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23rd St-6th Ave (F, V)
23rd Street (PATH)
23rd St-7th Ave (1)
"Been here twice, and have had the best italian fod in New York both times. I ordered the Tagliolini fruti de mare and it was plated…" read more »
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Act I:
him: "Dinner at Olive Garden's; In or Out?"
me: "What are the specials?"
him: "Well, there's ayce s.." I interrupted with my reply: "I'm in!"
I arrived to discover that it's ayce soup/salad. Bah!!! Humbug!. I'm naturally protein-deficient;) I need meat in my diet!
Sooo, I ordered spaghetti & meatballs with a side of italian sausage. Waitress pointed out..
her: "We offer a Spaghetti & Sausage plate!"
me: "Oh!" (that which, I was previously aware!)
;|
me: "In that case, can I have that!.., with a side of meatballs?.."
her: "Oh, I see what you want. Gotcha!"
Consider that foreplay; and the end of Act I
-----------------------
Act II: On with my meal!
I started my dinner with spicy italian sausage soup, I picked at some bread sticks (by 'some,' I mean 'one') and then I sampled the appetizers (calamari, breaded zucchini, stuffed mushrooms).
The soup was incredible!!, breadsticks amazingly mediocre, and unsurprisingly Bland!., Calamari was okay., zucchini was..., and the stuffed mushrooms were lovely!
Final Act:
I kept thinking (to self), "how did I (un)manage to spend over $30 for spaghetti, sausage, and meatballs?.., at Olive Gardens no less!??.. f$ck-Me!..., but, those meatballs, paired so well with that spaghetti & that sauce. And, the added sausage = divine.
Great meal!
Christ Almighty, Yelp! What do I have to do to de-Elite myself? I've already done the unthinkable and had my reviews deleted by Yelp HQ. I've left Elite Events at such places as Megu only to end up at derelict places like Red Lobster. I mean, do I have to ask Jane out on a date or something (which I already did but she didn't give me the time of day. I mean, i asked her, "Jane, what time is it?" But she kept walking so she literally didn't give me the time of day).
So in my never-ending quest to be a non-Yelp Elite, last night we came to Olive Garden. Hey, sometimes you have to slum, you know? And wouldn't you know it, six other people came with me to "slum".
Someone please tell me why all these chain restaurants won't seat parties until the whole group is there? We were missing just one person and they still refused to seat us, even though there was enough room to store a couple of sawhorses in there (hi Joey).
I ordered a new entree: mezzaluna with sausages. Mezzalunas are four-cheese raviolis, basically. And hot damn, I scarfed that puppy down faster than Carl Lewis running the 40 yard dash.
Did I mention that me and S---- ordered what seemed to be a barrel of red wine? Did I mention that we finished it, and I was driving? Don't worry, fearless readers, I didn't get a DUI.
Yet.
In seriousness, the food here really isn't that bad. Sure it isn't "authentic" Italian food. But come on, they send their chefs to Venice for training. Whether it's Venice, Italy or Venice, California I don't know but it's still Venice.
PS I know they send their chefs to the ACME Culinary Institute in Tuscany but comedically speaking Venice was funnier.
A true suburbanite, I just can't help but love OG. It brings back such good childhood memories when OG was considered a classy spot for all those special occasion dinners when we got to eat out. This was THE spot for pre-Prom and Homecoming dinner, and after church, special Sunday meals. Despite being totally cliche and not "authentic" (I hate that word), OG hits the spot almost every time. And yes, sadly I have been to both OG manhattan locations, but I am truly shocked that they have one in BK. At least manhattan has the excuse of tourists.....
I digress. Everyone in the world knows (even you wanna-be bougie people) that OG breadsticks are spread with a sublime and addictive mix of butter, garlic, and crack. They come out warm and the whole table instantly devours the basket. You promptly ask for another basket and then another after your meal comes, at which point you ask for your server to box them up for you. (The boxes even come with reheating instructions... why do I know that. eek!)
So with the salad and breadsticks being the major draw, it only makes sense to order the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks deal - CHEAP (tho don't be fooled by the commercials, this deal costs like $5.95 in VA but magically increases to like $8.95 in manhattan). Still...The pasta fagioli is delish and very hearty!
