Olive Garden
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
I love Italian food, and while this isn't at the top of my list it's very good and satisfying without breaking the bank. I particularly enjoy the salads and bread sticks, and I can order a light and flavorful vegetarian entree with fresh tomatoes and garlic over pasta for a meal that I don't have to feel guilty about. I like dining here so much that I own a few shares in the company.
I must mention that the last time I ate at the Overland Park location I had a particularly bad waiter. He didn't know the difference between red and white wines (I ordered a cabernet and he brought a white) and didn't seem at all concerned about his lack of knowledge. He mixed up several things in our order, would disappear for long periods of time, and kept badgering us to order desserts after we told him repeatedly we didn't want any.
Posted 03/11/09 | Report Abuse
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The food at this particular Olive Garden is of much lower quality than other Olive Gardens we've eaten at. Service is lackluster at best, staff are slow and sometimes surly to customers. We've gotten stale and moldy breadsticks, wilted salad, pasta missing its alfredo sauce -- you name it. Complaints to the manager get a bored response. It is as though the entire staff has been trained in "Poor Service 101" and seeks to excel at it. Despite all the problems, the place is always packed on weekends, and parking is a problem even on weeknights, since the lot is small and there is no convenient street or alternative parking nearby. Avoid this place and go elsewhere -- even Fazoli's is better than this.
Posted 03/17/07 | Report Abuse
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I believe that the Olive Garden is a good place for basic italian food. However, I do absolutely love their salad and bread sticks. I can make that in a meal by it self. This one is usually very clean and the wait staff are usually very nice. My favorite dish it the portobello ravoli and sun dried tomatoes. I also like their fried cheese sticks. If you want reasonable priced italian food, the Italian Garden is a good place to visit. Bring a hungry appetite.
Posted 05/17/06 | Report Abuse
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fair quality food for chain Italian. Variety, the salad and bread sticks are very good. Crowded on weekends and sometimes long waits for tables. Good for take out
PROS: Good chain food
CONS: service not always top notch
Posted 07/27/05 | Report Abuse
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
If You Love to Wait
by boomersooner60
The typical wait on Saturdays or Sundays between 12-3 pm is typically 25 minutes, sometimes more. I have had at least two visits there where my waiter/waitress all but ignored my table.
Pros: good food
Cons: long waits, lousy service
Posted 09/14/05
My favourite restaurant
by srjxtd
This is the first Italian place I had been to. I had been there for my friend's birthday party. Our feast consisted of Stuffed Mushrooms, Garden Salad, Chicken Marsala and the SO-HEAVENLY Tiramisu. I loved what it had to offer and now I go there almost every month with friends. I have also been to other Italian restaurants like Buca De Beppo but I prefer the Chicken Marsala @ Olive Garden.
Posted 07/21/03