The Olive Garden Sister Chain To Try For A Fancy Seafood Experience

Though it might be hard to believe, the company that owns Olive Garden also owns one of the more high-end chain seafood and steak restaurants in the country. Darden Restaurants, which also owns popular brands like Longhorn Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris, and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, purchased Eddie V's Prime Seafood in 2011. 15 years later, Eddie V's has 30 locations across the country, including seven in Texas, four in California, and four in Florida (with two more to come in 2026).

If you're not familiar with Eddie V's (which has no association with Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam), think of a classic seafood restaurant and steakhouse and then amp up the fanciness by about five. The chain prides itself on fresh, high-end, high-quality ingredients, like swordfish from Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island, scallops from Georges Bank in Massachusetts, and yellowfin tuna from the Caribbean — all of which are flown in daily. Eddie V's also serves aged prime steaks and makes many items in-house, like fresh tortillas for lobster tacos.

Eddie V's receives positive reviews across its locations, with customers enjoying scallops served on a butternut squash puree, Chilean sea bass with crab fried rice, and filet medallions served with a 5-ounce lobster tail, Oscar style. Its Nashville location has a 4.6 rating on Tripadvisor, 4.8 on OpenTable, and 4.5 on Yelp – the latter being notorious for picky reviewers ready to give a 1-star rating for the smallest issues.

Eddie V's is a high-end seafood spot and the prices reflect that. The fresh oysters are $4 each. Appetizers, like steak tartare, yellowtail sashimi, and jumbo lump crab cake, range from $20 to $30. Seafood entrees, such as parmesan sole, North Atlantic scallops, and Chilean sea bass, run around $50 — that is, unless you opt for two South African lobster tails, which will set you back around $116.

Then, there are steak cuts: filet mignon, bone-in ribeye, and New York strip, plus surf and turf, which run in the $60 to $80 range. You might also consider 12-ounce Snake River Farms gold-grade wagyu strip for $115. Sides, like caviar-topped, twice-baked potato, lobster mashed potatoes, and truffled macaroni and cheese further emphasize Eddie V's is not your run-of-the-mill seafood and steak restaurant.

Eddie V's is obviously no Olive Garden — or even Longhorn, for that matter — in terms of prices. But Darden's definitely knew what it was doing when it purchased this brand in 2011. These aren't Longhorn Steakhouse or Texas Roadhouse prices, but the ambience, experience, and quality of the seafood and steaks should provide a memorable evening worth saving for special occasions when the standard restaurant just doesn't cut it.