Italian Garden Restaurant — Restaurant in Bulverde

Came here for dinner with my family and we can honestly say we really tried to enjoy the experience, but there were a few things that took away from it. The lobster ravioli was good, but could have used a bit more lobster. There were tiny pieces, but more tomatoes than anything. Flavor was still good. The dinner salad that comes with it seems like yesterday’s iceberg lettuce with a couple tomatoes. The calamari lacked flavor and I wouldn’t order that again. The cheese pizza was good for the kiddos, but the chicken alfredo was a let down. The chicken was not the best quality and as someone mentioned in another review, it seems to be frozen chicken, but I could be wrong. My son didn’t eat it at all. He ate some of the noodles, but it did lack flavor. Not to mention, we could have just bought the adult portion, considering we paid about the same amount when adding the chicken to the kid’s alfredo pasta. My husband’s ceasar salad and soup were both forgotten about and he definitely waited a long time for his food, after we had already been waiting. We were almost done eating by the time his soup came out. The server was really nice and attentive, but she was doing pretty much everything. She was taking orders, busing tables, answering the phone and dealing with customers at the register. It’s no wonder she forgot a few things here and there. They need to hire extra people for a smoother flow. The cook also came out to help when he could, but they definitely could of used more help. There was an error splitting my bill and that took a minute. Then after waiting for that, as well, my card was charged for an small extra amount. No one knew why and neither do I, but I was given the amount in cash and received an apology. I believe in paying for good service, but zero discounts for a handful of mishaps is kind of disappointing. The bill was right under $100 for a not so...

Super disappointed 😞. I love to support local businesses and was excited to try the new Italian restaurant. First impression was that It felt dirty when I walked in. It looks like they kept the tables and chairs from the previous Mexican restaurant that was there. For being a new restaurant all the ceiling fans were caked on with dust, half the lights were out and the lights that were working were all different. Random decor that was literally from Goodwill because some of the bottles in the window sill had the Goodwill price tag on it. I ordered the chicken alfredo with shrimp added and when it came out, there was a small layer (maybe 5-6 bites) of pasta on the bottom of the plate COVERED in Alfredo sauce, literally four tiny rubbery (previously frozen)slices of chicken and four pieces of shrimp. They were out of diet Coke and brought me a regular Coke which was flat. The dishes looked second hand, server had to get me a new knife because it was dirty and the plastic cup smelled like dirty dishwater. This plate with the shrimp added was $22.00. I am all for paying prices for good value but this alfredo plate was maybe worth $4.99. I also had a salad that I think was $5 which was the worst parts of lettuce a couple of tomatoes and so drenched and ranch dressing I couldn't eat it. The server was great and kept saying how embarrassed she was because a lot of customers had been complaining about the alfredo and the rubbery chicken. The server asked if I wanted her to get the manager but I told her no we just wouldn't be returning. She took it upon herself to tell the manager our issues anyway and apparently he was too busy waiting on his own 2 tables to speak with any other customers and the server told us he said to her there's nothing he can do about it... Horrible...

I recently visited Italian Garden with high expectations, hoping to enjoy a home-cooked Italian meal, but unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory. While the waiter—who also served as the cashier and sole server—was doing his best, it was evident that the restaurant was severely understaffed, and this impacted the overall experience.

I ordered the grilled chicken and pasta dinner special, expecting a fresh, flavorful dish. However, what I received was quite the opposite. The chicken had a distinct frozen taste, lacking the tenderness and flavor that one would expect from a freshly grilled piece of poultry. The pasta, which I had hoped would be homemade, was clearly not—it was overcooked and lacked any notable texture or bite. The presentation was uninspired, making the meal even less appealing.

To make matters worse, the dish was over-salted, masking any potential flavor the ingredients might have had. It was so overwhelming that I found myself unable to finish the meal. Disappointed, I politely asked to settle the bill and leave. To his credit, the waiter kindly only charged me for the salad and drink, which I appreciated.

However, it's hard to overlook the fact that this establishment markets itself as offering home-cooked Italian meals—something that could not be further from the truth based on my experience. I left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed, particularly given the reputation that Italian cuisine has for its freshness, flavor, and attention to detail. I hope the restaurant takes steps to improve, as the current offering does not do justice to the tradition of...