Very disappointing experience at Olive Garden in Bowling Green…read more
Yesterday, I was driving through Bowling Green, Kentucky, on my way to Lexington and decided to stop at Olive Garden for a quick lunch/early dinner. I've always considered Olive Garden a dependable choice because you generally know what you're going to get--consistent food and service.
Unfortunately, this visit was anything but consistent.
I arrived around 2-3 PM on a Monday holiday and immediately noticed something strange. There were plenty of empty tables throughout the restaurant, yet there was still a group of people waiting in the lobby. I was told it would be a 20-minute wait. I asked if there was seating available at the bar, and the entire bar--including the bar top--was open.
I put my name down and decided to sit at the bar while I made a few phone calls. I ordered a Coca-Cola Zero since I was driving. Shortly afterward, someone came over and asked, "Did you change your mind? Are you sitting at the bar now?"
No, I hadn't changed my mind. I simply didn't want to sit in a crowded lobby when there was plenty of open seating at the bar.
Eventually, I was seated.
I knew exactly what I wanted and ordered my usual: rigatoni with chicken and spicy Alfredo sauce.
My server took my order, returned with my salad and bread, and then came back and asked if I could choose a different pasta because there was an issue with the rigatoni. I didn't complain and simply chose another option.
About five minutes later, she returned with the rigatoni and told me she had them "fix" it because it hadn't been cooked properly.
I took one bite. Then another. Then a third.
The pasta was still undercooked.
And to make matters worse, the Alfredo sauce wasn't the spicy Alfredo sauce I ordered. It was also extremely thin and runny.
At that point, I pushed the pasta aside and ate the chicken because there really wasn't much else I could do.
When my server came back and asked if I wanted a refill, I explained that I actually just wanted to leave. Thankfully, she was very gracious and ultimately comped the entire meal, which I appreciated. However, I didn't eat most of the meal anyway.
What disappointed me the most was that a manager never came to the table.
If a customer has been given the wrong food, has received undercooked pasta after the kitchen supposedly corrected it, and is unhappy enough to push the meal aside, I would expect a manager to at least stop by, apologize, and find out what happened.
Instead, I left feeling like nobody really cared.
I understand that staffing issues happen, especially on a holiday. I understand restaurants get busy. What I don't understand is how a restaurant can have numerous open tables and an entirely open bar while customers are waiting, followed by problems with basic food preparation--and then have no manager follow up with a disappointed customer.
This was simply a bad experience from beginning to end.
The server was polite and did ultimately take care of the bill, and I give her credit for that. But the overall experience was frustrating and disappointing.
I normally expect Olive Garden to be a safe, consistent choice when traveling. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the Bowling Green location based on this experience. Hopefully management takes a closer look at what is happening here because there is clearly room for improvement.
