“Restaurants” includes dining in, eating out, takeout, food delivery, and more. A 2021 CNBC article said the average American household spends $3,675 per year with restaurants. To maximize cash back rewards without annual fees, these are the best options. Note that cards with annual fees may have greater rewards. But if you don’t want to deal with fees, these are the top 5 credit cards to consider.
As always, to see which credit card is best for you, you’ll need to understand your spending habits. Everyone has different preferences and lifestyles, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. If you do find something that should be on this list, feel free to contact us for updates.
1. US Bank Altitude Go
This card earns 4% cash back at restaurants and has a small streaming credit ($15 per year, while earning 2% cash back on streaming). As a Visa without foreign transaction fees, it’s even great for overseas use. Alternatively, for fast food only, consider the US Bank Cash+ (and get one other 5% category too).
The downside is that US Bank has regional restrictions for its credit cards. If you live in the Northeast USA or certain other areas, you have to check out other options. However, many local credit cards offer slightly different version of US Bank cards. Look for “Everyday Rewards+” or “Max Cash Preferred” to earn 4-5% back at restaurants.
4% back on $3,675 of spending is $147 in cash back.
2. Citi Custom Cash Card
The Custom Cash (CCCC) earns 5% cash back at restaurants, if you only use the card for restaurant spending. There’s a $500 spending limit per billing period, but most people aren’t going to hit that. This is in the #2 slot instead of #1 because the CCCC is best used in other categories, like groceries. It can still be a great option, depending on your preferences. The main downside is that it’s the only card on this list with a foreign transaction fee.
The CCCC also has Mastercard World Elite perks, including cell phone insurance and a Doordash discount.
5% back on $3,675 of spending is $183.75 in cash back.
3. Wells Fargo Autograph
This card earns unlimited 3% cash back for dining, travel and transit, gas and EV charging, streaming, and phone bills, without an annual fee or foreign transaction fees. It’s very comparable to the Capital One SavorOne, so personal preference dictates which one you’ll be interested in. Autograph has travel/gas/bills as bonus categories, while SavorOne has groceries/entertainment.
3% back on $3,675 of spending is $110.25 in cash back.
4. Capital One SavorOne
This card earns unlimited 3% cash back for groceries, dining, entertainment, and streaming. No foreign transaction fees is another plus. SavorOne is an uncomplicated credit card which covers popular spending categories.
3% back on $3,675 of spending is $110.25 in cash back.
5. Navy Federal Credit Union More Rewards
This card earns unlimited 3% cash back for groceries, dining, gas, and transit. Like the SavorOne and Altitude cards, it doesn’t have foreign transaction fees. However, this is American Express, which isn’t as widely accepted overseas.
The other downside is that it requires Navy Federal credit union membership. This is limited to military members (current or former) and their families, plus Department of Defense employees (civilian or military). A lot of people aren’t able to get the Navy Federal card. The closest alternative is the Wells Fargo Autograph.
3% back on $3,675 of spending is $110.25 in cash back.
Honorable mentions (without fees)
- Nusenda – 5% back (April/May/June 2019-2021)
- Discover It – 5% back (July/Sept/Oct 2019-2021)
- UMB Simply Rewards – 3% cash back for groceries, gas, dining, and discount stores
- NIH Federal Credit Union Travel Rewards – 3% back on travel, gas, and dining
- Venmo – 3% cash back
- Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex – 3% cash back (or more) for dining and drugstores, among other benefits
- AOD Federal Credit Union – 3% cash back on everything, possibly limited to Alabama only (YMMV)
- Coinbase Debit can earn up to 4% cash back on everything, although it has tax implications and other potential downsides
- UNFCU Azure – 3% back on dining and groceries
Honorable mentions (with fees or hurdles)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve – earns 3% to 4.5% cash back on dining, or as high as 9% through Hyatt transfer redemptions. It also has “Chase Dining” bonuses which can go up to 20-30% back.
- AMEX Gold – 4% back on dining and groceries
- U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve – earns up to 4.5% cash back and has a dining credit
- Capital One Venture X – can potentially earn more than 3% cash back on everything (with good utilization of their transfer partners)
- Citi Prestige – Not currently available for new sign-ups; otherwise, 5% cash back
- PCMCU Platinum Rewards Mastercard – 5% cash back on everything ($1000 monthly spending limit), waivable annual fee, limited to Wisconsin (Marinette or Green Bay only)
Disclaimer: This page was last updated in February 2023. Information may change in accuracy. Please do research as appropriate to ensure you get the best possible deal.