I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! - Page 2

Ogre · 09-19-2012, 02:48 PM

I have not been in an Olive Garden in a few years. We have a number of "GOOD" restaurants in our area.

Zane · 09-19-2012, 02:49 PM

wow. I have never had anything like that happen in my life... and for it to happen so many times is beyond crazy.

czerbe · 09-19-2012, 02:56 PM

Darden Restaurants are all the Same, Poor food, long waits, and pushy staff, I have been in the business for over 15 years at a Family owned Rest. and I'm hear to tell you chains are all the same. Prefab food for the Friday night crowed support your local family owned business.

cmitch · 09-19-2012, 03:13 PM

Olive Garden is involved in a Class Action Lawsuit with their employees over improper wages. The Florence, AL store is on the 'Rescue' list according to a former manager from Birmingham. This means that they will employ every means possible to regroup the place or close it. I haven't eaten in our local location since last year and have no plans to return.

Corporate has been contacted. Interesting to see what their response is. Probably more

icehog3 · 09-19-2012, 03:19 PM

Probably would have had a lot more luck complaining/documenting at the time of the incident?

bobarian · 09-19-2012, 03:24 PM

What did the restaurant manager say after you showed him the items in Case #1?

cmitch · 09-19-2012, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobarian

What did the restaurant manager say after you showed him the items in Case #1?

She was apologetic but acted like always that it was something that regretfully happened and not a big deal. The torn pieces of napkins in the gnocci soup was the final straw in the Florence location. I guess now I realize that it seems all locations seem to have the same careless behavior.

Bill86 · 09-19-2012, 04:40 PM

The problem with Olive Garden and restaurants like it is cheap food, low paid cooks...they never care. It's a safe bet that buying nice food at the store and cooking it yourself is the way to go. Or eat out occasionally at a nice steak house. I've pretty much given up out food. I use to do it all the time but frankly I've been so unimpressed with everywhere I've gone to in the past 6-12 months.

Went to a Lenny's sub shop maybe a week ago and I swear there was probably 4-6oz's of meat in the subs, my cat could have ate 2 of them.

Boz · 09-19-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shilala

Outback is good. We go to Olive Garden once in a blue moon cause the boy likes the barely mediocre breadsticks. I like the salad and pasta.
Outback kicks ass, Good call, Brendon. Bahama Breeze beats them all, as far as I'm concerned, but I just happen to love Paella and Seafood Chowder and goofy Carribean stuff that they do pretty nicely.
I've never gotten rubber bands or Tonka Trucks or anything at Bahama Breeze.

In my case Outback does not kick ass. I've pretty much had cmitch's luck at Outback. The last time we went, we hardly ever saw our waiter and when they cooked my wife's Medium Rare prime rib to Well Done and proceeded to tell us they were all out of prime rib I decided I was never going back. I have never, in my life, had bad luck at Olive Garden (though I havent been in a while) and I've been there many more times than Outback. Just my experience, your mileage may vary.

LostAbbott · 09-19-2012, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boz

In my case Outback does not kick ass. I've pretty much had cmitch's luck at Outback. The last time we went, we hardly ever saw our waiter and when they cooked my wife's Medium Rare prime rib to Well Done and proceeded to tell us they were all out of prime rib I decided I was never going back. I have never, in my life, had bad luck at Olive Garden (though I havent been in a while) and I've been there many more times than Outback. Just my experience, your mileage may vary.

They are all the same, just a different sales pitch. Eat local, kill the chains!

Bill86 · 09-19-2012, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boz

In my case Outback does not kick ass. I've pretty much had cmitch's luck at Outback. The last time we went, we hardly ever saw our waiter and when they cooked my wife's Medium Rare prime rib to Well Done and proceeded to tell us they were all out of prime rib I decided I was never going back. I have never, in my life, had bad luck at Olive Garden (though I havent been in a while) and I've been there many more times than Outback. Just my experience, your mileage may vary.

