MMMMMMM Tour of Italy. MMMMMMMMMM!!!

Shudder... I'm about to be sick just thinking about there!
You just love the drama, don't you? :D
Unfortunately, I think unruly kids are almost a staple at any chain restaurant now.

Mr. Kipper and I usually only go to OG when they have the never-ending pasta bowl. I usually just have them box up my refill, although at some, they insist you eat at least a portion of it, so I'll move it around my plate for a while before they box it up for me. Then, it's lunch or dinner the following day.

When we want Italian food, we usually stop at a local restaurant that has amazing food. The owner will sit and visit with regulars and such. It's a bit less than OG price-wise, and as a bonus, pitchers of Sam Adams are $10. :D

Since i'm allergic to wheat I was glad to see they had gluten free pasta available. It was pretty good. One thing I can say is that OG always smells good when you walk in whether the dinner is good or not.

While I always prefer a local place over a chain, Olive Garden isn't terrible as far as it goes. It's one of those places on my list of "Great to eat at: If Someone else is Paying". Sure you get soup/salad and breadsticks, but I still think the entrees are priced a little higher than they should be.

I prefer Olive Garden the most when I do take out, the faux Italian ambiance doesn't do it for me, and some of the ones I went to had all the chairs on wheels which I found weird.

Look at most of the diners around you. They need the wheels to move their chairs closer to the trough...

:D Did you learn that trick when you were a little kid, albeit for food you didn't want to eat?

The technique was to redistribute it, mash it down where possible, and all the while to avoid being caught by Mom "playing with your food." ;)

LOL, no, when I was a kid and didn't want to eat food, I just refused to eat it. When my mother would insist that I eat it later, if I was hungry, rather than eating cookies, I'd complain to my grandmother that "Mom makes me eat cold food." :D

Salad, Breadsticks, and Soup at the OG.....the rest leaves alot to be desired.

I agree that OG is not the greatest, but you know what you are gong to get there. I have gone to several local Italian Place and after eating wished that I was at OG.

Interesting,
 

that this thread is still open after ~ 5 years, really OG?

Mrs Cholula and I just did their unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks lunch for $20 today.

We thoroughly enjoyed the meal, the service was great and we'll do it again soon.

There are a lot of choices for lunch in Southern CA but we hit OG once or twice a month as we enjoy the experience.

My two year old has learned that trick and is now an expert.

We eat at OG 3-4 times per year. One thing that it has going for it is that it is pretty good at eliminating the "veto vote." In just about any group, everyone can find at least one thing to eat. If the concerns are health issues (fat, sodium, etc.), that group probably would be cooking at home.

OG also hits the sweet spot of demographics. Average HH income for the OG customer is $60-70K, slightly above the US average but not out of reach for anyone. In other words, for a large part of the customer base, it is highly affordable, and even for those at the lower end of the income scale, it is an aspirational treat.

Note: I may get flamed for saying this (Has anyone ever been flamed in the Dining thread? :)), but the breadsticks smell a lot better than they taste.

For true bready delight at an Italian restaurant, I have to go to Bertucci's.

Mike

If I go to OG for dinner, I always order a lunch portion which is a much better deal!

This thread predates me even being on FT!

I acknowledge that OG isn't authentic Italian food, but I do like to have it a couple of times a year. The one we go to is in Boulder CO, continually touted as being one of the most fit cities in the US, and the OG is constantly just packed.

People who haven't been to OG in years are pretty shocked when I tell them the good is actually pretty good these days. Is it the best Italian food I've ever eaten? No, that's in Italy.

Is it the best americanized version of Italian good I've ever eaten? No, but it's a nice choice to be able to have. I've found very few Italian "mom and pop" restaurants that I really enjoy...

The exception is Vinny's in Westlake, TX.