My fault -just venting!

[JessicaR]

I have to say we all agreed that the breadsticks, soup and salad were really good. Unfortunately it ended there.

Never tried Carrabas but thats another parking lot thats always full. We just got a Ragazzi's and it seems to be doing very well with good reviews. Anyone eat there? http://www.ragazzis.com/locations.html

Same son had a Birthday today - we sorta kinda let him pick the restaurant. He wanted hibachi and we all had a great meal.

 

[LoriABil]

Once (when DH and I were dating) we ate at Red Lobster. DH paid in cash, and was going to take the tip out (I think it was $23 and he left 2 $20s). Anyway, some friends saw us and called us over. We went to their table to say hello and chatted a bit. We left the restaurant and went to a movie. About half way through, DH started and sat bolt upright. "I never got my change!" it was almost a $20 tip! I hope she appreciated it...we were poor college students at the time, so that was a lot of money. It still is! But now at least we can laugh about it.

 

[Kathi OD]

I have never understood the draw at either Olive Garden or it's sister restaurant Red Lobster. Both are just yuck!

 

[kosto6]

Our family LOVES the Olive Garden! I really don't get all the complaints and they are always packed.

 

[Teacher03]

I used to tend bar at an Olive Garden many moons ago. Needless to say, I've seen the kitchen, and how the food is made/prepped. The managers instructed all waitstaff to tell customers that all pasta, including lasagna, was made fresh daily. That is absolutely not the case. They rarely threw anything out, even if it was obviously "past its prime". I would never eat at an Olive Garden again after seeing what I saw while working there. Probably the dirtiest kitchen I ever saw while I was in the restaurant biz.

I agree. I took my Girl Scout troop on a tour there years ago.....I couldn't believe how dirty the kitchen was. I haven't eaten there since.

 

[DAD21]

Its American Italian. I was raised on traditional Italian. There are few places that serve passable Italian food to me. The best Restaurant Italian from a chain is Buca de Beppo. Understand, its still a chain, but the food is good.

If I truly want a traditional Italian meal...... I make it. Ive always said my Grandma ruined me because I cant really eat out and get Italian.

And for those of you who are confused

Italian is not pronounced... Eye'-tal-yen. The country isnt Eye-tal-lee

I don't believe the op was looking for your opinion on the choice of restaurant. I am glad you are so proud of you Eyetalian, lol, heritage, but it doesn't make you right.

 

[LilyWDW]

I don't believe the op was looking for your opinion on the choice of restaurant. I am glad you are so proud of you Eyetalian, lol, heritage, but it doesn't make you right.

Ummm... what?

Actually, a poster asked (may have been the OP) what the appeal of Olive Garden was. The poster you quoted gave their opinion on that question.

Don't know why you felt you had to question it....

 

[jenny105]

I used to work as a server for Houlihans. We did the same thing, never mentioned that the gratuity was already added in hopes we'd get double tipped. Not the most honest thing in the world but when you're only making $2.13/hr... Always gotta pay attention to that bill!

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Too much cheese.
Everything is just loaded with cheese.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I too don't think the food at Olive Garden is that good. Here's my theory on why the Olive Garden is always packed...People like the unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks with their meals. it makes them feel like they are "getting their money's worth."

Or maybe we just like the food?

These threads always simultaneously amuse and annoy me.

 

[Tink9721]

Well, I am not ashamed to say I like Olive Garden. I have always liked Olive Garden.

Same here. I've always loved it!

 

[MichelleVW]

I confess, I do like OG once in a while. I like the soup & breadsticks. LOVE their sangria. We have a couple of restaurants where we can get "real" Italian, but once in a while OG hits the spot.

I like it too, it's not my fav, but we go there about once a year and it's yummy.

Two much cheese.
Everything is just loaded with cheese.

You can never have too much cheese...

 

[npmommie]

from what another poster said upthread, I am now wondering if they recycle those uneaten breadsticks from one table to another.

