Olive Garden
When You're Here, You're Family
Categories:
Restaurants, Italian Restaurants
Details:
$, Carry Out, Family Style Dining, Group Dining
You must be logged in to access this page
Message from Olive Garden
Olive Garden is a family of local restaurants focused on delighting every guest with a genuine Italian dining experience. We are proud to serve fresh, simple, delicious Italian food, complemented by a great glass of wine, served in a comfortable, home-like Italian setting where everyone is welcomed as family and friends. Olive Garden's menu features a variety of Italian specialties, including classic and filled pastas, chicken, seafood and beef. Enjoy our freshly baked garlic breadsticks and your choice of homemade soup or garden-fresh salad with any entree. All menu items are available for take-out, and our Parties To Go! menu offers generous family-sized meals for your next family gathering or office party.
Editorial by Citysearch
In ShortEstablished in 1982, this chain gained a following for its laid-back atmosphere and generous portions. Patrons settle into comfortable booths and tables in dining rooms with plants, artwork and décor reminiscient of the villas in the Tuscan countryside. Starters include scampi, sausage or pepperoni pizza, and several soup choices, as well as a signature seafood dip (crab, shrimp, cheese and marinara). Entrees include classics like lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo and chicken parmigiana. There are also "Garden Fare" options, which promise 30 percent fewer calories.
Key Points
- Fresh, delicious Italian food
- Variety of wine and beverages
- To Go ordering available
The Inside Scoop
- What to Drink - What's spaghetti and meatballs without a glass of wine? You'll find vintages here from Italy, Australia, California and Washington.
Insider Pages Reviews for Olive Garden
The last time I went to this Olive Garden, the service was very lacking. However, I will not give them a bad review because of one lazy server.
The food is always fantastic. Currently they are running some kind of promotion with an emphasis on cheese. They have all kinds of neat cheesy dishes. I got a 5 cheese penne dish that was awesome.
I really love the atmosphere too.
PROS: Excellent food. New cheese dishes are great.
CONS: None! (Unless you get a lazy server)
Posted 11/01/05 | Report Abuse
Was this review helpful to you?
The way they treat you as soon as you walk in is top notch. Very pleasent employees will invite to enjoy the house wine and provide you the best food to order if you have doubts. Food is perfectly served and the salad while you wait is top to none. Desserts are awesome, try any one of them and you'l l see.
PROS: Great Italian food no doubt
CONS: Possible time to wait due to the popularity of the place.
Posted 09/06/05 | Report Abuse
Was this review helpful to you?
I apprecite this restaurant as a whole. The reason I like this restaurant so much is because I like them so much at one point that I actually applied for a job there just so I could eat all the delicious food. foods great, servers are great...Excellant.
Posted 07/13/05 | Report Abuse
Was this review helpful to you?
Olive Garden offers a wide variety of Italian foods. From spaghetti to chicken marsala, it's the best place to go. The desserts are incredible and if you want a dessert drink, try the frozen tiramisu, it is out of this world.
Posted 07/05/05 | Report Abuse
Was this review helpful to you?
Latest reviews from Citysearch.
Poor excuse for Italian food / food tastes like out of a can
by georgiawith
Olive Garden is the poorest excuse for Italian food -- ever! I had a sampler platter and every item tasted the same - all seasoned alike and all were rather bland. I tried hard to eat them, but could get thru but 3 -4 bites from each item. I then set the platter aside. The waitress never asked why I did not finish (boy, I would have loved to have told her!). If you think their food is good, then I feel sorry for you (you have not lived till you have good Italian food). I was the guest of someone, and its a good thing, as i would have had a difficult time paying for what they call "food". Very bland flavors, and the food tasted like it came from cans.
Posted 08/10/07
This is not Italian food!!!
by melisea
Olive Garden has to be the worst Italian food I've ever eaten. Our entrees came out cold, the tomato sauce taste like ragu out of a can, and the service is rude. DON'T EAT HERE
Pros: NONE
Cons: Tasteless Food, Poor service
Posted 02/05/03
pitiful
by rock66
if anybody considers this italian food they are out of there minds and dont know what real authenic italian food is.If you want some real italian food go to carrabas.
Pros: good service, inexpensive
Cons: poor quality
Posted 12/29/02
Surely you jest
by boondoggle
The Olive Garden is the Best Italian in Orlando? Only if you like bland, unadventurous & wholly inauthentic wannabe Italian. And I own stock in the darned place!!
Posted 12/23/02
Best Italian - maybe in Russia!
by ztaucfkimmy
Great for groups - otherwise - come on - best Italian! I mean I love all the Darden Chain Restaurants and I am not knocking Olive Garden - best salad and breadsticks - but best italian - you people need to go out more! Stop hanging out in Bithlo and eating at the East Colonial location...venture further....there really is better!
