Olive Garden's "Never Ending" Pasta Bowl...

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Schfifty Five
This thing is so good.

I went last week and I really want to go back again. You should only eat like half the first bowl (and all the meat if you added it) and only a small salad in the beginning.

Once you are on your 2nd bowl, still only eat maybe 50-75% of the bowl. At this point you can eat a little more salad. Try to limit yourself to 2 breadsticks max.

And before you leave, make sure you get a fresh new pasta b/c you can take that home to eat later haha.

Doing this leads to the restaurants not charging enough for the portions and why many require a plate being finished prior to a second/etc helping.

Many all you can eat do not allow doggie bags and some here actually charge if you do not finish it all (the sushi places at least, usually .25 per rice ball left and $1 per peice of sushi left)...

Don't exploit systems if you want to enjoy them longer.
 

Saint Michael

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2007
1,877
1
0
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: LiquidImpulse
i LOVE pasta, i should try this :p. i wonder if there is any Olive Gardens' in Canada though...

Uh... you know pasta is $1 a pound, easy enough to do it for yourself, and for cheaper.

You do realize that you get more than just a "pound of pasta" at Olive Garden?
You do realize that not all people are cheap asses and enjoy the eating out experience?

I've payed good money for good food at good restaurants. At Olive Garden you pay better money for worse food. I may be a "cheap ass", but at least I'm not a sucker.
 

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
12,656
207
106
i ate 6 full size bowls of their salad...one time. I'll never do that again.
 

dabuddha

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
19,579
17
81
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: LiquidImpulse
i LOVE pasta, i should try this :p. i wonder if there is any Olive Gardens' in Canada though...

Uh... you know pasta is $1 a pound, easy enough to do it for yourself, and for cheaper.

You do realize that you get more than just a "pound of pasta" at Olive Garden?
You do realize that not all people are cheap asses and enjoy the eating out experience?

I've payed good money for good food at good restaurants. At Olive Garden you pay better money for worse food. I may be a "cheap ass", but at least I'm not a sucker.

Are you stupid enough to think that your idea of good food is everybody elses? You're not a sucker, you're just a moron lol.

I like lots of food that most people do not like. And I actually enjoy the food at Olive Garden. I go there rarely (to save money) but whenever I do, I almost always have an enjoyable relaxing experience.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: LiquidImpulse
i LOVE pasta, i should try this :p. i wonder if there is any Olive Gardens' in Canada though...

Uh... you know pasta is $1 a pound, easy enough to do it for yourself, and for cheaper.

You do realize that you get more than just a "pound of pasta" at Olive Garden?
You do realize that not all people are cheap asses and enjoy the eating out experience?

I've payed good money for good food at good restaurants. At Olive Garden you pay better money for worse food. I may be a "cheap ass", but at least I'm not a sucker.

No, but highly ignorant at a very subjective past time. There are other restaurants besides OG, you not acknowledging it shows food out is either not your thing or out of your reach.

OG did not get to be as big as it is because too many find it sucks. I personally don't care for it.
 

Chryso

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2004
4,039
13
81
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: LiquidImpulse
i LOVE pasta, i should try this :p. i wonder if there is any Olive Gardens' in Canada though...

Uh... you know pasta is $1 a pound, easy enough to do it for yourself, and for cheaper.

You do realize that you get more than just a "pound of pasta" at Olive Garden?
You do realize that not all people are cheap asses and enjoy the eating out experience?

I've payed good money for good food at good restaurants. At Olive Garden you pay better money for worse food. I may be a "cheap ass", but at least I'm not a sucker.

$8.95 is more than what you consider "good money for good food at good restaurants"?
Where are you eating, a soup kitchen?
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
91
I honestly have no idea why anyone would go out to eat "never ending" pasta. Why gorge yourself on such simple food? When I go out I want some fish/steak/chicken that has been creatively prepared with interesting flavors. I'd rather go to a buffet or make pasta myself.
 

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
100
106
Originally posted by: preslove
I honestly have no idea why anyone would go out to eat "never ending" pasta. Why gorge yourself on such simple food? When I go out I want some fish/steak/chicken that has been creatively prepared with interesting flavors. I'd rather go to a buffet or make pasta myself.

Because it gets me and the ms. out to dinner for cheap. And the salad, bread sticks, and pasta taste pretty good too.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: alkemyst
Originally posted by: Schfifty Five
This thing is so good.

I went last week and I really want to go back again. You should only eat like half the first bowl (and all the meat if you added it) and only a small salad in the beginning.

