Olive Garden used to be the go-to chain for the middle class?

[Nintendesert]

Sorry, that I don't like the same things you do princess.

Are you hitting on me?? :wub:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Are you hitting on me?? :wub:

LOL! :thumbsup:

 

[Train]

how can there always be a 45 minute wait but sales way down?

There is more than one location. Hence the "chain" designation.

 

[MarkXIX]

Threads like these do a good job reminding me just how big a group of pretentious douchebags this community we belong to is.

LOL! Yep.

I enjoy eating out once in a while, but I've found better value replicating and/or improving upon many of these recipes at home.

You won't hear me smelling my own farts about how much better MarkXIX's kitchen is versus some restaurant though.

 

[Via]

lol

Classic, and I mean classic ATOT.

1) post a thread critical of a food establishment

2) it encourages some honest debate about the merits of said argument

3) Bam! someone swoops in with the "food snob" post


It's happened in every such thread since I been here. I love it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

lol

Classic, and I mean classic ATOT.

1) post a thread critical of a food establishment

2) it encourages some honest debate about the merits of said argument

3) Bam! someone swoops in with the "food snob" post


It's happened in every such thread since I been here. I love it.

It's funny, I used to eat at OG back in the 90s when my wife and I were younger and we didn't have much money. Guess our tastes just changed and we've become more accustomed to better food and wines so OG just doesn't do it for us anymore.

I'll have to ask my wife if she wants to go to OG for our anniversary this weekend. I'll post back her response.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Olive garden is an insult to my people

 

[JEDI]

Olive garden is an insult to my people

Indians? (dot, not feather)

 

[OutHouse]

There are a couple mega-chain concepts that are expanding rapidly (Buffalo Wild Wings being one of them), which are taking the middle class dollar away from the relics I mentioned above.

I dropped $100+ bucks at BWW last sat night when i went to watch the UFC Title fight.

Decent wings, good beer, great fight. it was a nice night out.

 

[OutHouse]

I have heard that virtually all the food, pasta, fish, chicken, soups are ALL prepackaged and microwaved. That there is virtually no actual cooking going on,

of course it is, corporate wants to make sure that every portion taste the same and you dont have some know it all "chef" in the kitchen adding more basil or salt to the spaghetti sauce. this is true for any national chain. Corporate does the cooking, so all the store has to do is "finish" it upon order. makes you wonder why orders take so long, nothing is done from scratch.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

It's funny, I used to eat at OG back in the 90s when my wife and I were younger and we didn't have much money. Guess our tastes just changed and we've become more accustomed to better food and wines so OG just doesn't do it for us anymore.

I'll have to ask my wife if she wants to go to OG for our anniversary this weekend. I'll post back her response.

When I met my wife, Olive Garden was one of her favorite restaurants. Now she's a foodie and aspiring chef and hates chain restaurants with a passion. I'll have to ask her if she wants to go to Olive Garden and see her response.

 

[dud]

Threads like these do a good job reminding me just how big a group of pretentious douchebags this community we belong to is.

How many times do pretentious douchebags post in threads where members are expressing their opinion.


Oh wait ... there's one!

 

[T9D]

Never been a fan. I mean I guess it's just ok. But Olive Garden food is essentially just a bunch of overpriced white bread and white bread noodles with a little bit of meat. Which is pretty much all Italian food I guess. Seems terribly unhealthy too.

 

[Fritzo]

Never been a fan. I mean I guess it's just ok. But Olive Garden food is essentially just a bunch of overpriced white bread and white bread noodles with a little bit of meat. Which is pretty much all Italian food I guess.

That makes me sad that you think that

 

[brainhulk]

Why would anyone go to Olive Garden when they can go to Maggiano's or Il Fornaio

 

[ZaneNBK]

At least OG isn't Johnny Carino's. That place is absolutely horrible, I don't know how anyone can like their food. I've gone twice separated by about 7-8 years and both times were bad. The last time the food was basically inedible. I even ordered the three item plate (chicken parm, spaghetti, lasagna) to up my chances of getting something edible but nope.