Pros: groups, salad, breadsticks
Cons: americanized
Posted 11/14/02
Watered down Americanized version
by imcinnamon
Olive Garden is a watered down Americanized version of Italian food. This is the last place I would visit if I had a craving for Italian. I much prefer the Macaroni Grill, in Lake Mary, FL. The ambience is romantic, dimly lit, very good food, and choice of wine, service is good, and the waitresses will come to your table, and sing and sing Italian opera! (they sing beautifully)
Pros: unlimited salad
Cons: food isn't good, a bit pricey, slow service
Posted 10/31/02
Best Italian Food???
by joy6870
Maybe if you live in Kentucky...Olive Garden might be good. Other wise EWWWW! Carrabba's is definately better -- Or better yet For real italian food - other than Lasana, try Cafe Positano in Apopka near Hunt Club Blvd. If you want to have an extra special night - try Allegria on Lyman ave, in Winter Park. For a large group try Buca De Beppo's and ask for the kitchen table. It's just like my grandfather's kitchen....Olive Garden...It's like MickeyD's of italian food!!!
Pros: Cheap, Kid Friendly
Cons: Loud, Smoking, Sterotypical italian
Posted 10/29/02
Factory Food
by TeeROCK
How anyone can choose a chain that prepares it's entress ahead of time is beyond me... Over Romano's and Carrabas???
Posted 10/27/02
NOT UP TO PAR
by fourfun123
I HAVE BEEN TO MANY OF THE AREA OLIVE GARDENS AND AT ONE TIME THEY WERE GOOD. NOT SO ANYMORE. SERVICE IS GOOD AT MOST, BUT THE FOOD IS MORE LIKE A CAFETERIA. SORRY, BUT THEY REALLY NEED TO RE-THINK THEIR BUSINESS PLAN AND GO BACK TO QUAILITY.
Pros: SERVICE, PARKING, HOSTESS
Cons: FOOD, QUAILITY, PRICE
Posted 10/23/02
U R Kidding right???
by Ravenbrook
You have got me be kidding! Olive Garden used to have a commercial about some Italian Grandmother asking for the recipe of some dish. Well if my Grandmother were alive today(and yes she is Italian) she would slap the chef there for calling that stuff good food. Yes I will eat there as it is cheap and you get a lot of food; however, if I want good Italian there are a bunch of other places that do a better job to get my money!
Pros: cheap, good portions
Cons: cheap tasting sauce, quality of food - low
Posted 09/24/02
Olive Garden?! Are you kidding me?!
by trevi21
Anyone who rates the Olive Garden as one of the best Italian restaurants DOES NOT know real Italian food. I've lived in Italy and to say such things is a disgrace. I think you need to venture outside of the Fazzoli's, Olive Gardens, and Macaroni Grills to find true Italian food.
Posted 08/31/02
Good Eats Are Hard To Find
by gummifaustus
Eating at the Olive Garden is like eating a frozen dinner from the store. Infact, I like some frozen dinners more. They do have excellent service though. And thier cheesy Italian decor is usually clean also. If only the food the good, and then I might make them part of family like they so suggest.
Pros: Clean, Good Service
Cons: Food, Cost
Posted 08/29/02
No, don't do it!
by golfchick
I have never really had a good experience at the Olive Garden. Very bland food with not much excitement to the meal!
Pros: none, none, none
Cons: not unique, bad service, noisy
Posted 08/21/02
Great food
by dskoug
Olive Garden is a great resturant to eat pasta. Hope that you all try it it has lot's of great locations....
Pros: Seafood Alfardo, great Location
Posted 08/21/02
Extraordinary!
by maxwel
Olive Garden has come a long way in the past few years. The food and service continues to be the leaders amongst Italian restaurants. Many have tried to duplicate their concept but so far OG remains "Extraordinary" Grazie!
Pros: Consistent, Friendly, Clean
Cons: Too long of Wait, Need more restaurants
Posted 08/07/02
America's Italian Dynamo
by anklebiters
If I need an "Italian" fix, I know I can always be satisfied at Olive Garden. The bread sticks and alfredo sauce are not to be beat. I would recommend it to anyone who wants an affordable, enjoyable meal.
Pros: good food, inexpensive, take-out
Cons: crowded, not enough parking
Posted 07/22/02
Most reviewed businesses
Ciao Italia
by Krystal N.
I had the most horrible experience at this restaurant.I went here last ...
Louie & Maria's Italian Rstrnt
by Kimberly E.
I used to eat here when they were Amalfi's on Chickasaw. The ...
Broadway Ristorante & Pizzeria
by Chris M.
Visited Orlando and the front Desk ( Marriott Vacation Club) Recommended the ...