Dining duets: 8 restaurants serving inexpensive fixed-price meals for two

Appetizer, entree, dessert. Multicourse dining has its pluses: It’s a way to try several dishes from a restaurant’s menu and, more importantly, allows you to linger with friends or family over a meal.

Prix fixe meals offer the added bonus of knowing exactly what you’re paying to avoid sticker shock. Even better if you can get it on the cheap at a time when many of us are watching our wallets amid rising costs across the board.

Guess what? You can have it all.

We searched the metro to come up with a list of reliable, full-service restaurants offering cheap, multicourse meal deals for two. Although some restaurants call it “date night,” we’re coining it “dining duets.” Because why should couples get all the fun?

Deals at these eight restaurants range from $12 to $36 a person; some places throw in a round of drinks or a bottle of wine, while it costs extra at others. Most specials are dine-in only and are subject to change, so be sure to check with the restaurants for the latest updates. You might have to plan ahead, too, since some specials are offered on specific days and times.

So go ahead and grab a family member, friend or beau and head to one of these places, which range from come-as-you-are to an excuse to be a little fancy.

When: Seven days a week, all day menu

The deal: The locally run Indian restaurant with franchises metrowide features a special Dinner for Two. Prices and menu items can vary slightly from location to location. During a recent visit to the Uptown Minneapolis outpost, we were offered the choice between samosas or pakora for an appetizer, a large, family-style entree platter (tandoori kebabs, vegetarian stews or biryani saffron rice) and a dessert (kulfi ice cream with pistachios or gulab jamun, deep-fried milk balls in rose water cardamom syrup) to share.

The spread was generous, including the tandoori platter with chicken, shrimp, beef kebabs as well as two curry sides that left nothing wanting. And the kulfi, housemade ice cream topped with pistachios and saffron, was one of the best desserts we’ve tried all year.

1905 W. County Road 42, Burnsville; 2546 Hennepin Av., Mpls.; 2570 Cleveland Av. N., Roseville; 8362 Tamarack Village, Woodbury; indiapalacemn.com. 936 Prairie Center Dr., Eden Prairie, indiapalace.org. 4190 Vinewood Lane N., Plymouth, indiapalaceplymouth.com.

When: 8-9 p.m. Sun.-Thu.

Cost: $62 for two; three courses and bottle of wine.

Note that Broders’ is first-come, first-served, so take your chances. On the Thursday evening we dined, we arrived shortly after 8 p.m. and, after a 10-minute wait, snagged bar seats. We were greeted immediately by friendly staff and wonderfully airy house-baked artisan bread, mixed olives and nuts to get things off to a great start.

5000 Penn Av. S., Mpls., broderspastabar.com

When: 4-9 p.m. Sundays

Cost: A three-course meal with $32 (chicken), $34 (salmon) or $36 (beef medallions) per person.

The deal: To end the weekend right, this French brasserie at 50th and France features a three-course Sunday Supper. Because this special is priced per person, it technically doesn’t require two people. But we can’t help but tell you about one of the best moderately priced three-course deals around.

5034 France Av. S., Edina, salutbaramericain.com

When: 6-10 p.m. Mondays

Cost: $38 for two; two entrees, two beers or a bottle of wine, plus a round of bowling.

The deal: We’re considering this an eat-and-play multicourse experience. On Monday evenings, the Lyn-Lake institution offers a $38 Cheap Date Night special consisting of two weekly rotating entrees, a select bottle of wine or two beers, followed by a round of bowling on its vintage lanes. (This is where the wrap party for the movie “Fargo” was held and the place that served as inspiration for the Coen brothers’ later film, the bowling-themed “The Big Lebowski.”)

The night we dined, the entree special was an enchilada bake with your choice of chicken or beans. It was plenty filling, and that round of bowling sure came in handy for some post-meal movement while fueling us with fun.

When: 6-10 p.m. Tuesdays

Cost: $45 for two; two courses plus two drinks.

The deal: The Tuesday night meal deal at this casual Kingfield neighborhood spot features two drinks (sangria, house wine or beer), two entrees and one dessert. Here you can order any entree on the menu rather than just limited, select items. We couldn’t help but order from the lengthy burger offerings for one of our entrees and chose the walnut pesto pasta for the other. Both were great calls: The Minnesota grass-fed beef used for the burgers tasted fresh from the farm, while every bite of the rich and creamy penne pasta was flavor-laden.

4244 Nicollet Av., Mpls., thelowbrowmpls.com

When: 5-10 p.m. Wednesdays

The deal: This casual south Minneapolis neighborhood bistro is all about Caribbean flavors while keeping budgets in mind. The Wednesday date night paella special — with a side of flamenco dancing — is no exception. Choose two appetizers (soup, salad, tostones or yuca frita) and two paellas (wild mushroom or Valencia-style with chicken, chorizo, calamari, shrimp, mussels and clams), both a Cuban version of the Spanish classic dish. Wash it all down with a drink, choosing from red or white sangria, house red or white wine or juice. We highly recommend the white sangria, mango avocado salad and Valencia paella.

5607 Chicago Av., Mpls., guavascubancafe.com

When 5-8 p.m. Thursdays

Cost: $55 for two; three courses.

The deal: You’ll want to stay awhile to soak in this restaurant with French farmhouse vibes and an emphasis on scratch cooking and local ingredients. Choose two appetizers, two entrees and dessert from the special menu, which features some gems not on the regular menu. There’s a lengthy list of options, making it suitable for a variety of cravings and eaters, choosing from dishes like Moroccan chicken to two kinds of burgers. As part of the special, a mystery bottle of red or white wine is $25. The wine list is well-curated, so it’s a low-risk, high-reward venture.

2515 Nicollet Av., Mpls., copperhenkitchen.com

When: 11 a.m. to close Mon.-Fri. (open until 8 p.m. Sun.-Thu., 9 p.m. Fri.).

Cost: $25 for two; two courses.

The deal: As if the longstanding red sauce restaurant in St. Paul’s Greater East Side isn’t already a draw for its down-to-earth prices, there’s a meal special for two to top all deals. While not advertised as a multicourse deal, it essentially is just that. Available at lunch and dinner, the “pasta dinner for two” starts with two soups or salads and a basket of Parmesan breadsticks. Next, choose two entrees from the sizable homestyle pastas, ranging from lasagna to spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli and tomato-basil tossed pasta with an option to add chicken or shrimp at no extra cost.

It’s worth noting that Little Oven is first-come, first-served and only takes cash or checks. There’s an ATM on-site if needed.