I give this business a 3 star rating purely because the breakfast buffet was mediocre for $10/person. Courtney, the waitress, did not smile once and rushed us out quickly with an empty lounge. Provided us with a single glass of water sans refil as well as coffee. Minimal service. The bar at night was fabulous and private. Tim the bartender was amazing and made outstanding mojitos. We were even served after last call and they were closing. read more

The dishes that I can attest to: Rotisserie chicken Asian garlic chicken wings Chicken Parmesan All delicious! The martini list is great. I liked... Olivitini Pear drop Pomegranate Italian Apple Fresh cucumber Great bar to watch the game and eat after work. read more

Consistently good food and service. Probably the best meal I have had while staying in a HGI property. Not a lot to choose from in Mankato so this is a good move if you are in town. Very busy for a Tuesday night so i suspect the neighbors have realized how good Olive's is. read more

Olives - Mediterranean Near Me - Mankato, Minnesota

Cocktails are very enjoyable and a nice way to start a meal. Several specialty cocktails, none you cannot find elsewhere, but we'll made and beautifully presented. Food is fine. Spices used with moderation, so you won't find anything that is outstanding or unusual, but the flavors are easy to enjoy. Had the fondue - - - Tuesday special. Fun and good tasting read more

This is one of the best restaurants in Mankato and the reason I stay at the Hilton Garden Inn where Olives is located. Service has always been spot-on perfect (we really enjoy Nicole), decor is very tasteful, and the food is always excellent. I have not heard any customers ever say anything but great things about the restaurant and its staff, so I am a little confused about a few of the mediocre reviews. read more

Great atmosphere, love the unique bread salad and hummus. Only complaint is my husband and I were seated at the bar and bought a nice bottle of red wine and were given white whine glasses. We saw red wine glasses behind the bar and asked if we could have one but were told they were reserved for table reservations. So that was kind of weird. But if you aren't picky about proper glassware then you'll be golden. read more

Hands down my favorite place in Mankato. Consistently good food and service, I have high expectations and each time they are exceeded. I absolutely love olives and will pick it over any other place any day in mankato. If you haven't tried it you should! You won't regret it read more

A very nice restaurant in the downtown Hilton of Mankato Minnesota. We were well greeted and quickly seated on a Friday night. Waitstaff was very professional. The food was excellent and well presented. if you wanted to desert you really needed to get up and go to the desert case. My only real criticism was there was no green tea to finish my meal with since, I don't drink coffee. I recommend the chicken Parmesan it was d-lish. read more

I forgot to write my review when I was there last month for business. Great steak. Cooked and seasoned perfectly. Service was prompt, pleasant The bread was fantastic, reminded me when I lived in Germany I wish they had a few more draft beers on tap, but they were cold and fresh. Prices were very reasonable, I wish this place was in my home town read more

Liked the menu options and ordered the Pan Seared Quail. Received the olives and waited for the bread. Salad came and it was good. Overlooking the kitchen, I saw my dinner sitting in the window. Still haven't received my bread. Quail now put under cover in the kitchen window. Asked manager about the bread. Response was it takes 10 minutes to make. No bread as of yet. Finished salad and bread arrived, one dinner roll. Quail arrived! All I tasted was lemon! That's it, lemon! I was a chef and was expecting more! Very disappointed! read more

