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Olive Garden
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian
11555 Carmel Mountain RdSan Diego, CA 92128
(858) 485-9873
$12.95 for 3 Course Italian Dinner
Treat your family to a delicious night out with our
New! 3 Course Italian Dinner for just $12.95!
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
86 reviews for Olive Garden
Review Highlights
"The breadsticks and salads were delicious as usual."
(in 26 reviews)
"With that said, great service and great food."
(in 6 reviews)
"It's a beautiful thing, pasta."
(in 21 reviews)
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86 reviews in English
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Review from mikala s.
San Diego, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Well, I had a solid experience at Olive Garden tonight. First ever!
I have a hard time at Italian restaurants in general, finding something for my somewhat delicate digestive system. And I have never enjoyed any of Olive Garden's healthier choices.
So...I ordered the Chicken Caesar Salad, with light dressing. The chicken was pretty good, and it was served warm over the cool salad--many restaurants don't do this. It was heavy on the croutons, and I'm glad I ordered "light" dressing since the it was unremarkable and there was still plenty. However, overall, the salad was fairly tasty, if a bit too salty. The lettuce was fresh and the addition of the freshly grated parmesan was nice too.
My friends were pretty pleased with their meals but most of all we were SUPER happy with our server, Bobby. He was friendly, helpful, attentive, and very patient with our group and we never felt rushed even though we were taking a long time. And, he was really knowledgeable about the menu items, not so common these days. If we go back, I'll definitely ask to be seated at one of Bobby's tables. -
Review from Erica C.
San Diego, CA
12/30/2011
Soup and salad combo good!
Great service and not a bad deal. I am not a fan of chains, but if you are...go ahead and check it out. -
Review from Sarah K.
San Diego, CA
11/30/2011
So, I had wanted to try an Olive Garden since 2008 when we were on our honeymoon in Miami, we then almost went in 2009 in Orange County but chose chilis instead.
We moved here 3 months ago and this one has been in walking distance the whole time. Yet we either chose somewhere else or there was a half an hour (or more) wait for a table.
Given the popularity, me loving italian food and the whole fact I had been wanting to go for so long we decided tonight to take a walk there.
There was a 10 minute wait, fine, we were in no rush. The staff were friendly and the decor was nice. No music but yer it seemed fine.
Sat down and ordered, we skipped appetizers and went straight for the entrees which come with soup/salad and breadsticks.
Hubby had minestrone soup while I had the chicken and gnocci soup. The soup was really salty but we managed to eat it. Same goes for the breadsticks.
Out came the entrees. Cheese Ravioli with meat sauce and he chicken pizza thing. I cant remember its exact name and really am not in the mood to be looking it up either!
So we decided to do our normal of eating half of each one and then swapping. The cheese ravioli itself was edible just. The sauce? Super salty.
Tried the pizza. I felt like I had just taken a whole teaspoon of salt in one bite.
We gave up eating at this point.
The server was absolutely lovely. She had said that the salt thing had been a regular complaint but the food came in that way no salt had been added. Offered a free dessert. We declined.
Chef (haha- chief microwaver?) came out and again offered dessert. It was clear we would have to pay for the salt overdose which we had barely eaten and was overpriced microwaved food. Seriously we would have been better off eating at McDonald's and I do not EVER do there!
I dont understand the hype. Why so popular? I certainly will NEVER be going back and will not suggest this to anyone, not even my worst enemy.
One more thing. The chairs with wheels kind of made us feel as though we were in an elderly care home.
Next time we eat out it has to be a non chain restaurant with excellent food. I can make better food than this place blindfolded and drunk.Listed in: AVOID for eating San Diego
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Review from John G.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Our waiter was very good. Talked up everything we mentioned but didn't try to sell us on anything. He checked on us every 7-10 minutes and I really enjoyed his services.
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Review from Rob T.
San Diego, CA
1/30/2012
We have eaten here dozens of times and it's nice. The food is good but not great and the service is always good. It is a bit pricey as chains go, but we are always happy. There is often a wait time to be seated at this location, but never more than 15 minutes. Parking here is a joke. I think the lot may have been designed by a sadist!
