I can't relate to this mentality that the guy MUST pay for the first date originating from an internet dating service. If you're using an internet matching service, you are both, equally, looking to get to know other people. Why would the guy carry the obligation to pay for the first date?

It is not the same thing as being asked out on a date by an acquaintance or friend whom you already have some common ground with. A person who already knows enough about you to know that he wants to invest in getting to know you better. It is not courtship. It's a first meeting with a practical stranger. Why would you expect him to pick up the tab?

Agree, before you go, to ask for separate checks. It's a first meeting for crying out loud. There will be plenty of opportunities to pay each other's way in the future, if there is a future.