White Castle's Valentine's Day Dinner Is Back — Here's How You Can Reserve a Table

Yes, we’re barely into the first week of January, but based on the amount of pink and red candies already lining the aisles at supermarkets and big box stores, it’s not too early to think about Valentine’s Day. White Castle seems to have the same idea, and starting on Friday, January 5, you can make reservations for the Ohio-based slider chain’s annual Valentine’s Day dinner. 

Unless you and your significant other have made it to the Relationship Hall of Fame, there’s a good chance that White Castle has been hosting couples on V-Day longer than you’ve been together … or possibly longer than you’ve been alive: the chain’s annual tradition has been going strong since 1991. For this year’s event, participating White Castles will temporarily become “Love Castles,” which are basically regular White Castles, but with more flattering lighting, table service, and Valentine’s Day-themed decor. 

This year’s Love Castle celebration will take place between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14. More than 300 White Castles are taking part in the event, and you can make your one-night-only reservations through the OpenTable platform, starting tomorrow. If you’ve ever wanted to spend this most romantic of holidays with your partner, friends, or other favorite people, don’t wait to book your spot: according to White Castle, its restaurants host “tens of thousands” of guests every Valentine’s Day and these slots will fill up. (Also, many of the participating White Castles are reservation-only for those five hours on Valentine’s Day.) 

“Celebrating Valentine’s Day at White Castle has become a tradition for hopeful romantics and Slider enthusiasts alike,” Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle, said in a statement. “We look forward to opening our doors once again to romance and fun and making this Valentine’s Day another one to savor.”

And it wouldn’t be a holiday without a special limited-edition meal. This year, White Castle enthusiasts can pick up the “Love Clutch Collection,” a shareable combo that includes 10 Cheesy Sliders, 20 Chicken Rings, and an entire sack of fries. The Love Clutch will be available at participating restaurants between Friday, February 9 and Sunday, February 18. “Nothing says ‘I love you’ like the Love Clutch Collection,” Richardson added. 

White Castle has also added some Valentine’s Day-themed merch to its House of Crave online store, including a “smooth & luxurious” Love Castle Robe ($60), with a wonderfully loveable print featuring the Love Castle logo, sliders and, of course, Cupid. The chain also currently offers heart-shaped Love Castle Sunglasses ($9.99), a Love Castle Candy t-shirt ($24.99) where the chain’s sliders have conversation heart-style messages on their top buns, and a Love Castle Crave t-shirt ($24.99) printed with the hard-to-argue-with slogan that “Valentine’s Day is for Cravers.” 

Forget flowers or boxes of chocolate. This year, you can say “I love you,” ... or “I like you,” or “Hey, maybe we can hang out again sometime” with a bag of Cheesy Sliders and an elegant meal at your closest Castle.