It’s been a long day. You’re tired, hungry, and the thought of chopping, sauteing, or boiling anything feels impossible. You rummage through your cupboards and fridge until you find enough tasty things to throw on a plate and call a meal.
Congratulations, you just made yourself a girl dinner.
Two years after the phrase “girl dinner” first hit the internet, San Francisco restaurants are finally cashing in on the low-effort, no-forethought trend. Each spot has its own take on the girl dinner, but most follow the same formula: crispy fries, a Caesar salad, and a stiff martini to wash it all down.
When Hugo Gamboa was first introduced to girl dinners three months ago, he immediately wanted to incorporate them into the menu at his modern gastropub The Brixton in the Marina. The restaurant rolled out its Girl Dinner menu in early July.
Every Wednesday from 4 to 10 p.m., diners can choose between three options: a basket of crispy fries with a martini for $20, a kale Caesar salad with a martini for $26, or a wagyu burger with a martini for $29.
To Gamboa, the perfect girl dinner has to be loaded with options.
“I built the girl dinner menu based on value,” he said. “I think a lot of restaurants are cutting back on their menus and their quantities to try to save money. We’re trying to give quality ingredients and good [menu items] at a great price. “
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At upscale Japanese steakhouse Roka Akor, diners at the restaurant’s daily happy hour — or “Roka hour,” as they call it — can get a girl dinner special comprised of two oysters topped with a ponzu mignonette, truffle fries, and a martini for $25. Chandler Makuta, private event coordinator at Roka Akor says that it was another strategy to draw in customers who may not want to commit to a multicourse meal.
“I think it’s just another way to get other clientele that we didn’t previously cater to, to be interested in us,” Makuta says.
Khalid Mushasha, director of operations at Back of the House Inc., which operates the Italian restaurant chain Delarosa and 21 other Bay Area dining spots, says the Marina location’s girl dinner special — which included a Caesar salad, truffle fries, and a martini for $25 — quickly became the top-selling item during the weeks it was offered.
Mushasha says the restaurant intentionally kept the special short-lived, offering it from late August to early October. But its impact has lasted longer: After promoting it on Instagram, Delarosa’s San Francisco account gained 600 new followers and saw a 7,250% increase in engagement over the next six short weeks.
“We didn’t really expect it to be as popular as it was,” Mushasha says. “The first week we did it, literally every table was either a two-top or a 10-top. Everybody was doing it and just enjoying it.”
Restaurants might be loving the trend, but some are more skeptical of serving dinners made of fried potatoes and gin. Merlyn Miller argued in “Food & Wine” magazine that girl dinners, while fun in concept, also reinforce gender stereotypes that young women default to eating smaller portions when they don’t have someone else to cook for.
Nutrition scientist Annabel Biruete from Purdue University added that the trend’s emphasis on convenience could encourage users to pile up their plates with ultraprocessed foods.
Regardless, the allure of girl dinner is undeniable. Beyond its viral charm, the trend celebrates simplicity and spontaneity.
“I think that there is a time and place when people want to go out and have that steak dinner. But I also feel like people are really celebrating grazing,” Mushasha says. “They want to share and be able to enjoy.”