 

[MichelleVW]

from what another poster said upthread, I am now wondering if they recycle those uneaten breadsticks from one table to another.

Who has uneaten breadsticks? We put them in a to go box and take them home!

 

[npmommie]

who has uneaten breadsticks? we put them in a to go box and take them home!

lol

 

[MIGrandma]

I have never understood the draw at either Olive Garden or it's sister restaurant Red Lobster. Both are just yuck!

I don't care too much for Olive Garden. The food on their television advertisements doesn't look appealing to me at all. DH likes going with they have their bottomless pasta bowl so we do go once in awhile, I just get the soup, salad and breadsticks.

Now Red Lobster I do love. It is the only seafood restaurant we have here. I've been wanting to go since they are running their lobsterfest. What I don't get is seeing Red Lobster restaurants in Florida, when they have great non-chain seafood restaurants. But RL is our only choice here.

 

[momof3poohlovers]

Last night my family and extended family ate at Olive Garden. We were a party of 11. The bill comes at the end and I am busy with my 2 year old nephew so not paying attention at all. I look at the bottom line - add the 20% and pay cash. My dad calls me today - how much was that bill last night? I asked why and he said seemed like a lot of $ for Olive Garden. Never crossed my mind but we never eat at Olive Garden either. Sure enough the bill had an 18% gratuity added to it already. I know better with large parties just wasnt paying attention.

I have no intention of doing/saying anything and I hope the kid gets something nice with the extra $50. If it were me I would have mentioned the gratuity was added. I did thank my Dad for snapping me out of my ignorant bliss and making me aware of what I did.

Thank you - I feel better.

BTW - I thought the food quality wasnt up to par. Whats the appeal with this place?

Don't feel bad, we did this on our first Disney trip at Cape May. There were 10 of us so the waiter who only brought drinks not only got 18% automatic gratuity, but my aunt then tipped him another 20% on top of that. The funny thing is, we were staying at the Beach Club so we ate there again the following night, had the same waiter and boy did we get great service! Unfortunately for him, we had already realized that the gratuity was already on there.

 

[Witch Mountain]

As a previous poster said, you made that server's week.

I don't get the appeal of the place, either. The first time I went was with the ex husband and his family-they loved it. And this was in NY and his dad was full Italian.

My current husband's family also loved it (it was his mom's favorite restaurant), and the only time I've been in the nearby location was with the in-laws. My mom was big on Maggiano's or Macaroni Grill, but I wouldn't order traditional italian food at either place. Guess I'm picky because I grew up on my mom's homemade stuff.

Meanwhile, as I type this, I'm eating stuffed shells from the local place that's owned by a family from northern Italy. My family loves this place-and it's like cheers-they know everybody's name. One son had leftover fettucine alfredo, the other had pizza that's as good as any we'd get in NY.

Now that my MIL is gone, I doubt we'll ever be back to an Olive Garden.

 

[ChiCat]

Everyone jokes that I'm a snob but I pretty much refuse to eat at expensive chain restaurants like OG or Applebees. The food isn't good, now food at my hospitals cafeteria isn't great either but I'm only paying like $5 for that instead of a $15 entree at OG.

What really kills me is when people from back home (Indiana) come visit me and they want to go to Maggiano's or Rainforest Cafe... really?! I live in a city with a ton of great restaurants some very expensive but many are totally reasonably priced and you want to eat at a chain! What the heck.

Anywho to the OP I don't know if I've ever accidentally overtipped double the amount. I'll usually add on a few extra bucks over the set tip amount if service was good. BUT like another person here I once went a week or two where I undertipped and felt terrible about it once I figured it out. I usually tip 20% because it's easily to figure out when I round up the bill, you know $20 is a $4 tip and so on but somehow in those two weeks I flipped it around and thought it was $2 so I was going out for like a $50 meal and tipping $5 and not thinking twice about it