Other favs include the fettuccine alfredo, which according to the website has a solid 1700 calories or so, the chicken parmigiana, the steak gorgonzola alfredo, and the short ribs. Despite being a chain, the food is surprisingly satisfying, I have def had far worse, and maybe its just the MSG speaking, but still. They also have a serious strawberry mango margarita, def stick with the mixed, especially frozen, drinks here, the wine is questionable.
All in all, when you want a corny night out with your girlfriends and you want to pig out, go down memory lane of your childhood, and gossip about how much men suck, this place is perfection! 3.5 stars.
P.S. prob not a good spot for a date, though far better than the guy who took me to Chipotle (unacceptable, I haven't been able to eat there since...)
Great for a middle America food fix. Predictable, easy, and filling. Prices are high.
Including this experience, I've only been to The Olive Garden twice. I kept seeing ads for the unlimited soup, salad, and bread-sticks for only $8.95. Well...I like soup, salad, and bread-sticks. And I get as much as I like? Naturally, I had to see what I was missing. The food didn't disappoint. I had two different types of soup, lots of salad, and about 2 1/4 bread-sticks. As you can imagine, I was muy full after the meal. And all that for $8.95? I can't complain! However, the service wasn't great. It took about 3-5 minutes for my server to show up at the table. Plus, the staff (mainly composed of college students, I assume) could've been much more professional. I know it's a chain restaurant, but it's still a restaurant. I don't need some dude in a ponytail doing some ghetto dance, as his fellow waiters and waitresses watch and laugh. Come on! Use some common sense! Oh yeah, and my waiter could've been more attentive. Sometimes it took a while to flag him down. It was about 2 in the afternoon. The place wasn't that busy!
Am I *actually* reviewing a Manhattan Olive Garden? There's just too much inherent humor in this that I am compelled to. Valentine's day is one of the cheesiest, most manufactured and contrived holidays out there. So my very single friends and I thought it would be appropriate to spend this awful holiday in irony at the Chelsea Olive Garden.
Apparently many other people - couples included - felt Olive Garden would be the best place to spend a romantic dinner. If I hadn't been dumped earlier in the week (ouch) my non-friend but boyfriend date would have been at Bocca di Bacco, a respectable Italian establishment. I can only imagine the horror on someone's face if I told them we were going to the big OG for our date. I digress. One of our party members arrived at 7:30 to reserve our 9:15 table since OG doesn't do reservations. Wow...
After literally trudging through the huge crowd the eight of us were shown our table. Our hostess caveated that the table was only meant for six so it may not be big enough for us. This cavernous booth would have fit TEN of us or maybe even 12. This raised an eyebrow or two at the basic insinuation that Olive Garden customers are generally really obese! The "pro" side of this is that at least you feel better about being a pig.
Our friendly server quickly distributed menus and dispensed our free wine samples. I've always maintained that free alcohol is a really cute thing, even if this particular blush wine did taste like dishwater. Our drink orders were then placed and our server assured us she was bringing fresh bread and salad afterward. After waiting what seemed forever for our drinks the server apologized for their understaffed bar. Our basket of hot-dog-bun-esque garlic breadsticks came along with our salad and then eventually our first batch of moderately priced special fruity drinks. The breadsticks were disappointingly not hot and the salad was the usual fare of iceberg lettuce and accoutrements saturated in wonderfully oily dressing.
After perusing the menu we all put in our orders. Compliant with New York restaurant laws, Olive Garden has the calories for every menu item listed on a separate flap on the menu. While I was expecting the worst, the menu isn't nearly as bad as I thought. The popular "Tour of Italy" will however detour your diet by a lovely 1440 calories. Yikes. I stuck with the soup, salad and breadsticks option, being "healthier" as well as frugal.
My pasta fagiole soup was actually pretty good. A piping hot bowl (errr 2) filled with chunks of meat, capellini pasta and tomatoes satisfied my hunger thoroughly. By "satisfied my hunger" I mean alongside with the disgusting amount of breadsticks and salad I ate along with the soup. The other entrees on my table, including a Tour of Italy as well as an apricot chicken concoction all looked decent enough as well as very commonplace.
