Get a $25 restaurant gift certificate for $2

(Credit: Restaurant.com)

Ever tried Restaurant.com? Me neither, but I've heard good things. Basically, you search for a participating fooderie in your area, then buy a gift certificate on the cheap: $3 for a $10 certificate, for example, or $10 for $25.

There are requirements, of course, usually in the form of a minimum food and/or drink purchase. But it's not like you have to order a case of wine or anything. And you can print the coupon right on your own printer: It's immediately ready for use.

To make an already good deal even better, Restaurant.com is offering a whopping 80 percent off $10 certificates (which, again, are good for $25 worth of food). Just enter coupon code EIGHTY at the checkout after you've chosen your restaurant.

This deal expires tomorrow, October 15. I know this isn't a tech bargain, but, hey, you gotta eat, right? How can you pass up a $25 gift certificate for two bucks? Anyway, if you've used Restaurant.com in the past, hit the Comments and tell your fellow cheapskates how it went.

[DMC78]

I have used Restaurant.com many times over the last few years, and I have always had a excellent experience with the service. Its a great way to find new restaurants. They usually have the menu on their website as well, which is a big help. Just make sure you read the conditions (which are in large print on each restaurant's page) so you know when you can use the certificate. Once again highly recommend.

[peteyboy84]

Wow. I just got $100 worth of gift certificates for $8! Thanks!

[chrisp339]

Great site so long as you don't live in the Washington DC area or, say, any of the 5 boroughs of New York. In either of those cases there are absolutely no restaurants to choose from. This seems odd given that DC is on this list of 'popular cities'.

[rickbroida]

Hmmm... I just took a peek at northeast DC and found plenty of restaurants. Maybe try your search again?

[chrisp339]

it is odd. I left the computer for an hour (I know, a whole hour) and when I came back there were 111 hits. Pages seem to be taking quite some time to load; the load may have simply timed out.

[chrisp339]

It is the traffic on t he website. queries are timing out. Try back later if you are not getting restaurants to populate.

[fuzbears]

There is a big catch on those certificates... They are really more like coupons, and have lots of restrictions. Make sure you read those. Also I have found in past when a restaurant failed to honor them, and it is next to impossible to get restaurant.com to refund them. So if you get them, use them right away, and read the fine print.

[LouDevGuy]

I agree that they are like coupons. I haven't used one, but here's the way it normally would work.

You pay $10 for a $25 gift certificate, but often you have to spend $40 to use it. So, you pay $10 + $15 to get bill up to $40, which means you're getting $15 off of a $40 meal, or 37.5% off. Now, you're paying $2+$15 for $40, or $23 off, which is better. Probably worth it, even.

So, yes, they are like coupons.

[narmstrong45]

I've used the certificates from Restaurant.com a few times now. Each time was as simple as handing them the certificate, no issues with the restaurant not honoring it. I do recommend reviewing the restrictions, though - most of the offerings, at least around here, are only good Sunday thru Thursday. Others restrictions I've noted are minimum purchase (usually $50 on the $25 certificate) and minimum party sizes. Additionally, Restaurant.com notified my by email and credited my account when a restaurant, whose cerfiticate I had purchased previously, stopped participating in the program. I was able to choose another restaurant that I was interested in trying, without any problems.

I think I'll go stock up on some more - I've purchased all mine when they were $4 for the $25 certs. Here I was, thinking I was a real cheapskate - while I was paying twice as much as I should have!

[dalsanto3]

wow. great deal rick. Just got about $100 worth of certificates for like $10 dollars.

Haven't ever used restaurant.com before - but thanks to the commenters, who all seem to indicate that it's worked fine in the past.

[KansasMom]

Restaurant.com has been a really great addition for us...great way to make our money go a little further and these special deals just sweeten it all the more. As others have said...make sure you check out the restrictions before buying for a new restaurant...some limit the hours you can use them...or say that you have to spend a certain amount of money for it to be honored. But don't hesitate to take advantage of this!!!

[thebargainhunter]

This is a great coupon code. You can find a lot more deals on restaurants, groceries, gasoline, clothes, and other everyday items on the Bargain Hunter blog at blogs.dailynews.com/bargain

[dye187]

Thanks Rick, I got 40 dollars worth for $2.40

[dyre42]

You just turned my wife into a regular reader.

[rufustel]

Nice deal, but too bad Restaurants.com and its participant restaurants generally discriminate against singles--the fine print restricts usage, generally, to 2 or more ...

[sparky1962]

Hey, Rick I just tried today to get the deal you mentioned and it did not reduce my cost to $2.00. Was yesterday the last day or was it today October 15th?? Thanks!

[rickbroida]

I think it ended at noon on the 15th. Sorry you missed it!