THE DISH: All treats with these Halloween deals

Oct. 27—This Halloween, some of the biggest scares may have been when checking your bank balance.

With the cost of food continuing to rise, we offer some holiday deals that are more treat than trick.

Rubio's Coastal Grill (9200 Rosedale Highway, Suite 200) is offering "Spooky-rito" Burritos for just $8.99 all day Tuesday. Customers can order online at rubios.com, through the app or scan an in-app QR code at the register.

The discounted offer is good for any burrito on the menu including the Puerto Nuevo burrito featuring langostino lobster, ancho citrus shrimp burrito and California burrito with USDA choice steak to name a few.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is again offering its Boorito deal with customers able to purchase a $6 burrito online at chipotle.com or via the app.

Guests must use the promo code BOORITO for the offer that will be available from 3 p.m. until closing Tuesday.

Note that guacamole will still cost extra (except for veggie entrees) as will queso, extra meat or other modifiers.

At Applebee's Neighborhood Bar + Grill (9000 Ming Ave., Suite M), kids eat free Tuesday. Children coming in with their families can enjoy their choice of a kid's meal with options like cheesy pizza, chicken quesadilla, corn dog, chicken taco, cheeseburger and more.

The offer is good for dine-in customers age 12 or younger with purchase of an adult entree.

Now through Tuesday, head to Pieology (5503 Calloway Drive and 6509 Panama Lane, Suite A-1) to enjoy the Pizza Month deal of an original-thin-crust "craft your own" pizza and a Coca-Cola beverage for $10.

There is no limit on standard toppings for the $10 deal, which is good on all nonalcoholic beverages. Orders can be made online or in store and enjoyed as takeout or dine-in.

This limited-time offer cannot be combined with other coupons, discounts, or ongoing promotions. An upgrade to premium crusts or toppings will incur an additional charge.

Ono Hawaiian BBQ (2630 Mount Vernon Ave., Suite 300; 2665 Calloway Drive, Suite 208) is serving a $5 Hawaiian Chicken Aloha Plate for customers who show up in a costume on Tuesday.

The plate includes grilled barbecue chicken, served over a bed of steamed rice and a side of fresh mix salad with house dressing.

Carl's Jr. is serving up $15 burger bundles via its app through Tuesday.

Options include the Breakfast Burger, Western Bacon Cheeseburger or Famous Star. Each bundle includes two burgers, two large natural-cut fries (or Hash Rounds with Breakfast Burgers) and two large fountain drinks.

The offer is limited to one per registered user per day through Tuesday.

Now through Tuesday, Burger King is serving the "Trick-or-Heat" meal bundle in its app and online. The $13 bundle includes a Ghost Pepper Whopper, four-piece Ghost Pepper Chicken Fries, small french fries, small beverage and Hershey Sundae Pie.

Wendy's also has some spooky good deals now through Halloween.

Today, enjoy a breakfast BO(O)Go with a free croissant or breakfast sandwich with purchase of another.

On Monday, receive a 99-cent small coffee (good for hot, "chillingly cold" or Frosty Cream Cold Brew including the Pumpkin Spice Frosty Cream Cold Brew).

For the big day, pick up a free six-piece order of Nuggs with any purchase.

The offers must be redeemed in the Wendy's app or orders via the website. Account registration is required. Deals not valid for delivery orders placed outside of the Wendy's App or website.

While at Wendy's, pick up a Frosty Boo! Book ($1), a DC-inspired coupon book with five free Jr. Frosty treats, featuring iconic Frosty characters dressed up as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Funds raised from book sales support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

On Tuesday, Krispy Kreme (9410 Rosedale Highway) will offer customers in costume a free doughnut of their choosing.

That can include one of the seasonal Scooby Doo doughnuts: the Scooby Dooby Doo doughnut (original glazed doughnut dipped in Scooby Doo blue icing, decorated with Scooby Doo lime green icing swirls and orange cake batter buttercream and topped with a Scooby Doo chocolate piece), Mystery Machine (an original glazed dipped in chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles, decorated with Scooby Doo lime green icing and a Mystery Machine chocolate piece), Jinkies! Halloween Orange Sprinkle — Zoinks! (an original glazed dipped in orange icing and decorated with a spooky Halloween sprinkle blend) or Spooky Monster Cookies n' Kreme — Ruh-Roh! (a doughnut filled with Oreo Cookies n' Kreme filling, dipped in Scooby Doo purple icing, and decorated with Oreo pieces, black chocolate icing, and a Scooby Doo monster chocolate piece).

