This Steakhouse Chain's Gift Cards Work At Olive Garden, Too

We're all guilty of losing track of gift cards. It's always nice to receive one, particularly if it's for a restaurant you really enjoy, but more often than not, those money-loaded tokens end up in a pile at the bottom of a drawer, destined to be forgotten about. But there are some gift cards that can actually be used at multiple establishments, and if you have one for Longhorn Steakhouse then it might be time to dig it out –- especially if you're craving some Olive Garden breadsticks.

In case you didn't already know this fun fact, LongHorn Steakhouse gift cards can also be redeemed at any Olive Garden location, and the exact same value will be honored no matter which restaurant you choose.

This is because both chains are operated by Darden Restaurants, the hospitality group behind a swath of big name brands like Olive Garden, LongHorn, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. In fact, you can use a Darden gift card at any of the group's 2,100 locations across the country for both in-restaurant dining and take out, giving you plenty of options to choose from.

Darden Restaurants acquired the Ruth's Chris Hospitality group in 2023 in a deal worth around $715 million. The merger resulted in the addition of both Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse to Darden's portfolio, as well as other brands like Yard House, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Eddie V's.

You can use gift cards for any of the restaurants interchangeably, as long as the location is participating in the scheme. What's even better is that Darden Restaurant gift cards don't expire, and there's no fee for inactivity. And if you have cards for a few different Darden brands at home, you can actually use them altogether, as long as you're not trying to redeem more than three different cards at once for an online order.

You can reload the cards too, and there are eGift cards available for any location. You can even create a Darden account to keep track of everything. So there really is no excuse to keep those gift cards at the bottom of the drawer any longer. Get out and enjoy some Olive Garden appetizers and fancy steaks — you deserve it.