I have a few constructive criticisms, the food was okay. There is definitely room for improvement, I'm from NYC, lived in Minneapolis, MN, and now I'm here in Mankato for school. I was craving Mediterranean food, and I have already tried swarmania and wanted something different. Anyway, tonight for dinner I ordered the chicken and beef kebabs, the spinach and artichoke dip, and also the Dragon pasta. I'll start with the spinach and artichoke dip, I've had the best spinach and artichoke dip at this cute little restaurant in St.Paul MN, so I was using it as reference. It was decently good, but I did feel as though it was missing something. As for the kebabs, I've had Kebabs from my mothers own cooking, to places from different parts of the globe, and I have to say there is a huge lack in spices (not spicy, but spices). There's this flavor that it's missing, definitely on the blander side. The aïoli sauce provided was very strong and pungent, it was an overwhelming flavor, it didn't really pair with the chicken kebab right but it did do justice to the beef kebab, the beef kebab could use some salt, or anything to make it to taste. The hummus was giving a strong mustard sort of flavor, it was a very smooth texture, but the sort of mustard essence took the classic hummus taste out of the experience. The Pocket bread provided with this dish could be a little fluffier and may be a little bit more of a soft bite. Lastly, the dragon pasta. The noodles looked very yellow, and the turmeric and possibly cumin used in this dish were too strong. The chicken in this pasta was excellent, but the shrimp was a bit limp, may be not the best quality shrimp I've had. My suggestion for the pasta would be to have someone study the hues of flavor each spice contributes to the dish. The spices used and the amount use affects the taste of the dish significantly. I may come back to give other dishes a try, but I do see that there is room for improvement when it comes to the flavor. The quality of the chicken and the beef were good, the quality of the shrimp was lacking, and a spice master is definitely needed. Spices are an art form that should be studied closer. It's good food, but for someone like me who has been to many places and many people homes for food, it will have to work a little harder to impress. read more

I really like this place. They have very good service, the staff seem to care about your meal and the selection is great. Great place for lunch or dinner. Nice location downtown, free parking in the ramp is a plus. Only downside is it's a bit small, so Friday night and it can get crowded. read more

Worst experience I've ever had with a restaurant. Terrible service. Unfriendly. Insincere. We had 50 guests scheduled to be seated at 6:30 (we were suppose to be eating at 7) they made us wait in the hotel lobby until 7:40 didn't get our food until 8:20 we stood waiting in the lobby with no chairs. Repeatedly asked us to leave the restaurant when we tried to ask what the hold up was for our reservation. The Lady at the front desk was rude to my 72 year old great aunt who was just asking for a cocktail. After our meal to try and make up for the terrible experience they offered us a $75 gift card to come back and try the Olives experience again. I can't believe the audacity. On top of all of that the following Monday I checked my credit card and they forged a 20% tip on the bill. Currently fighting this fraudulent charge! If you're smart (unlike myself) you'll never step foot in this establishment. I strongly feel Olives took advantage of us knowing we were from out of town. read more

Outstanding. The buffet for lunch is an excellent choice. Service is excellent and food is always really good and fresh.

Super delicious food, and definite 5 star service. Some may complain that it's spendy, but I believe the extra dollar is worth their extra effort. Totally worth the top dollar. Not to mention, their specials are majorly worth it! Drinks and superb, and save a bit of room for the Tiramisu. I recommend the Shwarma pizza as well!! read more

I have eaten here 3 times and it was incredible. What I ordered? -Caramelized onion pizza -Curry pasta -Burger My guests? -kabobs, fries and Alfredo pasta The pizza was just out of this world and the curry pasta had so many different flavors, delicious. My guests loved their food too. Especially the kabobs Service Impeccable service every time. The waitresses we've had have always been great. They really care about their customers and are great at accommodating any needs efficiently and bring a great energy. Ps: try the desserts (read: mousse) read more

I was staying at the hotel and one of the main reasons I booked this room was because of the on site restaurant. ( Due to extensive travel this is a plus! ) I called to order my room service and had to go over the online menu with the lady on the phone many times as she kept saying none of that was available . Mind you this was from there website. After deciding on a simple steak and vegi's I figured all was well. When my food arrived I noticed there was an added 18% gratuity as well as they charged me extra for vegi's . I was a bit shocked. No one told me any of this and I was really confused . I asked the guy who delivered it and he said all room service has that fee and he was not sure why I was charged for vegi's. ( I eliminated potatoes) . My food was cold and basically tasted like a chain restaurant. I would never eat here again, especially not for the $37.00 this meal cost me. read more

Decent restaurant in Mankato. I got the seafood trio which was very tasty. French onion soup was a bit too salty for me. It's located right inside the Hilton garden inn so if you're staying there it's very convenient. The servers were very friendly and of course since it's called olives, you get a bowl of olives after you order. read more