That the one in Cool Springs? I've been there as well, actually last month...holy disappointment Batman! Worst Outback ever. They are definitely shoddy at best.

icehog3 · 09-19-2012, 06:41 PM

I love Outback. Nothing but good experiences in Chicagoland, Louisville, Indiana and more.

cmitch · 09-19-2012, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icehog3

I love Outback. Nothing but good experiences in Chicagoland, Louisville, Indiana and more.

Our Outback sucks. Eaten there twice and will never go again. We've cut way back on going out anyway and now that we have a generation of ingrate clods fixing food for the public, I doubt I'll eat at any of them anymore. Around here, the bad employees just make their rounds hopping from one joint to another until they have frigged up every restaurant in town. Home owned, home operated establishments are definitely the way to go.

icehog3 · 09-19-2012, 06:51 PM

Or learn to cook.

Glad I don't live in Alabama.

cmitch · 09-19-2012, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icehog3

Or learn to cook.

Glad I don't live in Alabama.

Those who KNOW how to cook, stay at home to cook. Those who can't, work for pre-package chain joints. We have some great places we still go to around here that are home owned and operated.

PCR · 09-19-2012, 07:58 PM

Olive Garden to an Italian (me) sucks. I make my own homemade pasta. Best Italian restaurant for me is my kitchen. Clayton, you should really talk with a regional manager (or higher) about this. Eating out is expensive enough without having to deal with this bullsh!t. Sorry it happened to you.

omowasu · 09-19-2012, 08:19 PM

Doesn't surprise me - the chains seem to have most of their food pre-made in a factory (pre-washed lettuce, pre-cooked pasta, pre-boiled eggs, etc) so the debris could have come from anywhere.

One time at a large chain synonymous with a pepper, I had a salad and when I was about 3/4 done, I saw what appeared to be a large piece of wilted lettuce. Upon closer inspection, it was a large tropical dragonfly.

The manager explained that all of their veggies are "pre-washed" somewhere else and these things happen. She did comp the meal, but it was a little too late...

icehog3 · 09-19-2012, 08:41 PM

I can cook, and I still hit the Outback occassionally.

Bill86 · 09-19-2012, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icehog3

I can cook, and I still hit the Outback occassionally.

For some odd reason I recall having much better experiences with Outbacks up north. There were a few really good ones in Michigan, not so much since I got down here though. Terrible food quality, clearly they get their food from somewhere else. It's nowhere near as good. The cooks suck at preparing it too so that doesn't help.

jjirons69 · 09-19-2012, 10:05 PM

There's a strip club locally that has a lunch buffet. Never been, but the food has to be good, right? I know the cook has to wash his hands, it's code.

09-19-2012, 02:48 PM	#21
Ogre **CENSORED** Join Date: Apr 2010 First Name: Larry Location: Central Florida Posts: 12,068 Trading: (46)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! I have not been in an Olive Garden in a few years. We have a number of "GOOD" restaurants in our area. __________________

09-19-2012, 02:49 PM	#22
Zane Have My Own Room Join Date: Aug 2012 First Name: Zane Location: Noblesville, IN Posts: 1,508 Trading: (23)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! wow. I have never had anything like that happen in my life... and for it to happen so many times is beyond crazy.

09-19-2012, 02:56 PM	#23
czerbe Just a Traveling Man Join Date: Apr 2012 First Name: Corey Location: Reading Pa Posts: 1,309 Trading: (2)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! Darden Restaurants are all the Same, Poor food, long waits, and pushy staff, I have been in the business for over 15 years at a Family owned Rest. and I'm hear to tell you chains are all the same. Prefab food for the Friday night crowed support your local family owned business. __________________ Live fast, hard, everyday like its your last.

09-19-2012, 03:13 PM	#24
cmitch Heads up get down Join Date: Oct 2010 First Name: Clayton Location: NW Alabama by the river Posts: 2,720 Trading: (25)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! Olive Garden is involved in a Class Action Lawsuit with their employees over improper wages. The Florence, AL store is on the 'Rescue' list according to a former manager from Birmingham. This means that they will employ every means possible to regroup the place or close it. I haven't eaten in our local location since last year and have no plans to return. Corporate has been contacted. Interesting to see what their response is. Probably more __________________ No matter what one's status is in society, cigars are the great equalizer where the affluent and common share a love for the leaf. - Me.

