Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Plantation

Our visit started off great, when we got there but turned ridiculous which involved the manager. I was dining alone with my 2 year old. We arrived just before rush hour in the restaurant. We ordered shrimp Alfredo with Angel hair pasta, salad, breadsticks, an apple juice for baby and a watermelon sangria pitcher for mama. When our server, Shirley G, brought the apple juice, I transferred it to the baby’s sippy cup. The olive gardens child’s to go cup sat in the table for the duration of the meal. The food was mediocre. The shrimp was under cook. We didn’t not complain about a thing. We just pushed the uncooked food to the side. As we neared the end of our meal the restaurant was getting busy, we seen our server less and less. So I started stacking up our finished plates and wiping the table, as we waited to ask our server for a to go box. At that time I seen I had a little bit of my sangria left in my pitcher so I just poured it in the child’s to go cup. I didn’t think it would be a problem, because since 2020 a lot of restaurants sell alcohol to go, plus my traditional Olive Garden that we normally go to has allowed me to leave with my left over alcohol. Anyways, the server comes and picks up some plates, I ask for a to go box for my food. She tells me I am not allowed to take the alcohol home, because they don’t have a license that permits it. Ok, no worries, I tell her, I will stay to finish it. At this point my daughter and I are hanging out. We paid our tab on the table tablet. All my intentions to finish my drink on premises. We were waiting around. Then my daughter says she has to poop poo. I try to gather our things and get up quick enough. Nope, she had went right in her pants in that moment. My server is Nowhere to be found. I pick my my things baby bag, purse, left overs and the drink. The drink was not con sealed in any way. We reach the bathroom. I place all my things on the counter. Dig in the bag to find a change of clothes for my daughter so I clean her up. At that time a Manager(Tracy) rushes in the bathroom, she’s on her head set, but says to me, I’m told you trying to take the alcohol with you concealed in the child cup. I said this cup? She said you can’t leave with it. I told her I already spoke with the server, but my daughter just pooped her pants, I’m cleaning her up so she left. As I washed and changed my daughter, I felt humiliated. I felt they were treating me like a thief. The amount of energy to chase me down to ensure I didn’t leave, with alcohol I already paid for really upset me. Once finished, we left the bathroom and proceed to the table where it had been cleaned off. So we sat at the front waiting area. I asked to speak with the women that “came after me”. No asked me what did she look like, everyone knew what just happened. Embarrassing! I did not make a scene and I was not disrespectful. I showed her my daughters soiled clothing. I asked her was the bathroom still apart her establishment? I told her she embarrassed us and yourself, by treating us like we stole something, she was like but your not allowed- I cut off, did I ever proceed to the doors to leave, if I chose to take my drink and drink it in the bathroom, that was my choice. ( which wasn’t the case) but I never left. The whole thing was ridiculous. She Trying to defend her statements, She said why didn’t I just leave it on the table? I said Look at our table now, they would have thrown it away and Im a single mother dining with a 2 year old, I wasn’t going to leave my things behind. This is just ridiculous & upsetting! to the point that I felt inclined to write...

Went to Olive Garden this evening with my family. Wife ordered a bottle of wine and a full meal. I just wanted the soup and salad. Sat across from the bar at one of the three tables. Bartender serves that area. He came over and I placed my order. I asked him not bring me a salad that had one tomato, olive, pepper, etc... To just add some more "salad" to the salad so I did not have a bowel of lettuce. Waiter said "he could not do that, since it is pre measured." I told him I understand, but NEVER had a problem with being denied additional "salad" to my salad. He again so he could not, that it was managements policy, and then said he would get the manager as he walked away. Minutes later another server came to take my order, a very nice woman named Natalia. I asked her the same request as I did the bartender. "Please add some additional stuff to my salad." She said no problem and brought me exactly what I requested. The manager came by a little later and asked me what I wanted. I told her I did not ask for her, the bartender did because he refused to give me some additional tomatoes, olives and peppers in my salad. That it was already taken care of by another server and all is good in the Universe. The whole point of this bad review is that in my 30 years of going to Olive Garden I have NEVER been denied some extra "salad" in my salad. It was ridiculous for me to sit there and even have a discussion/argument with the bartender/waiter over this. All it did was give me a really bad attitude. If the bartender was right and Olive Garden Mgt is telling them to refuse this request by the customer than this is the last time I will ever eat there. If it was just a bartender who was misinformed, and did not even bother to talk to the manager himself to correct the problem, then he needs to be retrained or go work at Waffle House. Either way, I felt like a complete moron having to be put in a bad mood over a few tomatoes, olives and an extra pepper, and an even bigger idiot for spending 10 minutes of my life writing...

Haven’t had Olive Garden for awhile and as I walking up to the door I was reminded of how great they can be when the host opened the door for me and I was greeted with a smile. I went straight to the bar because it was 9pm and I knew they were closing in an hour. I just wanted some lasagna so I could be in and out.

I sat down and I saw two bartenders focused on closing and stocking: Mona and Ricky. Mona eventually turned around and asked if she could help me. Didn’t offer me menus; suggest a cocktail; so I politely asked for a menu. As I’m looking at the menu I hear a server apologizing for ringing in a drink order and Mona says “I just want to go home”. Man I felt uncomfortable and probably should of just left at that point.

I placed my order and my salad comes out which could feed 3-4 people; I get it she doesn’t want to offer me refills. Anyway not a big deal but didn’t offer any cheese or cracked pepper which is an OG standard.

As I’m eating my salad a team member walks up to the bar and asks the bartender for a Pineapple juice which they give to him and he sits down and drinks the juice. Maybe he paid for it but doubt it. Still haven’t seen a manager at this point.

My lasagna comes out and is just warm. At this point I ask for cheese and Mona gets me some. I eat my food; no two bite check back, only when I’m almost completely finished I was I checked on.

I totally get wanting to get out but take care of your guests and give some effort. Hit your steps of service make conversation while you are cleaning; don’t make your guest feel like a burden. This type of service I expect from Darden which has the highest service standards in their restaurant’s.

If I would of came at 5 min till closing it would be one thing but 1 hour before is not ok. The bar had Liquor bottles and syrups on top of the bar as well. The host thanked me with a smile on the way out. 100% for the Thursday Night Blonde Host!

I’ll be back but will have to make it during...