Best Spots for a Romantic Dinner in Denton, Texas

Denton, Texas is home to countless college students, who might not always have a huge amount to spend on a romantic outing. How can you have a romantic night out without killing your budget? Here are Denton's top five romantic outings.

La Mexicana
Small and inexpensive, this is no ordinary Mexican food restaurant. While all the other restaurants of this genre in Denton serve Tex-Mex that fails to truly impress, La Mexicana is all about the authentic food from central Mexico, so it offers a little more style and many choices that are completely unique. The exterior doesn't do all that much to impress from its spot on Locust street (next door to a place that makes tombstones), and the interior, despite several face lifts since they opened in 2001, is very predictable. Some might see it as clever, though, the way that they replicate the experience of actual Mexico within the four walls-- a small television in the corner always shows the news (in Spanish), the tables have a southwestern print full of vibrance and bright colors, and the walls are covered with wallpaper equally as bright, peppered with pictures and posters.

What La Mexicana does have to offer, however, is extraordinary. Perhaps the only restaurant in Denton where one can have an impressively good dinner without any frills, La Mexicana provides you with all the essentials for a good date. The staff is quick and courteous. The chips and salsa (you get three salsa choices) are good without being messy or distracting. The atmosphere is usually busy but still toned-down, so you can have a long conversation without worrying about distractions or other patrons. The food is delicious and put together quite well, so it to is rarely messy, and there are several items on the menu that are guaranteed to impress any first-timer should you recommend them. The horchata is one; to anyone unfamiliar with Mexican cuisine, this cinnamon rice milk beverage is a real treat, and it is particularly good at La Mexicana.

While you certainly won't have troubadours serenading you while you eat, at La Mexicana, you're guaranteed good food, incredibly reasonable prices (two people can eat for around 15 dollars), fabulous waitstaff, and an opportunity for genuine conversation in open lighting. Some people find open communication romantic; if you're one of them, there's no better pick in Denton than La Mexicana.

Movie Tavern
Nothing says "classic date" like dinner and a movie. Why not kill two birds with one stone and do both at the same time? Movie Tavern offers a great menu, classy seating, and very polite staff, who will come by and take your order in the darkened theatre when you press the button on your remote device. While Movie Tavern only shows four movies at a time, they typically have a decent selection, and there's something available for everyone.

Prices run a little high on the food and alcohol at Movie Tavern, but the venue often offers drink and food specials on certain days (such as two dollar mimosas on Sundays), and you won't find a better deal on first-run movies in town (four dollars for a matinee and six for shows after five). The darkened theatre will offer you time to cover your tracks if you dribble nacho cheese on your shirt, and there's no better way to light a romantic collegiate fire than by reaching simultaneously into the same bucket of popcorn.

Art Six
With its frequent music shows and weekly movies outside on the big screen, Art Six is Denton's own little cup of everything. It's the place for all the indie artists in town, so if you're seeking a romantic talk over a cup of coffee and some great food (mostly soups and sandwiches, but ideal lunch food) with the potential for more, Art Six is really the only place to go. There is always local art on the walls, theatre students talking about their newest project, and board games waiting to be played. Art Six has all the potential to be light-hearted and romantic while making you seem open-minded and edgy.

The service is great-- even when the staff slips up, you don't feel in any way slighted. The service is so personal and friendly that you'll find yourself laughing at the antics of a friend, rather than experiencing any kind of frustration. Located conveniently close to the UNT campus, this is an ideal date spot for students at North Texas.

Picnic in TWU's plush greenery
Everyone knows that picnics are the cheesiest romantic dinner of all time, but some occasions call for cheesy gestures (like Valentine's Day, or anniversaries), and while Denton is full of parks, none of them have quite the history of romantic endeavor as the greenery near TWU's Little Chapel in the Woods (just off of the main drive through the university, towards the north end of campus). Not only has the site been home to countless wedding receptions and couples happily strolling arm-in-arm, the ponds and trees really are quite bewitching.

When you've spread out your picnic next to the pond, and you're sitting with your date, looking over the small feast that you've carefully prepared, be sure to point out the turtles. Although they're shy, the curious little fellows will certainly swim closer and closer to you, especially if they think that you're not really paying attention to them. While they haven't been known to climb into the middle of someone's lunch just yet, you would have to admit that it would make a great story to tell. Just imagine-- years later, you could look back on your date, with the picturesque trees and the chirping birds and tell your friends and family about the time that the snapping turtle crawled onto your blanket and waddled off with your sandwich.

If you're not the cooking type, there are plenty of places within walking distance where one can pick up food before hand, ranging from pizza to Mexican food. A lot of students never make it to this quiet locale, despite how readily available it is; this alone can make it seem a little bit more magical for that special date.