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Review from Lizandra J.
San Diego, CA
11/20/2011
Went on Saturday night and didn't have to wait a min.The place is more a family style, like a dinner also..don't know, was expecting something else, but never considered that franchises become quite casual along the way.
The food was ok though, portions quite big so you don't really need an appetizer.Dessert was nice, pumpkin cheesecake.The service was fast and very friendly. Didn't like the fact that there was no music so ambient was quite dull, but as I said before, franchises sometimes are good in some places and others just, not quite. -
Review from Jenny S.
San Diego, CA
10/22/2011
Mass produced, lukewarm, over priced canned Italian food. It is the McDonald's of Italian food. I groan when family or coworkers suggest going to this joint. Cafe Luna on the other side of the complex has far better Italian food and more mature wait staff.
After the last trip (yuck-boss picked it for Boss's Day) I had to contact my credit card company. Seems whomever processed the bill felt the need to round up a few bucks. Shady. -
Review from David C.
I think Olive Garden is a solid Italian chain and I am surprised by the current 2.5 stars and I definitely think it should be a bit higher. I always love the Zuppa Toscana soup. I tried the new stuffed chicken marsala but it wasn't quite as good as the picture made it look. The prices also seem to slowly creep up at Olive Garden. I wouldn't go here much with all the diverse options in San Diego. The all-you-can-eat pasta bowl is quite a deal though but you will leave feeling very fat.
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Review from Teresa F.
10/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I only come to Olive Garden like once or twice a year. And it's always during the never-ending-pasta deal.
As a person that can eat a lot, I think it's a pretty sweet deal. It's cheaper than your usual buffet and the sauces are pretty good. They're tricky b/c in my experience, they always take a super long time to bring out your pasta so in the meantime the food just settles and you get full and can't eat as much. So I always try to put in a order ASAP, so my wait time isn't as long. But they always try to hold you over.
The sauces: they always have the staple alfredo, meat, five cheese, and then a variation on the meat and cream sauces. This year it's a roasted mushroom parmesan sauce and a pizza meat sauce? I skipped out on the pizziola meat sauce b/c that didn't seem too worthy. But the mushroom sauce was pretty good. Thick and creamy with sun-dried tomatoes. Nom nom nom. And I think my all time favorite sauce would be the five cheese. I love the creamyness with the tomato flavor. It's the best.
I went once already during the deal, and the service was pretty similar. Nice and courteous, but they just take forever to bring out our pasta. However, I went back again last night and Andy was our server. And he was super awesome. He would put in the orders quickly and bring out our pasta promptly. I've never had such good, fast service during never ending pasta. I enjoyed his service greatly. And I like how you can always pack up what you can't finish and have it for lunch the next day! That's what I just did! Yay!
Anyways, usually a bit overpriced, but it's a really good deal during the never ending pasta. And if you get a good server, it can really brighten up your whole dinner experience! -
Review from Darlene J.
San Diego, CA
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went for dinner last night before we started Xmas shopping. My husband ordered the Capellini di Mare which he said was the worse he has ever had. The pasta was gummy & over cooked. I ordered the Capellini Pomodoro which had zero flavor & was also way over cooked. On a better note our Waiter Nathan was great! I just didn't care for the food! It's too bad because the service was excellent.
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Review from Avalon C.
San Diego, CA
10/24/2011
I love olive garden but this is by far The worst of all olive garden spot. My guest and I had diarrhea in matters of hours after we eat at this place...
I would suggest to go to other location. Enough said! -
Review from Katy C.
Temecula, CA
12/18/2011
Such great food! Always get the soup and salad combo... the Zuppa Toscana is awesome! Also have had great experiences with the customer service at this location. One of our favorites. :)
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Review from Jimmy N.
San Diego, CA
9/13/2011
My experience was around 3.5, but I'll bump it to 4.
Went with a party of friends for a friend's birthday/going away dinner.
The hostess and waitresses were nice.
I started with a frozen cappuccino, which is really delicious.
The breadsticks and salads were delicious as usual.
