It is that time of year again—Atlanta restaurant week! This week, several downtown Atlanta restaurants are offering pre-fixe, three-course meals for either $25 or $35 a person. You can find the full list of restaurants here. My top picks? French American Brasserie, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and Legal Sea Foods. 

Not everyone thinks $35 for a meal at a pricey restaurant is that great of a steal, though, and I can understand why. The price doesn’t include, tax, tip, or any alcohol. Add those in and you’re looking at a $50-60 tab a person, which is what you’d spend at any of these restaurants anyway. 

Plus, the pre-fixe menus usually exclude the restaurant’s signature dishes (think Ruth’s Chris’ filets) and sometimes feature different dishes altogether in much smaller portions. And what if you don’t want salad and desert with your meal? What if you just want a nice steak or seafood entrée and a glass of wine? You don’t benefit from the pre-fixe menu at all.

Still, I’m going to try it. You can see some restaurants’ pre-fixe menus by going directly to their sites to help you decide if it’s worth the money. It might be a great way to try out a new restaurant.