Is Darden a good company to work for?

Darden has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 2,909 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months. 67% of employees would recommend working at Darden to a friend and 68% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Darden have been left by employees working as Managing Partner , General Manager and Culinary Professional .

Does Darden pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Darden employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Darden. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Darden?

67% of Darden employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Darden 3.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Darden?

Server (685) , Server/Waiter (189) , Manager (100) , Restaurant Manager (81) , Hostess (75) , Host (68) , Bartender (62) , Line Cook (55) , Server/Bartender (47) , General Manager (45) , Food Server (39) , Bartender/Server (35) , Server/Waitress (23) , Busser (22) , To Go Specialist (22)

What are the pros of working at Darden according to real employee reviews?

""There are really really great benefits with this job and you are highly likely to make awesome connections with your coworkers!"" ((in 176 reviews)); "insurance and you can make good money if you get to work the busy shifts and get good sections" ((in 144 reviews)); "They were very friendly and the pay was good" ((in 127 reviews)); ""The people are great and very good at their jobs."" ((in 120 reviews)); "Hours are flexible and fairly easy to get days off and make adjustments to your work schedule." ((in 95 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Darden according to real employee reviews?

"Management is poor and needs improvement" ((in 189 reviews)); "A bad manager who doesnt know what they are doing can ruin a restaurant very quickly." ((in 123 reviews)); "Management is inconsistent and shows favoritism." ((in 26 reviews)); "Upper management are insulated by HR." ((in 17 reviews)); "Bad leadership from managers is rewarded with promotions." ((in 14 reviews))

What are employees saying about Darden layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Darden layoffs and their outlook for job security at Darden in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Darden locations?

Orlando , Atlanta , Houston , Tampa , San Antonio , Phoenix , Austin , Philadelphia , Charlotte , San Diego , Dallas , Jacksonville , New York , Miami , Boston , Chicago , Pittsburgh , Kansas City , Los Angeles , Schaumburg , Indianapolis , Cincinnati , Las Vegas , Wayne , Louisville , Raleigh , Fort Worth , Knoxville , Daytona Beach , Salt Lake City

Darden reviews

3.7

67% would recommend to a friend

(2,846 total reviews)

Rick Cardenas

72% approve of CEO

68% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (2,846 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Darden has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 2,846 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Darden employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews

4.0

Mar 24, 2010

3 tables???

Sever

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great Benifits, and little to no side work

Cons

You are only allowed 3 tables, so you spend a lot of time standing around, when you could be taking care of more guest, and making more money. Also the mid-management acts like high school children eventhough they are all over 40. The GM plays favorites, but is fair.

4.0

Mar 12, 2010

It's a good company with a lot of opportunity

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The company is huge and you can go wherever you want to go. The Principles and Values of the company are great. It's a very successful company and job security is fantastic as long as you do what you're supposed to, and they make it pretty easy for you to know what they want. Training is pretty decent.

Cons

The principles and values are major at the corporate level, but are not always lived at the restaurant level. The senior management is great, but you can't always get as much time with them as you'd like.

3.0

Mar 11, 2010

Only 3 tables at a time, large work load, poor senior management, but decent money.

Waitress

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Some of the employees do follow Olive Garden's policy to work as a team. The food is really good and you get 50% off on the days you work, 25% off on the days you do not work (as well as up to 8 guests)

Cons

You have to prepare your own salads, carry large heavy trays that are often times overloaded, you must wear a tie and uncomfortable button up shirt with the collar completely buttoned to the top (no exceptions), very ugly uniform.You are only allowed 3 tables at a time, and most people that come to olive garden wine and dine so they will stay a long time and usually never tip over 10$. I am a good server and usually only left with 40-60 dollars. Not worth the work or time. Also an employee pushed me once and I was the one that ended up walking out because management refused to do anything about it, she didn't even get a write up. The reason being that the employee that pushed me had been there for 2 years.

Viewing 2641 - 2643 of 2,846 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Starbucks

3.7★Compensation & Benefits

Chick-fil-A Corporate

3.7★Compensation & Benefits

Raising Cane's

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

The Cheesecake Factory

3.5★Compensation & Benefits

Darden

Darden reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

3 tables???

It's a good company with a lot of opportunity

Only 3 tables at a time, large work load, poor senior management, but decent money.

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Darden reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Company ratings over time

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Darden reviews FAQs