I got the Mixed Grill, which consists of skewers of grilled steak and chicken with a side of Tuscan potatoes. They were pretty good, but not to flavorful, though I liked the char on the grilled meat. The potatoes were great, and I wish I had more.
The food was great, though it seemed a bit pricey to me with all combined. I'll come back getting the endless pasta, like my friends did. -
Review from Michelle T.
San Diego, CA
8/26/2011 1 photo
I'm usually okay with Olive Garden and I'm usually okay with any dish that consists of some sauce thrown over some pasta but today was just not cutting it. I ordered the Ravioli di Portobello, and it just so mediocre. It wasn't a "oh my gosh I'm going to hate this but at least it will make an interesting story to tell others" kind of bad, but just so meh. It was supposed to be a portobello ravioli dish served over sun dried tomato sauce. The pasta was too thick and the sauce tasted too generically creamy with barely any sun dried tomato flavor. I liked that they added some fresh tomato on top to give it some tomato flavor, but the raw onions they added on top as well just didn't fit with the overall flavor of the dish. The actual portobello stuffing was alright though.
Strangely enough I think my favorite part of that dinner was the minestrone. It was filling and flavorful, but not overly rich.
The wait was also pretty annoying. I think we waited for over half an hour to get our food. To be fair though, it was busy and there was a line going out the door. Also, prices aren't cheap even though this is a franchise- expect to pay about $15 per person for dinner.
You're better off going to some other Italian restaurant. At the end of the night I just didn't feel good after eating something so rich but not delicious. -
Review from L. W.
San Diego, CA
1/6/2012
I love the food here. My one complaint for this place has been ongoing. They cannot seem to get a special order correct- ever. I really only like angel hair pasta, so no matter what I order I usually swap out the noodles for angel hair, and for some reason, that always gets missed and I end up having to send back the entree. Besides that, good place to eat.
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Review from SunnyDaze C.
San Diego, CA
8/14/2011
There ain't no marsala in their chicken marsala! Why call it marsala then if you don't have a drop of it in there?
Yuck! Really? This is supposed to be Italian?
I'd rather eat Chef Boyardi right out of the can! -
Review from Caren L.
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's been at least 7 years since Iast stepped into an OG! For some reason, I think of OGs as the equivalent of Dennys - Italian style! But their commercials on TV caught the interest of my little one such that he insisted on having a birthday dinner here.
There is always a wait here. Still, their waiting room is spacious enough + the bar where you can get a pre-dinner drink is a great place to start the weekend.
The breadsticks were a hit, along with the fresh parmesan cheese that we gleefully dipped our bread into. The Appetizer Sampler was quite filling with calamari, stuffed mushrooms, and chicken fingers (3 stars, just ok).
Now I don't eat pasta much. Having said that, I did enjoy the Carbonara Ravioli with Shrimp (Parmesan and pancetta-filled carbonara ravioli with sautéed shrimp in a truffle butter sauce) that my plate was licked clean. The Cheese Ravioli for kids was huge, but quite tasty apparently since my little one cleaned his plate too!
The Dolcini is, I think, just the right size to cap off an already carb-heavy meal. The Chocolate Mousse with Dark Chocolate was a delightfully way to end my meal.
Won't be back soon, but glad to have tried OG's again. -
Review from Scott D.
San Diego, CA
11/7/2011
I haven't been here in a couple of years and the only reason I was here this time was becuase of a gift card. Went on a Saturday night around 7 and it was a 30 min wait, so I left. I wouldn't think a place like this would have such a wait. We came back Sunday night and this time I called ahead, just in case. They don't do reservations on Sunday past 6pm. Odd!?!?!
Arrived around 7ish on Sunday night and it wasn't crowded and we were seated right away. We were offered free tastings of some red wine they were pushing on us. Don't remember what it was, but it was a little on the dry side. Service was great and she was very atentive. We were handed off to a guy so she could take break and he was just as friendly.
Food was OK, I mean it was good for the prices I guess. I've had better, but when you are at a chain, you can't expect greatness. Just good enough. It is good for kids, I think. I saw a lot there. -
Review from Vanessa C.