I like middle eastern food so I was very happy to find this in Restaurant hell Mankato MN. I have been there a half a dozen times or more and I have always enjoyed my meals. I have always enjoyed the meal and the service is good. read more

My husband and I first went to Olives last year for an early Valentine's dinner. We experienced good service and fantastic flavors, so we went back again this year. We went the Saturday before Valentine's Day, so we did expect them to be busy. When we arrived we were told that they were booked for tables until 9pm, but we were welcome to sit at the bar. We were okay with that, and it was our own fault that we hadn't reserved a spot. Our food was delicious, but the service was lacking this time. At the beginning of our meal (we had clearly requested menus and ordered dinner) we were not offered the appetizers of olives and bread. We asked for some, and were given olives, but were told the bread wasn't ready yet. We watched several other tables being served bread, and then requested some again toward the middle of our meal. It never arrived. Finally toward the end of our meal we asked again and were finally served some before we left. I was also disappointed to see that multiple tables were NEVER filled the whole time we ate at the bar. We had arrived at 4pm and stayed for about 45 minutes so I don't understand why the tables were left empty that whole time. We were shuffled between about 4 different servers, and that probably didn't help with communication for our food. I felt like we were passed over many times when someone should have been checking in. For a higher end restaurant, I really expected better service. read more

One of the premier restaurants in Mankato that features Mediterranean food. Their luncheon special now is buffet of their salads, sandwiches and wraps with soup du jour which is always excellent for only $8.95. Their signature wrap is a Schawarma Wrap with a delicious Aioli. Their dinner specials are always a treat and prepared under the watchful eye of John Massad. A little pricey but worth it. Small bar and good wine selection. The business is family operated. It's a rare local restaurant that gets featured in the Garden Inn but it's worth the stop. read more

overall didn't enjoy my experience here at all food was way overpriced for what it was. They made us feel uncomfortable right from the start and assumed we weren't old enough for a drink menu even though we are both of age. Wouldn't recommend read more

Wonderful service. Great mix of flavors not usually found in Midwestern Minnesota lutefisk territory. Gorgeous desserts. Totally pleased.

One of Mankato's best restaurants - but it's a low bar. Definitely the best service. But for my taste, the food has much to be desired. Too much salt. Too much butter (yes, that's possible). Needs more vegetarian options on the menu. read more

An upper scale restaurant located near downtown. I went here for my birthday and had the Filet Mignon. Hands down the best steak I have had out of any of the restaurants in Mankato (maybe the best steak I have ever ate). The steak was done perfectly. It did have a different flavor but it was so delicious, they cook the steak with herbs and seasonings that make the steak literally melt in your mouth. We also got Onion rings which were also so good. They are made with a homemade flakey batter that goes perfect with chipotle dipping sauce they serve it with. Anyways, if your staying at the Hilton or just looking for not an ordinary restaurant I would definitely recommend checking out this place! read more

We had a terrible experience. We had our rehearsal dinner set to eat at 7:00 with being let in at 6:30. Everybody drove 2 hours to be there. They didn't have our tables ready. They didn't let us in and made our 50 people wait standing in the hotel lobby. Unfriendly service when our people asked to go by the bar. We didn't get seated until 7:40 and ate at 8:20. Unorganized. Unfriendly. read more

Very disappointing! I had heard great things about Olives, and I finally had a reason to try it out. I am from the Twin Cities, and I took a business client from Mankato there for the lunch buffet. Again, very disappointing. The buffet consisted of a few (what tasted like church potluck) salads and a couple of wraps. The wraps weren't bad - but nothing to write home about, and I felt like I was at a soup kitchen and they were handing them out based on some merit system. The one wrap I wanted to try most was the steak wrap. Well, I guess everyone else wanted to try that one too. After several visits to the buffet, I finally just asked our server to bring us a couple. (We each got only half of a wrap - and we weren't asked if we wanted more.) I checked the buffet one last time, and, you guessed it, no more steak wraps to be had. We paid our bill and left - both of us very disappointed. Here's the bottom line, if you are planning to spend $40 (or there abouts) for lunch for two, I think Mankato has better to offer. Again, very disappointed after I had heard such great things about Olives (by Massad's ... whoever or whatever that might be.) I suggest you spend your money and your time elsewhere. read more

