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Olive Garden - Gluten Free Disappointment
Gluten Free Preparation - Complaint
Review by tellswor on 2012-12-17
Rating: 
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA -- Ordered Steak Toscano from the Gluten Free menu. Steak was to be medium-well. It came rare! Server was most attentive and offered to get a new meal. What happened was that the plate was microwaved!!!
The original steak was rare and the vegetables (zuchinni) extremely crunchy. Less than 5 minutes later the plate was back. The vegetables were correct and the steak was rubbery. It has been microwaved!!! Not something I expected from Olive Garden. AND the dining room was not busy. The kitchen had plenty of time to prepare a new meal and do it correctly but they did not. I should have complained but did not as we just wanted to get out of there.
This was our second experience ordering from the Gluten Free menu and the second time we were disppointed. The previous time we had the Penne and it was crunchy when served. Anything that is on the menu should be within the capacity of the kitchen to prepare correctly. The service was good but the kitchen dropped the ball again! I seriously doubt if we will be back to Olive Garden again.
The original steak was rare and the vegetables (zuchinni) extremely crunchy. Less than 5 minutes later the plate was back. The vegetables were correct and the steak was rubbery. It has been microwaved!!! Not something I expected from Olive Garden. AND the dining room was not busy. The kitchen had plenty of time to prepare a new meal and do it correctly but they did not. I should have complained but did not as we just wanted to get out of there.
This was our second experience ordering from the Gluten Free menu and the second time we were disppointed. The previous time we had the Penne and it was crunchy when served. Anything that is on the menu should be within the capacity of the kitchen to prepare correctly. The service was good but the kitchen dropped the ball again! I seriously doubt if we will be back to Olive Garden again.
Comments:
Posted by trmn8r on 2012-12-17:
Olive Garden is a chain. There are very few chains in this class that do anything consistently well long term. Long term can be defined (best case) as how long a certain manager or owner is in place. Worst cast, it can be only a few visits. I used to eat at OG occasionally, and generally had a good experience. Then I had a few really bad ones. After that, I was looking for reasons to continue going there. Within only two visits, I experienced very unprofessional service. That was my last visit, about 5 years ago.
Based on my experience, I wouldn't expect Olive Garden to do anything right on a given visit. Places like this (including Ruby Tuesday) DO use microwave ovens where they shouldn't. I asked myself, why am I paying this price for food not much better than Burger King? It was then I decided to go out less often and pay a little more when I go out and get a really good meal. I do make an occasional exception and go to BWW. It's hard to screw up wings, but occasionally they do. There is decent eye candy to make up for it.
Based on my experience, I wouldn't expect Olive Garden to do anything right on a given visit. Places like this (including Ruby Tuesday) DO use microwave ovens where they shouldn't. I asked myself, why am I paying this price for food not much better than Burger King? It was then I decided to go out less often and pay a little more when I go out and get a really good meal. I do make an occasional exception and go to BWW. It's hard to screw up wings, but occasionally they do. There is decent eye candy to make up for it.
Posted by ok4now on 2012-12-18:
You made a reasonable request and they screwed it up. This is a reflection on poor management and incompetent employees. Just another example of why Olive Garden and Applee's are now at the bottom of the chain joints.
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