Earlier this year I signed up with a website, called Grubwithus, where the owners organize meals with various local restaurants and people sign-up to eat with strangers and have great conversation and meet new people over delicious food. Members can initiate meals too, and meals can have topics/interest groups or they can be general. You can also use the site to organize birthday dinners where you pay for all the guests or each guest chips in for a guest of honor. The Grubwithus team works with local restaurants to crete a set menu for the dinner and a set price. Everything (meal, tax, and tip) are included in the meal price and everything is paid for in advance when you reserve on the site. If you want to order something extra that is not on the menu, you are charged separately at the end of the meal. Usually there is a minimum number of attendees (4-5) for the meal to actually happen and maximum number (I've seen as high as 12!). Your credit card isn't charged until enough people sign up for the meal, and though I've never used this feature, there is a 72 hour cancelation policy incase plans change. Like Gorupon, Grubwithus started in Chicago and spread throughout the country, and is now also in Vancouver, Canada.
I have only been to four of these meals so far and all of them have been fun. Tonight's dinner, in particular, was very fun! Three out of the seven people who signed up were no-shows, but the four of us who did show up had great conversation over yummy English inspired food. I haven't made any lasting friendships with Grubwithus yet, but I have learned a lot from other grubbers (as users are called) and even dinned with a couple more than once, and I have always walked away throughly loving the experience. I'm usually pretty introverted and shy and definitely more comfortable with a small group of people I know than at a big party. I use Grubwithus as a way to force myself into situations where I have to be talkative and extroverted, as well as a way to meet fun to people in my city. I've become rather bored with my group of friends. I love my friends...most of the time :) but they don't always want to explore new restaurants like I do, or they want to but don't have the money/would rather spend it on other things. With Grubwithus I can explore new restaurants without having to eat out alone, I then go and tell my friends about my new find. Since meals with Grubwithus are usually 2-3 courses and some are family style, you get to try a lot of different foods at one restaurant without breaking the bank...as a graduate student, I find that awesome! Most meals are in the $20-$35 range total, and I usually just get water to drink so as not to have pay extra. Some meals include alcohol, and thus are pricier. After meals you are encouraged to keep the conversation going by commenting about your meal on the meal's individual site and on fellow grubber's profiles.
The web-developers have re-designed the site and added features that I find confusing and that clutter the space. The site has also become increasingly glitchy since the re-design. Hopefully these issues will be resolved soon. Surprisingly, the iPhone app works better than the site.
If you want to explore your city and network or meet new people, or even if you just want a night away from your friends, give Grubwithus a try! I guarantee it will be a unique experience!
I have only been to four of these meals so far and all of them have been fun. Tonight's dinner, in particular, was very fun! Three out of the seven people who signed up were no-shows, but the four of us who did show up had great conversation over yummy English inspired food. I haven't made any lasting friendships with Grubwithus yet, but I have learned a lot from other grubbers (as users are called) and even dinned with a couple more than once, and I have always walked away throughly loving the experience. I'm usually pretty introverted and shy and definitely more comfortable with a small group of people I know than at a big party. I use Grubwithus as a way to force myself into situations where I have to be talkative and extroverted, as well as a way to meet fun to people in my city. I've become rather bored with my group of friends. I love my friends...most of the time :) but they don't always want to explore new restaurants like I do, or they want to but don't have the money/would rather spend it on other things. With Grubwithus I can explore new restaurants without having to eat out alone, I then go and tell my friends about my new find. Since meals with Grubwithus are usually 2-3 courses and some are family style, you get to try a lot of different foods at one restaurant without breaking the bank...as a graduate student, I find that awesome! Most meals are in the $20-$35 range total, and I usually just get water to drink so as not to have pay extra. Some meals include alcohol, and thus are pricier. After meals you are encouraged to keep the conversation going by commenting about your meal on the meal's individual site and on fellow grubber's profiles.
The web-developers have re-designed the site and added features that I find confusing and that clutter the space. The site has also become increasingly glitchy since the re-design. Hopefully these issues will be resolved soon. Surprisingly, the iPhone app works better than the site.
If you want to explore your city and network or meet new people, or even if you just want a night away from your friends, give Grubwithus a try! I guarantee it will be a unique experience!
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