Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Gainesville

I have been to this Olive Garden twice within the past month. Both times, we encountered some major issues with service. I have worked in restaurants for many years of my life but have never felt compelled to review, until now. On the first visit, our server was training a new employee who was shadowing. No problem on our part at all. It took a while to get refills, but my partner and I weren't fazed by this. I didn't get a refill on water a single time for the majority of our time there after our server assured us a refill was coming. The real issue arose when our server offered a free dessert to us. He began to say it was my partner's birthday, which he denied. It wasn't his birthday. The server told my partner to comply in order to receive the free dessert in a joking manner. My partner finally agreed and picked a dessert after our meal, and verified it would be free (we weren't hungry at all at this point and felt we were demonstrating a special occasion for training purposes). Our server had the entire restaurant staff come and sing to my partner, which was humourous at first. We ate about 1/4th of the dessert and then received our bill. The dessert was not removed. We paid and moved on. I assumed the server forgot to remove the dessert from the bill but it was a huge no-no in service. I didn't and wasn't going to complain, but wondered why this server was training a new employee if details like this were forgotten. Not great practice, especially after we were persuaded to order the dessert without wanting it. The most recent visit, which was tonight, proved to me that less-than-acceptable service was normal at this location. Our server was cordial but took a while to greet us. I wasn't upset. My partner and I ordered almost immediately after being greeted because we had spent so much time with the menu already. Our starters and drinks came out within a reasonable amount of time but my partner wasn't given a straw after asking. The server assuring a straw would be brought. Never was. Very minor, but details do matter and have added up (or at least in my experience). There were only two other tables in my area, to which my server was taking care of both. Didn't seem like an overwhelming section or amount of tables. When our food came out, mine was correct but my partner was missing the correct added protein and was the wrong sauce according to what was ordered. It was the wrong order. I mentioned this to the server immediately and to which he said he would fix it. He left the pasta on the table, and we patiently waited about 15/20 minutes. He finally brought out the “corrected dish,” which was just the added protein in a small separate dish that my partner had added to his pasta to begin with, neglecting the fact that the original dish was coated with the incorrect sauce. All was fine and my partner settled to eat the dish he didn't order. He only took a few bites. Our dirty dishes and menus were left on the table for the entirety of the visit. When we saw the bill, we were charged for the second “added protein” that was brought out late, in addition to the wrong dish that was rung in, to begin with. I believe his dish should have completely been remade and the wrong dish should have been comped/removed and at least rung in correctly to be acceptable in a customer service sense. Yet, we ended up paying extra for the wrong dish in addition to the wait for the protein he had ordered to begin with. I think the issue is coming from training and the lack of communication/presence of management at this location. My partner and I have given this Olive Garden many chances, as there are more service issues I have not mentioned here. Sad to say we...

As a local, this is definitely not the first time I've been here, so I truly hate to give such a low rating when I've had so many wonderful experiences over the last couple decades. HOWEVER, each visit has gone just a little more downhill over the last few years and tonight was the straw that broke the camel's back. I want the old Olive Garden back. I miss the ambience, I miss being able to hear the Italian themed music, I miss waitresses watching to see when your drinks and salads and bread sticks get low and swinging by to snag empty soupbowls on their way back to the kitchen. Tonight, we seriously had to ask for every. single. thing. The salad bowls started out half full for a party of 6. The soup was watered down with no whole pieces of anything in it. Now, I've gotten the bottom of the soup pot before and I understand sometimes there are smaller pieces, but this was NOT that. It literally tasted like they were just adding water to it to avoid making a fresh pot. I've had this soup over 100 times (I'm not exaggerating)...I KNOW the difference. Our waitress was pleasant enough, but if we hadn't asked for anything, I don't think she'd have offered a single refill. If your customers have ordered the endless soup and salad and are sitting there with empty bowls all over the table, at what point do you think you should pipe up and ask if they'd like another round? Or go ahead and ask if anyone else would like a drink refill when one person asks for it and there are 4 other nearly empty cups on the table?? I don't feel like my expectations are too high when all I want is it to be run the way it has been for years and years. It's quickly just become a place for supbar food, supbar staff, and it's soooo loud....

Awful, Awful, Awful!!! I wish I didn’t have to give it 1 star ⭐️! My husband and I chose Olive Garden for date night. We both ordered the Chicken Parmesan. The chicken was wafer thin and the edges were so tough all the way around the chicken. The Marinara sauce in the spaghetti with thin like water. We ordered the Meatballs as an appetizer . It looked like dog food rolled into a balls, with a little bit of sauce on top. And , tasted as good as it looked. The Salad was dry. The Breadsticks were Cold and Hard. The minestrone Soup was cold and had barely any soup. Just a bowl full of vegetables and shell noodles. My husband had Sw Tea it was the only thing decent we ordered. I ordered the Drink Special the had called, the Strawberry Lemon cello Margarita. It tasted like I was drinking some kind of Strawberry/Lemon Cleaner with Tequila in it! The Second time we’ve eaten here, with the same kind of Experience. We didn’t say anything. Immediately got our check after tasting the main course. Asked for to go boxes ( For our Fur Babies) and paid the $79 check . Left the waitress a $16 tip. She was a good waitress. If any of the “Managers” Read This Shame on You!!The quality of the food and drinks in your Restaurant .Are your responsibility. When hardworking people spend there hard working money to come out and enjoy an nice meal. Thats what they should get!!!! We were going to go to Texas Road house , but changed our mind last minute . Because, we wanted Italian instead ! Always go with your first choice!...