Temecula, CA
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Let me start off by saying I have never been more disapointed in my dinner!!! It was not even mediocre at best! The appitizers were frozen overated and pricey. The salad tasted like it came from a bagged salad mix and my husbands entree was less than delicious. On top of that the service sucked! We were rushed through our meal, we ordered an appitizer to eat before our meal not with our meal and when asking for a refill you'd think you'd get one. In a nut shell this placed sucked and was not worth the $60+ bill!
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Review from shalini g.
San Diego, CA
3/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
under rated...
Back in college...we used to go to the Olive Garden in Carmel valley which has since transformed into a tio lio's (how that place survives..i have no idea)....you can see it off the I-5 just north of Carmel Valley road.
It had been more than 15 years since i had been to an Olive Garden...but for some reason their commercials got me and i started craving that soup and salad....so one day after a long day at Sea World, we trecked over to the O.G. in Point Loma...we were hooked! My kids and I are soup lovers...i could literally live on soup and Salad alone. i know i'm not reviewing the point loma location, so i'll fast forward...
My parents like to take my sister and i out to dinner on our Birthday every year. Now we are married and they started to do the same for our husbands, and now our kids...ok...feeding a family of 9 1/2 (sis has one on the way)...can get very expensive when eating at Blanca, or the Market or Prado, or any other of our usual dining establishments...and i don't want to do that to my retired parents...so this year i suggested that we do Olive Garden...Adult entree's max out around $17 and kids are about $5...I'm not sure now the rest of my family felt about this suggestion...so i dropped it.
last weekend, mom called and said...how about Olive Garden for the boys birthday's this Sunday (both my sis's hubby and mine are March Bday's)? yay! sounds good.
We went to the Carmel Mountain location (closest to our house)...this was our first time...
i tried to make a reservation...we have had seriously long waits at Point loma for 4 people...what was going to happen with 9??? well they dont do reservations...so we went early 4:45...we were seated immediately..in a semi private room that could easily seat 14. nice! already i was happy...
i ordered my usual...i am a creature of habit.
my dad & i ordered....
Braised Beef & Tortelloni
Tender sliced short ribs and portobello mushrooms tossed with asiago-filled tortelloni in a basil-marsala sauce. 15.50
with the toscana soup
Zuppa Toscana: Spicy sausage, russet potatoes and cavolo greens in a creamy broth. (i even had a bowl packed to go, which is today's lunch)
it is super good...love love love the sauce, the mushrooms are delish..i just wish there were more! and the steak is so tender...it falls apart with a fork....
hubby had the specialty that they are advertising
herb and cheese filled soffatelli (it was a puff pastry) on a bed of chicken breast...i shared his with myself and it was sooo good! i want to go back and order it again! soon!
kids had mac & cheese...with the gnocci soup
Chicken & Gnocchi: A creamy soup made with roasted chicken, traditional Italian dumplings and spinach.
...they each had 2 servings of soup and took most of the mac n cheese home for lunch the next day.
i have no idea what my mom and sister or brother in law had...something without meat...but they enjoyed what they had...
we had a tons leftover....i personally filled up on soup and salad and saved my entree for lunch the next day....i think i walked out with more food than i ate while i was there!
total bill including tax and tip (they added the tip since we were a large party)...was $120! you can't beat that for a family dinner...that is how much hubby and i spend on two of us going out to dinner elsewhere... -
Review from Denise K.
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had a work function here for 30 people and the service was horrible. We had to continuously find servers to give us drink refills, and bring more breadsticks and salad. The pasta was overcooked and too soft. What happened to al dente? But then again... who am I kidding? It's Olive Garden. Sigh...
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Review from L G.
Sherman Oaks, CA
5/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
From previous experiences the food at this place is so-so... If I am in the mood for Italian food this isn't the first place I think about... but my dad wanted to dine here so we did.
We waited about 10 minutes for party of 3, not bad. Our waiter was prompt and friendly. Food came out quick after we ordered. Breadsticks seem fresh but the salad seemed a little old. It was masked really nice by the italian dressing smothered all over it. The lettuce seemed wilted and soggy. Our entrees were decent. I'd say it lacked a little flavor. We ordered a mushroom ravioli, seafood linguini, and shrimp pomodoro. Overall, bland, bland, and more bland. I know this place can do better, hopefully next time... if I even try it again. We'll see... -
Review from Fiona M.
