I’m an Italian. We don’t eat there. It’s like an insult to our heritage. If we want to go out for Italian food, then we go to a real Italian restaurant. There are plenty of them around. They are small, mostly family-owned businesses that need your support.
I've been a cook at Olive Garden for a few years and am intimately familiar with all of the recipes and procedures. This video is fairer than most but allow me to offer a little pushback. Firstly, the practice of pre-boiling pasta is not exclusive to OG and, though I cook at OG currently, I've worked in a variety of places, and pasta is pre-boiled almost anywhere you go. Michelin star restaurants pre-boil pasta. Imagine the alternative. Dropping pasta for every single order would take up a huge amount of space, crowd your saute line, require a cook or two simply to monitor all the pasta, and add 20 minutes to every order. The microwave. You worded it cleverly enough that you're not wrong, but the impression you were aiming to make was clearly that OG microwaves lots of shit. Here is the absolute truth: we microwave 4 things. Broccoli in steam bags, the kids mac and cheese, we warm up the spin dip in the microwave before finishing it in the oven, and margarita sauce. Alfredo. Your video gives the impression that it's as simple as spooning it out. While that's true for the cook working 'window', you failed to explain that the Alfredo is made fresh from cream, butter, Parmesan, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper every 1 or 2 hours. Of course the cook putting the plate together just spoons it on (you want him to do magic tricks or something?) but you notably neglected to mention the cook making Alfredo sauce(and minestrone, and tuscana, and gnoccii, and slicing, breading and seasoning eggplant, and 20 other things) from scratch all night (we call him 'backup'). Also, servers (and cooks) always "wait" to put in or drop orders that take less time until food that takes longer is done.This might be the most braindead dig I've ever seen. It's so everyone has a fresh plate at the same time. If you've ever cooked a big dinner, like Thanksgiving , this should be fairly easy to understand. Kind of surprised you need this explained to you, but, here we are. Gluten free. We take this and other allergies very seriously. We offer gluten free pasta and follow industry practice when preparing gluten free orders. We take it so seriously that we have an entire checklist we have to follow. All gluten free, or any other allergen orders, are immediately the responsibility of the store manager. He/she will come into the kitchen and ensure that all cooks are aware of the order, that they change gloves/utensils and clean cooking surfaces, and only the manager is allowed to take the food out of the window and take it to the table. We have a very vigorous process with regards to gluten-free/vegan/allergen orders.
They compare it to a fine dining Italian place, rather than a budget friendly, good sized portion and good taste place that it is. I dont go to fast food places because I am watching my cholesterol or sodium. I am there to watch my beer gut get larger
I hardly cook with salt as i use other spices. I never salt or oil pasta water. I only had olive garden 3 times in different states. I dont care for them. I live where we have lots of mom and pop italian restaurant. My mom made good italian food. Were not even italian.
All these restaurants are overpriced. With a little skill you can make this at home for 1/5 of the price. A plate that costs $15 there will cost you $3 at home, and it'll be bigger and better with no chemicals..
I don't expect OG to be an authentic fine dining Italian restaurant. I love the food at OG and the portions are very generous for a reasonable price. I actually love option to take a meal home for later. I don't think this review is really accurate and is very negative.
it's off menu now but most places can do the old style chicken marsala for you if you ask. We still have all the same ingredients on the line(chicken, mushrooms, marsala)
I like their soup and salad, I don't bother with the rest.. I think most know it isn't authentic Italian, but how many authentic restaurants are there close to me that I can afford? Oh yeah, there is none.. If I want authentic, I'll either learn to make it or go without.. It's okay
I could feed a family of four for less than the price of one meal at OG; salad, spaghetti with chicken and red sauce, bread sticks, and the pasta would be cooked in salted water, the Parmesan authentic.