Towards the end of our meal a commotion was occurring at the front of the restaurant. Ever curious (read :nosy and looking for Yelp fodder) we peered out front to witness a full-on fight between a server and a patron. Emotions and unlimited free bread sticks were flying as some customer started a fight with an innocent server. The whole kitchen staff, servers, hosts and any other employee came to the front of the restaurant to check out the commotion and defend their fellow employee. Nice show of solidarity there but probably not the best way to deflect or distract from the situation. Eventually the customer was escorted out and all the fun stopped.
A surprise birthday cake was brought out to me and I was sung to by my table and the staff. The little chocolate cake was consumed quickly by an already-full girlfriend and I in our indulgent way - even if the cake wasn't all that tasty.
So the food here is common and the customers are atrocious. Given. But the servers seemed to try really hard to compensate for the fact that everyone know they work at a shithole. So for that I give cheers and thanks for the many ridiculous Valentine's Day memories created by this Oliver Garden. If only the indigestion and eventual vomiting induced by this and excessive alcohol consumption didn't put a damper on my experience!
Home to deals such as the Unlimited Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks and the Never Ending Pasta Bowl, Olive Garden has a very small presence in New York City with one Brooklyn and two Manhattan locations.
Unlike your average suburban "farmhouse in Tuscany" Olive Garden, the Manhattan locations feature an urban concept that premiered in 2002 with the opening of the Chelsea/Flatiron location, which, coincidentally, was the one I visited.
This restaurant is extremely large and has a single-floor layout with an attempt at the urban Italian ristorante feel. During my lunch visit the restaurant was rather quiet and about two-thirds occupied.
I came with a party of six and we all took advantage of the "Unlimited Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks" offering. It is currently being offered for $8.95 before 4pm, and makes an extremely filling lunch. The only additional food costs you may have to worry about are "dipping sauces" which are not included and not unlimited.
The food itself was excellent, although it was sometimes hard to tell what the actual difference between the soup were - many contained almost identical ingredients. The service to our table was also excellent - unlimited food and six people essentially required our own personal waiter, who either was serving us food or getting us more food!
Overall, Olive Garden, laugh all you may at the idea, provides a great value lunch in a friendly setting. You almost forget that you are in a nationwide casual dining chain... Until, of course, you glance at the menu and notice that Budweiser, Bud Light, and Miller Light are the "premium beers," and that there apparently aren't any other options!
The fact that this exists in New York City is really crazy.
I think I will ruminate more on this place. I really have a hard time understanding how the Olive Garden could show up in NYC of all places and think they would make enough money to be profitable. But the fact that they are here means they must be. For this I have to admit that NYers, and the tourists who come here, really aren't all that good at choosing restaurants.
In a city with more italian restaurants than we could possibly know what to do with, people actually show up at Olive Gardens for soup and breadsticks.
Heck, I know most "italian" places are just restaurants with mexicans making pasta, but still....the Olive Garden should not exist in my NYC. If you like Olive Garden, I hate you.
For the most shame-filled experience of your life, try going here for the Never-Ending Past Bowl (NEPB). You will want to crawl out of here because not only did you go to an Olive Garden, the wait staff is THIS close to spitting on you as well.
The NEPB is not featured anywhere on the menu, inserts, or table tents. Instead, you must ask for NEPB as though it were some dirty backroom act that no one dare speak of. When a list of sauces/pastas wa requested, our waiter literally threw a wadded up piece of paper with the day's specials on our table with a disgusted look and roll of the eyes.
I can understand why Manhattan Olive Gardens are less-than-enthusiastic about the NEPB as it is priced at about 50% less than any other entre ($8.95), but srsly, you have national commercials running constantly about it: don't be angry when people actually have the balls to order it.
I really don't understand all the OG hatin' going on. Yes, it's a chain restaurant. Yes, they play… Read more »
It's just not worth going to Olive Garden unless it's for Unlimited Soup and Salad or the Pasta Bowl. They inflate their prices and they suffer from "our restaurant sucks in NYC" syndrome.
I had one of their specials, the Four Cheese Stuffed Mezzaluna with Shrimp. It came out looking dry and didn't have much taste at all. And $18? No thanks.
The service was mediocre, at best, but the server did fill up the wine glasses well beyond what a normal size would be.
