Darden reviews

3.8

68% would recommend to a friend

(2,844 total reviews)

Rick Cardenas

72% approve of CEO

68% positive business outlook

Darden has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 2,844 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
1.0
Sep 17, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Free soup and salad bread sticks

Cons

They let the customers get away with anything. As someone who’s been in the business for 30 years this is supposed to be an easy job, but they give you three table sections and triple seat you all evening. Then the management harasses you to use a second computer so they get their bonuses at the end of the month. No air-conditioning whatsoever forced to work two summers with no air conditioning, I fainted in the bathroom and the manager had the audacity to ask me if I could still work. Forced to pay for guest walk-out and still tip the bar and busser. The general manager told me that corporate trains him not to care about servers because the guest comes first. I have been put under so much stress and pressure from the management team that I’ve literally been in the hospital twice.

4.0
Sep 9, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I was fortunate to have some of the best leaders during my years at Darden which allowed me the freedom to lead and operate in my own way (within reason of course) without much micro-management. The headquarter facilities has a great atmosphere that fosters collaboration and growth. The onsite amenities are great (cafe, open meeting area, workout facilities, on-site physician, private rooms for nursing, etc.) They have an outstanding Bring Your Child to Work program every year.

Cons

Who you report to makes a HUGE difference with work satisfaction. Politics can make the work environment toxic and miserable. Not all leaders are held to the same standard unfortunately and this inconsistency can cause unnecessary anxiety and stress for employees.

4.0
Sep 8, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great working environment. Friendly staff and employees. Great Managers. Amazing Benefits. Flexible Schedule.

Cons

Work load/Pay Ratio. 3 Table Max.

Viewing 64 - 66 of 2,844 Reviews

Glassdoor has 2,907 Darden reviews submitted anonymously by Darden employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Darden is right for you.