What should I do with my $50 gift card from Olive Garden?

[csziggy]

I ate at Olive Garden once. Not impressed, I never went back. But I was given a gift card to them for Christmas. I guess I can take hubby out for dinner. but if I do, what is worth the prices they charge?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

1. Give it to a homeless person

They'll be impressed.

[rbnyc]

9. I was going to say...

Give it to a homeless person. They'll be hungry.

[csziggy]

16. That's an idea - but some of hubby's friend are pretty close to homeless

So I think I will let him take them out.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

22. Homeless or close to it...you will feel great for having done it.

:hi:

[csziggy]

23. Yes, that's my thought

Several of the guys are one paycheck away from homelessness. One is only in a home because a friend has given him a room. They play D&D to get away from reality. Good people hubby has played with for over thirty years.

[Lucian]

2. I'll take it.

:)

[Gato Moteado]

3. well, their food is just microwaved crap......

......but if the gift certificate is also good for alcoholic beverages there, then it can certainly be put to good use.

[PBS Poll-435]

4. Soup!

Only decent thing there besides the breadsticks.


The salad is acid-reflux city.

[dr.strangelove]

5. Sell it, donate it

You can sell it on ebays gift card site and get most of the value back. YOu can donate it to a charitable organization or re-gift it.

[blueamy66]

6. eat there

10 times

[HopeHoops]

7. NARWHAL ALFREDO for a WEEK! FUCK YEAH!!!!!!1!

[Heidi]

8. I'd call up Olive Garden, ask if they have a special, and make arrangements for

a soup kitchen or shelter to get $50 worth of Olive Garden fixins.

[The Wielding Truth]

20. Get idea. I think that would get the most bang for your buck.

Talk to Olive garden promotions. They might enjoy getting involved in a charitable activity.

[LynneSin]

10. Round up about 2-3 people you love and take them all out for lunch

Yes the food sucks at Olive Garden (although I do love those breadsticks). But here's the thing - with people you love you can put crap in front of me and I'll still manage to have a great time.

[csziggy]

12. Actually I was thinking of letting hubby take his friends out for dinner

The group usually goes out on Saturday evenings before they play their D&D games. Hubby has not been going since he decided that the places they went were too expensive for what they got. This would let him take them out, though it might cost us a few bucks on top of the gift card. I have to say that Olive Garden would impress that crowd. They are more into mass quantities than good food.

We also have a gift card at Ted's Montana Grill - I gave a gift card there and got a 'bonus' one for 1/5 the price of the gift card. Now there, I am willing to go and eat! The food is expensive, but it is fresh and well prepared. And each entree makes two meals for me - I am not ashamed to take half home for a meal the next day. We need to use that card next week - it's only good for 45 days and hubby gets oral surgery next Friday and will not be able to chew solid food for several weeks after.

[LynneSin]

14. Just don't let these crazies from DU influence you. There is some good food at Olive Garden

:D

[csziggy]

17. I looked at the menu online and didn't see anything that was appealing to me

I am just not that much into pasta or sauces and their meat entrees don't seem that great for how much they cost. They do not seem to have very much in the way of vegetable sides other than salads. Like I said, the one time I ate at OG when they first opened here, I was not impressed. They've been here 15-20 years and I've never been back. If I want Italian, there is a wonderful little place that is locally owned by some Democrats I met during the Obama campaign, I'd go there rather than a mediocre chain restaurant.

You see, we don't eat out much so any time I make the effort to get into town I like to either eat really cheap on my own or take hubby to a really nice place.

Oh! I just realized - we've got to go out of town the end of January/beginning of February. Maybe there is an Olive Garden near where we'll be that we could eat at while we're traveling since we'll have to eat out anyway. I'll have to check.

[The Wielding Truth]

21. Hey, it's your gift . Enjoy. Yet, $50 wouldn't be near enough.

[MadBadger]

11. Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks 6 times

[csziggy]

13. If we were close to Olive Garden, I'd consider it for lunches

But I just don't get into town for lunch and hubby gets no time for it - plus OG is not close to his job anyway.

[dawg]

15. I will give you $40 for it.

I like the Olive Garden, and eat there occasionally.

[csziggy]

18. Thanks but I think I figured it out

I'll either let hubby take his buddies out or we will use it when we are traveling at the end of January. I like the idea of letting hubby take his buddies out, but I need to check on how many there would be. If it is too many for my budget to cover what the card doesn't, then we'll use while traveling.

[csziggy]

19. dupe

[HughBeaumont]

24. Eat there.

Sometimes, a restaurant is just that. I mean, it's not like I want to watch Once Upon A Time in America every time I feel like sticking a DVD in.