Olive Garden Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Springfield

2/4/2025: It's been almost a year since our last visit when, as I wrote, we had a bad experience. So, since we were near, we decided to try again around 2:00pm for a late lunch. The parking lot had only 4 or 5 cars, so we thought there would be problem getting a table. Were we ever wrong! We entered an almost empty restaurant with only a couple of tables occupied. The recptionist asked how many in our party, and we replied, "Two." She said that we would have to wait 10-15 minutes for a table because most were "blocked off" for some unintelligible reason and they didn't have servers for us to be seated promptly. We left and had a nice lunch at McAlisters. Olive Garden will not have us again as would-be patrons, and after two bad experiences in a row, we won't miss them. The next time we want Italian food, we'll go to Joe Galinas. It's always good.

The original 5-star rating is largely because we had a wonderful, attentive server last night. My wife and I split the salad bowl and breadsticks. The salad was fresh, but the breadsticks were too salty for my taste. She then had the pasta fagioli which she said was excellent. I had spaghetti and meatballs. The pasta was overcooked, and there was too much meat sauce. Half would have been sufficient. This is basic Italian comfort food. For fine Italian dining, go to Charlie Gitto's or Dominic's on The Hill.

10/17/2023: Olive Garden has gotten much better, at least on this visit. My wife had soup (minestrone), we both had salad, and breadsticks. Laura said the soup was rich in flavor and filling. The salad is always good. I had shrimp scampi on angel hair pasta with asparagus and tomato in the oil and butter sauce. This was unusual for shrimp scampi, but it was good. I had strawberry cream cake for desert -- excellent. I ordered peach and raspberry iced tea which was truly delicious. Our server, Dillon, was exceptional. Ask for one of his tables.

2/7/2024: Returned for dinner and the same we had on our previous visit. Laura said her minestrone and salad were excellent; my salad was fine but the shrimp scampi was awful. This time the angel hair pasta was overcooked, but the worse were the asparagus -- it was all stalk end which were undercooked, bitter, and stringy -- completely inedible. It will be a long time before we...

Being old (early 60’s) has its advantages and disadvantages. First, I’m glad I’ve made it this far. Second, you need to constantly become accustomed to change. My wife and I went to dinner here because we are traveling and didn’t want to search out somewhere new to eat. Although Olive Garden food can be hit or miss, it’s generally decent and we know what to expect.

However, we were surprised at apparently being victims of a “Gen-Z Stare’ish” attack. We understand that being fake “friendly” to 500 people a day is tough. Working can be soul-sucking. That said, if there is ever a job that could be replaced by technology, a robot, or just a map, apparently this is one of them. Maybe we expect too much or maybe it was just a bad day.

First, our “hostess” ran to a table and tossed menus on a table. Without any communication they were gone before we pulled out our chairs. The objective was accomplished. We were directed to a table. It would have been more enjoyable if they handed me a little map and a table number and we could have searched out our final destination ourselves. Or maybe one of those robotic devices you see in a store taking inventory could beep its way to our table. It may even be cheaper for Olive Garden. Ot was not a busy night. Yes, the hostess served a function, but that was the extent of the experience.

Next, we interacted with our wait person. They were mostly efficient, “pleasant”, and rote, but we did have to remind them of dining options that were available that were not asked. Unfortunately, the overall experience was almost painful. We felt that we were being an inconvenience. Perhaps it was even more unpleasant for them. That is unfortunate. I hope not. But their service didn’t warrant an additional 20%. We could have entered our order at a kiosk and had it delivered to the table.

Bottom line - if I’m only eating to keep going, I’ll go to a Subway. If I want more of an experience, I’ll go to a great “non-chain” restaurant. If I’m looking for something in-between, welcoming, and convenient in an unknown location, I’d normally go to an Olive Garden. However, our experience here was disappointing. I hope it’s not something to which we will have to...

In March, my sensitive 3-year-old was traumatized and nearly injured at Olive Garden due to a mishap I feel was poorly handled by management. I haven’t returned since, and my frustration with the situation has only grown.

My wife, 1- and 3-year-old, and I went out for dinner for the first time in over a year. Excited for a family meal, we were seated in the back, and a friendly server quickly took our order. Shortly after, she returned with our drinks on a tray. As she removed the first drink, the tray tipped, and several glasses fell, spilling ice-cold water all over me and my 3-year-old. The glasses landed within a foot of him. Startled, he cried loudly and repeatedly asked, “Why did she pour water on me?”

The server was mortified and apologized profusely. I reassured her we knew it was an accident and were thankful no one was hurt. Still, my son was cold, wet, and inconsolable, and I had no change of clothes. I had to request cloth napkins to try to dry him as no effort was made by staff to assist with the soaked child.

A manager came over, apologized, and explained that the server was too upset to continue. She offered a free appetizer and to remove one kid’s meal from the bill. She said she would take over but disappeared after bringing the appetizer, and another server completed our meal.

By the end, my son and I were still soaked and uncomfortable. The meal was ruined. The bill reflected the deductions, but in hindsight, this was woefully inadequate. This wasn’t a minor inconvenience; it was a distressing experience for my child. The manager’s lack of follow-up and the small discount failed to address the severity of what happened.

It’s not about the money but the principle. The meal should have been fully comped, and the manager should have ensured we were cared for. While I empathize with the server, Olive Garden’s response lacked the attentiveness and care the...