San Diego, CA
5/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Someone once said, "Olive Garden is the McDonalds of Italian food." I have to agree...except Olive Garden is $$$$ expensive.
My daughter loves the place, so time and time again, we return.
Frankly, I find the bread sticks mediocre at best, as well as the salad. Nothing here makes me go, "Wow" , except the bill. How is it a family of 2,(sometimes 3), can't get out of here for less than $50?
Now that calories are on the menu, I'm much less enthused.
The staff at this location are always fast and friendly.
Lower the prices and I'll add a star or two. -
Review from T K.
San Diego, CA
9/9/2011
I am not going to write a long review for the OG because I am done wasting my time with them. I am only writing to warn my yelper friends. If you decided to go to OG, don't expect any kind of decent service. Tonight we sat at our table for 20 minutes without being greeted and we ended up walking out. A couple of weeks ago they sat my husband and I in a room that had a party of approx 50 people who were guests of a wedding rehearsal dinner. Why would the OG push 5 tables against the wall in that same room and sit guests who were not part of that large party??? Not only was the party so loud my husband and I could not carry on a conversation at our table, we also felt awkward like we were party crashers.
All I can say is NEVER AGAIN and about 2 blocks up the road is Pat and Oscars where you will be treated way better and walk out spending about half as much as you would have at OG. -
Review from Phillip N.
Los Angeles, CA
1/12/2011
The staff is very nice; I can't find a fault in that.
The food was okay. I enjoyed my meal but I've had better. However, I would say that I'd gladly come back here if some of my friends asked me here for dinner. I'm very curious to try their other dishes.
I really did like their alcohol selection here. -
Review from Isabella T.
San Diego, CA
5/17/2011
I like this place since each entree comes with soup or salad.
The downside is that the soups taste salty salty salty! Good thing I got the salad. But even the salad dressing tasted like Italian dressing with added salt. The Gorgonzola pasta dish is good, so is the braised short ribs & tortellini! -
Review from Jim L.
San Diego, CA
3/29/2011
Ok, the three stars are really for the fresh bread, the endless salad and the service.
I've been here several times and I don't recall ever having a bad experience here with any of the above. The food though, isn't the best....very mediocre. Last time I was there, I went with the Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo. The steak was tough, there was very little gorgonzola on the steak which made it rather flavorless.
Full bar service and a decent wine list.
If you are expecting a high end Italian place, this isn't for you. But if you want a meal that will fill you, not a bad option. -
Review from Llyd B.
San Diego, CA
10/10/2011
Olive Garden is and will always have a special place in my favorite restaurant list! This location is included though don't try to eat there friday and weekend evenings, as it always seemed busy outside their door.....but once inside, appearance, food and service of standard high quality!! Will continue to go there throughout my life!
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Review from Cheryl O.
San Diego, CA
8/18/2011
My first Yelp review and it's a bad one. Oh well, my experience at this location of The Olive Garden is my main reason for joining Yelp in the first place (twas by request by my mom and how can I say no to my mama?!)
First off, my family and I usually order the soup/salad/breadstick lunch for a decent, non-fast-food meal where we can feel somewhat fancy midday. For $7.95 you have unlimited refills of soups (choose from 4; my favorite is the chicken and gnocchi), salad (so that I feel a bit healthy), and breadsticks (not as tasty as Pat and Oscars' but not as greasy either). Not a bad deal considering the amount of food you get, which all depends on if I wore my stretchy pants that day...
In any event, my review is based mostly due to the service my family and I receive, or lack thereof, at this particular location. We've been to other Olive Gardens where service was superb (food/drinks refilled constantly, waiter/waitress presence is just enough so we aren't waiting terribly long but not being disturbed during our meal either). At Carmel Mountain Ranch, which happens to be the closest Olive Garden restaurant located to me, I've been disappointed time and time again due to their poor service. Wait time for food/drink refills as long as 15 minutes (I asked my waitress for a refill, used the restroom (there's always a line to the women's loo), came back and still had to wait for said refill). And the preferential treatment of other restaurant patrons has got to stop (when you're waiting that long for more sustenance, you tend to look around and notice that other tables are being served much more promptly!)
