pretty clean but needed some work. The cost was a lot cheaper than Superica and in our opinion, Jalisco was better. Overall Jalisco was a 8.2/10 overall.
Jalisco
- food 10/10
- lighting 8/10
- seating 9/10
- cost 10/10
- bathroom 5/10
Overall, our favorite restaurant was Houston’s. It is the best restaurant for something special like Valentine’s day. The food is amazing and everything is close to a 10/10.
