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Olive Garden

Olive Garden review: cold food, management 83

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Author of the review
8:28 am EST
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Valentines Day nightmare. I ordered a steak and my wife ordered the kabobs. Both were to be cooked medium. When the food arrived the waiter carefully removed hers from the skewers, asked us to try our food and asked how they were. We both cut into them and they were both medium. My wife however noticed that hers was warm on the surface, but cold in the middle, like it had been sitting under a lamp for some time. The waiter apologized, took the plate back and said he would take care of it. When he returned, 15 minutes later, he cautioned that the plate was very hot. We noticed right away that the kabobs weren't on a skewer and only contained about half an order. When she cut into a piece of meat, it was hot allright, but it was also cooked well and had no juice left. The kitchen had either put it back on the grill or microwaved the heck out of it.

We had now been sitting at the table for over an hour and neither of us were interested in waiting any longer. We called the manager and told him we wanted our bill. We had never seen him there before and he just stared at the plates. He then said that he would have her kabobs re-made. My wife replied thanks anyway, but "my husbands dinner is now cold and this whole dinner experience is pretty much ruined. He finally said "just a minute". He left and returned, apologized and said that he had taken care of our bill. That was the end of it. He did nothing to entice us to return to his store and we will never go back. This is a real shame, because we live in the area and used to eat there a couple of times a month.

The first problem which was a cold meal was made even worse by the second problem, which was a manager that didn't have the first clue about customer retention.

Newnan lost a TGI Fridays last year due to lack of customers. Watch out

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

83 comments
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Jennifer7892008@yahoo.com
DELTONA, US
Nov 13, 2023 12:59 pm EST

The salad had olive seeds that almost broke my teeth and the soup was full of meat and the pasta tasted stayle so the whole meal was a disaster please send me some giftcards for my money back thank you current resident 2155 glenlock dr deltona fl 32725 i paid 60

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Makselman
New Cumberland, US
Nov 04, 2023 8:36 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My wife and I visited Olive Garden on 10/25/2023.

We were told there was a half hour wait for the

Classsico Lasagna meal at 6:00 PM Wednesday.

When we got our food the lasagna was flat and less then

a lunch size portion. Two meals.

Olive Garden

35 S. Willowdale Drive

Lancaster, PA

check #61073 $37.71 VISA DEBIT PAID

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krissy1230
ALSIP, US
Oct 11, 2023 6:59 am EDT
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I filed a complaint with you guys awhile ago about my gift card u sent me and unfortunately u guys gave me a gift card with a $0 balance so when i went in to get my dinner i now had to pay out of pocket. I am not happy at all with this and i keep reaching out to u guys and getting no where at all

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janet bianchi
MICANOPY, US
Sep 09, 2023 10:03 am EDT

I ordered. 2 lunch menu today and it was like a kids menu plate what is going on ?

Usually, the plates are much larger , very disappointed

Please respond

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Lila Tsuki
, US
May 29, 2023 3:12 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My 80-something year old parents just finished some strawberry shortcake they took home from your restaurant in Colonie, New York. Not long after finishing it, they both suddenly got nausea and both had diarrhea. Is it possible your strawberry are contaminated? Have there been any other reported cases there recently?

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Natasha Faison
, US
Apr 23, 2023 2:31 am EDT
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In my order of chicken fettuccine there was a long piece of metal like piece of a needle in my food.

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Kathleen Swanson
Flat Rock, US
Oct 30, 2022 7:17 pm EDT

The new way of serving Chicken Marsala is very bad. It is barely edible. Please go back to the old recipe. I can no longer go to Olive Garden for my favorite dish.

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Joseph Gschwind
, US
Sep 21, 2022 8:37 am EDT

I have seen your TV commercials and your Lasagna looks the way it is suppose to, but when you get it at your restaurants it comes out looking like a burrito and nothing like Lasagna.

This has happen twice at different restaurants.