You don’t add salt to water for seasoning, you add it so its boiling point raises and you can properly cook the pasta. 🤦🏻♂️ how are these people in the restaurant business?!?!? It’s the same reason you put salt in the ice water you use when making ice cream so the water’s temperature profile gets stretched out
I only went there one time....thats all it took when I received precooked spaghetti that had hot water thrown over it to make it warm...chewed like bubble gum😮
Ya.... when u cook over 30lb+ of pasta @ 8am for the day that called prep for your shift what ever kitchen does but there's no no pots lol lol there are boiler machines like a fryer but for water overflow drain old and fresh water put in ftom top and salt shit texas roadhouse does same thing 1 teaspoon kalsher salt per bake potatoe that also rubbed in fresh bacon greese drrain from bacon that day or day before sweet potatoe get same love but no salt but more sugar then u want from sauce
For valid pros and cons on food items I would rather defer to "Reviewbra, and his Report of the Day" to give me his unfettered and unbiased expert opinions about a food item either good or bad!
Sorry, but people are to soft in this country. I look at these comments, and all these people are basically saying is "I don't care what's in the food" well considering the amount of fat, salt, and more than questionable ingredients. I personally think it's garbage, never mind the stroke, and cancer I had at only 37. Means I just can't go eat whatever I want. I'm pretty sure that GMO's are in the food to, as we are virtually the only country in the world that allows genetically engineered food to be given to it's population. Oh, I almost forgot. . We have the highest rates of cancer, diabetes, and obesity in the entire world. But hey, go ahead, eat up
Olive Garden is mediocre. With the prices being raised because of inflation, chicken Alfredo in my area costs 24 dollars. I make it better and so much cheaper at home. I can’t wait for all these nasty overpriced chains to go out of business. Red lobster was first and Olive Garden will follow.
Yes- this is a massive chain, in America; so many aspects of what most Italisn restsurants serve here is Americanized. This is chain-ized, adapted further fot volume sales. The salt in a meal there is off the charts: I suspect that is how they hold people back from reordering much in the all you can eat features. Do a video reveral of the salt content in everything. It's enough to choke a person. Drinks anyone? Even with much less overall salt in well made Italian food, the pasta IS cooked in salted water. That practice of pre-cooking pasta is standard restaurant practice. (Maybe in Italy too?) This is not your Mom’s kitchen.There are probably higher tier restaurants that don’t do that but I wouldn't know!
What do you think of the food at Olive Garden?
Their food sucks the bone.... Wouldn't feed that garbage to my dog.
Over priced TV dinners
I’m an Italian. We don’t eat there. It’s like an insult to our heritage. If we want to go out for Italian food, then we go to a real Italian restaurant. There are plenty of them around. They are small, mostly family-owned businesses that need your support.
@@teeteestar3012 what about Chuck E. Cheese? It’s my favorite Italian restaurant.
Typical franchise plap
I've been a cook at Olive Garden for a few years and am intimately familiar with all of the recipes and procedures.
This video is fairer than most but allow me to offer a little pushback.
Firstly, the practice of pre-boiling pasta is not exclusive to OG and, though I cook at OG currently, I've worked in a variety of places, and pasta is pre-boiled almost anywhere you go. Michelin star restaurants pre-boil pasta. Imagine the alternative. Dropping pasta for every single order would take up a huge amount of space, crowd your saute line, require a cook or two simply to monitor all the pasta, and add 20 minutes to every order.
The microwave. You worded it cleverly enough that you're not wrong, but the impression you were aiming to make was clearly that OG microwaves lots of shit. Here is the absolute truth: we microwave 4 things. Broccoli in steam bags, the kids mac and cheese, we warm up the spin dip in the microwave before finishing it in the oven, and margarita sauce.
Alfredo. Your video gives the impression that it's as simple as spooning it out. While that's true for the cook working 'window', you failed to explain that the Alfredo is made fresh from cream, butter, Parmesan, milk, garlic, salt, and pepper every 1 or 2 hours. Of course the cook putting the plate together just spoons it on (you want him to do magic tricks or something?) but you notably neglected to mention the cook making Alfredo sauce(and minestrone, and tuscana, and gnoccii, and slicing, breading and seasoning eggplant, and 20 other things) from scratch all night (we call him 'backup').
Also, servers (and cooks) always "wait" to put in or drop orders that take less time until food that takes longer is done.This might be the most braindead dig I've ever seen. It's so everyone has a fresh plate at the same time. If you've ever cooked a big dinner, like Thanksgiving , this should be fairly easy to understand. Kind of surprised you need this explained to you, but, here we are.
