Valentine’s Day is a holiday known for gifting chocolates and lovely greeting cards. Traditionally, couples or loved ones tend to reserve a table in a restaurant where the finest meals are served and the service is second to none. Restaurants like these are known to draw in plenty of customers on such a hectic, yet splendid day.

Many people go out and pay for the most elegant meals to try and impress their significant others while other people, like students, seek simpler and more affordable options. Thankfully, there are plenty of local restaurants to choose from to create the best possible experience for you and your loved one, no matter what your budget may be!

Below are some recommendations made by the campus community and the Signal staff!

Table 26

2600 Geer Road Turlock, CA 95382

Valentine’s Day Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM PST

http://www.table26.net/home.aspx

(209) 668-2300

Table 26 is a wonderful choice if students are concerned about the proximity between the restaurant and the Stan State campus. It takes around three minutes to get to if you are driving from campus. This restaurant offers a low-light vibrancy while expressing a casual, yet low-key atmosphere.

Restaurant Manager Elizabeth Lopez discussed the restaurant’s atmosphere in further detail. “Here at Table 26, we are very ambiance-forward with our perfect dim-lighting. [It’s] perfect for intimate conversations and family gatherings along with the great music, amazing food, quality service and refreshing drinks,” Lopez said.

“We have our dining site available, and that’s for our early birds who make reservations early in advance. We are also opening our banquet room,” Lopez added.

Lopez says that the restaurant also includes a bar area for much “grander” events.

Dinner services for Valentine’s Day will start at 4 p.m. and will be run until 10 p.m. Lopez stated that the reservations will be taken as early as 4 p.m. and the last reservations will be taken up until 8:30 p.m. The banquet room, which accommodates 68 guests, will be a reservation room. However, those who don’t want to make a reservation can dine throughout the restaurant with the same special menu served from the banquet table.

10 East Kitchen & Tap House

10 East Main Street Turlock, CA 95380

Valentine’s Day Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM PST

https://www.10easttaphouse.com/

(209) 669-1010

Near the railroad tracks across downtown Turlock is 10 East Street Restaurant. 10 East is a fascinating scenery for students who are seeking a more fancy, formal and romantic setting.

Owner Parm Sanghera explained the mission his restaurant is meant to deliver. “Our main goal is our quality… the customers get what they pay for when they come in,” Sanghera said. “They want to spend quality time, so we have a great crew who is very helpful and willing to give 100 percent,” Sanghera continued.

Hostess Bri Cas, who is also an alumni of Stan State, talked about the restaurants’ special menu and gave students advice on how to reserve a table. “We suggest especially larger parties to make a reservation ahead of time. You can call or even go to opentable.com or through the app and set a reservation,” said Cas.

Cas added that the restaurant has around 30 tables, and if the restaurant is occupied, the private rooms will be open to accommodate individual guests.

“Our special menu is going to be open when we open. We get incredibly busy anywhere between 5 to about 9 p.m. Friday and Saturdays. We can expect a huge rush… It’s best to make a reservation around 6 or 7 [p.m.],” Cas explained.

Toscana’s Ristoranté

1801 Colorado Avenue Turlock, CA 95382

Valentine’s Day Hours: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM PST

https://www.toscanas.net/

(209) 216-3555

Another intriguing option is Toscana’s Ristoranté. Toscana’s offers a comfortable yet more social environment.

Manager Jayton Gates talked about how his restaurant separates from the other restaurants in the local area. “Our food is different from other restaurants. It’s just Italian based. There’s not a lot of Italian restaurants in the area. We are trying to be as authentic as possible. Great pasta dishes authentic pizza dishes and proteins of revised steak, salmon and pork,” Gates explained.

Gates mentioned that the restaurant’s special Valentine’s Day menu will be open at the lunch and dinner hours. Gates added that the restaurant can accommodate around 70 guests at a time. “What we do is we press you to make reservations if you plan to come in and dine with us. The sooner the better. At the last minute, we do quite get busy,” Gates said.

Gates explained how the restaurant handles situations where guests arrive to their reservations late. “If you do come in late for reservations, we give you about a 20 minute to a half hour window. If you call us in that you’re going to be late, then we won’t give it away. If you don’t show up at all if you show up half an hour without calling us, then we are giving away the table,” Gates stated.

Olive Garden

2749 Countryside Drive Turlock, CA 95380

Valentine’s Day Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM PST

(209) 632-2694

A great place for students to dine at is Olive Garden. Olive Garden offers a wide variety of meals for people to choose from. Dale Stafford (freshman, Mathematics and Philosophy) enjoyed his experience and believes the restaurant is a good value. “It’s really a full meal and also it’s not extremely expensive,” Stafford said.

A critical drawback for this restaurant is the lack of a special occasion menu for Valentine’s Day, but their regular priced menu may be seen as a good reason as to why they are not offering any extra discounts for this special day.

Café Rome

122 West Main Street Turlock, CA 95380

Valentine’s Day Hours: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM PST

(209) 250-2275

Located in the heart of downtown Turlock, Café Rome is a comfortable and cozy option for students who are looking to dine out on a budget without having to sacrifice the quality of a quality meal. ASI’s Warrior Discounter system offers an ten percent discount at this location.

Café Barista Elijah Silveria shared some information about their upcoming, special-blended frappuccino called the “Sweetheart Fetty,” which will be released on Valentine’s Day. “We just blended up [a frappuccino] and used confetti (sprinkles). It’s like a frappuccino and a blended drink like you get in Starbucks, but we just call it fetties here,” Silveria said.

Barista Carla Vega added what else to expect from the café on Valentine’s Day. “One of our new drinks will be the Rose latte. It’s a regular latte, but we have rose syrup and roses on top. We also have Valentine’s Day themed cookies as well from Lisa’s Cookie Jars on the corner.” Vega added.

Finding a delicate meal to impress your loved ones can be quite difficult. The first step to getting the best experience is to reserve a table to secure your table and seats. All of the restaurants mentioned above, except for Olive Garden, will serve a special menu on Valentine’s Day. Every restaurant except for Café Rome provides reservations.

If you do decide to go out and try any of these restaurants on Valentine’s Day, we truly hope you enjoy your visit!