Restaurant review, experience, etc......

moreluck

golden ticket member
If you don't like the way I tell my experience....tell someone who cares !!!

We went to Olive Garden for dinner last night.
I was really excited about spaghetti & meatballs. I can't begin to tell you what a fiasco it was. Erma Bombeck could probably do it more justice than me, but she's not around to tell stories anymore.

As most stories go, it all started at the beginning. Olive Garden on a Friday night is very busy.....even at 4:30 !! Of course, being located in what used to be called Leisure World is all people over 70.

We gave our name at the desk and said "party of four". They were calling parties of 2 and 3 and some were people who came in after we did. We finally approached the desk and asked...."how much longer?"

They said they called us 4 minutes ago. Lie, lie......we had been standing there all along. So, after a 20 minute or so wait, we were shown to our table.

Our waiter came up and said, "my name is 'Hummus Head' or 'Couscous Charlie' and I'll be your server tonight." I knew from then on, it was going to be a rough ride.

We looked at the menu and were ready to order. Val and Lisa ordered soup and Bob & I ordered salad. He brought out our salad and it was about 15 minutes before he brought out soup for Lisa & Val. You'd think we'd all want to eat together......

He took our orders.....Val ordered an appetizer and an entree.....I ordered spaghetti &
meatballs.

He brought all of our entrees. Mine was spaghetti with meat sauce and not a meatball in sight!!

Of course, I asked,"where's my meatballs?" He's like "oh, I'll go get you a couple of them right away.......10 minutes later....still no meatballs and I've yet to begin to eat....everyone else is half done..

He finally shows up with some 'naked' meatballs. I told him to take it all away and don't charge me for any dinner that I didn't get. In the first place, when you order spaghetti & meatballs, I've always in the past gotten pasta, marinara sauce and a couple of sauced meatballs.

So much went wrong in such a short span of time, I felt like that Peanuts character with the dark cloud over his head all the time.

The new manager (there just 3 weeks) handled the situation well and I didn't get mad....usually I fly off the handle. She charged us for nothing and gave us a $25 gift card and said to give them another chance in the future.

I will never go back on a Friday night.......maybe a week night at 4:oo.
 

upschuck

Well-Known Member
I rarely go to Olive Garden, because when I do they always are out of it. One time I wanted 3 different things, from appetizer to desert, and got none of my first choices.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Until last night we never had a bad experience there. I order the same thing everytime we go there. I am now getting experiences from other people who see Olive Garden as declining.

The part-timers just don't seem to care and the Darden Co. (Olive Garden parent) were one of the first to mention having to knock back hours in order not to pay health care on those employees.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Read the first sentence again.........my experience, my story. I don't owe you an explanation about anything and I don't have to answer any of your flaky questions !!.
 

BSWALKS

Fugitive From Reality
Not fan of Olive Garden, but we went tonight, using some gift cards we got for Christmas. Had totally opposite experience.
Got there about 4:30, got seated in a few minutes.
Ordered & food came out very quickly, & hot too.

It's funny you remarked about the workers hours being cut. I actually said to my wife that they looked overly staffed.
 

upsoldtimer

Well-Known Member
I don't frequent chain restaurants……Olive Garden is as much Italian as Taco Bell is Mexican …….which is to say both are not the real deal baby…...
 
We have a OG that's less than a year old in town. The food and service has always been good so far.

I agree with Oldtimer though. OG is what we call pinch Italian. It'll do in a pinch.
 

BSWALKS

Fugitive From Reality
I don't frequent chain restaurants……Olive Garden is as much Italian as Taco Bell is Mexican …….which is to say both are not the real deal baby…...
Don't like most chains either. My family likes OG, & I usually get dragged into going there. It was a good experience tonight. Recently tried a chain Mexican joint- Chipotle. Actually pretty good.
 

gingerkat

Well-Known Member
If I ever go to Olive Gardens, it's only at lunchtime. I really hate when it's crowded, the service is poor and the food is luke warm.

