Question about Olive Garden

[Anonymous]

It’s Italian American and pretty low quality. But if you’re in an area without family-owned Italian restaurants, it may be the best you can do. I won’t turn my nose up at it, but I’m not voluntarily going there if I have other choices.

[Anonymous]

Zuppa toscana, salad, and breadsticks is the bomb.com…

[Anonymous]

We are foodsnobs, and we love to cook. We actually adore OG food. While it may not be authentic Italian food, we have found that we have not liked Italian food anywhere else in the US. We have not travelled to Italy yet, and maybe we will like the food there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really Italian-American. Definitely not Italian.

How is it not really Italian American?

Most Italian-Americans don’t do all the cream sauces and “Alfredo.” The sauces are spicier, and we usually have some actual vegetables.

Also, no chicken with pasta, no garlic and onions together, no cheese with seafood, etc.

[Anonymous]

About every 6 months or so I treat myself to OG. My family hates it, but I love it for what it is (delicious buttery, sodium filled goodness). They used to have a stuffed chicken marsala that was my go-to and the original chocolate lasagna restaurant was my all time favorite restaurant dessert for a long time. Now I usually get the chicken parmesan.

[Anonymous]

I love their shrimp scampi fritta and I couldn't care less whether any of their food is authentic Italian anymore than I care whether Outback is authentic Australian

[Anonymous]

I am an Italian expat and have eaten there a couple of times with American friends, upon their recommendation. Terrible.

I wouldn’t eat there again. If on the road, I would rather have a bag of chips than OG, or any Italian American restaurant food. They are too heavy, too greasy, too messy, mixing and matching things that don’t belong together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to love their sundried tomato ravioli. I think every chain restaurant has a hit-the-spot dish or two, and for me, that was the one at the Olive Garden in college. Don't know if they still have it.

I was recently on a very long car ride and the only non fast-fast food was Cracker Barrel. Boy, was I glad to see a Cracker Barrel sign after seeing nothing but the Golden Arches offered for mile after mile. I sure would not have minded a trip to the Olive Garden on that journey! At the very least, you can get a decent bowl of soup and salad at the Olive Garden. A clean restroom and a decent break on a road trip are really nice, actually.

I ate at Cracker Barrel once, and I barely made it to the restroom fast enough when the runs hit me. It didn't even SEEM greasy, but apparently it was.

We had a similar experience. My digestive tract made sounds it has never made since. I have never returned to Cracker Barrel. 🤮

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really Italian-American. Definitely not Italian.

How is it not really Italian American?

Most Italian-Americans don’t do all the cream sauces and “Alfredo.” The sauces are spicier, and we usually have some actual vegetables.

Definitely not what grandma made, that's for sure.

It's a trifecta of salt, fat, and carbs, that generally has mass appeal.

[Anonymous]

Breadsticks and salad are to me a complete meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're family at OG

*your

You’re

[Anonymous]

My 12 year old somehow decided it was his dream to eat at an Olive Garden. He realized we never eat there and apparently saw an ad about how delicious it is. We told him ok, yes, we’ll take you some day. He kept going on and on and one day, my husband had taken him out for some errand and voila, there was an OG so they went. I’m sort of sad I missed it but not that sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 12 year old somehow decided it was his dream to eat at an Olive Garden. He realized we never eat there and apparently saw an ad about how delicious it is. We told him ok, yes, we’ll take you some day. He kept going on and on and one day, my husband had taken him out for some errand and voila, there was an OG so they went. I’m sort of sad I missed it but not that sad.

The all you can eat items make sense for a fast growing teen boy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really Italian-American. Definitely not Italian.

How is it not really Italian American?

Most Italian-Americans don’t do all the cream sauces and “Alfredo.” The sauces are spicier, and we usually have some actual vegetables.

Also, no chicken with pasta, no garlic and onions together, no cheese with seafood, etc.

Wait, Italians don't use garlic and onions together?

[Anonymous]

Of course it’s not authentic. It’s about as authentic as chipotle is for Mexican food.