Tips for making the most out of San Antonio Restaurant Weeks

How it works: Participating restaurants offer special menus for brunch ($25), lunch ($20 or $30) and dinner ($45 or $55).

Here are some tips to help you navigate the array of menus.

Use the opportunity to check out brand-new restaurants.

• Pullman Market's Mezquite and Fife and Farro, which both opened in April, are participating.
• Cavalier at the InterContinental hotel (opened this month) and Nixtamali (opened in June) are too.

But don't forget classics like La Frite Belgian Bistro, Frederick's Restaurant, Bliss and Biga on the Banks.

Keep an eye out for menus that include special cocktails or free drinks.

• Burgerteca has a sandia loca cocktail included in the $20 lunch menu.
• The Fruteria has a $10 citrus prickly pear cocktail that can be added to the $35 dinner menu.
• Tu Asador has a $12 vodka-based cocktail called Nuevo León, which can be added to the brunch or dinner menus.

Venture out to Sylver Spoon Dinner Theater in New Braunfels, La Cascada Table and Bar at Tapatio Springs in Boerne or 1908 House of Wine and Ale in Cibolo.

Also look for quality ingredients without a surcharge, like the wagyu teriyaki at Yozora or New York strip at Tokyo Cowboy.

Be sure to check a restaurant's social media pages if the price point isn't on the Culinaria website. Also, make note of times and days available.

• Check out the Yelp map of participating restaurants to get a better visual of where you're going.

Set expectations. Restaurant week is, ideally, mutually beneficial — restaurants get a boost and diners get a deal or an experience in a restaurant they might not afford or try otherwise.

• It's not business as usual, and it's not designed to be. A little patience and kindness go a long way all around.

And remember, just because the menu is discounted doesn't mean you should tip less.