Pricing Supplement No. 2                              Registration No. 333-41350
Dated March 4, 2002                             Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
(to Prospectus Supplement
Dated November 10, 2000 and
Prospectus Dated August 22, 2000)


                                U.S. $150,000,000

                            DARDEN RESTAURANTS, INC.
                           Medium-Term Notes, Series A
                             (5.75% Notes Due 2007)

                             ----------------------

Trade Date:                                       March 4, 2002

Settlement Date (Original Issue Date):            March 7, 2002

Maturity Date:                                    March 15, 2007

Extension Terms:                                  None

Principal Amount (in specified currency):         U.S. $150,000,000

Price to Public (Issue Price):                    99.770% of Principal Amount

Agent's Discount or Commission:                   .500% of Principal Amount

Net Proceeds to Darden Restaurants:               U.S. $148,905,000


Interest Rate:                                     X  Fixed Rate
                                                  [ ] Floating Rate
                                                  [ ] Original Issue Discount
                                                  [ ] Amortizing
                                                  [ ] Indexed

                                                  5.75% per annum (fixed rate)


Record Dates:                                     Each September 1 and March 1

Interest Payment Dates:                           Each September 15 and March 15

First Interest Payment Date:                      September 15, 2002

<PAGE>

Redemption Terms:      The Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at
                       the option of Darden Restaurants, Inc., at any time at a
                       redemption price equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the
                       principal amount of the Notes, and (2) as determined by
                       the quotation agent, the sum of the present values of
                       the remaining scheduled payments of interest on the
                       Notes (not including any portion of those payments of
                       interest accrued as of the redemption date) discounted
                       to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis assuming a
                       360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months at the
                       adjusted treasury rate plus 25 basis points plus, in
                       each case, accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes to
                       the redemption date.

                       The quotation agent for this make-whole redemption option
                       is Banc of America Securities LLC or such other Reference
                       Treasury Dealer as Darden Restaurants, Inc. shall appoint
                       from time to time.

Repayment Terms:       None

Form of Note
(Book-Entry or
Certificated):         Book-Entry

CUSIP No:              23719E AB9

Denominations:         Minimum denominations of $1,000 or integral multiples of
                       $1,000.

Trustee and Paying
Agent:                 Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, National Association

Other Terms:           All of the Notes need not be issued at the same time and
                       the Notes offered pursuant to this Pricing Supplement
                       and the Prospectus Supplement dated November 10, 2000
                       may be reopened, without notice to or the consent of any
                       holder, for issuances of additional Notes of that same
                       series.  Any such additional Notes may have the same
                       ranking and the same interest rate, maturity and other
                       terms as the previously issued Notes, and will be
                       consolidated with these previously issued Notes.

Use of Proceeds        Darden Restaurants, Inc. intends to use the net proceeds
                       from the sale of the Notes to repay commercial paper and
                       for other general corporate purposes.  As of March 4,
                       2002, Darden Restaurants, Inc. had total commercial
                       paper outstanding of $68.1 million.



<PAGE>


     The rate of U.S.  backup  withholding  described  in the  section  entitled
UNITED STATES  TAXATION - U.S. Backup  Withholding  and Information  Reporting -
United States Holders on page S-37 of the Prospectus  Supplement  dated November
10, 2000, has changed from 31% to 30%.

     Darden  Restaurants,  Inc. may issue in an aggregate principal amount of up
to $350,000,000  of Medium-Term  Notes,  Series A, and, to date,  including this
offering, an aggregate of $225,000,000 of Medium-Term Notes, Series A, have been
issued.  The Notes will not be listed on any securities  exchange or included in
any automated quotation system.

     The names of the Agents  through whom this offering is being  conducted are
Banc of America Securities LLC, First Union Securities,  Inc.,  SunTrust Capital
Markets,  Inc. and The Williams  Capital Group,  L.P. The Agents will act in the
capacity of agents.

     First  Union   Securities,   Inc.   ("FUSI"),   a  subsidiary  of  Wachovia
Corporation, conducts its investment banking, institutional, and capital markets
businesses  under the trade  name of  Wachovia  Securities.  Any  references  to
"Wachovia  Securities"  in this  Pricing  Supplement,  however,  do not  include
Wachovia  Securities,  Inc.,  a separate  broker-dealer  subsidiary  of Wachovia
Corporation and sister  affiliate of FUSI which may or may not be  participating
as a separate selling dealer in the distribution of the Notes.

     Neither the  Securities and Exchange  Commission  nor any state  securities
commission has approved or  disapproved  of these  securities or passed upon the
adequacy or accuracy  of this  pricing  supplement.  Any  representation  to the
contrary is a criminal offense.

                             ----------------------

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
                    WACHOVIA SECURITIES
                              SUNTRUST ROBINSON HUMPHREY
                                                THE WILLIAMS CAPITAL GROUP, L.P.