Cheers to Halloween

Along with the food deals, some local spots have some creepy cocktails on tap.

Harrington House (11313 Stockdale Highway, Suite 400) has five spooky options: the Cookie Monster Martini ($10), a Biscoff Cookie and Tito's vodka espresso martini; Witch Please ($12), a "Black Witches Brew" mai tai; Poison Apple Sangria ($13), a fall white wine and cinnamon apple-flavored beverage; Purple People Eater ($14), an ube-infused orgeat tiki cocktail; and Black Magic ($14), an Elijah Craig bourbon blackberry sour.

Fredo's (1604 19th St.) is also getting into the spirits of the season with its quartet of libations. Pet Cemetary ($15) has matcha-infused sake, Yakult, white chocolate syrup and lychee. Earthly Desires ($15) is a blend of single malt scotch, port wine syrup, orange and cinnamon. Dawn 'Til Dusk ($14) includes champagne, Cynar, Amaro Averna and Angostura bitters. And Midnight Buzz ($16) will keep you going with bourbon, coffee liqueur, sesame syrup and black sesame cold foam.

And Tiki-Ko (1919 K St.) has a number of specialty cocktails including The Deadite, which is a blend of 151-proof Demerara, dark Jamaican and gold Puerto Rican rums, cold-pressed apple cider, lime juice, and cinnamon syrup, served with a glowing cube.

Also on the menu is Behold! The Great Pumpkin (with vodka, pumpkin spice syrup and coffee liqueur) and the Pumpkin Escobar, Ecto Cooler and Once Bitter, Twice Rye mentioned in last week's column.

New on the menu

Those dreaming of holiday candy should head to Nothing Bundt Cakes (600 Coffee Road, suites S and T), which has the limited-time-only Bundtlet Full O' Reese's Pieces.

The chocolate-chocolate chip cake is topped with mini Reese's Pieces and filled with even more candies for the "perfect Halloween season indulgence."

"We created this sweet partnership to delight our guests by combining two favorite treats in one this Halloween season," Claire Jessen, senior director of culinary innovation at Nothing Bundt Cakes, said in a news release. "Our Bundtlet Full O' Reese's Pieces combines the irresistible taste of our chocolate-chocolate chip bundt cake with America's favorite Halloween candy."

This new Bundtlet Full O' Reese's Pieces is the brand's third pop-up, following the launch of Churro Dulce de Leche in September and an Oreo Cookies & Cream in August.

California Fish Grill (5601 California Ave., Suite 100) has brought back sustainably sourced mahi-mahi to its menu.

The fish is sourced from Costa Rica and Peru by the Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPS), which is working toward better practices and has been positively identified by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.

Options include the mahi-mahi grill plate ($11.99 to $13.75), wild-caught fish regular or petite with choice of CFG's famous sauces and choice of two sides; mahi taco combo Cali-style ($13.25), two grilled mahi tacos with cilantro-lime slaw, tomatoes, pickled onions topped Cali-style with sliced avocado, corn salsa and chipotle aioli served with rice, beans and soft drink; and mahi bowl Cali-style ($11.99), grilled mahi on a base of rice and beans with diced chiles, cilantro-lime slaw, pickled onions topped Cali-style with sliced avocado, corn salsa and chipotle aioli.

Rubio's Coastal Grill (9200 Rosedale Highway, Suite 200) has brought back langostino lobster, which it is offering in dishes now through Jan. 2.

Drizzled in warm garlic herb butter and featuring authentic Baja flavors, the lobster is available in a two-taco plate, a bowl, the Puerto Nuevo burrito and the Más Queso quesadilla.

Also back, by popular demand after several years, is the chicken tortilla soup, which features marinated grilled chicken in a savory chicken broth with Hass avocado slices, salsa fresca, citrus rice and a blend of cheese.

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @realstefanidias.