Does Olive Garden still suck?

[thebestMAX]

I get dragged there about once every year by family and order the same thing each time.
Once I tasted a few of their other offerings I stick to the Lasagna. More you reheat the better it tastes so microwaving it isnt so bad. Wish they used spicier sausage or even hamburger though. Oh yeah and a lot of wine too.

Never go there on my own.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Olive Garden is just an Italian food buffett. What do I mean?

When I eat there, the quality of food is such that I think they literally have a buffett set up and when orders come through, they just build your food.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Good bread sticks and salad, everything else on the menu is fast-food Italian. Carrabba's is a step above as someone else stated...

 

[andy2000]

You can use an Olive Garden gift card at any Darden Restaurant. Depending on where you are, there may be better options.

 

[cKGunslinger]

The food is slightly below average. The service is still horrendous.

Since it was my ex-wife's favorite place to eat and now my daughter's, I ended up eating there way more often that I would prefer, and we've tried 6-7 different locations across the years, and I'm always amazed about how consistent the terrible service is.

 

[smackababy]

The food is slightly below average. The service is still horrendous.

Since it was my ex-wife's favorite place to eat and now my daughter's, I ended up eating there way more often that I would prefer, and we've tried 6-7 different locations across the years, and I'm always amazed about how consistent the terrible service is.

The worst part is there are rules for the only thing that isn't terrible: breadsticks. They can only give you so many, and it is crap.

 

[SithSolo1]

I'm pretty sure all Darden Restaurants giftcards are good at any of the restaurants:

Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's, Yard House and Red Lobster.

Might want to call and ask first though or it may say it in the fine print on the back of the cards.

I'd personally go to Longhorn way before Olive Garden or Red Lobster. I haven't been to any of the others.

 

[MrSquished]

I went to olive garden once. who the fuck goes back there again gift card or not? HAVE SOME PRIDE PEOPLE

 

[Humpy]

I have gift cards.

Go to Olive Garden and give those gift cards to the nearest homeless person. It is your only reasonable option. Good luck and God bless.

 

[holden j caufield]

You guys have very stringent taste pallets. I go for the soup and salad and I find it to be an ok deal.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Good bread sticks and salad, everything else on the menu is fast-food Italian. Carrabba's is a step above as someone else stated...

Carabbas is several steps above OG.

OG is the Wal Mart of "Italian" food.

 

[gorcorps]

I have gift cards.

So it'd be free? It's not bad for free.

 

[Newell Steamer]

I have gift cards.

D:

You need to get out of the house,.. now, before it's too late!!

 

[Genx87]

The food is slightly below average. The service is still horrendous.

Since it was my ex-wife's favorite place to eat and now my daughter's, I ended up eating there way more often that I would prefer, and we've tried 6-7 different locations across the years, and I'm always amazed about how consistent the terrible service is.

Hahahaha this is how it was with my ex-wife. I hated that place and havent been back in a decade. Service was always horrible and food wasnt much better. And it was amazing how the horrible service would go across multiple locations and even multiple cities\states.

btw do they at least salt their pasta water now?

 

[slag]

Wife copied their zuppa toscana recipe and its 10000x better than theirs. I usually get their cheap 6$ all you can eat soup and salad and then just gorge

For me thats about 3 bowls of soup.

Olive Garden is good food for the price. For $30, two can eat out, not do dishes, and have a reasonably well tasting meal complete with breadsticks, salad, and an entree.

Hell of a lot of elitists here. Most of you people who say it sucks probably have ramen noodles or beans and rice for most of your meals and just say it sucks to appear cool.

 

[Exophase]

I really like some of their soups and they can have good drinks and deserts. But the entrees I've had are just alright at best. Then again I'm not really that into Italian food.

 

[mrjminer]

I usually get their chicken alfredo and the zuppa tuscani soup if I go. Tastes pretty good most of the time

 

[gorcorps]

For me thats about 3 bowls of soup.

Olive Garden is good food for the price. For $30, two can eat out, not do dishes, and have a reasonably well tasting meal complete with breadsticks, salad, and an entree.

Hell of a lot of elitists here. Most of you people who say it sucks probably have ramen noodles or beans and rice for most of your meals and just say it sucks to appear cool.

No no no, see this is ATOT. Everyone here has at least one private jet if not more, so OG is crap compared to the food we get when we visit Italy on a regular basis. We were just there for our Lifer meet-up so most of us are pretty biased.

That reminds me guys... can we change next week's Lifer meet-up to Japan? I've been jonesing for some real Kobe beef and decent sushi.

 

[rsutoratosu]

I just went over the weekend, was at water park and it was the only place that's still open after 9PM.

Ordered a bunch of stuff... mac & cheese was really bland, had no flavor or much cheese.

I end up eating like 4 serving of salad and some bread stick and took my mac and cheese to go

 

[AznAnarchy99]

You guys have very stringent taste pallets. I go for the soup and salad and I find it to be an ok deal.

You live in LA, you know there are tons of much better alternatives for about the same price.

Olive Garden costs $9-$12 for an appetizer and $15-$19 for an entree. I'm good on that.

 

[OverVolt]

The flavor doesn't come from the cooking thats for sure.

 

[werepossum]

My mother loves it. We went there for her birthday and it was surprisingly good. (And by surprisingly good I mean it wasn't as bad as it always has been in the past - consistency is not always your friend.) I always get the lasagna and this is the first time I would rate it above microwaving a decent TV dinner. Surprisingly, we were dragged to a Longhorn not too long before that and it was really good. I actually had a steak that appeared to not have been harvested by natural causes. Maybe Darden is stepping up their game?

Full disclosure, we usually eat at Cracker Barrel or Texas Roadhouse, so I'm hardly a food snob or rich. But for a little more money there's a LOT better Italian in Chattanooga.

 

[brianmanahan]

Every American chain restaurant is garbage.

not arby's

or bob evans

 

[shortylickens]

Cracker barrel has mediocre food, but an awesome store. I just bought a pecan pie and a coconut pie. And some candy sticks. Good stuff.


Of course:




http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/shortylickens/CrackerBarrel_July25.JPG

 

[MrSquished]

For me thats about 3 bowls of soup.

Olive Garden is good food for the price. For $30, two can eat out, not do dishes, and have a reasonably well tasting meal complete with breadsticks, salad, and an entree.

Hell of a lot of elitists here. Most of you people who say it sucks probably have ramen noodles or beans and rice for most of your meals and just say it sucks to appear cool.

or maybe we don't live in middle America which has no soul and no food options besides mostly chain strip mall crap.