Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Riverside

I’m writing to express our deep disappointment following a recent visit to your Olive Garden Tyler street branch . The overall experience was far below the standard we’ve come to expect from Olive Garden, primarily due to the unprofessional behavior of our server, Nicole, and the lack of empathy shown by her manager.

We began our meal by ordering one entrée and requested the refillable salad while we continued reviewing the menu to select a second entrée and a bottle of wine. Nicole refused to bring us a salad refill until we placed the second entrée order, and she delivered this message with a harsh and dismissive tone, which immediately made us uncomfortable.

When we asked to speak to the manager for clarification, rather than listening to our concerns or showing any flexibility, the manager focused solely on policy — stating that a refill isn’t served until all entrées are ordered. While we respect restaurant policies, the situation clearly involved guests still in the process of ordering, not avoiding payment. The manager’s cold and indifferent tone only added to the tension, making it clear that customer experience was not a priority.

More concerning, Nicole never returned to our table afterward — not to check in, take the rest of our order, or offer any follow-up.and we eventually gave up on the remainder of the meal altogether.

To make matters worse, we were asked to pay at the front, where we noticed we were charged for a salad refill we never received. When we pointed this out, Nicole initially insisted the charge was correct and only removed it after we reminded her no refill had been brought — still with no apology. The check was handed over abruptly, without the customary chocolate mints, and when we questioned the inconsistency, she simply said, “Each branch has different management,” with an attitude that felt dismissive and rude.

This experience was especially disappointing given that, just one day prior, we had an outstanding dinner at your Brea Mall location (270 Brea Mall, Brea, CA 92821). The staff there were warm, attentive, and welcoming. The portions were generous, and the overall experience reflected the brand we’ve come to love.

Had Nicole approached the situation professionally, she could have taken the opportunity to upsell additional items like appetizers or the bottle of wine we were about to order. Instead, her behavior — supported by the manager’s inflexible and unempathetic response — left us feeling unwelcome and disrespected.

We sincerely hope this feedback helps address the issue and improve the service at this location. Olive Garden has always been a favorite for us, and we hope future visits reflect the level of hospitality your brand...

We (my 3 kids and spouse) arrived 40 minutes before closing after a long day of shopping for back to school. We were starving. The waitress clearly advised that they were closing soon. I apologized and explained we were hungry and did not want fast food and explained that it was a good thing we knew exactly what we wanted (since we have eaten at a different location in the past). We ordered water with lemon and requested my drink with sugar on the rim. We got water with no lemon and no sugar on the rim. After I asked for lemon the 2nd time we were told usually when customers ask for lemon they never use it. When reminded of the sugar on the rim the waitress stated that she didn’t hear me. She was such in a hurry to help us because they were closing she was not listening. After we got our food, my chicken was not fully cooked. I explained to her that I was so hungry and did not want her to take my plate back that I would push the chicken aside because I know they were going to take long to remake it plus she had already told us the kitchen was closed. She never apologized she acted surprised and insisted that she take my plate. She said it wouldn’t take long to remake it. I finally gave in and gave her my plate. Immediately knowing my family how they are, they all tried to feed me there food. No one got to enjoy themselves eating because I was waiting for mine. I finally took my husbands plate to keep the peace. We waited over 20 minutes and my husband got up to tell them we would take it to go. The waitress came back with my plate in a box and set it on the table. Not one time apologizing. She stated that her manager remade the plate and did notice the chicken was not as crispy as usual. She offered us desert but was hesitant as she knew the kitchen was closed. I could see it on her face. We declined and thanked her. I asked for the bill and gave her in her hand a $10 tip for a $107 bill. She did not say thank you on the contrary she asked us if we wanted our change. She seemed a little prideful maybe she had a long day. I understand we are all human but her manager should have came out and immediately addressed us and meet with us. He never did. Customer service is definitely not a priority for this Riverside location. We left feeling disappointed because we could not enjoy our food after spending over $100 to have a nice meal! Yea it may be small things but I like feeling valued. I am traditionally a wonderful tipper. My language of love is service. Otherwise I could have made pasta at home for...

Probably the worst experience at Olive Garden... Ever. On a position note, we only waited 10 minutes to be seated... And, on the remake, the bread sticks came out hot. The restaurant was basically empty with plenty of staffing. We arrived 1.5 hours before closing. The ladies restroom was gross... Nothing wiped down, toilet paper everywhere, paper towels all over the floors and the items needed to be replenished. We ordered calamari as an appetizer and then the soup and bread sticks for our meal (our favorite). We received the soup right away. The server gave about a tablespoon of cheese on them and walked away as if to say "that's all you get". The appetizer was no where to be found (this was completely opposite of what we requested) and the bread sticks were ice cold so I had to walk to the wait station to request different ones. After being ignored but no less then 3 servers, someone finally ask if I was being helped. I explained what the problem was, requested fresh sticks and showed him the table. We decided to eat the soup without the bread sticks as it was also getting cold while we waited. The sticks did come out hot thankfully. The soup was good but not completely hot. It was OK. We had her cancel the appetizer as we gave up on it after no updates came. With the second bowl of soup, she dropped it off and then left without a word with no cheese at all this time. She did come back a few minutes later and, I think she noticed our annoyance at the poor service and cooling food. She did offer more cheese after her singular tablespoon serving again. We decided to skip my ABSOLUTE favorite dessert, the Italian donuts - the whole reason we had come in. I figured that they would be cold and gross anyway. We paid the bill and left. While I'll probably visit other locations in the future, it won't be this one. (all of this while in a basically empty...