Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Methuen

Personally, I like the Olive Garden. Its affordable, food is above-average and the atmosphere for an Italian restaurant is not bad although the location in Methuen's Loop was just plain awful.

The experience at Olive Garden at The Loop was dreadful; bartender had no prior training in providing a welcoming atmosphere. The counter was not thoroughly wiped down and it took the bartender nearly 10mins. before she decided to take away the plates and glasses left behind by the couple who left prior to my arrival. When she finally wiped down the counter and took away the plates n glasses left, she took another 5mins. to simply hand me a menu.

Before I got a menu, the bartender decided that she would clean out the whole counter. Once this was completed, she provided me with a menu. She then asked if I would like something to drink to which I said yes. I asked to begin with a glass of water. When she brought my water, I had stuff floating in my glass and the straw had what looked like pieces of lime along the straw's side. I did not drink the water.

After a couple sitting next to us decided to leave, I overheard the waiter asking the gentleman that he did not have to pay for his plate as he did not eat it. Apparently, he lost his appetite and I believe that it was his feeling that the area was unkept and the bartender did not make the customer's feel important. I waited for another 10-15mins. before I finally received bread sticks then another 15 for the salad. After this, the bartender disappeared for 10mins or so and left half of the customers at the bar looking at each other with glasses empty. Honestly, the hardest working gal there was an Asian young girl who was hauling all the dishes left behind and even lent a hand at the bar since she saw how cluttery it was with water, empty glasses and empty salad bowls.

All in all, a bad experience but the biggest question I have is how many front of the restaurant reps do you need? There were 3 front older door reps and while we were suffering at the bar awaiting for service, these 3 ladies at the front were happily discussing the sales going on at Macy's...? All this while the young Asian girl was working her behind off hauling away dishes. My advice, rid yourself of the female bartender n replace her with the Asian girl. As with the 3 lady reps, give them all a broom n mop and have them actually work for their pay.

Go to Friday's rather that the Olive Garden right across the street. You'll get better...

A friend and I decided to go here Last Saturday out of nostalgia. There was no nostalgia to be had. On arrival the place was not too busy and we were told a 5 minute wait. We noticed several tables cleared and staff members hanging around and telling jokes. Our wait was closer to 10 minutes. We were brought to a table and had to wait a bit before our orders were taken.

On the menu it was first noticeable that many items I used to order were no longer on the menu. This is where there was no nostalgia to be had. I decided to order pasta and marinara sauce. When our salad arrived I asked for cheese which took additional time. We also noticed the staff walking at a somewhat slow pace which seemed strange. Our pasta arrived and the cheese was provided slightly more quickly than before. The pasta was a complete let-down! It is almost as if they boiled it at the beginning of the day and scooped it out and added sauce. As we checked out I asked for a to-go box which took some time. I was unable to checkout at the kiosk as it did not take my gift card so i needed help from a server. it was a 10 minute wait before i could get help from a server. After this i wanted to pay with a card but the kiosk was not able to process my car. It was another 10 minutes before i could check out with a server.

My partner and I started to get frustrated and we had to realize that this service is so bad that it needs to be comical. To pass the time we posted about the experience so we could laugh at the entire experience. Everything from the slow-walking staff, the industrial orphan-grade pasta, and having to wait to leave like we had to wait to get a seat. If olive Garden changes it's theme from italian-style to comically bad, this establishment may have an influx of people who eat there ironically. We were there for over an our, it should have taken about 35-45 minutes...

The only item i liked was the breadsticks...If this can be provided without actually having to order anything else, I'd pay for a to-go order..... other than that there is nothing redeeming about...

Ciao amici! I recently had the pleasure of dining at Olive Garden and it was truly un'esperienza eccezionale! From the moment I walked through the door, the warm and inviting atmosphere made me feel like I was in un ristorante autentico italiano.

The waitstaff greeted me with a friendly "Benvenuti!" and brought out the most delizioso Italian breadsticks I have ever tasted. These breadsticks were so fresh and warm, they were like a hug from nonna herself! In fact, they were so good, I just had to ask for more - and I wasn't disappointed when they brought them out a second time.

I started my meal with the chicken gnocchi soup, and let me tell you, it was delizioso! The broth was rich and flavorful, and the gnocchi were perfectly cooked. It was the perfect start to my meal.

Next up, I tried the Italian meatballs and sauce - and I was blown away! The sauce was so full of flavor, and the meatballs were so juicy and tender. They were like a party in my mouth! I couldn't resist sopping up the delicious sauce with those amazing Italian breadsticks.

As I continued to enjoy my meal, I decided to try the rigatoni. I had never had it before, but it turned out to be un vero piacere per il palato! The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was just the right amount of creamy and savory. I couldn't believe I had gone so long without trying rigatoni!

Throughout my meal, I couldn't help but notice how authentic the food tasted - it was like I had been transported to Italy! Even the tap water tasted like it came straight from the Italian countryside.

Overall, my experience at Olive Garden was incredibile! The food, the atmosphere, and the service were all top-notch. And let's not forget about those incredible Italian breadsticks - I think I lost count of how many times they brought them out! If you're looking for an autentico ristorante italiano, look no further than Olive Garden. Grazie mille,...