I am at Olive Garden for the first time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Olive Garden today is a mere shadow of its original self. It was our fancy going out to eat place for important holidays and celebrations. Ah, small town life.

The silverware was once sturdy and the napkins were cloth. The soup salad and breadsticks was all we ever ordered, with water, because we were poor. I absolutely loved, and still love, the pasta fagioli and the salad. The breadsticks now are not good. But the whole experience is just a vibe I will never tire of.

Ande's mint at the end, you knew you were somewhere special.

That’s very sweet. I like you.

[Anonymous]

Eh, it's fine if you're traveling and there aren't many good options near where you're staying. But most areas will have way better Italian if you do even a few minutes of research.

[Anonymous]

Their website is down....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice for what it is.

Gets a bad wrap.
Because people don’t like being “basic.”

But the fettuccini alfredo os spot on.
The marinara/red sauce is inexplicably bad though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Olive Garden today is a mere shadow of its original self. It was our fancy going out to eat place for important holidays and celebrations. Ah, small town life.

The silverware was once sturdy and the napkins were cloth. The soup salad and breadsticks was all we ever ordered, with water, because we were poor. I absolutely loved, and still love, the pasta fagioli and the salad. The breadsticks now are not good. But the whole experience is just a vibe I will never tire of.

Ande's mint at the end, you knew you were somewhere special.

+1
Remember the simple, chilled plain cheesecake topped with a thin, rich layer of chocolate? Got-to special occasion dessert.

Plus, no matter which entree you ordered, every meal came with a side of fettuccine alfredo or spaghetti, AND salad/soup and breadsticks. It was a feast!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t turn up my nose at OG. I enjoyed eating at a Bravo! restaurant, which is also a chain.

Same.
And Bravo! Is known as Brio in the DMV area and it’s also good but a tad more expensive than OG. Doesn’t quite get the “kitschy hate” that OG gets for some reason. But it’s not all that different IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right?? I like the salad and soups. The pasta portions are HUGE. The only thing I don’t love is the breadsticks although I know many do.

They are dry and tough.

If you get breadsticks at OG that are anywhere near being “dry and tough” send it back. That isnt how the breadsticks (that are SOFT, warm, and coated in garlic salt and butter) are meant to be at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice for what it is.

Gets a bad wrap.
Because people don’t like being “basic.”

But the fettuccini alfredo os spot on.
The marinara/red sauce is inexplicably bad though.

Back in the day the arrabbiata sauce was the bomb, and I'm told they no longer carry it. I haven't been in decades simply because there isn't one around MoCo.

[Anonymous]

I love OG’s soup and salad deal. No shame here.

[Anonymous]

If you are in a small town somewhere, it is decent spaghetti and salad. Better than going to a fast food/burger place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are in a small town somewhere, it is decent spaghetti and salad. Better than going to a fast food/burger place.

This is the truth.

Nobody's going to think it is fine dining, but it's also not trash. It's fine for what it is.

[Anonymous]

They ruined the only good thing they had, the bread sticks.

[Anonymous]

I’m so sorry to hear that. The place is a dump

[Anonymous]

My waiter had a fight with his boyfriend on his cell phone and kept hiding in the back.

[Anonymous]

Places like Olive Garden, Chilis, Cracker Barrel are fine for what they try to be. Food is affordable, decent and healthier than a fast food place. Snobs need to get over themselves. I liked going to these places when I was a kid and will still go when I am on the road.