Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Fort Wayne

My party entered this establishment at around ten till two one bright Saturday. We had just gotten back from a wonderful bible study and walked into an equally stimulating study of the Italian cuisine. I say Italian cuisine, but Olive Garden is so much more than mere Italian food. When those immigrants crossed the gangplank at Ellis Island, they entered a land of opportunity, entrepreneurship, and inventiveness. From the telephone to the airplane, America has always been at the forefront of technology and creativity.

Italian immigrants were often treated very poorly, seen as below the other residents of the states, though they themselves were only a few generations established. Those immigrants, they did not have the comforts or many of the fresh ingredients of home, and so, necessity was the mother of invention. Those delightful dishes that they invented are the lifeblood of many people. Who couldn't resist a steaming fettuccine alfredo, that creamy, buttery goodness invented right here? Or a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, the latter ingredient not appearing in any restaurant of the motherland?

The real genius behind Olive Garden, however, is the logo, the motif that permeates each fine establishment from New York city, to Los Angeles. The olive branch, the symbol of peace, a new Pax Romana, a new Italian empire, the envy of the world. And what an empire! Having visited Italy twice myself, I can attest that Olive Garden is a taste, a glimpse, a portal, into Tuscany, into Roma.

My party and I walked in and were promptly seated in the coziest corner imaginable, despite the throngs of people eager to sample the resplendent fare. The stucco walls and paintings of Italian villas gave an air of sophistication and immersion to the experience, as if we were really at the Galleria Accademia. Our waiter attended to us and we order drinks, and I must say, what a heavy pour they had, the refreshments were always promptly refilled when a cup ran empty. Of course, no Olive Garden experience would be complete without a mention of the bread sticks, the antipasto of the gods. Ceres would be envious of this divine creation. I ordered the shrimp fettuccine alfredo and my, what a dish. The plate stretched like the Atlantic, fitting for such a maritime dish. When ceased eagerly spooning the noodles and shrimp into my mouth, my stomach was satiated, indeed I barely needed dinner.

Others in my party even split dishes amongst themselves and were still full. The service was excellent, the payment went as smooth as expected, and my senses were opened to new heights of Italian cuisine. Let that olive branch stand as a symbol, as a paragon of hope and peace in a dark, hungry, war-torn world one meal at a time....

I'm an avid diner with Olive Garden and love your food, as I travel for work, but over the past year or so... 1. Thank you for increasing the thickness of the cut of eggplant, now I can at least find it amongst all the breading. Thank you. Could be thicker though, would taste better with more eggplant and less of your newest, tastless breading receipe. One eggplant retails for about $3.00. And I get 3-4 slices out of a big eggplant that you charge me $14.00+ plus a side of sause I pay for. And by the way, the old breading receipe was much tastier than the present one. Sauses, why do I always have to ask for more sause, white Alfredo and red marinara? Didn't used to need to ask. I usually order eggplant parm with fettachinni Alfredo which I'm paying an up-charge for. There is barely any sause on either of theml!!!! Who wants to eat dry pasta and dry eggpant? I am forced to order and pay for a side of sause times 2, red and white. Why can't you just serve an honest dish again? 3. And, the same with the Shrimp Scampi. I couldn't find the butter sause. Love the chunks of tomato and asparagus with the shrimp. 4. Again, the breading on the calamari was lacking flavor, just something missing...but tender. Maybe use the old breading receipe. 5. Thank you for bringing back the Steak Goegonzola! Still there's something missing from the old receipe, maybe the alfredo sause has changed...or the way you cook the steak? 6. Everyone loves your bread. I must be too picky, no flavor, just dull, unless you use butter. 7. First time trying the Lasagna. Won't eat it again. Just lasagne noodles with a little sause and cheese. Couldn't find the ricatta, meat or sause. Call me for my vegetarian lasagne, it's the greatest!!!!! (Noodles, monserella, ricatta, cottage cheese, lots of red sause, eggplant, "spagetti squash and green tomatos"optional, zucini, yellow squash, and onions.) Low cost, easy to make. Italian sausage served on the side for the meat lovers. NOW THAT'S A DISH WORTH PAYING ALOT OF MONEY FOR!!!! OMG , it's so good!!! And for you Mom's, it freezes well for another time or great for a large party. As usual, your salad and Zupo Tuscano soup are my favorites. Last comment, I prefer my home cooking vs eating out and I certainly get a GREAT DEAL MORE satisfaction and quality as well as quantity for the price. Please make your food worthy of eating out...Make it worth my while to eat with you instead of in my kitchen. Step up to the plate to making exceptionally good food. Just a little more effort please. Thank you for...

I wouldn't say that our family experience was excellent here, and it wasn't horrible either. We went with our three kids, and my mother in law, so we had a party of six altogether. We were seated within about twenty minutes on a busy Friday night. Our waiter came by to get our drink order fairly quickly, and brought them within a reasonable time. When they brought out the salads, and our silverware and everything, we lacked a set of silverware... That we had to wait for longer than we should have. The amount of salad they bring for a party of six wasn't very much to serve each of us. It tasted fine, but we didn't get another salad bowl offered to us. We had one serving of the bread, and that was it. When we ordered, we all didn't receive our food at the same time, which I find a little annoying. As a family sitting down at a restaurant, you expect to be eating together... but half of us got our food, while the other half had to wait on theirs to come out like fifteen minutes later. The food was okay, but I think the portions are quite small for the price you pay... We didn't go when they run their all you can eat pasta... My dinner was eaten in like five bites... I was a bit under-impressed. The waiter was a nice young college kid, who had a nice personality, but I don't feel like all of the kitchen staff had it all together that night to allow for the waiter to accommodate better on the time difference of the food being served at our table. He was apologetic for the missing silverware, ect... We haven't returned to the Olive Garden since. My husband felt like it was way over-priced fare for what you actually get. The restaurant is kind of pretty, but it was very very loud. I love Italian food and was a bit disappointed in the overall experience. I think this chain has scaled back way too much on their serving sizes, since many years ago when they first appeared in the town where I'm from. I still recall my first experience at Olive Garden, and thought the food was outstanding then, plus the portions would definitely fill you up back then. This Olive Garden in Fort Wayne and the last one I visited out in Kansas was about the same on the food and service. Not the worst, but definitely hasn't done anything to keep me or my family coming back as a...