Restaurant Review

Olive Garden

7700 Transit Road Williamsville, NY 14221
(716) 565-5423

            Olive Garden is a great Italian restaurant for the family, without excellent service. When we arrived for dinner last Saturday, there was a 40-minute wait time, with only a few families ahead of us. Luckily, my family and I received a table for six within 20 minutes! The aesthetics of the restaurant remind me of an Italian style home. Even the cobble stone walls and unique rooftop are reminiscent of Italy. Inside, the wooden chairs and tables, the well lit rooms, and the mustard yellow walls give off a comfortable and cheerful atmosphere. All the tables were well spaced out, so that there was enough room to move around and no one else could over hear your conversations. The restaurant is overflowing with rich smell of seafood and pasta sauce.

            After finding our seats, our server welcomed us and introduced us too all the dinner specials and new entrees with a good amount of detail. She quickly brought out our drinks and complimentary bread sticks, which were hot to the touch. The menu offered a variety of foods like pastas, pizzas, seafood, soups, salads, and appetizers. There weren’t so many dishes that you were overwhelmed or too few dishes listed. They even had healthier options for my dad who is watching out for his diet place since his heart attack. Overall the price ranges for main dishes were $15-20 with appetizers starting at ten dollars. I had ordered a new dish to the menu, Lobster Cannelloni with Shrimp. The rest of my family ordered Ravioli di Portobello, Cheese Ravioli, Herb Grilled Salmon, and Seafood Alfredo.

We received our salads and soups that came with the entrees, within a few minutes after ordering. The wait for our main entrees came fifteen minutes later. The wait wasn’t too long and our server considerately checked on us three times. When our food arrived, I was surprised the Lobster Cannelloni with Shrimp was smaller in quantity than I expected, especially since it was served on such a large plate. For a $20 dish, I wasn’t pleased with the price, since there was so little on my plate. My mother was also dissatisfied because her Seafood Alfredo was served a bit cold. The server immediately took care of her problem by bringing out a fresh, new dish. She apologized to my mom because her dish became cold, as it was the first dish prepared. The server informed us that the manager would not charge us for that meal, which was very gracious of them.. However, the rest of my family enjoyed their meals, which were all beautifully presented and garnished. We were very satisfied with the rich taste. Throughout the meal, the server continued to ask us if we needed anything, which was very helpful.  

Upon finishing up, we were offered to try out some dessert, which we decline. Then, we were given the bill promptly, and our server offered to pack our leftover food too. We were overall satisfied with our experience as Olive Garden offered delicious food, a great environment, and excellent service. We will be sure to come again.