Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Rockwall

This is my first time writing a review like this one, but after tonight's experience along with two other dine-ins with friends, I highly question EVER going back to visit the Rockwall Olive Garden location because of poor customer service with over-priced, poor quality food products served. You don't get what you pay for.

After having a horrible experience last week with waiter Martin, Store Manager Charlie urged my party to give the Rockwall location another try. So tonight (01/04/19), my friends and I were hopeful for a pleasant experience. Not so much!!! Here's my grievances that seem to be a common denominator at the Rockwall location:

After ordering 4 separate meals, (2 shared, 1 single dish and another being all-you-can-eat salad and soup), our server (Josiah) brought us 1 bowl of salad for our entire table of 6. We have always been accustomed to getting at least one bottomless bowl per meal. In this case, we would have been happy with some sort of compromise. However, Josiah would NOT listen to our desires in wanting to keep fresh salad going for our table as ordered and what is advertised. Because his behavior was inconsiderate and rude, we asked for a manager. He refused to go get one while continuously asking if we'd like cheese on our salad.

When finally speaking with a manager, Manager Brian addressed our concerns by NOT listening to HOW we were being treated and NEVER acknowledged policy. He did not listen genuinely to our concerns to remedy the current circumstance or to take note for future patron experiences. Manager Brian's follow-up to check-in on our table was dismissive at best.

While we were passed-off to another server and eventually given our salads, my meal was mediocre. I shared a $16 plate of chicken alfredo that would normally fill up a bowl when ordering on my own dish. There was hardly any chicken, sauce or pasta. One friend said they could have had a frozen dinner from a grocery store better than what was served. I agreed.

What is management teaching servers at the Rockwall location? What comes across to me as a patron is that the serving staffs' top priority is the art of selling add-ons over listening and providing professional and timely service. I appreciate someone doing their job, but when I may not want a glass of wine or one of the suggestive sellers, please don't shun me. I could be interested in other things on the menu to add to my order.

I mentioned a previous visit last week with waiter Martin. He had obviously had a difficult day, but should not take his frustrations out onto other customers, thus creating a hostile environment, unpleasant atmosphere and experience. Add-ons were an issue with this visit from the beginning because once I/we ordered a round of water, our server seemed to be "done" with us.

In general, Olive Garden has always been my goto for birthdays and fellowships for a great sit-down meal. I am writing this review in hopes that management will instill better customer service to improve over-all experiences at the Rockwall location. Servers should be informed about the products offered. They should be pleasant and prompt to service needs in a reasonable, timely manner. Managers in training should not be rude taking the side of employees over the patrons. I shouldn't feel condescended as a paying customer. Simply put, how come I can go to other restaurant choices or other Olive Garden locations and get what I pay for but not at the Rockwall location?

I was NOT looking for a free meal or discount. I was desiring to pay for quality food and service. I didn't receive either multiple times in one month's time.

So, if you want to have a vexing experience, please by all means, go to the Rockwall Olive Garden. I would suggest until management at this location addresses the basics of customer service NOT to blow your hard earned money.

Concerned...

The management and staff are great. We didn’t try the food this time unfortunately.

We have always considered Olive Garden a family restaurant, and it’s been a while since we ate there, or any other restaurant that doesn’t have a playground, we have a 2 year old that is still getting used to eating in a restaurant without wanting to go play somewhere or throwing a tantrum for whatever reason (parents will understand).

Everything was fine and we were waiting for our entrees after finishing our appetizers, until our 2yr son wanted to put a crayon inside his apple juice, you know normal toddler stuff, and of course after I stopped him he started to cry. We tried to calm him down for a minute or so but it wasn’t working as fast as you would hope, so I started to get him out of the high chair to carry him.

At the same time I was trying to get him out of the high chair a woman (presumably, who knows nowadays) that was sitting behind me, started yelling at me and my wife (8 months pregnant by the way) that we should do something about our son, because he was being too loud, as a matter of fact we should leave the restaurant for the inconvenience we were causing to her and everyone else.

I just replied that is not as easy as it seems to control a 2 year old child, that has no idea how to regulate his emotions. To our surprise, the rest of the customers around us started to tell her to leave the restaurant instead 🤣 and that she shouldn’t be talking to us like that.

The manager went to her table and he asked her to leave after all the commotion she caused and for being rude. At this point my pregnant wife was crying and my daughter (8yr old) was crying as well 😅

My wife didn’t want stay any longer, so we just asked for the check, but the manager approached our table and asked us to stay. He apologized for the whole situation and said that our dinner was on the house. Unfortunately we honestly lost our appetite and I didn’t want to make my wife feel more uncomfortable, so we decided to leave anyway. We didn’t forget to tip our waitress who was also very attentive and kind from the beginning.

We’re definitely coming back at some point so my wife can try the pumpkin pie, is just gonna be a while.

Thank you to the staff and management team for trying their best to make us feel welcomed, it was our first time experiencing a “Karen” in her natural habitat 😂 and they rose to...

I will make this short and straight to the point. I love OG, but hate the one in rockwall. Went there with my wife for some awsome all you can eat soup and salad. Food was great, but service was horrible. the waiter refilled our drinks once. We were dying of thirst. i didnt drink much so i gave my drink to my wife .I have to admit it was a little busy but that was such a bad experience for us that night. We left upset. Being such a big OG fan we went again. Tossing the last experience to it being busy. We went earlier just so we dont have the same problem. there was a total of about 5-7 tables that was being served that day. you can say it was slow that day. Yet again, we had a terrible experience. I figure soup and salad should be easy. all you have to do is scoop up the soups, refill drinks and bread accordingly. Not the case. the waitress was no where to be seen. eventually we got refills. so we came to a conclusion that maybe they were trained to give out slow service to anyone that orders the all you can eat soup and salad, so that they won't eat so much. No matter the case we decided that we just wont go to that particular OG anymore. Then comes our third and final chance. My son and my Daughter shares almost the same birthday, but a diffrent year. one is on the 2nd and the other 3rd. Now i understand the rules is that they have be on the bday to get free bday ice cream. So they both wanted to have there bday dinner the same time and guess where. You guessed it, OG. Went there, made sure noone orders the all you can eat selections. the place wasnt too busy. still the wait was horrible. Kids fighting for bread sticks, water not refilled, and waitress nowhere to be seen. but here is the kicker. we told the waitress that it was there bday and she told us that we can order the desert for the kids if we wanted to. so now we experienced bad customer service and felt like we were accused of trying to get free desert that couldnt cost more then $5 total for the 2 ice cream they hand out for bdays. Needless to say the kids said that it was ok and that they rather go to coldstone for the bday treats. Just wanted to share my experience. hope other people has better luck then us. Hate to not go anymmore becuase i love the soups and salad they have. well not the one in...