There is absolutely no reason to be ashamed of admitting the fact that sometimes, you just want to get some chain restaurant food in New York City. (It's like drunken make outs. It happens. You enjoy it. And you should feel no shame because you had fun. I guess in this case UNLIMITED SALAD and BREADSTICKS!!!) This is like American Dream of chain restaurants!
I've begged my coworkers. I've begged my friends. Nobody would EVER WANT TO GO!! I was getting so frustrated and my craving just kept growing stronger. FINALLY! My friend AD said "We are going. I know you need this" Um... F*CK YEAH I need this!!!
We went to the one in Time Square first. Bad move. 1HOUR WAIT?! Hell-To-The-No! Then we went down to Chelsea location and were seated as soon as we walked in. Ah, the smell of chain restaurant Italian food. AMAZING!!! I was starving and immediately declared I'M GETTING THE TOUR OF ITALY! AD ordered Egg Plant Parm. We started out with Fried Calamari along with unlimited Salad bowl and breadsticks. No need to comment on the food. You know what you are getting. We gorged ourselves and wondered if we'd ever fit into our coats again. Will I go back? OF COURSE!
I just found out another friend of mine actually enjoys going to OG as much as I do. Will I order what I ordered again? Probably not, but OG's unlimited salad and breadsticks will always have a place in my heart.
You know, I know its New York City and we have all of these awesome restaurants with kick-ass 5 star food. But you know what? All those awesome restaurants with kick-ass 5 star food have a 5-star price tag.
In a city where you can't get an original sized Jamba Juice for under $7.00, Olive Garden is a welcome respite. That's right, I said it.
All you can eat pasta, salad, and breadsticks for $9.00/person is as cheap as it gets in Manhattan and I, being a poor graduate student from Boston by way of Upstate NY, will take it.
A good place to commit misdemeanors.
Well I was here with an out of town international friend who insisted they wanted to try it. I normally would not go here, but it is now nice to say -- been there done that. It is one floor but goes pretty far back on 22nd Street -- entrance on 6th.
Friday approx. 5.30pm -- we did have to wait and there is plenty of bench seating for it at the entrance. As soon as we approached there was no "sorry" - it was just take this marker and wait. I had to ask what is the expected time and force my name on her to add to her list (I think they write down the serial number of it.) Also the lady to seat us (after our marker had buzzed) was on the phone and when we approached she did not signal for us to wait or apologize to us after she hung up. The thing lights up and buzzes. We waited only a few minutes really and no one exited the whole time! So I had no idea why we had to wait at all!
Service was fine -- they do try to push the "house" wine on you -- they actually bring a bottle and he starts to advertise it. The salad that comes with the entrees is shared family style in a bowl -- they are careful about portions -- for two people it did not fill the whole bowl but we never finished it anyways. We did take food home -- the serve paks it up at their station, and would feel weird taking the salad that comes with the entree. You can get soup or salad with the entree Coffee drinks are dressed up and mints with the check come too!
I will say after we finished our entrees the server did seem to not pop by as often -- it took a while to get dessert menus etc...
The manager did nicely come by to check in after doing his rounds. THat was a nice touch to show they care. I hope he read this YELP!
Some lady was there by herself too -- eating and reading in a middle table of the back dining room. SO weird -- who dines along in a place like that.
Since no reservations you often have to wait and if you want a specific table or area maybe wait even longer. I really do like requesting specific tables at restaurants (myself or thru my concierge) but I guess the Olive Garden cliente does not care.
P.S. They include 15% gratuity in the bill! It is pretty clearly marked. I felt no reason to increase thought they do give a line for it called "Add. tip" -- how sneaky.
They do not accept reservations - unless you are a large party which I take to mean they have to… Read more »
There are two good things about this Olive Garden:
1 - It's less crowded, less well-known, and less trafficked than the Time Square location, so you can actually show up and sit down right away.
2 - It's not as corporate branding tacky as the TS location. In fact, it looks like any normal NYC restaurant.
Other than that, there's no real reason to eat here. The food is food, the breadsticks are bread, and there are better places around the corner. However, I know sometimes some folks need their fix.
What? I'm the only person who actually liked this place? I mean don't get me wrong, I hate corporate places but the lunch deal ($7 for unlimited refills of soup, salad and bread) was such a deal I plan on coming here again very soon. I'm not sure the dinner would be that great, but this is definitely a decent place to stop by for lunch. Service was decent as well.
