Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Santa Ana

I recently visited the Olive Garden on Main Street in Santa Ana, and I must say, the experience was exceptional from start to finish. From the moment I walked in, I was warmly greeted by a very nice hostess who immediately made me feel welcome. Her friendly demeanor set the tone for the rest of the meal, which only got better as the night progressed.

Once seated, I was fortunate enough to have Joe as my waiter for the evening. And let me tell you, Joe was an absolute standout! His level of attentiveness and professionalism truly elevated the dining experience. Right from the beginning, Joe made sure I was comfortable, checked in on me frequently without being intrusive, and always anticipated my needs before I even had to ask. It’s rare to find such a dedicated server who genuinely cares about your experience, but Joe went above and beyond.

Throughout the meal, Joe made sure my drink was never empty and checked in regularly to ensure everything was to my liking. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and made great recommendations. I especially appreciated how he took the time to ensure that any requests I had were met with a smile and prompt service. His positive attitude and attention to detail made me feel like I was more than just a customer — I felt like a valued guest.

The food, of course, lived up to Olive Garden’s well-known standards. The breadsticks were warm and perfectly seasoned, and the salad was crisp and fresh, as always. My entrée arrived hot and delicious, with generous portions that made for a fulfilling meal. But it was truly the service, particularly from Joe, that made this visit special. It’s clear that the staff at this Olive Garden take pride in what they do, and that’s something that can make all the difference.

I highly recommend this location for anyone looking to enjoy a relaxing meal with great food and even better service. Make sure to ask for Joe — you won’t be disappointed! And a big shoutout to the kind hostess who started my visit on such a positive note.

I’ll definitely be back, and I hope to experience the same level of care and attention from the staff, especially from Joe, who truly made my...

They don't even deserve one star. We had dinner last night and first; they made my sisters drink wrong. When we asked to simply have it remade the bartender proceeded to come back with her same drink and tell us he made it right. He was very rudly persistent and wouldn't just make another, instead he said we would need to pay additional to have more alcohol added to the drink. Which wasn't what we wanted or asked for. So we just dropped it, wanting to enjoy our evening and said it was fine. After the bartender left we simply just gave the waiter our drink and told him we didn't want it at all. Then I received my order which was supposed to have sautéed shrimp on it. The shrimp was raw. It looked like it was just thrown on top not ever touching a pan. It wasn't even warm to the touch. I asked about it and the waited said he'd take it back. Then brought back a minute later my exact plate saying that was sautéed and the chef just warmed it up for me for a minute on the pan and to check it. I did. It looked the same and just like some tossed my plate. (I have pictures to prove it. I'm just not savy and don't know how to upload it here) Being a stay at home mom finally getting out of my house without children I really just wanted to enjoy my night without issues. I just said it was fine. I kept my plate never eating the shrimp. Not one time did the manager ever come over or did we even see a manger in the restaurant period. We weren't even offered any sort of discount for our troubles either. After paying our bill, my sister and I went to the restroom. Having to pass by the Kitchen we saw it was trashed! The restroom was filthy like it had not been cleaned at all. Walking back by the kitchen getting a better view we could see a trash can overflowing and trash alllllll over the floor piled around the trash can as waiters and waitresses just walked over it like nothing. It was DISGUSTING. We will NEVER...

As usual when a popular restaurant has a wait, we seek out the bar to eat at. Sat immediately, and was pleasantly greeted by Elsa... Beverages first and foremost...it was VERY hot outside at 5pm, 100°!!! I had a strawberry limoncello margarita minus the strawberry 🍓 and my sister had a peach 🍑 bellini. Both drinks were cold and refreshing. We both ended up having two each!!! Dinner; as mentioned, it was HOT outside. I personally didn't want a hot dinner and was entirely focused on the endless soup, salad, and breadsticks, mostly for the salad and breadsticks. I ordered the chicken and gnocchi soup...got served minestrone. All's good, as I didn't even realize it until AFTER I completely devoured the delicious minestrone. No worries, Elsa! The salad and breadsticks were the perfect choice for the hot summer evening meal. My sister had angel hair pasta with meatballs and meat marinara sauce. I snuck a taste for review purposes, mind you. The pasta and sauce were tasty, and the meatballs were delicious. Her entrée came with endless soup, salad, and breadsticks as well. This choose your own pasta and sauce SPECIAL was a full complete meal. No skimping here. Best of all, it was about 25% less than the price of the average menu entree. Overall, we had a very good time and an excellent dinner!!! Four cocktails 🍸 and essentially two "all you can eat" meals, including a 22% gratuity, was a very reasonable $90. Elsa's service was outstanding. She was attentive, accommodating, pleasant, and very personable. She was a delight and a definite asset to this Olive Garden venue. No pictures this visit...while the presentation of the dishes was perfect, it was pasta soup and salad. I didn't...