My name is Joseph Gschwind

487 Ridgewood Lane, Ellenton, Fl. 34222

[protected]

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Terri
, US
Dec 08, 2019 9:42 am EST

They ran out of traditional smoith sauce they gave me tomatoes paste/pizza sauce instead from gfs market it was terrible I have severe hearty burn now

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Terri
, US
Dec 02, 2019 9:49 pm EST

They ran out of traditional smooth sauce available they gave me pizza sauce/ tomatoes paste from gfs market according to the manager I have severe heartburn now not a good experience

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Tony Rego
, US
Oct 19, 2019 11:53 pm EDT

This location is close to sports cents, young adults, wait staff relie on tips they should be able no it should be mandatory to add 18% tip on parties of 8 or more or reserve the right too. Ridiculous and why turn around is very high !

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Donald Markowitz
, US
Sep 21, 2019 8:29 am EDT

I ate at olive garden last night, and really did not taste my meal because i ate a lot of salad so took my meal home. I tasted it when i got home and too be honest it tasted so Salty i could not eat. When you spend over 20 dollars on just one meal thios should not happen My Name is Don Markowitz, Live at 128 Shadalane Walk Apt D Ballwin Mo 63011.

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crystal carter
, US
Jul 27, 2019 4:36 am EDT

I had to wait ten minutes just to be checked in while the manager sat on his [censored] and act like there wasnt people waiting to be checked in he has no customer service skills what so ever

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Crystal1331
, US
May 05, 2019 7:14 am EDT

My husband, daughter, & I went to the Olive Garden for dinner last night 4/26/19 in Centereach Ny. This is a normal for our family being that we love the Olive Garden and this location. After leaving we all started having an upset stomach. Now it's day two of all 3 of us with bad stomach ache and vomiting. It was definitely bad food.

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jodijackson
, US
Apr 02, 2019 1:41 pm EDT

we ordered a chicken parm and five cheese ziti with salads extra olive and dressing
the chick parm was not properly prepared and the ziti had hair in it. we called and complained but no remedy was concluded. We work hard for our money and when choosing to spend it we expect good service and food worth spending it on.

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Daveak
, US
Dec 11, 2018 11:56 pm EST

Food was not hot, sent back twice, still not very hot. Manager took back on third time. Manager removed item from bill, but did not get menu so we could reorder food. He just walked off. Bread was hot but a little hard, server got a new basket on bread.
Server was very good, and very attentive.

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Paul Doetsch
, US
Nov 19, 2018 7:29 pm EST

My wife and I eat at the Happy Valley location in Phoenix Az. Only complaint is taste of food sauce didn't have hardly any seasoning. 12-26-2015

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Susan Word
, US
Nov 13, 2018 7:23 am EST

You are an Italian restaurant.
You have Chicken Caesar Salad on the menu.

But you don't serve Caesar Salad

That's not only nuts but says to me "we make our salads ahead of time" "they are not fresh"

This is just WRONG

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SarahG3
, US
Nov 12, 2018 9:05 pm EST

My husband and I ate at the one in canton ohio on January 10, 2017. 3-4 hours later we both have fever, severe diarrhea, and severe vomiting. I will be contacting the local health department. This has happened multiple times at this location to people I know.

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Duble SS
, US
Nov 12, 2018 8:21 pm EST

It was so cold in the restaurant everyone was shivering. I asked the manager to turn the air up because everyone was wearing a coat. He said ok and never did.

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JT Quinter
, US
Nov 13, 2018 1:12 am EST

Look at their pattern of firing older workers and replacing with younger. Look at all of the Age and Race lawsuits they've had at Darden Restaurants !

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Shreya Vaje
, US
Nov 13, 2018 2:36 am EST

Your place here in new york times square just sucks. They thing i am a beggar waiting for their free salad and breadsticks. They upfrontly told me and my friends that i need to order entree or i wont get the free salad. I mean wtf was that? They didnt know how to talk to their customers. The lady manager is a big time idiot.

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Jcruz12
, US
Nov 12, 2018 2:55 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Waitress was very rude the entire time and when we asked for our second serving we received half a serving

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Eryana Sangel
, US
Nov 11, 2018 9:27 pm EST

Husband and I walk into a full Olive Garden, as normal we asked for the wait and told him a name, the server behind the desks asks my husband if he wants a high chair. (He's 20 years old and we obviously don't have kids.) meant it as a lighthearted joke but rude and degrading.