Maybe I missed something:) or my suit made people act differently (had an interview kids) haha
Stop by, I'm interested to see others reviews
I had a weird experience at the Olive Garden last night, and it really all had to do with the waitress. She was just not that good at all...
My friend and I were seated immediately at this downtown location, something that never happens at the Times Square restaurant. We enjoyed looking over the menu and had a hard time deciding what to order...it all sounded so good! Our waitress took so long to come and get out drink orders that we were ready to place our food order, too. When my friend and I both ordered the Chicken Giardino, she made a face and asked if we really liked eating healthy things. OK...I've never had a waitress double-guess something I've ordered. It's not really a good sign. But I was more offended that she would make such a comment that I couldn't even speak. My friend changed her order, but I kept mine...this chicken dish sounded really yummy.
When the waitress returned with our drinks, she neglected to bring us both waters (I never actually got one the entire night) AND she told my friend that the restaurant was out of Coca-Cola, but that maybe if she was patient they would be "making" some more. This was just so random and shocking, we had to hear the story of how they ran out of Coke. Supposedly the fountain machine broke the day before and they'd been using bottles of Coke to suffice...so why they didn't go make another soda run at the food store, I'll never know (that seems totally logical to me...you can't just run out of Coke). Needless to say, my friend was patient, but they never "made" any more Coke that night. Pretty crazy.
The food arrived and it was very good...I loved my chicken pasta dish (again...what was that crazy girl thinking...Olive Garden should fire her for telling patrons that they won't like the food they ordered!) and my friend enjoyed her spaghetti (the cook accommodated her request for one meatball and one piece of sausage, which was awesome).
The bill came and we noticed that they already included a tip, on a $40 bill for just two diners...I thought that was awfully forward, but it was only about 12%, so we just left it at that. Either that's the Olive Garden policy, or that waitress knew she wasn't going to get a good tip from us (darn right!).
I was disappointed with the service, but I really did like the open-ness of this restaurant, and the lighting and decor were really nice as well. I'll just have to think about going there again...
Eating at the Olive Garden in New York City is like visiting Shanghai and grabbing a bite at the Panda Express...
Yet there is always a line...
I come here for the never ending pasta bowl, I'll admit it. When I'm broke and starving, it's the cheapest meal you can get in the city for two people. One gets the soup, the other gets a salad, you share and both get the NEPB. And the breadsticks. So in the end, it costs less than $20 for a seriously huge meal.
When you're here, you're...blaaarrg, I ate too much.
Go here with a friend and have a good laugh over the unmitigated comedy of being in an Olive Garden in the middle of New York City. Then eat no fewer than seven breadsticks and two full portions of the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl and never, ever eat again.
For cereal though, for those of us who spent formative years in The Rest of America, it's a fun, not-totally-ironic throwback. Now if you're looking for me, I'll be at Red Lobster inhaling a Lobsterita and All You Can Eat Shrimp.
I need to kick my habit of trying every restaurant's caesar salad. I was greatly disappointed. Water and dressing don't mix.
I suggest doing the house salad and bread sticks. The vinaigrette is light and flavorful. Also, try dipping the bread sticks in a side of alfredo sauce. It cost the same as getting a caesar salad replacement. But is much more worth the $3.50.
Coming here for lunch can be difficult because it gets really busy. But it's do-able for me at least because I work around the corner.
The meals are never too disappointing either. I always leave full, and sleepy!
I've been to the Olive Garden several years ago and that was the only--and I hoped last time--in my life. The food was just nasty. And notice that even the reviews I wrote about places I have not enjoyed were not deserving of the word "nasty" to describe its food.
This place, however, is just plain nasty.
So I really don't know what took over me when I agreed to accompany my co-worker for the soup/salad/breadsticks special. Ok, so it was the low price of $7 for all you can eat. But honestly, do you want to stuff yourself with nasty food?
The salad is obviously pre-packaged and drenched in a sour dressing that you can't get on the side. The soups are just as bad. Get Campbells and you'll be better off. The bread sticks were salty and the only thing they had going for them was that they came warm (albeit wrapped in a piece of NAPKIN to keep them warm...so bad!).
Needless to say, that was my LAST time there.
I Like a bread stick! Sue me!
