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On a typical night in Downtown Bethesda, you’ll find most restaurants packed with adults who have the money to spend on the high-end dining options that the area has to offer. However, from April 18 to 24, the restaurants were instead filled with students who were able to enjoy three course meals at the same high-quality eateries without spending their entire savings.

Featuring numerous Bethesda eateries with everything from Japanese, Italian, and even Spanish cuisine, Restaurant Week allowed students and other residents to explore menus they otherwise may not have considered.

Many restaurants use the event as an opportunity to showcase some of their newest and most exciting dishes. According to Jaleo events and marketing manager Chris Banks, Restaurant Week allows them to produce more unique dishes and display their menu to the public.

“We focus on creating good experiences for people who might not otherwise come in,” Banks said. “It’s always a chance to try and drag people into the restaurant.”

Bethesda Row and Whitman favorite Mama Lucia also found ways to put different twists on popular classics in order to make their standard menu more exciting, according to manager David Kottler.

“We try to come up with really unique specials, I don’t just take something off my menu,” Kottler said. “[For example,] our lunch for Restaurant Week was Italian style shrimp and grits.”

Other restaurants participate to try to attract a younger group of clients. Restaurant Week draws students’ attention to options they otherwise wouldn’t have considered, and the restaurants gain returning customers.

Fuzz De Valroger, manager of Cafe Deluxe, said that the event also lets students try a three course meal due to the reduced price.

“We’ve had a lot of the younger crowd coming in and they wouldn’t try a three course meal on their own, but given the price point, they’re not afraid to try it,” De Valroger said. “It gives [them] the option to try a little bit of everything.”