The DC/MD/VA area doesn't have a lot of great offerings on restaurant.com (you can type in your zip code and see what comes up). NYC has a lot of great offerings.

I just went to Charm Thai in the district the other night and had used my certificates there before. They were like..."sorry new management" you can't use them anymore. So now, I have to try to find somewhere else to trade for. Bummer.

Make sure to use them right after you cash them in... twice the restaurant I got the certificate for closed before I used it, so I am assuming only restaurants not doing well that need the business sign up for this. Also look closely for the fine print, it often says excludes alcohol so if you want a nice dinner, getting to $100 in food without alcohol can sometimes be hard unless you have 4 people.

I have a bunch of these too and am slowly concluding that they're not worth very much. Would likewise appreciate recs for DC, close-in MD, and Arlington if anyone has them!

It's a kind of misleading. You have to spend a certain amount to get a certain amount off. Kind of like a coupon. That said, the list of participating restaurants changes frequently so I don't have a good recommendation. And not that you asked but a $100 g.c. can be bought for $8.

I went thru the restaurants in the DC Metro area and nothing seemed appealing. Not a fan of Mexican food, which is the predominant option. Other restaurants had bad reviews on yelp so clearly this program is for so-so restaurants. I am hoping there is a hidden gem that I can try. I live in close-in Maryland but willing to travel.