Olive Garden, A Review
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

My Honest Review Of Olive Garden

Could be better, Could be worse.

220
My Honest Review Of Olive Garden
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olive_Garden_Italian_Restaurant.jpg

Olive Garden...

"When you're here, you're family."

We have all been to this staple restaurant chain at one point or another, especially with the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks being a staple of eating wisely – even more so on a college student's budget.

We have seen the array of the menu, ranging with fish, chicken, beef, and vegetarian options (all of which feature a 'lighter' dish or two for consumers that are careful of calories and their consumption), and their reasonable pricing to each meal. Unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks are customary to each meal, and there are options to only pay for the unlimited items if you're not interested with any other dish for the meal. Selections of wines are placed on the table accompanied by a dessert menu, a smart tactic on their part because you're immediately drawn to review and decide on a treat of either kind. Waiters are disseminated between multiple sections, and the staff is quite large in most venues. Having your meal prepared and arrive occurs quickly, with the exception of large parties, the wait time is between ten to fifteen minutes in my experience.

Olive Garden is a very nice place to eat with family and friends, truly fulfilling their promise in their slogan. However, their customer service can be unpredictable, and the business of the restaurant will determine the accuracy of the meal.

On the night that I went to Olive Garden, the restaurant was particularly busy, especially in the section that my friend and I were seated. Our waitress arrived in a timely fashion, no longer than five minutes (which was fine considering we were having a conversation), offered us a taste of their wine of night (I declined due to the fact that I'm underage), and wrote our drink orders down with our appetizer to bring out within ten minutes.

We didn't see or hear an attitude of any kind in the beginning, however as the night progressed and we asked for water or another salad, we noticed that her attitude shifted and became slightly impatient and less polite – it could have been due to another table or working hours, but it was unprofessional.

Our dinner was given to us within fifteen minutes of our appetizer, and we noticed that the sauce was wrong. We ordered the "Make Your Own Pasta" (which would be split for five dollars between us) with Cavatappi pasta and a "Meat Sauce". We didn't have many expectations because neither of us had had the meal before. Our meal arrived on two plates (which was especially helpful, so we didn't have to split the pasta ourselves and create a mess), and the sauce was steaming across the pasta and looked very delicious. It wasn't until our third or fourth bite than we realized the sauce was wrong.

We politely asked to have an extra sauce to have instead of sending the meal back (it truly wasn't necessary for a simple pasta) and there was a hint of an attitude because of our request. The rest of the staff was completely professional, and we were unaware of what caused the shift. We stayed at our table for around forty-five minutes, and we had to have our bill adjusted three times to ensure that we weren't paying the wrong amount.

It wasn't my favorite experience at the restaurant, however, I have had very pleasant experiences and meals at Olive Garden, and my opinion didn't shift much. We have all had rough days or an unprofessional moment or two (working in retail, myself included in this presumption), and I don't feel that making a judgment on an entire restaurant chain is fair because of one "off" meal.

Why does this review matter to you as a student, individual, potential consumer?

We talk about popular culture, "pop-culture", and we address topics of social media, music, television, interactions, but the food is not always brought into the categories. Popular culture is an important conversation because it naturally affects our ways of production and consumption. Our habits and natural draws to certain companies, foods, cultures, products are going to create a mass production and consumption.

Italian meals are a staple of American culture, hence the multitude of chains the exist throughout the country: Carrabba's, Olive Garden, Bucca Di Beppo – all of which claim to be authentic meals. However, if you are able to visit a true Italian restaurant, especially in Little Italy in New York, you will find that the meals are prepared much and taste vastly different. It's a cultural and local experience with chain restaurants, especially with the inclusion of pictures of Italy or floral wallpapers to exhibit the livelihood.

Such inclusions are due to the draw for consumers to build their business – building their consumption and therefore production, which creates the popular culture label.

Overall, Olive Garden is a well presented, tasteful restaurant. We can find professional customer service (on a great day) or ill-mannered staff, your food may be perfectly done or mistaken, and the collection of the bill and payments might take longer than expected. However, this is all customary to a chain restaurant and must be taken into account.

Is Olive Garden production of popular culture? Yes.

Is it unpleasant and not worth the money? Not necessarily.

A suggestion is to try new dishes and find what you like best if that's your restaurant of choice – you may find that your experience is much better than my own.

Here's to a successful review.

Happy eating!

Caitlin

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

52856
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

33969
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

956649
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

181441
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments