Olive Garden [merged threads]
Feb 28, 2006, 5:41 pm
#16
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Originally Posted by party_boy
try courting mac grill or maggiano's.
Feb 28, 2006, 5:46 pm
#17
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Originally Posted by BamaVol
We've had 3 in 4 years. None lasted more than a year. I ate at one a month after it opened. The waiter was a 16 year old with a toothpick in his mouth! It took tremendous self-control not to slap it out of his face. The food was utter ..... I'm thinking of several problems.
1. Without the training you get from a corporate chain, most independents have no idea how to run a restaurant.
2. Local citizens are interested in quantity, not quality. All you can eat would go over well, but the only way to make money doing that here is to serve slop. Charging for quantity and quality is not an option due to the (generally) low incomes.
3. There are no local citizens of Italian heritage. One of my doctors (a fellow damn-yankee) says he's met one other It-Am besides me in 14 years of practice. He and I talk about delis and pizza when I have an appointment. We'd both frequent a good Italian restaurant, but it would take more than us to keep it going.
As I said, I don't have a problem with OG food, in fact I love the soup/salad/breadsticks lunch. And I grew up in a 2nd generation It-Am home, eating the family recipes hand written (some in Italian) my whole life and have generally lived in and around major cities (Boston, San Francisco, Denver) where good Italian food could be found. So, regardless of what your opinion of OG is, people here want one.
I just want to know how much hate mail I should expect when I point out the perpetual hunger that exists here, and the resulting average 44 inch waistline. Really.
People here are so fat ...
Ed: How fat are they?
They're so fat, that there's one small store for short and thin people. All the other stores sizes start at XL.
1. Without the training you get from a corporate chain, most independents have no idea how to run a restaurant.
2. Local citizens are interested in quantity, not quality. All you can eat would go over well, but the only way to make money doing that here is to serve slop. Charging for quantity and quality is not an option due to the (generally) low incomes.
3. There are no local citizens of Italian heritage. One of my doctors (a fellow damn-yankee) says he's met one other It-Am besides me in 14 years of practice. He and I talk about delis and pizza when I have an appointment. We'd both frequent a good Italian restaurant, but it would take more than us to keep it going.
As I said, I don't have a problem with OG food, in fact I love the soup/salad/breadsticks lunch. And I grew up in a 2nd generation It-Am home, eating the family recipes hand written (some in Italian) my whole life and have generally lived in and around major cities (Boston, San Francisco, Denver) where good Italian food could be found. So, regardless of what your opinion of OG is, people here want one.
I just want to know how much hate mail I should expect when I point out the perpetual hunger that exists here, and the resulting average 44 inch waistline. Really.
People here are so fat ...
Ed: How fat are they?
They're so fat, that there's one small store for short and thin people. All the other stores sizes start at XL.
^ ^ I didn't realize you're an It-Am. So am I and grwoing up on home made gravy and pasta (especially ravioli) I can't help but be super critical of Italian restaurants and food sold commercially. It still amazes me to this day that people eat spahetti-o's from a can.
Last edited by Canarsie; Mar 1, 2006 at 8:27 pm Reason: The quote was edited to reflect the edited quote of the original author.
Feb 28, 2006, 6:43 pm
#18
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Since you've got an Outback which is successful, I'd suggest putting your effort into getting their sister chain Carrabbas to put up a store. Much, much, much better than any OG I've ever eaten in, and cleaner than most.
Feb 28, 2006, 7:41 pm
#19
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Originally Posted by TRRed
Since you've got an Outback which is successful, I'd suggest putting your effort into getting their sister chain Carrabbas to put up a store. Much, much, much better than any OG I've ever eaten in, and cleaner than most.
Mar 1, 2006, 6:33 am
#20
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Originally Posted by BamaVol
One of my sons got food poisoning at Outback last month. I'd like to give them the ER bill, not a subsidy for another ptomaine palace.
Mar 1, 2006, 6:45 am
#21
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Originally Posted by tonypct
I hope you let them know about it. I'm curious, what was their response if you did?
Mar 1, 2006, 7:07 am
#22
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BamaVol,
When you figure out how to lure whoever you decide on, give us a call in south Baldwin County and let us know how you did it. We're short on Italian, Chinese and just about anything else that isn't fried. I'm not a big fan of OG, but would welcome one just for the variety and for the chance that it might encourage other places to open a store down here.
When you figure out how to lure whoever you decide on, give us a call in south Baldwin County and let us know how you did it. We're short on Italian, Chinese and just about anything else that isn't fried. I'm not a big fan of OG, but would welcome one just for the variety and for the chance that it might encourage other places to open a store down here.
Mar 1, 2006, 7:08 am
#23
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From several replies on this thread, I take this to mean that us dumb, fat, trailer trash in the South aren't fortunate enough to be able to eat out at an overpriced, snotty "real Italian" restaurant only found in such upscale locales as New York City? 
Gee, last time I ate at a "real Italian" restaurant in NYC, I got half the food for the same price as Olive Garden (leaving me hungry after my meal, and I'm not a fatass BTW) served by a Mexican. You snotty New Yorkers can keep your "real Italian" crappy restaurants.
Gee, last time I ate at a "real Italian" restaurant in NYC, I got half the food for the same price as Olive Garden (leaving me hungry after my meal, and I'm not a fatass BTW) served by a Mexican. You snotty New Yorkers can keep your "real Italian" crappy restaurants.
Mar 1, 2006, 7:25 am
#24
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Originally Posted by JS
From several replies on this thread, I take this to mean that us dumb, fat, trailer trash in the South aren't fortunate enough to be able to eat out at an overpriced, snotty "real Italian" restaurant only found in such upscale locales as New York City?
Gee, last time I ate at a "real Italian" restaurant in NYC, I got half the food for the same price as Olive Garden (leaving me hungry after my meal, and I'm not a fatass BTW) served by a Mexican. You snotty New Yorkers can keep your "real Italian" crappy restaurants.
Gee, last time I ate at a "real Italian" restaurant in NYC, I got half the food for the same price as Olive Garden (leaving me hungry after my meal, and I'm not a fatass BTW) served by a Mexican. You snotty New Yorkers can keep your "real Italian" crappy restaurants.
Don't let them get to you. All that snow makes them weird after a while...
Was in Greenville last week and ate at a Macaroni Grill out by the airport. Not one of the better MG meals I've had, but they could have been having a bad night. Also ate a nice piece of salmon at a place called "California something or other". Some nice choices for chains in Greenville. Any suggestions on local places there?
Mar 1, 2006, 7:25 am
#25
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Originally Posted by JS
From several replies on this thread, I take this to mean that us dumb, fat, trailer trash in the South aren't fortunate enough to be able to eat out at an overpriced, snotty "real Italian" restaurant only found in such upscale locales as New York City?
Gee, last time I ate at a "real Italian" restaurant in NYC, I got half the food for the same price as Olive Garden (leaving me hungry after my meal, and I'm not a fatass BTW) served by a Mexican. You snotty New Yorkers can keep your "real Italian" crappy restaurants.
Gee, last time I ate at a "real Italian" restaurant in NYC, I got half the food for the same price as Olive Garden (leaving me hungry after my meal, and I'm not a fatass BTW) served by a Mexican. You snotty New Yorkers can keep your "real Italian" crappy restaurants.
Also, "Mexican-American."
Don't mention it. I'm glad to help.
Last edited by robb; Mar 1, 2006 at 7:33 am
Mar 1, 2006, 7:26 am
#26
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Originally Posted by robb
I think you meant we dumb, fat, trailer trash in the South.
How do you know it was a Mexican-American and not a Mexican?
Last edited by dd992emo; Mar 1, 2006 at 7:28 am Reason: left out something
Mar 1, 2006, 7:32 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I remember one year the Arizona Repulsive (oops.. I mean Republic) newspaper had OG as it's "best italian restaurant" in one year's "Best of Phoenix" issue. Oh please! I think we know how that listing got in there.
Anyway, if you want a better chain italian restaurant, Buca di Beppo is much better than OG.
To me, OG is as much of an italian restaurant as Pizza Hut is.
\rec
Anyway, if you want a better chain italian restaurant, Buca di Beppo is much better than OG.
To me, OG is as much of an italian restaurant as Pizza Hut is.
\rec
Mar 1, 2006, 7:38 am
#28
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Originally Posted by dd992emo
JS,
Don't let them get to you. All that snow makes them weird after a while...
Was in Greenville last week and ate at a Macaroni Grill out by the airport. Not one of the better MG meals I've had, but they could have been having a bad night. Also ate a nice piece of salmon at a place called "California something or other". Some nice choices for chains in Greenville. Any suggestions on local places there?
Don't let them get to you. All that snow makes them weird after a while...
Was in Greenville last week and ate at a Macaroni Grill out by the airport. Not one of the better MG meals I've had, but they could have been having a bad night. Also ate a nice piece of salmon at a place called "California something or other". Some nice choices for chains in Greenville. Any suggestions on local places there?
Personally, I prefer Waffle House. It's edible and cheap, and there are hundreds of locations, all open 24/7.
Mar 1, 2006, 7:40 am
#29
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Originally Posted by BamaVol
The waiter was a 16 year old with a toothpick in his mouth! It took tremendous self-control not to slap it out of his face.
Originally Posted by WBurcham
Don't take this the wrong way but y'all aren't the market for a MAGU (Maggiano's). They generally target upper-middle class markets (tyson's corner, buckhead, DFW metro) with a high-level disposable income. They are just arond the par of a Cheesecake Factory localle.
Back to the topic, when Olive Garden first hit the scene many years ago, we'd visit quite often but finally burned out on the concept. Somebody dragged me into an OG a few months ago and I was pleasantly surprised with how much they've improved and upscaled their menu.
OG's still not a place I'll visit on a regular basis but I'll also not avoid it as I have in the past.
Mar 1, 2006, 7:40 am
#30
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This is my first posting in this forum however my eye caught the Olive Garden in the title.
I absolutely adore the Olive Garden Salad dressing - truly the best dressing I have had anywhere. ^ ^ ^ ^
As a restaurant I have found them very consistent and very reasonable. There are far worse places, especially chain restaurants I could name in the US.
I absolutely adore the Olive Garden Salad dressing - truly the best dressing I have had anywhere. ^ ^ ^ ^
As a restaurant I have found them very consistent and very reasonable. There are far worse places, especially chain restaurants I could name in the US.