Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Pooler

I'm sorry... just... no. I feel bad about leaving this review, but when I find a restaurant that puts me off of ever returning, I'm not going to sugar coat.

Of course, this is a chain restaurant that we all know. I've visited many different locations, and the experiences are usually always quite enjoyable. But the fare at this location was abysmal.

First off, let me say that the host and hostesses were highly attentive upon our entering and exiting. So thumbs up to them. And the facility, itself, appeared clean and in proper condition. However, the food is what you're there for, and this food was not prepared to the Olive Garden standard of which I am accustomed.

1. Appetizer: Calamari - Tough, cheap pieces that were fried hard enough to make the overly crunchy breading fall off when touched.

2. Cocktails: Vodka Martini ordered extra dry with 2 olives - Where do I begin? All cocktail lovers know that you're taking your chances wherever you go these days, because it sadly turns out to be amateur hour with the bartenders anymore. I took a shot here and lived to write the review. My first clue should have been the fact that I never heard a cocktail shaker in the background. Oh well, my cocktail finally arrived long after we were through picking at the appetizer. It was in a champagne glass (🙄), and it was WARM. That's a no- no with a martini! A martini belongs to be at least chilled if not icy. Disregarding the slight, I bravely took a sip. Immediately I thought I had swallowed rubbing alcohol. If it wasn't actually something from under the bathroom counter, it was a "vodka" of such cheap value that it might as well have come from there. Not to be intimidated, I took the obligatory second sip and was convinced these people were trying to poison me. We are talking about a burn that keeps your mouth and throat on fire for no less than 3 straight minutes after swallowing. That's not normal, people. Lesson learned... specify the brand EVERY time. Then I thought, "at least I can eat the olives." Naw. Rarely have I known an olive that I wouldn't eat, but I couldn't spit out these iodine-tasting little rocks fast enough. Is this place getting ALL of their products from the dollar store??? Anyway, I can't fix whatever is wrong with their bartender situation. But for anyone out there learning to be a bartender, let me just leave you these pearls... Don't use cheap vodka. I don't care what the house brand is. If you know it's bad, don't use it. And "extra dry" doesn't mean zero Vermouth and zero orange bitters. Otherwise, the customer would have simply ordered vodka. Tip... Put 1 drop of orange biters in the shaker with the vodka and ice before shaking. Swish Vermouth around the chilled glass and toss it out right before filling the glass with the cocktail. It ain't rocket science. Oh, and serve your cocktails in the proper glass. Trust me, your customers know the difference and are otherwise laughing at you from behind their Pina Colada umbrellas.

3. Salad and Breadsticks - An Olive Garden staple. So they were basically on par.

4. My Chicken Marsala - A good enough flavor to it, but the hammered- flat meat had a rubbery texture reminiscent of biting into Silly-Putty at the age of 3.

5. My husband's Shrimp Carbonara - Served on a tiny bread plate. And folks, I've fished with bait bigger than the shrimp that were hidden in that mass of tomatoes and sauce.

To wrap it up, I will say that our waitress was congenial and timely enough to keep the progression of our meal satisfactory. But she blew it when she brought the check and at the same time complained to us about the size of the tip that she was just left at the previous table.

Time to get your act together, Olive Garden...

There is plenty of parking with multiple handicap spaces. The lobby was clean and well-lit. The front door staff were friendly and welcoming. We were seated right away and Chris, our server, was there right away to take our drink orders. Chris was very friendly and helpful. He returned with our drinks quickly and took our meal order. I ordered the chicken and shrimp carbonara. My soup choice was the chicken and gnocchi. My soup arrived quickly and was still warm. Chris asked if I wanted extra cheese, I always wish to add extra cheese. I told him to crank the handle until his arm got tired. I gave up before his arm did. The soup was full of tender and juicy chicken. The gnocchi was tender and plentiful. The added cheese upped the flavor and made it very delicious. The bread arrived a little late but that is because it was fresh. It was warm, and soft, with a buttery taste. The food arrived promptly and was still warm. The chicken and shrimp carbonara is large with plenty of chicken and shrimp. The shrimp were plentiful, firm, and well-seasoned. The shrimp had a good taste and was firm but not hard. The chicken was tender and juicy. I added some additional spices to up the flavor. Sometimes I find the dishes a little bland for my taste. I tend to like well-spiced foods. Chris checked back frequently to make sure we had everything we needed. The chicken was tender and juicy. The noodles were soft but not mushy. They were also easy to twirl. The carbonara sauce was creamy and had a good taste. I could not resist dessert. It’s my favorite food group. I ordered tiramisu. It was creamy and smooth. The flavor was good without being excessively sweet. This was another...

First off I would like to say , my family and I love Olive Garden . However for some reason today , I don’t know if there was something in the air but , the service was horrible. When the server approached our table , ( the first booth to the left ) (@7:00 pm , 6/2/19) as we were talking , she talks over us and introduces herself ! It would’ve been better if she didn’t raise her voice to show that she was deliberately trying to talk over us. The girl was practically yelling . We were rushed to get our drinks and then we were rushed to get out food . She kept pretending to forget what I was drinking, and then as I was drinking, she suddenly remember. Notice I said me , she gave me one and not my mom who clearly needed one . She checked on us like once , and from the moment we sat down she was rude . Now she had a party but they came in once we already had our food and they literally had just walked in and she automatically had a better attitude towards them then us. Once we got our ticket she offered to bring mints and we never got them. I’m actually surprised we got our drinks ! She still gave me sweet tea after I told her three times I wanted Dr .Pepper because that’s what I was drinking . And the sweet tea had literally three ice cubes in it and my moms had a cup full . Then as we are still sitting at the table another employee comes and asks to get out plates , for the amount of time we were sitting there, no one else was asked to have there plates removed . I’m writing this to say , customer service is everything and I’m actually shocked that Olive Garden would even hire...