Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

Title: A Casual Yet Romantic Italian Dining Experience

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Visiting the Olive Garden at 505 Gateway Dr, Brooklyn, NY 11239, has always felt like a culinary journey to our memories of more specific, happier times. As long-time patrons, my wife and I have been frequenting this restaurant for years and have watched our children grow up enjoying its splendid Italian-American menu.

From the moment we pull into their spacious parking lot - which has never given us trouble in finding a quick spot - to the point we step into the cozy, Tuscan-inspired interior, Olive Garden has remained a beacon of consistent quality, service, and a relaxed ambiance.

On busier days, the full-sized bar provides a comfortable waiting area for our table to be ready. There's something uniquely relaxing about sipping a drink and watching TV while anticipating the mouthwatering meal that lies ahead - it truly enhances the overall dining experience.

As we walked in on the evening of July 4th, 2023, we were pleasantly surprised by the lack of waiting time. This prompt seating experience only further elevated our anticipation for the evening. Seated comfortably in a booth, the soft music playing in the background set a romantic yet casual tone to our dinner.

Our dinner started with the appetizing Shrimp Fritto Misto - a generous portion of hand-breaded shrimp, onions, and bell peppers, perfectly fried and served with marinara and spicy ranch. The Pasta E Fagioli soup that followed served with the Olive Garden's signature breadsticks, was comforting, flavorful, and hearty.

The star of our meal was, without a doubt, the Chicken Parmigiana. Two lightly fried parmesan-breaded chicken breasts smothered in homemade marinara and Italian cheeses created a satisfying main course that was simply irresistible. My wife and I both opted for this dish, with her substituting the side of spaghetti and sauce with Fettuccine Alfredo - a choice that she found to be quite gratifying.

Our sweet ending came with the decadent Tiramisu paired with a cappuccino for myself while my wife indulged in the delicious Sicilian Cheesecake with a strawberry topping and a coffee. As always, the desserts at Olive Garden were the perfect final touch to a delightful meal.

Service throughout the evening was friendly, attentive, and prompt. After we settled into our booth, our sodas were served quickly, and the staff was more than willing to accommodate my wife's substitution request.

That being said, we miss the pizza offerings Olive Garden discontinued around 2017. As fans of Italian cuisine, we believe that pizza has its place in an Italian restaurant, and its absence on the menu is noticeable.

This Olive Garden location, established in 1999, has been serving its signature Italian-American dishes with commitment and flair. Despite some mixed reviews online, our personal experience has always been positive, and we stand by this establishment's high quality of food, service, and ambiance.

Whether you're a fan of unlimited breadsticks, crave the creamy Alfredo sauce, or simply looking for a relaxed dining experience, Olive Garden at Gateway NYC provides an inviting atmosphere that brings the spirit of Italy right into the heart of Brooklyn. While we do hope for the return of their pizza offerings, this doesn't detract from the excellent dining experience that the restaurant consistently provides.

From our numerous recent visits, we can confidently say that the Olive Garden at Gateway NYC is a great place to enjoy a high-quality meal without breaking the bank. After all, it's not just about the food - it's about the memories you make while dining there.

From the bottom of our hearts, we give the Olive Garden a well-deserved five stars at 505 Gateway Dr,...

We attended this Olive Garden for my mothers 86th Birthday celebration, which was by far the worst experience we ever had at any Olive Garden.

The waitress Sharina J was by far the worse person for treating my mother in that fashion. And I understand that they were busy but when I see Sharina J attending other tables with faster service and better customer service as well as the food there is definitely something wrong with management.

I should have known when we were passed over 3 other groups of younger adults that the staff knew it was not going to be a great night. We attended this Olive Garden being that it was close to the Casino and the two things my mother wanted for her 86th birthday was to play some slot and have her favorite food and her favorite restaurant Olive Garden. (Well at least she had one of her birthday wishes come true). Once we were sat they sat us next to the kitchen and I literally had to get up and ask for utensils ask for cheese help get my drink. When we ordered The Strawberry moscato it was all ice and half the fruit was rotten. When I asked for help from the “manager” in the white t shirt she and well as the other gentleman with the black T-shirt and ipad Just responded to me wait for your waiter.

The food was horrible. We ordered the spinach dip. Disgusting. It was hard on top and cold. The pasta dishes we ordered was cold and hard on top. I had ordered a beer that took her 30 minutes to get me. When she finally did I went to help her and she pushed me away with the beer and you again oh my god and went to attend the other table with a smile. I wasn’t the only one who saw this. I was with my wife daughter mother and sister who all witnessed what I went through and they felt bad. So I asked the only male had to chuck it up and apologize for brining them to that Olive Garden and not our usual ones that we go too. Last but not least, desert. My wife ordered three deserts (my mom’s favorites) and my wife has to practically beg Sharina J to put everything on a plate with candles for her. The staff didn’t want to sing. When the desert came out it was cold and soggy. She threw the chocolate dip and fruit dip on the table In front of my 6 year old daughter’s face which some chocolate spilled on her dress. Horrible,horrible,horrible Waitress. And I don’t even want to mention how long it took for the desert to arrive. We did not want any altercation or harassment so we packed everything up and tossed it out when we arrived home.

It saddens me to think in this time when we are all going through so much and when we try to celebrate the little time we have left with our loved ones some one with that dimeanor can find it in themselves to treat other in that fashion.

Thank you for your time for reading this. And have...

Came here last night. 10/25/25. The food was delicious we had the endless pasta deal but that wasn’t the problem. My problem was our server who never introduced himself by name btw. He was brownskin, short, had a pulled back low ponytail that was puffy, and I believe he was Hispanic? Or maybe Afro Hispanic. He acted as if he was either on something or just didn’t wanna be there. He was out of it. We asked him for things MULTIPLE times he’d keep returning to the table empty handed and ngl we were losing our patience and you could tell by our tone. We were visibly irritated. It took him like 20 minutes to get forks that we repeatedly asked for and by the time he came back with them our pasta was cold. He left in the middle of us ordering our food and then came back as if nothing happened and asked what we wanted. He just kept running off. He also got mad at the fact that another servers table (this server was so sweet and you can tell he likes his job. He had box braids) bought us cheesecake because I returned her phones for her that she left in the stall and he went over to him with some bad energy just hostile assuming the server took his table and the server explained the same thing I explained to him. That he did not take the table he simply told us that his table wanted to buy a dessert to thank me for returning her phone. I’d also ask the server questions about the menu that needed clarification and he’d say “sure” and when I asked a follow up question he’d say “sure”. I don’t know how long he’s been working there but honestly as someone who has served for YEARS myself, he ruined our experience it was like he couldn’t be bothered with anything. His whole vibe everything was just off putting. I also want to add that he never bothered to picked up the trash that was piling up on our table despite seeing it. We did not tip at all because his service was horrible and we won’t be returning if he’s still there which sucks because aside from that everything else was amazing. Every other server had so much enthusiasm and personality and he was just…. Blah. Your hostess was also so sweet though and welcoming I also don’t know her name but she she was lightskin had short curly hair and was wearing a red shirt. Literally everyone else was a vibe besides our waiter. Food 10/10,...