Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Naples

Olive Garden Review: A Familiar Comfort with Room for Improvement

Stepping into Olive Garden, you’re met with a warm, inviting atmosphere—a casual Italian-American dining experience that leans heavily into comfort and familiarity. The ambiance is pleasant, if not particularly unique, with its Tuscan-inspired décor and soft lighting that sets the tone for a relaxed meal.

The Meal • Chicken Alfredo – The highlight of my meal, the Chicken Alfredo, delivered on its promise of creamy indulgence. The fettuccine was well-cooked, maintaining a nice bite, while the Alfredo sauce coated each strand in a rich, garlicky embrace. However, the sauce leaned a touch too heavy on the cream, making the dish feel overly rich by the last few bites. The grilled chicken was tender and well-seasoned but could have used a slightly crispier sear to add contrast. • Salad – Olive Garden’s famous house salad is a reliable classic. Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, black olives, and pepperoncini peppers tossed in their signature Italian dressing create a refreshing start. The dressing, tangy and slightly sweet, is the real star here—though a slightly lighter hand in tossing would prevent the greens from getting soggy too quickly. • Breadsticks – No visit to Olive Garden is complete without their legendary breadsticks. Warm, pillowy, and brushed with garlic butter, they arrived at the table fresh. While they are satisfying, they sometimes lean more on the doughy side, lacking a crispy exterior for better textural contrast. • Peach Tea – A pleasant surprise! The peach tea was refreshing and well-balanced, with a natural fruitiness that wasn’t overly sweet. Served chilled, it made for a perfect complement to the heavier Alfredo dish.

Service & Overall Experience

The service was friendly and attentive, with staff ensuring my drink stayed refilled and checking in at just the right moments—neither intrusive nor absent. The pacing of the meal was well-timed, allowing for a leisurely dining experience without unnecessary delays.

Final Thoughts

Olive Garden excels in providing a comforting, familiar Italian-American dining experience at a reasonable price point. While the dishes are satisfying, some elements—such as the Alfredo’s richness or the breadsticks’ texture—could benefit from a bit more refinement. That said, if you’re in the mood for a no-fuss, hearty meal with unlimited salad and breadsticks, it’s hard to...

Celebrated Our 35th Wedding Anniversary in Naples, FL. Decided to have an Early Dinner at one of Our Favorite Restaurant The Olive Garden. What an Excellent Choice!!! Do tell, you say? From the Hostess Stand (Nicole- Floor Manager) to The Servicer- Lindsey C.*, to The Manager- Rob, Everything was Exceptional, hence The 5 Stars! As the Young People say, 'This Must be A Thing' because neither of them knew it was Our Anniversary until we shared the celebration, after our meal. Nicole and her Hostesses were Friendly and Inviting. Lindsey C. was Courteous, Patient as we ordered, Knowledgeable about the Entrees, and Shared her Favorites! She was Attentive to my situation and handled my Shrimp Allergy with care, making certain she shared the necessary Food Prep with her Manager- Rob. Rob personally saw that my Salmon and Broccoli Dish was handled with care, avoiding any cross contamination with Shrimp! The Salmon was Cooked Perfect: Good Firm Texture, but not hard or dry- Seasoned-well Seared Lightly, Flaky and Moist!!! The Broccoli was not soggy or limp. Steam to a Tenderness. I Enjoyed every bite, with a side dish of Creamy Alfredo sauce! My Husband had the Seafood Alfredo! We are Marylanders; therefore, we enjoy a Very Good Seafood Dish. No Complaints from him, especially since the Shrimp were True Medium size, and the Scallops were Flavorful! Lindsey C. managed to Serve us with such Care; even though, she had 2 other large groups. Once we shared our Great News of a 35th Wedding Anniversary, Lindsey C. told us about a Free Celebratory Cake Choice! ( Yes, Favorite place to eat; but, we never did an Anniversary there...everybody knew, but us :0! Who doesn't like "Free" in this strained Economy, especially when it's called a Chocolate Lasagna Cake, highlighted with the words Happy 35th Anniversary sweetly (I do mean Sweetly, no pun intended) written on the dessert plate! Plenty of Well-Wishes, from All! Who needs to go to a $$-$$$ Restaurant where You Pray you get your Monies Worth, in addition to an Enjoyable and Friendly Serving Staff... when, You can go to 1565 5th St.'s Olive Garden and be Appreciated because You Chose to Dine with Them, Special Occasion or Not! It's Their Thing! Thank You, All: Rob, Nicole, Lindsey C., Chef and The Hostesses (HUGS, Alexander and Beatrice Doose :)...

Olive Garden is one of my favorite places to eat anywhere. It’s something that I know wherever I go I’ll have the same comfort food as always. Last time I came, they had just changed the lasagna fritta recipe (which is my favorite appetizer) It didn’t bug me too much, it was disappointing but I understand it’s a corporate thing and not a location thing. Fast forward to today, I was really wanting the lasagna fritta so I asked my server if it was possible to not get the meat sauce that’s poured over the top. He said no, so I said ok and just ordered the fried mozzarella (it was very bland). First quarter of our service was good, it took us a while to get our order/drinks taken while a table of six people (we were only two) had their appetizers before we had our drinks. But that’s ok, I’m a patient person and I used to be a server so I understand how hectic it can be completely. I asked for a refill on my drink and it took over 30 minutes to actually get a refill, but I had already finished my meal, (there were only 3-4 tables in our section, three of those tables including us were only two people) so I didn’t quite understand but I stayed patient and let him take his time because I have no idea what kind of day our server was having; I didn’t want to make it potentially worse. We ordered dessert, it didn’t come out after 20 minutes so we mentioned it to our server and got it a few minutes after that, he only came to check on us 2-3 times. I also asked for another bowl of soup and never got that either. I’m not upset, just disappointed considering Olive Garden is one of my favorite comfort restaurants, I was looking forward to tonight’s meal but left utterly...