4.2
Good
389 Reviews
3801 Grand Avenue, Chino · 8.78 miles
Customers’ favorites
- Create Your Own Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Italian Sausage
- Shrimp Alfredo Fettuccine Alfredo Tossed with Sautéed Shrimp
- Never-Ending Soup Salad & Breadsticks
- Never-Ending Soup Salad & Breadsticks
“Olive Garden is an easy restaurant to joke about as faux-Italian suburban food, but if you go in knowing exactly what it is, it can be surprisingly good. I hadn’t been to one in years, and after two recent visits to this location, I’ve been reminded why I actually enjoyed it. The Chino Spectrum location makes a good impression. It’s fairly classy—not upscale exactly, but polished in that slightly aspirational upscale-casual way, with booths, banquettes, warm lighting, and Italian-ish music. My first visit was relaxed; the second was on a much busier Friday. The restroom was a little messier that time, although nothing terrible, and the dining room still felt comfortable and well run. Service has been the standout both times. Our first waiter was friendly and attentive without hovering, and on the second visit our waitress was just as accommodating and proactive. I asked which soup she recommended, went with the Zuppa Toscana, and it was delicious enough that I thanked her afterward. I also noticed the manager walking through and checking on the room. Easy 5 stars for service. The food has generally been very good. The calamari was genuinely tasty, the Zuppa Toscana was a pleasant surprise, and my mom’s chicken parmigiana was good. On my first visit, the rigatoni with cheese sauce and meatballs was rich and hearty, and my dad, who can be picky, was happy with his pasta. My main criticism is salt. The breadsticks are tasty but can border on too salty, and my parents, who are in their 70s, have repeatedly thought the soups were salty too. I usually find them salty but still enjoyable. The grilled chicken marsala on my second visit pushed it further. I liked the flavor a lot, but the topping on the chicken was so salty that I eventually scraped it off and ate the chicken underneath, which was delicious but still somewhat salty. I have been eating less heavily salted food lately, so my palate may be more sensitive than some people’s, but this felt noticeably excessive. I studied abroad in Italy, so I know Olive Garden isn’t what many Italians would call Italian food—but that doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious. Some of the best pizza I had in Rome was made by a Chinese Italian immigrant, so I care much more about whether food tastes good than whether it passes an authenticity test. The value is also surprisingly good, especially with soup or salad and breadsticks included. My parents commented on the prices during our first visit, and after coming back, I still think it’s a lot of food for the money. Nothing here is revolutionary, and there are definitely some seasoning issues for my taste. But across two visits, most of the food has ranged from good to genuinely delicious, the restaurant is comfortable, the prices are reasonable, and the service has been consistently excellent. Olive Garden is easy to stereotype, but judged on what it actually does, this location does it very well. After two visits, I’m still pleasantly surprised.”
Italian · $$