At the end of the day, we go out to eat to have a pleasant experience. My mom really likes The Olive Garden (due to good times had at other locations) and so we keep giving this, more closely located, location a chance. My hope is that they improve their service. I hope to check back on Yelp to see if they have before ever going there again. -
Review from Sarah E.
La Jolla, CA
5/29/2011
Can't believe so many people disliked their visit to olive garden. I really like their breadsticks and fantastic salad. I don't really like any of the entrees ive tried here, but their salad definitely deserves some praise. Staff is always friendly and to be its better than Pat and Oscar's. Parking is always friendly so you won't have to look to far for parking.
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Review from julie g.
San Diego, CA
10/23/2010
Here's an equation for ya:
Never ending pasta bowls + breadsticks + failing to choose the "salad" option (a very much needed source of fiber at moments like this) = never ending trips to the bathroom + bowel movements the size of breadsticks + constipation.
Don't worry, I've checked the answers... and I'm right.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE pasta. If I could stick to one type of dish to eat for the rest of my life without making me fat or at risk of cardiovascular disease, I would hands down choose pasta. It's a beautiful thing, pasta.
I'm trying to remember the flavors of the sauces right now. The 5(?) Cheese is very yummy, although nothing out of the ordinary. There's also this new Chianti sauce that very pungent. If you don't like red wine sauces, this isn't for you. Alfredo is a classic choice, but like I said, nothing out of the ordinary.
In terms of service, I was greeted by a robot and another robot waited on us. That's all I can say. Oh! And these robots will actually grate parmy cheese all over your pasta til' you say "stop". Amazing! Technology is crazy nowadays.
My friend wanted to try their new mini "dolcini" desserts. She had the amaretto tiramisu. Well no, she didn't actually eat it... she more like dipped her fork in and tasted it a bit until she refused to eat it. I'm not a fan of sweets (more like MEATS), but I thought I'd try it anyways... VERY YUMMY. Surprise surprise! It wasnt bad at all! It's not like an ordinary tiramisu though. It's almost like a custard with amaretto and yummy crumblies on top. SO NOMS. Try it if you ever come here. Just one!! Please. Thanks. -
Review from Kristiana A.
San Diego, CA
10/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
Endless pasta? YES PLEASE! Though I can hardly get past my first bowl, no waitress has ever objected when I order a second bowl, pick at it and take it home. Even if you only get through the first bowl it's a good deal as it comes with free breadsticks and soup or salad as well.
When it's not endless pasta season I still enjoy coming here. Though it's not the best Italian food I've ever eaten, it's still tasty, fills me up and service is always on point. A-OK in my book!
Tip: For your entree, get soup, and by soup I mean ZUPPA TOSCANA. It's a spicy, lightly creamy potato soup that I LOVE and I think you will love too :) -
Review from corey k.
San Diego, CA
5/1/2011
The costs are pretty reasonable and also the food is delicious! We alter our family members dinner outings each month and when we come here, we generally leave pleased and satisfied. This location has seriously friendly waitstaff with excellent customer service. The family often finds some thing new to attempt on the menu that we share.
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Review from Maria C.
Came here with Christopher C. He had a golf tourney in the area, and I suggested meeting at OG for dinner since I had a g/c.
The restaurant was packed for a Sun night. Our waiter took a while to come around. It appeared that he was more concentrated in flirting with the neighboring girls at the table across from ours. He spent a lot of time with them throughout dinner. I noticed other patrons in the surrounding tables also irate.
CC ordered the never ending pasta bowl with unlimited Italian sausage ($12). He got a salad with his entree. We both loved their breadsticks!
I opted to try the new entree Seafood Brodetto ($19). I ended up with the minestrone soup, which contained a lot of beans. YUCK!
