Going to Olive Garden for the first time

[Syrch]

Originally posted by: Yreka
Eat in the restaurant, but park in the "Take Out Only" spot.

Yeah i hear this is the cool thing to do these days. And you might really upset an ATOT'r ^_^

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: pontifex
i didn't think it was cheap though. i mean, its not like $300 a plate, but its more than than a general restaurant isn't it?

More expensive than something like Perkins, Denny's or Village Inn, but not bad priced. Red Lobster is more expensive than Olive Garden mostly.

 

[Xavier434]

I'm a big fan of the garlic-herb chicken con broccoli with the pasta e fagioli soup

 

[Kaspian]

Chicken marsala, salad, breadsticks, tiramisu for desert.

 

[sao123]

Olive Garden is good for 1 thing only...

Unlimited Salad... FTW!!

 

[PepePeru]

Originally posted by: sao123
Olive Garden is good for 1 thing only...

Unlimited Salad... FTW!!

exactly

the salad and breadsticks are the only reason that place grew / remains in business.

soup, salad and breadsticks ftw.

 

[Fritzo]

Get the Tour of Italy!


Then, after you're overly full, take a Tour of Doody!

 

[Crucial]

I second the tour. I love the fettuccine alfredo and chicken parm. The lasagna just tops it off.

 

[Tiamat]

unlimited salad and breadsticks ftw

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: Daishiki
If you like soup, Zuppa Toscana is great. Unlimited refills, too.

If you want a sampler of their pastas, you might try the Tour of Italy (I think that's what it's called)

Agree. Would do business with again. A+++++

 

[dullard]

It is good food. Who cares if it isn't Italian! So shut up about it already. Taste is all that matters, not what country it got its inspirations from.

Unfortunately, you've missed out on some of the best that Olive Garden had to offer. Many of their best dishes are off the menu. People are just too worried about onion/garlic breath. Sigh.

Good things left:
[*]They do have a nice breadstick pizza crust. The pizza toppings are lacking, but the crust is quite good and buttery.
[*]The garlic chicken with broccoli is heavenly if you like garlic.
[*]Their flavored lemonades are the best I've had.
[*]Their standard salad dressing is quite addictive.

AnthroAndStargate, be sure to fill that giant blue backpack avatar of yours with the salad and breadsticks as you leave (ask for fresh stuff just before you go).

 

[torpid]

Their calamari is surprisingly good. I'd have expected it to be tougher and more chewy but it's generally quite decent.

 

[murphy55d]

Tour of Italy is what I always get.

 

[lupi]

10/10

 

[Shawn]

I hear they have good olives.

 

[ScottFern]

Originally posted by: Yreka
Eat in the restaurant, but park in the "Take Out Only" spot.

lol nice.

 

[zinfamous]

Nothing is good at the Olive Garden, well if you're expecting Italian food, that is. It isn't an Italian restaraunt--so as long as you're not fooled by that fact, then you might enjoy it. HOnestly, McDonald's is closest to Italian than the Olive Garden is...

True Story: GF was at the Olive Garden with her Ex a few years back. She asked if she could have some olive oil with her bread. Waitress didn't know what she was talking about--
Waitress: What's that, is it like mustard?
GF: No. It's olive oil. Like...oil.
Waitress: I don't think we have that.
GF: This is Olive Garden. it's in the !@*ing name of the %^&*ing restaraunt! How do you not have olive oil?
Waitress: I'll go ask in the kitchen.

after several minutes, waitress returns.

Waitress: No, we dont' have any olive oil. They don't know what it is either.

OK...there's a very good chance this is not an endemic problem with the Olive Garden franchise...but the fact that you would hire someone so completely worthless, and likely not even have olive oil at such a restaraunt is preposterous.

If you're into the "Lettuce Entertain You"corporate style pre-packaged atmosphere restaraunts, then just go to Macarroni Grill or Bucca di Beppo. The food at those places is way better.


EDIT: oh, haha. I too forgot to read the end of yoiur post. Well put! However, I still think this true account of an Olive Garden outing deserves to be known.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: aldamon
I've never had a good experience at Olive Garden. When you order the "endless" salad and breadsticks, the wait staff disappears.

Here's a tip. If you're in a group and someone else asks for a refill on soup or something and you are going to need a refill soon, ask for it right away. Don't wait until the waitress comes back with the other persons before you ask. That's what pisses them off the most.


This is just a tip for people in general. I'm not saying this is why you haven't had good experiences aldamon, but it's a possibility.

 

[jinduy]

just order their sausage soup and eat breadsticks with it till u get stuffed.

 

[smitbret]

So if Olive Garden isn't "anywhere close to Italian" and Italian restaurants abound, then can someone recommend a real Italian restaurant that many of us might recognize?

 

[jackace]

LOL I worked at Olive garden. The reason you do not see the waiter after you order soup salad and breadsticks is most people that order that leave a tiny tip ($1-$2) if they tip at all. Where I worked the waiters made $2.13/hr. It's not worth the effort to go back multiple times to a person that you know will tip you $1-$2 at most. You spend your time helping people that will leave you $20-$50 as a tip.

As far as food. Olive Garden is not great food, but nothing there is bad. (unless the cook screwed it up) I personally like the chicken alfredo, and their pizza is ok too.

 

[Kirby]

I usually get the Tuscan T-bone, or stuffed chicken marsala. I used to get veal marsala, but they stopped making it.

 

[bucwylde23]

I usually get the Fettuccini Alfredo, I love it.

 

[Oceandevi]

The Dr Pepper is to die for.

 

[RossMAN]

Tuscan Garlic Chicken if you like garlic.