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Brianna rose
, US
Nov 04, 2018 12:56 pm EST

He always give customers bad looks like we did something wrong i am just not comfortable with him there always giving people bad looks

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Neal Nevells
, US
Oct 22, 2018 8:00 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

On June 19th 2017, I went to the Olive Garden in Holly Springs to get food only to find out that they didn't have any tomatoes for their salads. Also, when I got the food, it was cold.

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Kirsgag
, US
Oct 23, 2018 4:10 am EDT

Food was great but the service wasn't. Our waitress didn't come back once to check on us. We had to find her to ask for more salad which she brought without salad dressing. While waiting for our check she finally comes back and asks if we want bread sticks. Horrible experience which resulted in no tip.

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Shanej
, US
Oct 23, 2018 6:14 am EDT
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Came to enjoy stuffed mushrooms. Sold out

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KatieNash
, US
Oct 21, 2018 8:03 pm EDT

We came in to the restaurant and all the hosted acted like busy did not say welcome or how many... we sat there and waited, we thought maybe they are really busy during lunch ... then another couple came in, they look up and ask how many... I do not like the way those hosted treat us...

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Susan Hodges
, US
Oct 21, 2018 11:04 pm EDT

I have explained this now four times! Just call me n I will explain it. Got no responses each time...manager did give us $20 gift card which truthfully is an insult. Our meal was more than that...I did not check amount before we left or I would not agreed with that at all! Call me [protected] Susan hodges

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Red1972
, US
Oct 21, 2018 6:50 am EDT
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The air vents we were sitting next to are disgusting. There is a bad odor too.

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EPLSoccer
, US
Oct 02, 2018 4:45 pm EDT

It's not a complaint, I really enjoyed it, I was there on Sept 21 2018, with my Fiance for, and our servicer told us that Olive Garden isn't going to be making that dish anymore, please don't take it away, Keep it, Thank You Donna Morris

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Stephanie Ann
, US
Sep 19, 2018 2:27 pm EDT

The pasta served was untasty as the sauce didn't meet standards of other olive gardens. The chicken was dry and was overall disappointed with the food.

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Patrick8177
, US
Sep 19, 2018 12:41 pm EDT

For how much everything cost to eat here your salads are dry. Not enough salad dressing for each salad. Would like to see more salad dressing for each salad

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leonardo cabrera
, US
Sep 18, 2018 8:50 am EDT

During dinner at Olive Garden in cutler bay, Miami Fl on Sunday 08/ 28/17. One of the servers named kristaly approach my table said hello and started conversation that interrupted and ruined our meal. She was not even our waiter our waiter name was Luis.

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Summer harris
, US
Sep 18, 2018 6:12 pm EDT

I have sent yall 3 complaints and no one has answered me at all ans iam not happy i want my money back or put it back on my gift card i had an Egift card of 60.00 and i used it for the dinner we had a while.ago and now yall will not give it back cause we had poor service and bad food sorry i am upset over all this

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Unhappy365
, US
Sep 18, 2018 9:33 am EDT

Ordered soup/salad, chicken parm meal and chicken/shrimp pasta. Soup had no knocci in it. And the chicken parm was really crispy over done. Pasta barely any sauce or flavor. Which everything is always yummy. Pretty disappointed with the food this visit.

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Bryan Luke
, US
Sep 18, 2018 2:47 pm EDT

I waited 3hrs looking into my pc and has soon has it hit 2pm i click fast and still didnt win very disapointed if u click it fast you shouldnt wait in the waitinf room like come on guys not fair

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Bao TranQuoc
, US
Sep 18, 2018 6:25 pm EDT

Hi My name is Christopher Tran. I order the Pasta Pass Card order#24450. I was declined by credit card and was told to update. And after update it shows "Please fix and verify field mark in red". I didn't see any field mark in red.

Also Janice order number #12531 similar situation.

my contact number [protected]

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Aliyah P
, US
Sep 18, 2018 11:00 pm EDT

Went to orange, CT location 9/12/18 around 7:00pm with my family and I ordered soup & salad. When I received my soup it had a roach in it. Went in the front to get a manager all he had to say was "I'll get it of the table for you" no apology or anything. That's highly disgusting and the way the manager was so calm i can tell it happens often