But tonight I went to a fabulous Mexican place in Calabasas! Of course it didn't hurt that the waiter thought I was one of his peeps. I asked for my Beef Steak Ranchero extra spicy and hot damn it was yummy! Well done mucho expensivo place (see I'm a whitey - hahaha).

Don't worry More, just keep reviewing at whatever pace you want
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
I like Olive Garden. I just find it comical that someone would link one poor dining experience to an overhaul of our national healthcare system.
When I consider the "why" it all comes in to play.....like no training for the wait staff.....attitude adjustments needed. Just submit your own restaurant experience ....mine was awful. Bucco di Peppo is further away but maybe worth the ride next time.
How often do you get company from Hawaii and you have one chance to have a nice meal out??????

I bbq'd steaks on the grill with grilled peppers tonight.....perfect meal !!!
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
I'm not a fan of Olive Garden, I would rather eat at Carabba's if I want to eat Italian at a chain restaurant. They make everything from scratch everyday, Olive Garden does not.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Like I said.....my story the way I tell it.....mentioned in my first sentence was to tell someone who cares if you don't like my way.

I couldn't pronounce the name he introduced himself with........too bad it wasn't Tony or Gabriel or Alphonso or Sonny ! Too Italian for you....or is it OK when I do Italian names......greaseball, dago, whop, ........shocked? Get over it....Archie Bunker was doing it a long, long time ago.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Got a message from a friend in Ohio/Florida and his experience with O.G. has gone downhill too. They got some toasted bread with tomatoes and stuff on top(bruschetta) sp.. The bread had grill marks and the stuff on the visible side....it tasted funny so he flipped it over......no grill marks and the start of mold in several spots. Ewww!
 

DriveInDriveOut

Inordinately Right
Like I said.....my story the way I tell it.....mentioned in my first sentence was to tell someone who cares if you don't like my way.

I couldn't pronounce the name he introduced himself with........too bad it wasn't Tony or Gabriel or Alphonso or Sonny ! Too Italian for you....or is it OK when I do Italian names......greaseball, dago, whop, ........shocked? Get over it....Archie Bunker was doing it a long, long time ago.
If you wanted to be served by someone named "Gabriel or Alphonso or Sonny", maybe you should have gone to a real Italian restaurant, or gone to Italy. I went to Taco Bell the other day and the lady was named Lashonda, I wasn't upset that her name wasn't Juanita. Welcome to America.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Your service was stellar at Taco Bell...good. I always have good food and good service at my many times at Taco Bell....always get #3 on their menu

. We've been to mom & pop IT. restaurants.....I make great meatballs & sauce athome.......it's disappointing to go to"real Italian restaurants" and get crap food and it's expensive to boot.

I gave up on the fancy places years ago....large 16" plate with teeny, tiny filet in center........c'mon, I want real food, real good.........is that too much to ask?

held several waitress jobs when I was younger. I know what good service is and now, with no filter in place......you give me bad service and you'll know it too.
Train your people......customer is #1.......everyone has forgotten that little fact.
 

DriveInDriveOut

Inordinately Right
Your service was stellar at Taco Bell...good. I always have good food and good service at my many times at Taco Bell....always get #3 on their menu

. We've been to mom & pop IT. restaurants.....I make great meatballs & sauce athome.......it's disappointing to go to"real Italian restaurants" and get crap food and it's expensive to boot.

I gave up on the fancy places years ago....large 16" plate with teeny, tiny filet in center........c'mon, I want real food, real good.........is that too much to ask?

held several waitress jobs when I was younger. I know what good service is and now, with no filter in place......you give me bad service and you'll know it too.
Train your people......customer is #1.......everyone has forgotten that little fact.
From your original post, it sounds like it was everyone BUT the waiter's fault. Your only problem with him was that YOU couldn't pronounce his name. I'm sure you called him "Hummus-Head or Couscous Charlie" to his face, or did you just save those little gems for an anonymous online forum?
 
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