Not impressed. French cut herb chicken was dry, they charge extra to sub mash potatoes with vegetables. Vegetables were oiled and salted to the point of initiating a stroke. The staff was nice, the chef needs to reconsider the greasy spoon menu. read more

Very nice dining experience, I went a couple years ago with a friend. The food was great for Mankato, about average if you are from Minneapolis. Waitstaff was courteous and prompt and I was impressed by the amount of different scotches they had eing a smaller town establishment. read more

I will never eat here again. Ordered cauliflower as an appetizer and after receiving it they came back and took half the order back. Beyond rude and snotty service. read more

Good for Mankato, above average for Minneapolis with prices to match. Service was great, menu has a good selection with a heavy Mediterranean influence. Good selection of beer and scotch from their tiny bar. Tough to beat for a convention center hotel restaurant. read more

Best mediterranean food outside of Dearborn. Awesome fatoush, hummus, and baba ganoush! I come here whenever I am in Mankato. Great drinks great food great atmosphere. read more

Stayed at Hilton Garden Inn Downtown for a football game and had breakfast downstairs at Olive's. Prices were less than $10 for all meals. The breakfast "buffet" was $9.95. Great price for hotel dining. There was juice, fruit, yogurt, waffles, breakfast meats, omelettes, eggs, etc. The food was prepared well and service was great. We even had a lady recommend boutiques and thrift shops in the area. I'd definitely recommend this place. read more

Very beautiful restaurant, and some of the food was really amazing. The cauliflower app is a must have, I have dreams about it! I wasn't a fan of the french onion soup, but the staff were really amazing when I said I didn't like it and didn't charge for it. I would for sure try eating here again after being treated so well. read more

We've eaten here a couple times now. This is our latest experience. From the easy parking to wonderful service it was everything we were remembered. Although it was a busy night (some high school midwinter formal I guess) our service was top notch. Specialty drinks were inventive and refreshing. The fried cauliflower starter was plentiful and delicious. My pesto shrimp were outstanding. My wife and I had steak, hers the house filet, mine as Diane prepared exactly as specified. Sides really complemented the flavors of the meat. Desserts were housemade (although not all are, but they tell you which are which) and a great way to finish. Looking forward to coming back to explore more of the menu. The atmosphere is nicely subdued and conducive to conversation. The booths ( I think there are two) are wonderfully intimate. read more

I loved the restaurant! Great food, great service, and such a pretty place. Would definitely go back. The Artichoke Spinach Appetizer was outstanding. read more

I had the chicken noodle soup and the Bly club and both were very good. Was very quiet, but it was 2 pm on a Monday. The waiter did forget the salad for one of my companions which was pretty sad since there was no one else in the restaurant. Convenient if going to the verizon center. read more

Poor service. And a salad that was not edible. Upon expressing issue with the food to our server, received "I'll let the cook know" as a response... and nothing more. Should have been comped for 2 meals that were taken away barely touched, but we weren't. Dessert was also a disaster. The tiramisu was "old" and clearly had been in the fridge for some time. It was so tough I could barely spoon it out. The restaurant is perceived as "fancy" for Mankato. In Minneapolis it would be "out of business" read more

Oh my my. This is one of our most favorite places for lunch. I've had several business lunches here and will continue to. I have to say the food is fantastic. Not only is the menu great but so is the buffet. The atmosphere is very comfortable. All staff is friendly. If your looking for something healthier, different or just comfort food, go to Olives. They do have some very tempting desserts that are just mouthwatering too. read more

Great food - especially the Chicken Shwarma pizza and wonderful service. I can't wait to return and try more of their dishes. That was the best pizza I have ever eaten. read more