I fully admit that I partake of the body of Christ in the form of endless bread sticks (which I'm convinced they sprinkle with crack!) and the blood in the form of white peach sangria. Then I like to take it to a whole new level of ghetto by ordering the toasted meat ravioli off the app menu as my main course. GOD DAMN I LOVE THE O.G. Can I get a Hallelujah!
Incidentally, I have Italian friends who refuse to speak to me for days after falling off the wagon. I'm gonna quit, cold turkey, right after the new year. It's my resolution! I swear!
Back in the day, the Olive Garden (in Phoenix) was where we kids went pre-Homecoming. We didn't know any better! We lived in Phoenix. I'm a nostalgic person, so when my husband and I walked by looking for a place to eat, we stopped in for old time's sake.
I am right there with Whitney. Nothing was offensive: service, atmosphere, food (oh, wait, in retrospect the food was a little offensive to all the good Italian restaurants in the city). Nothing was very good.
And then the bill came. I was so upset that I had let my nostalgia get the better of me, I've vowed never to eat at Olive Garden again.
Um. I practically live here sometimes. Salad is to die for. Bread sticks are euphoric and the food is delicious. Top it off with a bottle of wine and you've got an amazing dinner. Pretty fast and efficient service too.
Don't hate on the Olive Garden!!
It's pretty nice inside... romantic in a way for some people, if you're sitting by the front, good for families sitting in the back.. I actually love it here.
And I'm NOT a food snob, I DON'T call Olive Garden Italian food, and I know I'm PERFECTLY capable of going somewhere else, but I don't want to. Cause this is a solid restaurant with solid dishes... And I know if i want to keep the table to have a few more glasses of wine after dinner, I can.
People like hating on the Olive Garden for whatever reason. But it's just an NYC chain restaurant that's not trying to be the next Italian food haven in Little Italy. They just offer good food, good service and good atmosphere.
been here a few times, cheaper than the spot on 42nd st, again nothing special. the meal feeds you, and it feeds you well. i come here once in a while.at all olive garden they do offer you a sample of wine and breadsticks and salad... thats my favorite thing from the place
I hate admitting I ate here. But I had a couple friends and for whatever reason this is where they wanted to meet. The food was okay for fake italian food mass produced and heated in a microwave. Of course, the best part of the meal was the breadsticks. That's the only thing I really like about Olive Garden. They have really good breadsticks.
sat here bc the euro bar was too crowded during the world cup.
i dunno, felt so weird watching soccer at the olive garden, and this isn't even a good olive garden if good olive gardens exist? might have been my 10 year old imagination growing up? i have no idea but this one was no it.
it's good sure. but once you've downed the italian cusine into a chain-type of restaurant... the food tastes without any passion or feeling in it. almost like mass production goods, not personal, purely for the satisfaction of the physical crave.
also, the waiter man... was nice, but he didn't even say anything when the soup was out. he just put us up for salad... they even ran out of breadsticks. (even though that's such an americanized dish, my friends were raving mad about having to chuck down ordinary garlic "toast")
Friend: I want Italian.
Me: Okay, sounds good. Where do you want to go?
Friend: Olive Garden?
Me: Are you kidding?
Friend: No, it's really good.
HOW CAN YOU CALL OLIVE GARDEN ITALIAN??? But I did give it two stars because the salad was good, the bread sticks were pretty good, AND they had really good peach ice tea.
And Friend and I are no longer friends... I can't be friends with someone who considers Olive Garden good Italian. YOU FREAKING LIVE IN NYC NOW... THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER ITALIAN PLACES THAT ARE TASTIER!!!
So my friend and I were, like, hey! Let's go to the Olive Garden! We haven't been there in like forever! It's like eating in the kitchen of a delightful Italian stereotype! And one day after work, we went, and indeed, the soup, salad, and breadsticks were nigh-infinite. The food was basically inoffensive, and the waiter was an ebullient fellow named something like Todd or Tad or Tim or something like that. Basically, it was okay, until we got the check and saw that it was around like $50. And then we realized, crap, we live in New York City. We actually live here, and we could have gotten an incredibly awesome meal at a *real* restaurant for that price, and then some. WHAT FOOLS, WE.
be a food snob all you want, but in my opinion you can't fuck with the $7.95 unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks lunch at Olive Garden.
the O.G. is O.G.
