Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Alaska

Overview: Tonight I picked up our $300 order from Olive Garden (1186 N Muldoon Rd, Anchorage Alaska) and was very disappointed. We ordered 2 half pans of Lasagna ($53 each), 3 pans of Fettuccine Alfredo ($38 each), two pans of chicken breast ($26 each), 4 dozen breadsticks ($6 each) and a bottle of dressing ($6).

Last week my wife and I went in and spoke with the staff to determine how much we needed to order. We requested to know the size of the pans and they showed us the size. That was good, or so we thought. The pan size was good, but when it was only filled 1/3 of the way that leads to a sad experience when you get your food just before the event. I always try to get a discount wherever I go so I asked them to throw in some breadsticks for free. You know the things that you can eat as many as you want for free while you are sitting in the restaurant. The manager repeatedly told me that everything was "value priced" and breadsticks did not come with the order. He finally relented and gave us 2 dozen breadsticks. He almost lost a $300 order over $1 worth of "free" breadsticks. I was satisfied with him throwing in the breadsticks.

Food: The lasagna was dry and put together is a sloppy order. One of the two lasagnas only had cheese and sauce on about 50% of the top layer. The other looked ok. Both lasagnas could have greatly benefited from some form of sauce. It was dry and mediocre at best. The three pans of Alfredo were not uniform in appearance and sauced in a haphazard way. I stirred the items together and they were decent. The six chicken breasts appeared more like three and it was pitifully meager. We had contemplated just buying a pack of chicken and throwing them on the grill ourselves, but since it was Mother's Day we opted to go with them. That was a mistake. Overall the food was severely overpriced despite the manager's multiple declarations that it was "value priced". In the food industry an item should be priced approximately 3 times the cost of the food to cover all other expenses and allow the business to make a profit. They charged about 5 to 6 times food cost, so I would say the value was not there.

Decor: The place looked fine. I only went in to the front.

Service: As stated earlier the manager almost lost a $300 order over $1 worth of breadsticks. The fact that they implied that the Alfredo pans were filled to a certain level was really disappointing. The Alfredo could have been served in the smaller pan (1/3) rather than the 1/2 pan and would have fit with no problem. Upon arriving to pick up my order I waited in line for about 2 minutes before speaking with someone. I was sent to the next line over to talk to the pickup order line. I went to pay for the food and was told a price higher than it was supposed to be. It appears that they did not realize that the manager a week prior finally relented and gave me "free" breadsticks. The cashier asked for a manager to adjust the order and lied to the manager about the reason. She just told him that the order was changed to get him to adjust it without having to explain the entire situation. That was good for me, but not so good for a successful restaurant. I waited about 20 minutes (10 minutes past when my food was supposed to be ready) and my food finally arrived in three bags. They dropped the food with me and I had to request help carrying it out.

I would not recommend ordering from them. I suppose since Olive Garden recently arrived they get to do things half way and people are happy to have...

We often go Olive Garden for Italian food because it is consistently good. Good portions, efficient staff and reasonable prices. I especially like their Soup, Salad and Bread Stick lunch. The soups are hot and well prepared. This restaurant is good for families and groups. They serve wine. Parking is not unusual a problem but when they are busy you may have to hunt for a space in the large lot and because of limited handicap parking spots you may not find one. They accept credit cards and reservations. During peak dining periods and holidays it is best to get reservations to shorten your wait time. When going a little before or after peak dining times you can usually be seated immediately. I don’t mean to make the parking or wait times a big issue because dealing with them is worth the dining experience. One issue that is a negative factor for me being retired military and a senior is they do not have a discount for either.

We started with the Calamari appetizer. It was served hot with two dipping sauces. The portion was reasonable, the calamari was tender and probably breaded with an excellent taste. My wife had Shrimp Scampi that was for tasty and well prepared. The medium size shrimp 🍤 were plentiful. The portion size was moderate. I had the evening priced Unlimited Soup, Salad and Bread Sticks. It cost a few dollars more than the lunch Special for the exactly same meal. The soup was hot, seasoned and filled with vegetables and pasta. They have three types of soup and if you want to change type if you eat more than one bowl you can. The waitress was excellent and checking on our table multiple times. She asked if I wanted a refill on my soup and salad which I did order more. The salad is fresh with the house dressing and served in a large bowl for all members to share at the table. Refills of salad and bread sticks are offered. The bread sticks are served warm and soft as fresh baked or warmed before serving. We had unlimited unsweetened ice tea the was excellent. To finish off our evening we shared a Tiramisu dessert which was wonderful. The cost of the meal with tip 20% and out any alcoholic or fancy drinks was just a few dollars under $100 for the two of us. I highly recommend this restaurant if you’re looking for excellent Italian cuisine in an...

Tonight I came in to have a quick drink and order food Togo. I initially asked to sit at the bar top but it was already closed and I was still offered the option to sit there regardless of the bar being broken down by the manager. I’m absolutely amazed at Dexter’s genuine hospitality and accommodation. Not only did he go above and beyond but exceeded all expectations and has impressed me beyond belief. I don’t normally leave reviews. I work in the industry myself so I’m aware of the hard work and dedication that goes into working in the industry. Dexter is the reason I’ll frequent this location more often! After I declined the offer to sit at the closing bar he offered me a booth and asked my preference. Upon being sat he asked if I’d like a beverage right away and I politely declined saying I’d wait on the server. He checked back with me twice asking if I had questions or needed anything because there was a transition in place and my server was unable to stop by. He took my drink order and brought me a water while I waited. I was ready to order and he took my my order and accommodated every request! He brought out my soup as well. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been disappointed in service especially in anchorage. This is the very first time I’ve just been left speechless with nothing but praises and admiration. Dexter is an asset and I hope is highly valued as he has made an excellent example of what the whole industry is about. I truly hope to cross paths again as I have enjoyed and appreciated all of his work and dedication. He excels the standard expectation and truly shines bright for this company. Thank you Dexter for this amazing experience I hope you are rewarded to the fullest extent!!!

Once Rachel Took over my table she also did an amazing job.

This is at the anchorage north location in...