I think my wife was able to finish part of her soup and I ate a portion of the lasagna before we gave up. Even the apples that came with my son's dinner had been sitting in water so long they had no flavor.

Thankfully the manager was nice and comped our dinner and asked us if we wanted anything else or boxes for the food. That was a big no for both of those. The marinara tasted like it came out of a Chef Boyardee can.

Their food is also priced about on par with Carrabba's, which is a much nicer restaurant with way better food. Carrabba's is still a chain but their chicken parm is pretty good.

 

[rh71]

But you still go to PF Chang's? Not knocking on PF, but you do you realize that's a chain?

I'll knock PF for you. It's glorified take-out chinese @ $15+ per dish, with small portions. I was embarrassed taking my elder relatives there after the Cheesecake Factory had a 1.5hr wait for our 10 people. PF Changs next door... NO WAIT, come on in. Not even exaggerating. What could I do? No reservations @ CF.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Red Lobster is disgusting - I guess it comes from having delicious lobster and expecting it with expensive steaks instead of the main course for cheap.

Olive Garden isn't too shabby, the problem is they have gone downhill recently. Carrabas is beating their ass out the door with way better food, with way better prices, and way better looking quality wise. I had no problem going there before, but at this point it's simply a matter of the competition beating them.

 

[purbeast0]

i was in the keys this past week and ate at all local restaurants, some high end, some not, and man did i hate some amazing eating down there. everything was better than anything i've had at chain restaurants. i still eat at chains, but damn down there reminded me just how amazing food can taste.

 

[xanis]

I'll knock PF for you. It's glorified take-out chinese @ $15+ per dish, with small portions. I was embarrassed taking my elder relatives there after the Cheesecake Factory had a 1.5hr wait for our 10 people. PF Changs next door... NO WAIT, come on in. Not even exaggerating. What could I do? No reservations @ CF.

Cheesecake Factory isn't even worth half of the hype it gets. I tried going three times; the first two times I couldn't even get in because the wait was over 2 hours. The third time I went I actually got in... and the food was mediocre at best. For the same amount of money, I could have gone somewhere else and had something that tasted better than cardboard. I'm the last person to bash a chain (especially if it's good) but Cheesecake Factory just really isn't as good as everyone says IMO.

 

[SAWYER]

I like the alfredo pizza but nothing there is amazing or anything.

 

[rh71]

Cheesecake Factory isn't even worth half of the hype it gets. I tried going three times; the first two times I couldn't even get in because the wait was over 2 hours. The third time I went I actually got in... and the food was mediocre at best. For the same amount of money, I could have gone somewhere else and had something that tasted better than cardboard. I'm the last person to bash a chain (especially if it's good) but Cheesecake Factory just really isn't as good as everyone says IMO.

Difference of opinion is fine, but cardboard? You and the "Olive Garden's alfredo sauce tasted like Elmer's glue" guy would get along great.

 

[xanis]

Difference of opinion is fine, but cardboard? You and the "Olive Garden's alfredo sauce tasted like Elmer's glue" guy would get along great.

I'm not saying that everything there tastes bland, but the item that I had wasn't flavorful at all. I'm guessing that not everything on the menu sucks.

 

[videogames101]

we have a local seafood place at half the price for twice the portions and ten times the quality as red lobster, who in their right mind would ever eat that garbage

 

[purbeast0]

I'm not saying that everything there tastes bland, but the item that I had wasn't flavorful at all. I'm guessing that not everything on the menu sucks.

the problem with cheesecake factory is their menu is like a fucking novel. they have too much food. their food is okay but nothing special, but i never would expect it to be anything special since it's a pretty low end restaurant like the ones being discussed in this thread. ive never heard anyone rave about how good cheesecake factory is since i was in like highschool or college.