Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Noblesville

I recently visited Olive Garden with my cousins, and while I’ve always held this restaurant close to my heart from childhood, this particular experience left me deeply disappointed — not because of the food or the overall environment, but because of the service we received from our server.

From the moment we were seated, we noticed a stark difference in the way our server treated us compared to the surrounding tables. We were polite, respectful, and ordered a full meal — appetizers, entrees, and even dessert — yet we were consistently overlooked. Our drinks went unrefilled, and she did not offered us breadsticks or checked in to see if we needed anything. Meanwhile, we could clearly hear and see our server engaging with other tables, offering to-go bags, refills, and even asking if guests wanted extra breadsticks to take home. None of that courtesy was extended to us by her. However I do want to mention that those who brought our food and / or the manager that came by did offer us the service we were seeking.

I also mentioned to our server that we had ordered dessert through the kiosk, and instead of acknowledging it professionally, she dismissively replied, “I’m not going to know until you tell me.” As someone who has worked as a server before, I know that these orders are visible on the system — so the response felt not only dismissive but unnecessary. Not only that, our kiosk blinked blue in which she noticed in passing yet still did not acknowledge us. To make matters worse, after asking for multiple to-go boxes (at least five which includes desserts), she didn’t offer us a bag to carry them out even though we saw her offering other tables with less to go boxes.

The most uncomfortable part was the growing awareness that we were simply not being given the same level of service as other patrons. We couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of our age or the fact that we are Black — a feeling no guest should have when dining anywhere, let alone at a place that once felt familiar and welcoming. Even the children in our group noticed the difference and wanted to leave early.

I wish I could provide the name of our server, but unfortunately, she never introduced herself. Regardless, the lack of attention, care, and basic courtesy we experienced turned what should’ve been an enjoyable meal into something that left us feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome. To this day, I regret tipping the way that I did. Still, I hope she begins to treat others with...

If you're looking for great-tasting Italian food at incredibly reasonable prices (compared to other Italian restaurants), this Olive Garden is absolutely the place to go.

Every time I have been to THIS Olive Garden it has been a great experience. Now I preface this by saying that I have been to many Olive Gardens, and they are absolutely not all created equal. No, you will not find first-class authentic Italian Chefs cooking world-renowned dishes reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast. No, it won't be an idyllic candle-lit pasta dinner under the midnight stars. Don't go to an Olive Garden expecting those things, or else you'll set yourself up for failure. Sometimes you just want some tasty Italian food without spending a million dollars! If you're looking for great-tasting Italian food at incredibly reasonable prices (compared to other Italian restaurants) and incredibly friendly and attentive staff, this Olive Garden is absolutely the place to go.

We have been here a handful of times, albeit at peak hours (Friday & Saturday evening, generally), and each time we have been seated and serviced promptly.

Most importantly however, the food here is great. Again, not comparing it to $50 Michelin star Italian dinners, but for $10 - $20 a meal, it is phenomenal every time. A great ~$30 meal for two (just go drink wine at home afterwards for 1/3 the price). Pasta is cooked Al Dente and flavors are rich. Portion sizes are fantastic and I always have some leftover for tomorrow.

This Olive Garden...

I have always had a good experience at this location except for my most recent visit on August 4th. We got there around 4:30pm and it wasn't busy at all, we were seated right away. Our server a brunette woman in her late 20's with large eyes. My boyfriend ordered a lemonade and she brought out a raspberry lemonade and said 'its raspberry, that's fine right?' He said sure and just kept it. Our food took longer than normal which is fine, we didn't mind waiting. Once she brought the food out he had to ask for a refill and more breadsticks. He waited and waited and she finally brought the drink out with no breadsticks. The table next to us then asked for breadsticks and she brought them right out. It's almost like we were invisible. She came by and asked if we wanted more salad?? I said no but can we please get more breadsticks. She finally brought them out and that was the last time we ever saw her. She never came back. I never even saw her on the dining room floor. My boyfriend wanted to speak to the manager and we couldn't get anyone's attention to get a manager. So after sitting there for 10 minutes we just paid on the machine and left. Without a doubt one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. I really hope this was a one off because I love Olive Garden and go often. I will never sit in that server's section...