Went there for the first time last week and must say I don’t understand what the big deal is. I went there for lunch and had the soup and salad lunch special. The soups taste like they come out of a can, the “famous” house salad is like the bagged ones at the grocery store and the breadsticks taste like hotdog buns brushed with melted butter.
the breadsticks have gone downhill lately. the good thing about the salad is the dressing, and that's no longer a big deal because you can buy it at the grocery. never had the soup so can't tell you anything there.
my town has several 'real' Italian restaurants using grandma's recipes (and often "Mama" is still in charge) so Olive Garden isn't that big of a deal to me. Some people still see it as a place to get italian, though, and since it's a chain it's popular with travelers because you know what you're getting.
I see Olive Garden as "pretty good, almost Italian... if there isn't a family Italian place available" and like winds said, you know what you are getting at any Olive Garden... because they use the same stuff across the country. OG in California will be the same tasting as OG in New York or Florida.
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"Yabba Dabba Doo" - Frederick J. Flintstone... So what?
(Judd Nelson as Atty. Robin 'Stormy' Weathers in "From the Hip")
I love the breadsticks, though I haven't been in a few months so maybe they've changed? I agree on the soups, they all taste canned to me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the crispy risotto balls.
I go to Fazoli's instead of Olive Garden. Cheaper, faster and I think OG is overpriced for the quality. Fazoli's is like Italian fast-food, a couple of notches above frozen entrees but I get my breadstick fix take care of.