JJason

Hey everyone,
When I travel, I like to check out the restauratn scene where I go and here is a great way to get cheap meals. Restaurant.com has gift certificates for a discounted price but this week, if you put in code 93935, you get an additional 60% off the gift certificates! Some restaurants are kinda small and not-so-well-known but they do have some great ones in the DC area.

Have fun!

Cerlaurie

These are a great deal. They ran a special like this in April and the website was very slow. However, I got $25 certificates for restaurants in Chicago for only $3.

Keith

Slow doesn't begin to describe it!

Unfortunately they have no restaurants in my area of the country.

Keith

TxTravelPro

Can you tell me what the url is for the gift certif listings?
I see all the reviews but can't seem to locate the area with certifs? Do you have to look at each restaurant and look for the little gift box icon? That would suck!

GoTravel

The only thing I can say about this is that restaurants that have to offer discounts need the business that badly for a reason.

TxTravelPro

Not true, Go...
I have used the certifs purchased via eBay for over a year.
Some are hurting but others are not.
Sonny Bryans in Dallas is always busy. Lone Star Grill in Hillsboro Tx is CRAZY busy, it's next to a big outlet mall.
Nedleys in Richardson, Tx is also so busy you are lucky to get a seat Mon - Sat.
I could go on and on.
I HAVe bought some certifs for small places that needed business but most of my experiences have been that there are many successful businesses that use this service, for whatever reason...
Maybe it is the same reason Bennigans had a coupon in the Sunday paper a few weeks ago...

GoTravel

Tx, purchasing gift certificates on ebay is different than a restaurant having coupons.

I stand by my premise that if a restaurant is offering coupons, that means they need the business. Restaurants only need business when the food isn't that good.

Not to say all the food in the coupon restuarant is bad.

JJason

Go,
There are some restaurants that offer the coupons in Baltimore that are great. I have eaten at these places before and with the coupons, it makes it even better!

HowardR

Sorry to disagree GoTravel, but life isn't that black and white. Because a restaurant makes discount tickets available obviously means that it wants and/needs business. It doesn't, however, automatically indicate that the food isn't good.
I cite just one personal example: Every year I receive $50 coupon for dinner for two from an excellent chain operation in New York (Brasserie, Brasserie 8 1/2, Cafe Centro, etc.) We go to Brasserie 8 1/2, and believe, the food is excellent.

GoTravel

I stand corrected and agree it isn't a black or white issue.

Is this better:

In my opinion, in most cases restaurants that offer coupons (not gift certificates) do so because they need business. The main reason a restaurant isn't doing enough business is because the food isn't good.

Fair enough?

For the record, my husband has several restaurants and it makes me alittle jaded.

bonniebroad

I agree with you, GoTravel. In our area, the truly good/topnotch restaurants never offer coupons. Not to say that some of the coupon-offering spots don't have some good dishes.......... but on a regular basis, those restuarants are not the ones I pay to go back to again and again.

here_today_gone2Maui

Where do you enter this code?

here_today_gone2Maui

Nevermind, I scrolled down and found it! D'oh!

ccolor

Just be sure to check with the restaurant before going in and eating your little hearts out. Some places close to home have abruptly stopped honoring them and outside of getting our pittance back later from Restaurant.com, we couldn't get the restaurant to accept the certificates at the time we wanted to use them. Oh yeah, try eBay for the same certificates even cheaper.

HowardR

GoTravel,I still don't concur. I certainly agree that MOST of the restaurants that offer discount coupons or sign onto IDine (or a similar operation) are not the best of dining facilities. However, I object to your blanket dismissal of any restaurant that offers special deals.
I am a member of IDine, for which I receive a 20% discount at restaurants on its list. So, instead of coupons it's a discount. I've used my IDine discount at many excellent restaurants in New York City. Sure, there are a lot of mediocre restaurants that try to lure customers with these special coupons or discounts, but please don't make a blanket condemnation.

GoTravel

Howard, I restated and said "In my opinion MOST restaurants...".

I agreed it isn't a black and white issue and have no blanket opinion.

HowardR

OK, GoTravel, point well taken!
(PS: I must confess that I was not at impressed with the restaurants included in the Restaurant.com offer!)

Brian_in_Charlotte

And I can add that I couldn't find any Charlotte listings of any interest.

ncgrrl

And there are NO restaurants for Durham, NC. There is only 1 restaurant in Chapel Hill. That restaurant is located near the UNC campus and will have less business in the summer because the students are gone.

When I went to restaurant.com and searched under "North Carolina - Raleigh" there were restaurants for Goldsboro and Wilmington and other areas no where near Raleigh. I'm not sure who placed the restaurants there, but the person doesn't know NC geography.

bugswife1

I use several of those restaurant.com certificates here in the city and i think they are great. I specifically use: City Crab (the best seafood cobb salad), Chango (mexican, delicious, and fun atmosphere), Soul Cafe on W.42 on theater row (southern cookin' & consistantly good), Erminia (on the rare occasion that they have it), Heartland Chophouse on W. 43 (perfect for a quick bite pre-theater), Tomato, Villa Della Pace, and the always adorable, Philip Marie. These are busy restaurants on their own, without a discount. Not on par with Bouley, but, who eats like that every night? I also find them to be great, inexpensive Christmas gifts for my receptionist, building management staff, housekeeper, pet sitter, etc. Chow!