"Ugh!" is what I have to say about this Olive Garden. Sometimes, you have this horrible craving for Olive Garden's breadsticks and salad. I actually enjoy the menu at Olive Garden. It's nice to have once in a while. Saturday night, you still have to wait for 30 minutes. We waited for a place at the bar. Bartender wasn't very friendly. Salad was horrible.. I think they added 2 black olives and 1 slice of tomatoe to a head of lettuce. The breadsticks are the only reason this place is getting two stars. So, unless your stuck in some horrible suburb with no decent restaurants, skip the Olive Garden and go local... more than likely a better ambience and better food for the price.
This place is a disgrace to any Italian and anyone who loves real Italians or at least their food....If a friend suggested this place to me...I'd reconsider our friendship...I hate you Olive Garden!
Overpriced Italian American cuisine at its finest, this Olive Garden is surely the lesser of two evils than its hideous bigger brother in the middle of Times Square. The Olive Garden here is well hidden without the overwhelming corporate logos and almost looking like a masqueraded Starbucks in a fancy building in the Flatiron District.
As usual, the interior is well done with dark but intimate decor, in that wannabe Tuscan theme and rich odor that permeates every corner of this restaurant. The bathrooms are tastefully decorated and as unnecessary as that is, it makes the experience a little better than most. My only complaint is that they had it extremely cold in here during a mild day thus I was shivering while stuffing my face in their meal.
A friend and I decided the only thing that would lure us out to such a unfavored restaurant would be a deal that was unavoidable. We decided to ignore what Atkins' advised against carbs and go for their AYCE $8.95 Unlimited Pasta Bowl. Our waiter was so thrilled to hear that we were going for the deal that he rolled his eyes and waltzed away to get our "tap water." After doing a series of mocking impressions of him, he returned to take our order. Turns out there is a $1.95 extra charge if we get the meat, which consisted of an Italian sausage or two big meatballs. While restraining ourselves from making any toilet humor about sausage and balls, we went for it and it was totally worth it. We knew we made the right choice when I noticed one of their signature dishes the "Tour of Italy" was now a whopping $23.95 and even stuffed ravioli was $19.95 that our $10 bowl of unlimited pastas was nothing.
Favorites included the smoked mozzarella alfredo with fettucine and Italian sausage or the five cheese marinara with spaghetti and meatballs. Another combination that was good was penne with sausage/pepper marinara and Italian sausage. The pastas were surprisingly smooth and the sauce as expected was incredibly rich. We thought we had set a new record at the joint, till our server burst our bubble and told us his personal record was 14 bowls. Admitting defeat, we bounced and paid our 15% gratuity that was so conveniently tacked onto the bill for 2 people.
I can't believe I actually ate at an Olive Garden in Manhattan. Let it be known I was tricked into going by a friend to took advantage of my hunger, telling me, "I know a good place nearby." I have pretty successfully avoided the hordes waiting for just one more plateful of never-ending pasta or unlimited bread sticks in many cities across the country only to find myself lunching here the other day. The food was admittedly reasonably priced, but I still could have boiled up that angel hair and thrown some canned chopped tomatoes on it for a tiny fraction of the price. OG is ok in desperate situations when there's nothing else around (ie it's better than TGIF). There are literally hours-long waits in places like Fargo and Yakima, but there's no need for that here. You can do much better elsewhere.
I'm a fan of delicious Italian food. I ate at Olive Garden on numerous occasions at not just this location, but uptown as well as upstate. I like most of Olive Gardens' dishes but I especially enjoy and highly recommend trying the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli in a sun dried tomato cream sauce as well as their chicken fetuchini alfredo. The desserts however, are extremely rich, in my opinion too rich.
Well, let me put it this way. I only tried this place once, when I was working. We decided one Saturday to have the $7.95 soup, salad, breadstick thingy. Lo and behold, they don't do it on weekends, but they did offer us a wine tasting (not complimentary of course) at 11:30 in the AM. We elected to eat somewhere else since all of the menu items are dinner portions and just too overwhelming. We will try again during the week now that I can. The entrees I see in their ads always seem overly rich and loaded with melted cheese. I never got turned on by white cheese sauces, too much like mac and cheese.
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