Gluten free. We take this and other allergies very seriously. We offer gluten free pasta and follow industry practice when preparing gluten free orders. We take it so seriously that we have an entire checklist we have to follow. All gluten free, or any other allergen orders, are immediately the responsibility of the store manager. He/she will come into the kitchen and ensure that all cooks are aware of the order, that they change gloves/utensils and clean cooking surfaces, and only the manager is allowed to take the food out of the window and take it to the table. We have a very vigorous process with regards to gluten-free/vegan/allergen orders.
I enjoy eating at the Olive Garden. It may not be authentic Italian but it is good.
People that go to Olive Garden know exactly what they’re getting in for the few times you might go. It really is a good meal.
I work at Olive Garden they do cook their soup that day
They compare it to a fine dining Italian place, rather than a budget friendly, good sized portion and good taste place that it is. I dont go to fast food places because I am watching my cholesterol or sodium. I am there to watch my beer gut get larger
I hardly cook with salt as i use other spices. I never salt or oil pasta water.
I only had olive garden 3 times in different states. I dont care for them. I live where we have lots of mom and pop italian restaurant.
My mom made good italian food. Were not even italian.
I know the food at Olive Garden is not authentic Italian but I love it. Especially the soups and eggplant Parmesan.
I heard a chef say once that if you’ve only ever eaten at Olive Garden then you’ve never actually eaten authentic Italian food.
But it's still good af. That's like the people that hate on Taco Bell for not being authentic. It's it's own thing
I think anyone could tell you that. You don't need to be a chef.
Being half sciclan I live olive garden. But my sister says your Italian don't eat there. Yes I am but I love olive garden 5 stars
Don't care because that chef doesn't feed me.
Bull. OG is the worst Italian (not Italian) food restaurant.
You get an adequate meal at an adequate price.
20.99 for chicken Alfredo isn’t an adequate price. The prices have gotten out of control for shit ass food
Thanks for using the MST3K clip about Sodium.
i like olive garden, i know its not authentic italian, but its still good
I love Olive Garden. I love chicken parmesan the best. I don't go to often anymore because I am 80 and can't drive very far anymore.
And of course my 2 favorite olive garden dishes are heart attacks waiting to happen
All these restaurants are overpriced. With a little skill you can make this at home for 1/5 of the price. A plate that costs $15 there will cost you $3 at home, and it'll be bigger and better with no chemicals..
Agree😊
$3??? Spaghetti sauce alone is like $4. Then you need the noodles. Granted it'll be cheaper than $15 but a little more than $3 lol
I don't expect OG to be an authentic fine dining Italian restaurant. I love the food at OG and the portions are very generous for a reasonable price. I actually love option to take a meal home for later. I don't think this review is really accurate and is very negative.
Ok, I guess I could skip breakfast and lunch, and do an early dinner if I were to go out to eat at The Olive Garden, TOI :D.
I miss the chicken marsala and roasted vegetables.
it's off menu now but most places can do the old style chicken marsala for you if you ask. We still have all the same ingredients on the line(chicken, mushrooms, marsala)
I am deploring the restaurant completely while simultaneously wanting to eat every single plate that you have shown on screen. I want all of it.
I like their soup and salad, I don't bother with the rest..
I think most know it isn't authentic Italian, but how many authentic restaurants are there close to me that I can afford?
Oh yeah, there is none..
If I want authentic, I'll either learn to make it or go without..
It's okay
I don’t know, those fast food burgers are getting expensive.
I haven’t been there in so long bc they got rid of my favorite dish…pomodoro.
same here!
me too!
Glorified tv dinners at 5x the grocery store price, whoo!
I could feed a family of four for less than the price of one meal at OG; salad, spaghetti with chicken and red sauce, bread sticks, and the pasta would be cooked in salted water, the Parmesan authentic.
I've eaten at Olive Garden about three times, and that was over 15 years ago. Have to say it was not good, I did like the bread sticks.
As an American of mainly British descent, Olive Garden IS Italian dining.
