I love Olive Garden, and I am not a freeper!

[Haole Girl]

:9

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Olive Garden is very

accessible for big folks like me. Nice big chairs with backs and wheels on them. Food is okay. When I eat at Applebees or Friday's I'm afraid the little chairs will disappear up my bottom!

[Haole Girl]

2. It is a comfortable place

and since it's been around forever, everywhere I've lived, I have fond memories of many family gatherings there. I really don't get all the Olive Garden bashing.

[Juffo Wup]

3. OK, I missed something

Does their CEO support the Republicans? Or did they do something that offended a DUer? I'm curious. I love Olive Garden, it was the first "nice" restaurant here in town that didn't require a loan to eat at.

[LeftyMom]

4. Welcome to DU.

Sometimes people in the lounge have flamewars over very stupid things, which become running jokes once they blow over. Past examples include the proper way to bread fried chicken, the artistic merits of Fat Actress and eating at the Olive Garden in NYC.

[Juffo Wup]

5. I know

I've been here since 2000, I just use a new screen name now. I apparently missed this Olive Garden thread.

[LeftyMom]

6. Oh sorry, I mised that in your sig line.

Radio Lady mentioned eating at the Olive Garden in NYC. People went nuts at the idea of going to a chain restraunt in a place with so many italian places. It got a bit ugly.

[GalleryGod]

9. Which Radio Lady did not deserve

"the Junior High Cafeteria" was at Def Con 4 that day...with F-bombers polluting our language (get a thesaurus,please!)and Radio Lady in total shock over a harmless remark.

Not "The lounge's" finest hour:puke: :argh:

[LeftyMom]

10. Yeah, it was really nasty and unfair.

:(

[Hissyspit]

23. And it was all my fault, too.

All I did was ask a question and she gave the first and I thought initially only response and then I went to bed and didn't come back to DU for a couple of days. Boy, was I surprised when I did!

I PM'd RadioLady and told her I loved her response and not to take any of it seriously and I think she felt much better.

I am NOT going to eat at an Olive Garden when in Manhattan. But I will stand outside one!

[KitchenWitch]

19. I agree with you, it was so unnecessary!

[NewJeffCT]

7. Olive Garden does support Republicans, but

But, I think it's a decent restaurant... and I'm half Italian with a 100% Italian mom who cooks.

[Kajsa]

13. Something tells me

you're watching the World Cup Final
tomorrow.

:D :hi:

[NewJeffCT]

17. Probably

but, it's also my mom's birthday tomorrow and we're bringing her out to lunch... (no, not to the Olive Garden!) So, if lunch runs long, I have the World Cup set up to be recorded on my DVR.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. My fave thing there is the big Salad with soup.

However, If I lived in NYC, Boston, Hartford or other cities with large "little Italy" areas and tons of really good Italian eateries, I would never go to the Garden.

We have a sort of chain of eateries in FW ubiquitously known as Joes Pizza And Pasta all are loosely related in an extended family sort of way. Food quality varies from location to location.

[SoCalDem]

21. Salad..no soup... just breadsticks..

although the breadsticks are not as tasty as they used to be.

Mr friend and I used to have that for lunch about once a week :)

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. I like them too, but we rarely eat there because of the price...

Not very $$$ friendly for families. :hi:

[Kajsa]

12. Oh, KC2, you're such a trouble maker-NOT!

:hi:

Seriously folks, I like Olive Garden, too.
The food is great, the prices are good and
the service we got was excellent.

:7 :9 :thumbsup:

[ghostsofgiants]

14. It's like eating in the private kitchen of a delightful Italian stereotype

[Patiod]

15. I get snarky about people who eat at Olive Garden in Phila

If you're out in the 'burbs or small towns outside the city, it's a good choice.

But Olive Garden in a major city like NY, Chicago, Boston or Philadelphia just indicates that you don't want to do your homework and find an authentic, family or individually-owned restaurant (which are on every block)

I'm against chains in general anytime there's a small-businessperson option that is equal or better. We always go to my local family-owned hardware store first, before we hit Lowe's.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

16. What idiot told you that only freepers like the place?

It's great. I used to work there. They actually treat their employees pretty decent.
Duckie

[Haole Girl]

18. I can't find the thread now! It was entitled freeper something...

something! It seems to have disappeared. :shrug:

[Floogeldy]

20. Last time I ate there, the spaghetti meat sauce was full of gristle.

But the bread sticks and salad are great! :)

[njdemocrat106]

22. I love the Olive Garden, too.

The Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo rocks, IMO. It's definitely not something you should have everyday, or even every week, though. Excellent soup and breadsticks (and alright salad), and if I still have some room left, a slice of the Black Tie Mousse Cheesecake. :9

[khashka]

24. Only place I can get decent calamari

in this sad excuse for a state.

And like there is this really hot waiter.....



Khash.

[AAARRRGGGHHH]

25. I used to work at an Olive Garden

It was right after I got my MBA (there was a hiring freeze among consulting firms on the East Coast at the time) and I head been captaining at one of the best restaurants in NY beforehand.

I needed to make $ anyway possible and everytime I walked through the door I felt like I was slapped in the face.