Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Florida

I ordered dinner on their app to go while still shopping at the Gulf Coast Town Center with my wife just before 6pm and it was to be ready for pick up by 6:30pm. We arrived at 6:25pm and one of their workers came out to our car, asked for our name, and told us our food would be out shortly. After 15 minutes passed and watching several other cars come and go with their orders, I went up to the entrance and asked a different hostess that greeted me what was going on and was told “ they’re working on it now, it’ll be out shortly.” So I went back to my car and waited. After another 5 minutes and seeing more orders being brought out to other customers I again went back up to ask what was going on and was told this time by the worker that originally greeted us that “There was a huge back up in the kitchen and they’re working to get it out ASAP” and again I went back out and waited. After another 5 minutes and watching the workers take many more orders to other cars that had arrived long after us I finally went in and asked for a manager and some info on what exactly was going on. He disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes and finally comes back with my order and tells me “I’m sorry, I don’t know how but it just got lost in the shuffle.” and just before 7pm I finally get my food .... so in the time it took for my wife and I to finally get our food we ordered ahead of time for pickup to solely avoid having to wait we probably could’ve just gone in, gotten a table, been served, and been on our way home. Absolute atrocious customer service. But more than that, I’d like to know who was lying to me? The first worker that told me “They were working on it, it’ll be out shortly.” because if they actively working on it and aware they were behind on our order how does it get lost just like that, especially when I ask a second time. Or was it the hostess that told me “They were backed up” probably trying to by time/cover her end (who also could’ve have ACTUALLY CHECKED ON WHAT WAS GOING ON?!?!?!) Or was it the manager telling me “it got lost” when they really threw it all together when they finally realized they never made our order to begin with... I don’t know and I’d bet the odds on getting that truthfully answered are about the same as me taking my money here again. Needless to say this left a terrible taste...

So for my birthday, I wanted to have a nice dinner with my family. So when we arrived, we went inside, spoke to the host, and told her we were a family of five. We were told the wait would be 5–10 minutes until we were seated. So we went ahead and had a seat in the waiting area. Two minutes later, a family of eight came in; they had a reservation for a party, so they were of course already seated at a table. After that, another family of five came in and was seated before us as well. Now here comes another family of five. They were told their time and went to sit down in the waiting room. Now, right after we were asked if it would be ok if we had a table and booth, we of course said yes and were told it would be a 5–10 minute wait. About 5 minutes into the wait, another employee came up and said that the table of 5 was no longer available and that they were going to try and find another table for us to sit at, so we said okay. Not even 30 seconds later, the last family that came in was seated before us at the table that was all of a sudden no longer available. My aunt spoke up about that family being seated before us. We were told that since we had a baby, it would technically be a family of 6, so they thought we would need more room for said child. Mind you, we asked for no booster chair because we were holding the baby, so there was no need for them to give it away, so we of course asked to speak to a manger, who was no help at all and did not try and solve the solution. They just kept saying the seating arrangements were for a baby seat, which we clearly did not ask for. I felt as if we were racially discriminated against, as we are a black family and all those who were ahead of us were white families. And to break the news of our table being given away, it was a black or biracial woman as the two white employees stood in a huddle, watching...

The food here was absolutely fantastic, as it always is! I ordered the meatball parm and the shrimp, and both dishes completely blew me away. The meatball parm was rich, savory, and bursting with flavor, with perfectly cooked meatballs smothered in just the right amount of sauce and melted cheese. The shrimp was equally impressive—fresh, tender, and seasoned to perfection. You could tell a lot of care went into preparing both dishes, and every bite was a treat.

What really stood out, apart from the incredible food, was the service. The staff here are some of the friendliest I’ve encountered. They’re always welcoming, attentive, and quick to make sure you have everything you need. Even during busier times, they maintain a great attitude and keep things running smoothly. My food came out in no time, which was a huge bonus—it’s always nice to have such an efficient experience without feeling rushed.

This spot has become a regular go-to for me, and meals like this are exactly why. The combination of flavorful, high-quality food and top-notch service makes it a place I’m happy to return to time and time again. It’s clear that they’re committed to creating a great experience for their customers, and they succeed every time.

I can’t wait to come back again soon and try even more from the menu. It’s rare to find a place that consistently delivers on all fronts, but this one nails it. Whether it’s a quick meal or a sit-down dinner, I know I can always count on them for a fantastic experience. See...