Olive Garden Italian Restaurant 380 17th Avenue Northwest, Rochester, MN 55901

"It is a chain restaurant so.... the food was as good or better than other olive gardens I have been to. The service was excellent I wish my eyesight was better because our waitress was so awesome. Atmosphere was a chain restaurant but clean even wiping the hanging lights I didn't find any dust. Great job guys I am sure some of you will find your way into fine dining"

"We had a great time at the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference and went to olive garden after. The service was friendly recommended the roscoto sweet red. Was very good. I had their chicken Alfredo with broccoli. It was fantastic and large quantities. Thank you for the amazing experience."

"I feel like the quality has really changed over the last 6 months. We used to come here at least twice a month as a family of 5. Now we visit maybe once every 2 months, and continue to see a decline each time. There are some wonderful servers and sone who don’t care if you have something to drink or not. We seem to have drawn the later lately. To the point of not even having as much as water for over half the meal. The menu has a great selection and there are often a few new or unique dishes in addition to the favorites. I like the baked ravioli in particular, but it unfortunately only comes as an appetizer. I do recommend the calamari appetizer. I’ve no idea how they do it, but it’s not rubbery at all. It’s always tender and delicious, our children like it in particular. The soup options are always good, as well as the salad cold and crisp. The breadsticks are good, but sometimes we only get 4 when five of us are eating. When we ask for more, they say they will bring them, but never do. I don’t need the breadstick, so it’s okay; but it’s just a sign of them cutting corners to me. A few years ago, this would NEVER have occurred. There would have been enough for everyone to have had 2 breadsticks for the meal….honestly. Some of our recent dishes have been lacking and dry. It’s almost like reheated pasta with reheated sauce. I notice this more with the white sauces than red. The pasta gets a rubbery texture and feels dry. I enjoy their drinks. They have fun seasonal cocktails which are always delicious and fun to try. The desserts are usually okay. I feel like the tuxedo cake is full of preservatives. It might not be, but it just has that taste about it- like it would never mold. The chocolate language or donuts are the kid’s favorite. We used to get a mint at the end- to help curb the crazy garlic breath, but haven’t even gotten those of recent. Like all places, I’m guessing it’s a budget thing sadly. I hope this restaurant doesn’t continue to decline as it has, or it will be another lost restaurant to our city."

"Title: Disappointing Service and Unsanitary Conditions at Olive Garden Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Our recent dining experience at Olive Garden was far from satisfactory, as my boyfriend and I always go to Olive Garden it was disappointing that there were numerous instances of unprofessional behavior and unsanitary conditions tarnishing our visit. The presence of profanity-laden speech from our assigned waitress, combined with a dirty plate, left us deeply disappointed and questioning the integrity of the establishment. From the moment our waitress approached our table, it became immediately apparent that her behavior was inappropriate for a family-oriented dining establishment. She used explicit language without regard for the presence of children or other guests nearby. Her disregard for professional conduct created an uncomfortable and unwelcoming atmosphere, ultimately diminishing our dining experience. To compound our dissatisfaction, the condition of the plate on which our meal was served was less than satisfactory. Despite the visual presence of spaghetti stains and what appeared to be dirt spots, the owner served the dish without addressing or rectifying the issue. I had just asked for butter noodles and there brown spots in my food I asked the waitress what this was and she stuck her long press on nails in my food and said it was probably mushroom because they made it in the same area she then left and expected me to just eat the food. I’m a pretty laid back person which is why I didn’t go crazy on her as she was somewhat nice but This blatant disregard for basic hygiene standards is unacceptable and raises significant concerns about the restaurant's attention to cleanliness and overall quality. She should be fired after this as she took forever to tend to us and was inconsistent she also didn’t listen to us when we said the tablet was broken when we tried to pay. She kept us there forever and ruined our night she had red orange hair and I believe her name was Lein A. To be fair, we must acknowledge that our experience may have been an isolated incident and not representative of the entire Olive Garden chain. However, it is vital for Olive Garden's management to investigate these claims, taking appropriate measures to ensure the cleanliness and professionalism of their staff. The negative impact of these shortcomings extended beyond our immediate disappointment. Witnessing the inappropriate behavior and unclean conditions may have put off other diners, affecting the reputation and customer satisfaction of the restaurant as a whole. In conclusion, the combination of our waitress's use of profanity, along with the unsanitary conditions of our plate, greatly marred our experience at Olive Garden. We urge the management of Olive Garden to address these issues promptly, implementing measures to ensure the professionalism and cleanliness of their staff. It is only through such actions that Olive Garden can regain the trust and patronage of their customers."

"My experience was very pleasant! Me and my family went out for dinner since the establishment was running their $13.99 Endless Pasta Bowls. The food was great. My only complaint was that the marinara sauce could've had a bit more flavor, but other than that, it was very good for the price. I wasn't expecting the additional $5 charge per meat topping. However, it was worth it. We also enjoyed their fairly priced Lasagna Frita appetizer with was fresh and very delicious! What blew me away the most was the outstanding hospitality by our server, she was incredibly friendly and on top of the game during our entire dinner, we never had to wait more than a few minutes before she would come by to check on us to make sure we had our refills or anything else we needed, her great attitude and service elevated the experience considerably, and I'll gladly eat here again with the precedent that was set. The atmosphere was also enjoyable and warm, the temperature was cool but comfortable, and their decor was clean and inviting. It was a little noisy. However, we arrived right before the peak of the dinner rush, so that's to be expected inside a busy family-welcome and child friendly restaurant. The floor and tables were also very clean, and there were no noticeable issues with the art or dining areas, other than the tables perhaps being a bit small for all of the plates of food we requested! All in all, I rate this Olive Garden a 4.5 stars out of 5, and I would highly recommend eating here if you're looking to enjoy a good Italian style dinner with plenty of options and phenomenal service!"