My dish did not come with pasta - a good thing in my case. The server noted that it was one of his fave dishes and that it's less than 500 calories. Really??? Looked fattening to me, but OK COOL!!! The portion was generous (for me) and I took half of it home. It was good and I'd order it again. A bit on the pricey side, but it was all seafood (tilapia, shrimp and scallops).
I've been to this location several times. Conveniently located off the 15 in Carmel Mountain and normally no issues with parking since it shares a lot with the neighboring businesses.
OG is OG. I wouldn't come here for authentic Italian. -
Review from Jen R.
6/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
I consider the Olive Garden the fast food of Italian dining. I stopped eating here when they raised the prices and lowered the quality of the food. If I want to pay $15.00 for a dish I'll go to a better restaurant.
On this particular outing I came in for the all you can eat soup & salad for $7.95. I now have discovered I have no desire to ever return. The staff was a bunch of young adults working their way through college. I had no problems with the staff. It was the food that was such a let down. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a salad suppose to have green lettuce? Our bowl had white lettuce. The soup was just broth and contained no vegetables whatsoever.
It's true what they say, You get what you pay for. Next time I'm going to save my $7.95 and go elsewhere. -
Review from R M.
San Diego, CA
8/29/2011
Very nice ambience. Good food. Kids friendly. Have visited the place three times in the past two months.
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Review from Jesus D.
Poway, CA
1/5/2011
I met a friend here yesterday. I normally would not eat at the olive garden, but he wanted to. I had an appetizer platter - which was pretty good - I really liked the calamari actually, and the stuffed mushrooms were tasty.
I had the Seafood portofino and it was a very hearty serving - I picked out most of the seafood and left the noodles. Can't go wrong with all you can eat salad and breadsticks ... (and wine in our case as well when the company is footing the bill ...just kidding!) Had the chocolate Gelato for dessert - and it was very decadent. Chocolate chips on chocolate gelato?!? And despite being a chain, the tirimisu wasn't bad either.
All in all - I had a very nice dinner here. -
Review from Eric G.
Santee, CA
6/9/2011
Just what I've come to expect from The Olive Garden. The food is good, the service could use a little pick up in speed, and the prices feel a *little* bit high, but you're paying for the cheesy fake ambiance. Expect them to offer you wine each time, even if you look underage (they won't actually give it to you without carding, so don't sweat that), and anticipate lots of tasty bread sticks. Lastly, anticipate leaving full -because if you haven't, you must be doing something VERY wrong.
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Review from Daniela M.
Anaheim, CA
8/30/2010
My boyfriend and I went to Seaworld and upon returning to Orange County , we decided to stop here.
The service was great, we waited less than a minute to be seated and the waiter came soon after. I ordered a strawberry margarita and the Parmesan chicken. Their margarita tasted like sweet Summer in my mouth. I've heard a lot of people complaining about the margarita, but I actually enjoyed it. Different people have different taste buds I guess.
Their endless salad is very worth the money. It went hand in hand with my delicious Parmesan chicken. Unfortunately I was to full to finish it due to their salad and bread sticks.
The waiter was very prompt, professional and he checked on us often to see if we needed anything else.
Granted, they are a little pricey for the quality of food they're serving, but if you got a little extra cash and are looking for a nice atmosphere to eat with your friend or significant other, why not try it? -
Review from Charlene P.
San Diego, CA
7/13/2010
Olive Garden is not a place I would eat by choice. The inlaws chose to come here to celebrate a birthday. I needed to eat something substantial because of partying the night before. I needed protien and carbs...so I ordered the parmesan...something...bisteca. I ordered it medium well. Needless to say, it came out WELL OVER well done. It was dry and disgusting. My asparagus that I had with it was as skinny as toothpicks. It wasn't only my food, but my father in-law ordered the same exact thing - temperature was the same too - and his was cooked the same as mine. My husband got a different type of a steak dish - also med well - half of his 4 pieces of meat - still had a pulse.
Gross gross gross. They rectified the situation by not charging us, but our server took my plate away - needless to say I was still hungry - I did still have potatoes and those toothpick asparagus on my plate. I wanted to atleast finish those.