Once you are on your 2nd bowl, still only eat maybe 50-75% of the bowl. At this point you can eat a little more salad. Try to limit yourself to 2 breadsticks max.

And before you leave, make sure you get a fresh new pasta b/c you can take that home to eat later haha.

Doing this leads to the restaurants not charging enough for the portions and why many require a plate being finished prior to a second/etc helping.

Many all you can eat do not allow doggie bags and some here actually charge if you do not finish it all (the sushi places at least, usually .25 per rice ball left and $1 per peice of sushi left)...

Don't exploit systems if you want to enjoy them longer.

Or just ask for smaller portions (I assume the goal here is more variety?). I've never had a restaurant turn me down when I've asked for simple changes like that, even chains. Although sometimes they forget and bring me a full portion anyway (usually I ask for a half glass of soda or a half plate of chips/salsa at Chili's toward the end of a meal... I hate leaving a lot of food uneaten)
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
I've always wanted to go in for that special but never got around to it. But I'm always cheap because I just drink water, skip the salad, and eat a few bread sticks but save them to take home.

And do they really let you take home the uneaten portion? That's cool. Most all you can eat places don't let you do that.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Originally posted by: RossMAN
Originally posted by: moshquerade
don't be hating on the Olive Garden. they usually have cute young (Italian or Italian wanna-be) waiters, and that's the draw for me. :)

[homer]

but nothing beats the perky cell phone women at BB or waitresses at Red Robin.

[/homer]

Heh, I was waiting for you to show up! We need a professional opinion here... Is $8.95 for all you can eat pasta, salad, and bread sticks a good deal or not?
 

CorCentral

Banned
Feb 11, 2001
6,415
1
0
I eat there just for the Dean Martin music ;)
The food is decent. Really though, it is relaxing if you get tucked away in a booth.

 

Eos

Diamond Member
Jun 14, 2000
3,463
17
81
Originally posted by: preslove
I honestly have no idea why anyone would go out to eat "never ending" pasta. Why gorge yourself on such simple food? When I go out I want some fish/steak/chicken that has been creatively prepared with interesting flavors. I'd rather go to a buffet or make pasta myself.

It's the sauces, specifically the smoked mozzarella alfredo. Add in roasted chicken and it is excellent.
 

Saint Michael

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2007
1,877
1
0
Originally posted by: alkemyst
OG did not get to be as big as it is because too many find it sucks.

Public opinion is notoriously deficient, mostly because the public are notoriously stupid and tasteless. People are also heavily sucked in by branding, and they like the idea of a consistent experience, even if it's a consistently poor experience. I don't care how popular Olive Garden is, I'm not going to use that as a gauge to judge its quality.
 

Saint Michael

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2007
1,877
1
0
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Are you stupid enough to think that your idea of good food is everybody elses? You're not a sucker, you're just a moron lol.

I like lots of food that most people do not like. And I actually enjoy the food at Olive Garden. I go there rarely (to save money) but whenever I do, I almost always have an enjoyable relaxing experience.

I'm just willing to bet that you don't even know what you think is good. You know what you want to think is good.
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Are you stupid enough to think that your idea of good food is everybody elses? You're not a sucker, you're just a moron lol.

I like lots of food that most people do not like. And I actually enjoy the food at Olive Garden. I go there rarely (to save money) but whenever I do, I almost always have an enjoyable relaxing experience.

I'm just willing to bet that you don't even know what you think is good. You know what you want to think is good.

And if I think it's good, then to me, it's good. Doesn't matter if it's good to you or good to someone living in Italy or anything else. Good is a matter of personal opinion. Olive Garden makes food that a lot of people like. Doesn't matter how it compares to anything else, just if people like it and pay to eat it.
 

Saint Michael

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2007
1,877
1
0
Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Are you stupid enough to think that your idea of good food is everybody elses? You're not a sucker, you're just a moron lol.

I like lots of food that most people do not like. And I actually enjoy the food at Olive Garden. I go there rarely (to save money) but whenever I do, I almost always have an enjoyable relaxing experience.

I'm just willing to bet that you don't even know what you think is good. You know what you want to think is good.

And if I think it's good, then to me, it's good. Doesn't matter if it's good to you or good to someone living in Italy or anything else. Good is a matter of personal opinion. Olive Garden makes food that a lot of people like. Doesn't matter how it compares to anything else, just if people like it and pay to eat it.

Yeah, granted, I can't stop you from claiming you like something. But I can sit here and bet you don't know what you think. Like I just did.