Posted By ATLCheap on November 25, 2009

If your family is like mine, chances are you have a few relatives who prefer to receive gift cards for their favorite restaurants as their holiday gifts. To stretch your holiday budget, take advantage of a bonus cash offer. Be advised: The type of bonus may vary—they may add it to the value of the gift card, give you an extra gift card, or give you a restricted-use coupon. Check with the restaurant before you buy:

• Metrotainment Cafes: Purchase any gift card & receive a 50% bonus. Restaurants include Einstein’s, Garrison’s, Metrotainment Bakery, Hudson Grille, Joe’s, & Cowtippers. To get the deal, purchase gift cards from Dec. 1-31, 2009.
• Buckhead Life Restaurants: 20% added value to gift cards. Restaurants include Atlanta Fish Market, Bluepointe Diner, Chops Lobster Bar, Corner Cafe/Buckhead Bread Co., Kyma, Nava, Pano’s & Paul’s, Pricci, Veni Vidi Vici. To get the deal, buy by January 31, 2010.
• Fifth Group Restaurants: Buy $100 worth of gift cards, receive one of three bonuses: 20% added to the value of the gift card, 20% added value on a separate dining card, or a $20 Natural Body Spa & Shoppe gift card. The card is valid at South City Kitchen Midtown or Vinings, La Tavola, Trattoria, Ecco, and The Original El Taco. To get the deal, buy by December 30, 2009.
• Ray’s Restaurants (on the River, in the City, or Killer Creek): 25% added value to all gift cards. Offer valid through December 31, 2009.
• Marlow’s Tavern: Buy $100 in gift certificates, get a $20 bonus gift certificate. Marlow’s Tavern has locations in Alpharetta, Vinings, Midtown, Kennesaw, Northlake, and Duluth.
• Doc Chey’s & Osteria: Pay $50 & get a $60 gift card or pay $100 & get a $125 gift card. Offer ends on New Year’s Day.
• Here to Serve Restaurants (Strip, Lola, Home, Shout, Twist, Aja, Prime, Goldfish, Noche): Buy a $100 gift card, receive a $20 gift card free. Gift cards must be purchased by December 31, 2009.
• P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Buy $50 worth of gift cards purchased in a single order, receive a $10 Be Our Guest Bonus Card. The offer is available through December 31, 2009. The bonus card can be used in 2010.
• Gordon Biersch + Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery: Buy $50 worth of gift cards, get a $5 gift certificate free. $100=$15, $200=$30, & $500=$100. Gift cards must be purchased by the end of 2009’s holiday season.
• Aqua Blue: Buy $100 worth of gift cards, and receive a $20 card free. Aqua Blue is located at 1564 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Roswell.
• Pizzeria Venti: Buy $25 worth of gift cards, and receive a $5 gift card free. The offer expires on December 24, 2009. Pizzeria Venti is located at 2770 Lenox Road, Atlanta.
• Water Haven: Buy $100 worth of gift cards, and receive a $20 card free. Water Haven is located near Georgia Tech.
• RA Sushi: For every $50 worth of gift cards purchased, you’ll receive a $10 bonus card. Gift cards must be purchased by December 31, 2009. Bonus card can only be used from January 2-March 31, 2010.
• Ted’s Montana Grill: Buy $100 worth of gift cards, receive a $20 bonus card free. The regular gift cards have no expiration date, but bonus cards expires in 45 days.
• Stoney River: Buy $100 worth of gift cards, receive a $25 voucher free. Offer available through December 31, 2009. $25 voucher can be used in January or February of 2010, excluding February 13 & 14.
• McCormick & Schmick’s: Buy a $50 worth of gift cards & receive a $10 dining certificate or buy a $100 worth & receive a $25 dining certificate. Bonus certificate is valid from January 1-March 31, 2010.
• Benihana: Buy $50 worth of gift cards, receive a $10 bonus card. Gift cards must be purchased by December 31, 2009. Bonus card can only be used from January 2-March 31, 2010.
• Pappas Restaurants (Pappadeaux, Pappasito’s Cantina, Pappas Bros, Pappas Seafood House, Pappas Bar-B-Q, Pappas Grill, Pappas Burger & Yia Yia Mary’s): Buy $50 worth of gift cards by December 24 & receive a $10 gift card good on future dining through February 28, 2010.
• OSI Restaurants (Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s, Bonefish Grill, Fleming’s, & Roy’s): Buy a $100 gift card, receive a $20 bonus card valid from January 1-February 10, 2010. The gift cards can be used at any OSI Restaurant, but there’s a chance that the bonus card is restaurant-specific.
• Maggiano’s: Buy $100 worth of gift cards and receive a $20 bonus card. Offer available through Dec. 31, 2009. $20 voucher can be used in January or February of 2010. I’d skip it unless your relative just loves Maggiano’s—the bonus card is good for $20 off a purchase of $50+.
• Morton’s the Steakhouse: Buy $500 worth of gift cards & receive a $100 bonus gift card or buy $300 worth & receive a $50 bonus. Offer available through December 31, 2009. Bonus gift card is valid from January 2-March 31, 2010.
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Buy $250 worth of gift cards & receive 10% back in bonus cards. Offer available through December 31, 2009. Bonus gift card cannot be redeemed on the same day as purchase, and it’s valid through March 31, 2010.
• Buca di Beppo: Buy $100 worth of gift cards and receive a $25 bonus card. Offer available through Dec. 31, 2009. $25 bonus card valid from January 1-March 31, 2010.
• Uncle Julio’s: Buy a $25 gift card, get a gift card good for a free dessert or appetizer.
• EVOS Feel Great Fast Food. Buy $50 in gift cards, get a $5 bonus card.

Remember: You can buy discount gift cards—sometimes plastic ones—at HalfOffDepot.com. Plastic gift cards are the easiest purchase to disguise. The paper certificates do look different than those issued at a restaurant, but it can likely pass—they have the restaurant’s logo on it, and they don’t mention HalfOffDepot.com. They look more like a check. There’s a chance that it may list restrictions on it, so check the fine print online before you order. FYI—You can get free shipping through December 12 with promo code “GIFTGUIDE09”.

One other thing: I like to dine out at familiar spots & try new-to-me places. Though I prefer an unrestricted bonus card, I’ll buy gift cards from restaurants that are my short list of places to go & the keep the bonus card to cut my bill.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

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