The first and only time I went I got a used napkin in my salad I got up walked out and never went back again
It would be great if olive garden would give you an even number of breadsticks when you ask !!
You don’t add salt to water for seasoning, you add it so its boiling point raises and you can properly cook the pasta. 🤦🏻♂️ how are these people in the restaurant business?!?!? It’s the same reason you put salt in the ice water you use when making ice cream so the water’s temperature profile gets stretched out
Why do you tease me with Tour of Italy prices from 20 years ago?
I like Olive Garden and the salad is very good. Love Italian food very good there It's not near me now so I have to drive a distance.
I only went there one time....thats all it took when I received precooked spaghetti that had hot water thrown over it to make it warm...chewed like bubble gum😮
I agree with u. It is ridiculous how much we pay and get crappy food.
Ya.... when u cook over 30lb+ of pasta @ 8am for the day that called prep for your shift what ever kitchen does but there's no no pots lol lol there are boiler machines like a fryer but for water overflow drain old and fresh water put in ftom top and salt shit texas roadhouse does same thing 1 teaspoon kalsher salt per bake potatoe that also rubbed in fresh bacon greese drrain from bacon that day or day before sweet potatoe get same love but no salt but more sugar then u want from sauce
Very expensive for pasta. I always get the salad and soup. Never the pasta. My husband says my lasagna and spaghetti is the best.
Must slightly reduce salt.
The ads are insane. The only good thing, is the bread sticks and salad.
For valid pros and cons on food items I would rather defer to "Reviewbra, and his Report of the Day" to give me his unfettered and unbiased expert opinions about a food item either good or bad!
Vid keeps stopping 😡.
Always add salt before cooking pasta. Everybody knows that.
Always!
I don't use salt or oil in my pasta. It tastes fine plain, with Pocatello Romano cheese or various sauce I use or make.
I used to work at Olive garden in the late 90s. The only thing I couldn't eat anymore is the dressing of the house salad.🍽️🥗
Please tell me why?? I’m heading to Olive Garden for lunch today
Go to Olive Garden when on the road. Only ever get soup, salad and breadsticks. Almost as quick as a fast food stop.
Still better than Bob Evans. Extra crunchy stir fry! With broken glass included? What I got? Years ago. In Toledo. Ohio?
Sorry, but people are to soft in this country. I look at these comments, and all these people are basically saying is "I don't care what's in the food" well considering the amount of fat, salt, and more than questionable ingredients. I personally think it's garbage, never mind the stroke, and cancer I had at only 37. Means I just can't go eat whatever I want. I'm pretty sure that GMO's are in the food to, as we are virtually the only country in the world that allows genetically engineered food to be given to it's population. Oh, I almost forgot. . We have the highest rates of cancer, diabetes, and obesity in the entire world. But hey, go ahead, eat up
I got 2.5 minutes in and none of this is "shady" this video is stupid.
Olive Garden is mediocre. With the prices being raised because of inflation, chicken Alfredo in my area costs 24 dollars. I make it better and so much cheaper at home. I can’t wait for all these nasty overpriced chains to go out of business. Red lobster was first and Olive Garden will follow.
maybe the USDA should relook at the guidelines and try to INCREASE the recommended amount of sodium consumed daily 😊😊😊😊😊😊
The food triangle they put out is shaped like a piece of pizza.......
Yes- this is a massive chain, in America; so many aspects of what most Italisn restsurants serve here is Americanized. This is chain-ized, adapted further fot volume sales.
The salt in a meal there is off the charts: I suspect that is how they hold people back from reordering much in the all you can eat features.
Do a video reveral of the salt content in everything. It's enough to choke a person. Drinks anyone?
Even with much less overall salt in well made Italian food, the pasta IS cooked in salted water.
That practice of pre-cooking pasta is standard restaurant practice. (Maybe in Italy too?) This is not your Mom’s kitchen.There are probably higher tier restaurants that don’t do that but I wouldn't know!
O. G. Is American food.
Well, corporate!
😠 all of these olive garden things is not true!
The food at Olive Garden is garbage. Pure poorly conceived and presented second rate swill.
Garbage food you wouldn't feed it to a dog....
That place is the McDonald’s of Italian food.