Olive Garden
When You're Here, You're Family
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
As someone who lives in New York City I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. I frequent many establishments in this area and would like them to be less crowded, so heading over to the Olive Garden for a "Never Ending Pasta Bowl" that will take you back to that time when you were in Florence eating a "Never Ending Pasta Bowl" as it is a famous Tuscan delicacy (as is the "Tuscan Burger" and Bourbon.) Enjoy!
Posted 10/11/09 | Report Abuse
Was this review helpful to you?
While in New York City we went to this Olive Garden. It is located right in Times Square. We had a great meal with the same service! We did have to wait a while to be seated, but we found a table in the bar area and got some drinks. This Olive Garden gets extremely busy because of it's location.
Posted 03/01/08 | Report Abuse
Was this review helpful to you?
I love Olive Garden, but I hardly ever go here because there is ALWAYS a long wait. I mean, the wait can sometimes be up to 2 hours on a weekend. When the weather is nice, you can walk around times square while you wait, but in the winter, its just not worth it to wait in the small bar area for your table. BUT if you do get a seat, the food is always excellent. I love their Italian Margarita with a shot of Amaretto and the lobster and crab stuffed Raviolli. They try to get u in and out of here fast since it stays crowded, but the staff is usually pretty nice.
Posted 06/15/05 | Report Abuse
Was this review helpful to you?
Latest reviews from Citysearch.
Excellent
by magicloop2009
Ths place actually makes me starving. Funny how I'm eating pasta now from Olive Gardens leftovers that I wrapped up. Great Italian style food. A taste of Italy with italian style music and instruments. Service is slow. Long wait and long lines are a strong possability. Remember it may take you forever to get the check. It get sbusy for the wators/waitresses. Though the employees are very nice and so is this manager in this particular chain.
Pros: Delicious thinking of this place makes me hungry
Cons: Crowds, slow service, prices, bad liqours
Posted 07/18/09
Letterman action
by approve
Since your rest. has cancelled ads. for the Letterman's show I will find an Olive Garden and eat there frequently. Good going! I like your company values.
Posted 06/17/09
great
by Poeticalmath
this place is the best it is clean and nicely decorated. and most importantly they have the best food in town you must try if you are in lakeside A+ for customer service as well
Posted 12/10/08
One of my favorite food chain restaurants
by kuk0lka
I have been to Olive Garden twice and am definitely planning to return. The seating is quite prompt on busy nights considering the size of the restaurant. So what that the food is not 'authentically Italian'? Who cares? People go to restaurants because they want to enjoy the atmosphere and the ambiance of the place. That is why I go to Olive Garden. The food is not over the top, but it's good; the drinks include all my favorite cocktails. The service is quick and very professional. Last time my boyfriend and I went there, we got charged for a glass of wine instead of the bottle we got! That will definitely make me come back!
Pros: excellent service, great ambiance, quick seating
Posted 11/25/08
Not Real Italian
by aerosync504
Too garlicy. I smelt it on me for the rest of the day. It was very busy during lunch time. We sat down quickly but the waitress had a lot of other tables. Not a huge fan. If you think this is good italian food you've obviously haven't tasted authentic italian food.
Pros: Sat quickly
Cons: Too much garlic!
Posted 11/19/08
Horrible Experience......
by vodkalima
After a long wait of about 45 min. I was about to be seated, I had my shopping bags on the chair but we were missing 2 friends that went to the bathromm while waiting, The hostess for some reason thoought that we were only 2 and when I told her she had the nerve to tell me that she could not seat us until everyone was there? I told her that my friends were in the bathroom and she didn't care and didn't give us the table until they were there. I've to some Olive Gardens in NJ, and I loved them but here it seems that the food was a little below on the other places.... I loved the waiter but never go back to this location.....
Pros: Rude Hostess. not the right food
Cons: Good Value
Posted 08/26/07
Poor excuse for Italian food
by georgiawith
Ohhhhhh my, I cannot believe that New Yorkers actually like the Olive Garden. What has gotten into you guys??? They have the worst food ever -- bland as can be. Try any place in Little Italy for Italian food. If you really think that Olive Garden has Italian food -- you have been living in a cave!!
Pros: nothing
Cons: bland food that is NOT Italian
Posted 08/10/07
NOW THAT'S ITALIAN!
by booch5151
Everytime my Uncle Mario comes to NY from Sicily, I bring him to the Olive Garden. He said that the Garlic Cheesy Bread and Never-Ending Pasta Bowl remind him of the old country. Try the Veal Francese; it's the best you'll have on this side of the Mediterranean! FORZA ITALIA!
Pros: Parmigian Cheese, Lou the Bartender
Cons: Nothing
Posted 10/01/06
Do not even go there!!
by genine810
I honestly can not believe that people eat at Olive Garden when they are a few short blocks away from Resturant Row in midtown. I made the mistake of being dragged there and I was so disappointed, there is nothing authentic about the food. I am not sure where there other reviews live but this is coming from a native New Yorker - go to Little Italy - you wont be disappointed.
Pros: Location
Cons: Food is horrible
Posted 07/31/06
Great food, low prices!
by WizardCrab715
I have taken my girlfriend four times to the Olive Garden in Times Square, New York, NY. Considering the quality of the food and service and its location, you would expect to pay much more. Enjoy a great Italian meal with your significant other for $50 or less. Highly recommended!
Pros: Good service, Inexpensive
Posted 06/20/03
Good Food !
by shinobuny
Everytime we go there, it is very crowded. (Of course, we had to wait long time because it is crowded. If you complain about waiting, go somewhere else.) My husband and I love their food there. Pasta is very good. We also love the peach tea. You get free refills. Big value size food. I've been to Carmines few times, and Olive Garden few times. I like Olive Garden better now. They include 15% tip because many tourists who doesn't know about tip go there. The service is better than most of the restaurants in the city.
Pros: Really good pasta, Good Value
Cons: Bit Expensive
Posted 01/02/03
Their food is ok, service is better.
by goodtaster
I went to the Olive Garden for the first time a few months ago, and the food was ok. The entree soup was phenomenal, but the food was just ok. I would have paid the price that I paid just for the entree soup by itself. But again, the food was just ok. Service was another thing. Service was also good, considering that the place was crowded, the server served us properly, and offered us more soup...again, the main plate was just ok. 150 words max...oops...too little space!
Pros: inexpensive, good service, good soup
Cons: bad parking, bad main plate, little privacy
Posted 11/19/02
Tipping on Take-Out Food
by katcrifer
Apparently a norm at Olive Garden to be charged a dining-in surcharge and a tip when ordering on take-out food. Also the norm to include the tip of 15% on the bill total. Only at Olive Garden....
Pros: free and unlimited, breadsticks/salad
Cons: very loud
Posted 10/21/02
amazing
by lanarx
The food is amazingly deliscious and fresh and the views of the city are breathtaking!!
A must go especially if you are in Times square
Posted 08/28/02
Excellent place
by Lucreshia
Great food, service and setting! I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to enjoy authentic Italian food at amazingly resonable prices (considering the location). Check it out!
Posted 08/15/02