Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Dickson City

There is a reason I don't go to Olive Garden, but a friend wanted to go for her birthday, so I went. Yes, we anticipated a smaller party and last minute a few more people tagged along, so the servers were kind enough to push two tables together quickly to accommodate. The server gave us all menus, gave two of the kids kid's menus, and then gave us ONE pack of those cheap crayons. Two crayons to pass back and forth across people! Then, the server took forever to get the drink orders for the 5 other people at our table. My friend and I had out drinks as we arrived first. We placed our entree orders and waited. And waited. And waited. The breadsticks and salads finally arrived. I expected a small personal salad with my meal, as last time I went I was given a large bowl of salad and breadsticks upon arrival, but we all shared a third full bowl of mostly toppings. The breadstick refill took a while, too. Drink refills were nearly impossible to get, few and far between. We were trying to be a very easy table, too, but the service was just not there at all. I understand a big table is difficult, but writing our orders down would have easily prevented our plates getting messed up several times. We also asked for another plate for the breadsticks, which never came, so two guests shared a plate thankfully. Two of our guests ordered soup to go with their meals. The server brought out the soups and brought us the wrong soup. She just placed it in front of me and told us we could just have it. Nice thought, but it was so flavorless and...sour? That was the best way to describe it. I took a few bites before giving up. The main entrees were pathetically small for the price. I got the Five Cheese pasta, and it was something I could have whipped up at home for under $5. The pasta was still a little hard and it had no flavor. The entire experience was disappointing. The resturaunt was clean and well taken care of and our party thankfully kept each other entertained, but the service and food quality was subpar. Last time I went was over 3 years ago. Hopefully I don't have to go back...

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with my recent order I placed online for your Scranton, PA location, which did not meet the expectations I have come to associate with Olive Garden, based on my previous experiences in New York.

After moving to Pennsylvania, I was excited to order the "Create Your Own Pasta Dish" with the Spicy Three-Meat Sauce, along with the Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Bucatini, as both dishes were appealing and offered a flavor profile I enjoy. Unfortunately, my experience fell short in several ways.

Firstly, the pasta dish arrived at a lukewarm temperature and lacked adequate sauce, which was a primary reason for my choice. Despite mixing it thoroughly, it did not resemble the appetizing presentation on your website. Secondly, the Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Bucatini contained a piece of what appeared to be either plastic or hair like substance, leading me to discard the meal out of concern for my safety.

While the signature salad and Pasta Fagioli soup were enjoyable, they were the only components of my nearly $50 order that I found satisfactory. Given the issues with the main dishes, I would like to request a refund for those items, excluding the salad, soup, and side of meatballs, which were at least edible. Attached are pictures to show you how little sauce was given to me on both dishes but also the plastic/hair like substance found in my Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Meal a $24 coat to me that I had to throw away for my own safety as mentioned above!

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely, Paul S.

Uber Delivery Order ID: DE358 Order number: #2523101538138864 Date: Placed on Aug 19, 2025, 8:21 pm Order From Scranton 1500 Scranton-Carbondale...

WARNING: $4.79 will be added to your bill. It'll remind you of the "Bait and Switch" tactic. You'll have breadsticks put on your table, and be asked if you would like alfredo or red dipping sauce. You'll be given your choice, then the meal will go on. You'll be thankful for the dipping sauce. When you get your bill, though, you'll find $4.79 added. "What's this?" you'll ask. When you check with your waiter, and ultimately a manager, you'll learn about the charge for the dipping sauce. The manager (not the GM) will curtly remark to you, "It's on the menu. You need to read the menu!" So folks do NOT miss a line when reviewing the menu. Even if you are not interested in the salty breadsticks, be sure to read the small print about them. Olive Garden, Scranton, PA, is pushing the dipping sauce for the breadsticks, the manager advised. You'll not be advised of an extra cost for the dipping sauce. Afterall, what's an extra $5. out of your pocket these days? If won't break you if you're going out to dinner anyway... I treasure each and every one of my dollars. I work a long week to put money in my pockets. I especially don't want any surprises on my bill at the end of a meal. JUST LET ME KNOW FIRST!!! AND I DO NOT WANT A HAUGHTY MANAGER TELLING ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE READ THE MENU, RATHER THAN BE ADVISED OF THE COST OF SOMETHING AHEAD OF TIME. (Fire her a__! Sorry, my soul is still crying out for justice.) In the end, the $4.79 was taken off the bill, but not without my objecting vehemently, and my being exposed to the lofty, undeserving flunky who was part of the team...