Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

One of the most preferred & visited restaurants for Italian dishes.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Service just isn't what it used to be.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Had a very poor experience today at Olive Garden in Gastonia. For context, I have been in the service industry for the past 5 years, the last 3 as a server, so I am not the type to complain at restaurants and will almost always give workers the benefit of the doubt. Today, our server was extremely rude. He was very assertive, loud, and almost “bullied” us into into ordering things on the spot in a clear attempt at him trying to run up the bill rather than actually giving us good recommendations. He rarely checked on our table to help, and it was uncomfortable hearing the way he talked to other guests in the same manner as he did to us. At one point, he even placed a different persons soup on our table so he “could just set it down for a second”. When he went to sprinkle the cheese, he was extremely messy and even got some on our laps. When I asked for plates for our appetizer, he visibly rolled his eyes and made sure to blame the food runner and by saying “ I’m so sorry THEY didn’t break it out” taking no accountability of his own to even check our table after our stuff got dropped. Lastly, our soup and entree came out at the same time. Based on the way I saw him even talk to his coworkers, I feel like they will know who I’m talking about without even mentioning his name. Just a very poor overall experience and like I said, it takes a lot for me to go out of my way to write this. I still tipped 15% because I know the tip out also goes to other workers, but it was not deserved.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 1

It took us forever to get someone to bring us any silverware last night (we asked about 5 people before someone finally got us some). We had our food and drinks out before the utensils came to us. The food was also not very fresh, and was a little on the lukewarm side. Won't be going back for awhile.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 2

Good food. Would be 5 stars but portions are inconsistent.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

I had one of the best dining experiences I've ever had at Olive Garden thanks to our amazing server, Nina. From the moment we sat down, she was warm, welcoming, and genuinely attentive. She checked in at all the right times without ever hovering, and she carried this calm, positive energy that made the whole meal feel relaxed and enjoyable.

Nina knew the menu like the back of her hand, she gave great recommendations, made sure everything came out fresh and hot, and even caught small details before we had to ask. You can tell she really cares about her guests and takes pride in her job.

What stood out the most was her kindness and consistency. Even when the restaurant got busy, she never rushed us or let her service drop. That level of professionalism is rare these days, and it made our visit feel special.

If you visit this Olive Garden, ask for Nina. She turns a regular dinner into a memorable experience. Give this woman a raise.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

David was awesome

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

server was super friendly, can always count good meal

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Olive Garden is… vibes for the kids, mid for the adults, and sneaky expensive for what it is.

Food was okay – nothing terrible, nothing mind-blowing. Pasta and breadsticks did their job, but for the price I kinda wanted my taste buds to at least high-five me.

On the bright side, the kids had a blast and the servers were awesome — super friendly, patient, and on top of everything. So overall:
Kids: 10/10
Servers: 10/10
Food & price combo: solid “it’s fine.” 🥖🍝

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Our waiter Josh was the BEST!!!! He was very thorough and made sure we were taken care of in every step of our dinner. It was my husband's birthday and Josh made our dinner so personable and memorable!! Thank you Josh Laborn!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Our server taleah was so friendly n awesome.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Me and my husband went for an early dinner on Wednesday. The food was pretty good,
but my shrimp carbonara was a little on the bland side. I usually get the chicken and shrimp carbonara and I love it. The minestrone soup was amazing as always. Our server was excellent. Overall we had a good time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

When we go back we’re asking for Kendall! He was awesome👏🏼

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

our waitress was very busy but did an excellent job

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Olive Garden during my last visit was different. The hostess acted as if she didn't want to seat us, barely looking at me when I spoke to her. Salad had no dressing, we were brothers a little on the side and the lettuce appeared to get soggy before I could eat it. Folks seemed to not be interested in you as a customer, and more about what they had going on. Needless to say the experience this time was a bit of a let down. The positive side is that the soup was piping hot.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4