When in the mood to eat some classic Italian food and experience a comfortable, laid-back environment, Olive Garden is the way to go! Combining classic Italian dishes such as Carbonara with American twang, Olive Garden creates a truly unique dining experience. 

On Thursday evening, my club volleyball team had its first team bonding experience, and we decided to go eat out at a restaurant. We decided on Olive Garden, a restaurant with a decent reputation. When I arrived, an amiable host greeted me. I was one of the first in my group to get to the restaurant and had some trouble figuring out whose name our reservation was under, but throughout the confusion, the host was kind and patient and led me to a beautifully decorated room with string lights that gave off a gentle glow, creating an atmosphere that comforted and drew me in. 

We started with an appetizer of their house salad. The salad was perfectly dressed with ranch, to the point that it wasn’t too soggy, but still had a delectable taste that stood out from the other components. Our waiter then brought us some of Olive Garden’s famous breadsticks. These breadsticks were perfectly salted and fluffy. I can honestly say that they are some of the best breadsticks I’ve had. As we enjoyed our food, our waiter made sure that all of our cups were filled, and when one of our party accidentally spilled a drink, he kindly helped us clean up the mess up.

After scanning the menu and going back and forth between multiple dishes, we ordered, and I got the chicken and shrimp carbonara. Our waiter was very patient as we all made final decisions on what to order and took time to make sure we were all getting exactly what we wanted.

When my dish arrived about 15 minutes later, I knew I had ordered the right thing. Thin noodles bathed in the house sauce, juicy grilled chicken and flavorful shrimp were thrown together to create a truly mouthwatering dish. The dish was delicious and again had the perfect amount of sauce, not to drown out the other flavors in the dish.

My whole team truly enjoyed their dishes, and all of the requests to add or take away components of the dishes were executed perfectly by the chef. After dining at Olive Garden, my team had a reservation for an escape room, so we were on a time limit. This time limit posed no problem due to the staff’s quick yet efficient work.

As Olive Garden is a classic franchise restaurant, I would say their food seems a little expensive, but for the amount of food that comes with each meal, the price is reasonable. My dish of chicken and shrimp carbonara was around $20. Which is understandable given the serving portion of the dish. After my meal, I was exceptionally full and had to get a to-go box, which is unusual because anyone who knows me personally knows I usually finish my dishes. This was partially due to the house salad and breadsticks. The house salad was around $8.50 which is also understandable due to the big portion that it came in. The breadsticks were around $5. The portion sizes are just right for anyone wanting a bigger meal, but also wants to experience a casual, friendly atmosphere.

In summary, my team definitely chose the perfect restaurant for our night out. It allowed us to grow closer as a team through the friendly and welcoming environment, and it was just truly an enjoyable meal. The restaurant scores a 5/5 from my team and me! This eatery will definitely be seeing more of us in the future!