09-19-2012, 03:19 PM	#25
icehog3 Admiral Douchebag Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Tom Location: Clermont, Kentucky Posts: 71,440 Trading: (60)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! Probably would have had a lot more luck complaining/documenting at the time of the incident? __________________ Thanks Dave, Julian, James, Kelly, Peter, Gerry, Dave, Mo, Frank, Týr and Mr. Mark!

09-19-2012, 03:24 PM	#26
bobarian Cranky Habanophile Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Wine Country Posts: 8,869 Trading: (51)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! What did the restaurant manager say after you showed him the items in Case #1?

09-19-2012, 04:40 PM	#28
Bill86 Snob Join Date: Jul 2010 First Name: Bill Posts: 6,704 Trading: (67)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! The problem with Olive Garden and restaurants like it is cheap food, low paid cooks...they never care. It's a safe bet that buying nice food at the store and cooking it yourself is the way to go. Or eat out occasionally at a nice steak house. I've pretty much given up out food. I use to do it all the time but frankly I've been so unimpressed with everywhere I've gone to in the past 6-12 months. Went to a Lenny's sub shop maybe a week ago and I swear there was probably 4-6oz's of meat in the subs, my cat could have ate 2 of them. __________________ I'm drunk......but I'll get drunker! - Doug Stanhope

09-19-2012, 06:41 PM	#32
icehog3 Admiral Douchebag Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Tom Location: Clermont, Kentucky Posts: 71,440 Trading: (60)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! I love Outback. Nothing but good experiences in Chicagoland, Louisville, Indiana and more. __________________ Thanks Dave, Julian, James, Kelly, Peter, Gerry, Dave, Mo, Frank, Týr and Mr. Mark!

09-19-2012, 06:51 PM	#34
icehog3 Admiral Douchebag Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Tom Location: Clermont, Kentucky Posts: 71,440 Trading: (60)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! Or learn to cook. Glad I don't live in Alabama. __________________ Thanks Dave, Julian, James, Kelly, Peter, Gerry, Dave, Mo, Frank, Týr and Mr. Mark!

09-19-2012, 07:58 PM	#36
PCR Maduro! Maduro? Maduro. Join Date: Aug 2010 First Name: Paul Location: NW Washington State Posts: 429 Trading: (6)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! Olive Garden to an Italian (me) sucks. I make my own homemade pasta. Best Italian restaurant for me is my kitchen. Clayton, you should really talk with a regional manager (or higher) about this. Eating out is expensive enough without having to deal with this bullsh!t. Sorry it happened to you. __________________ "I smoke cigars when I win, to celebrate ... and I smoke cigars when I lose to console myself." -Winston Churchill

09-19-2012, 08:19 PM	#37
omowasu Fell ROTT Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Scott II Location: Chicago Posts: 288 Trading: (3)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! Doesn't surprise me - the chains seem to have most of their food pre-made in a factory (pre-washed lettuce, pre-cooked pasta, pre-boiled eggs, etc) so the debris could have come from anywhere. One time at a large chain synonymous with a pepper, I had a salad and when I was about 3/4 done, I saw what appeared to be a large piece of wilted lettuce. Upon closer inspection, it was a large tropical dragonfly. The manager explained that all of their veggies are "pre-washed" somewhere else and these things happen. She did comp the meal, but it was a little too late... __________________ If I had something smart to say, I would definitely put it here.

09-19-2012, 08:41 PM	#38
icehog3 Admiral Douchebag Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Tom Location: Clermont, Kentucky Posts: 71,440 Trading: (60)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! I can cook, and I still hit the Outback occassionally. __________________ Thanks Dave, Julian, James, Kelly, Peter, Gerry, Dave, Mo, Frank, Týr and Mr. Mark!

09-19-2012, 10:05 PM	#40
jjirons69 Haberdasher Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Jamie Location: Chucktown, SC Posts: 4,120 Trading: (94)	Re: I've HAD it with Olive Garden!! There's a strip club locally that has a lunch buffet. Never been, but the food has to be good, right? I know the cook has to wash his hands, it's code. __________________ Somebody has to go back and get a chitload of dimes