They gave me and my bestie moldy bread. Like don't go there if u have a fear of green mold and e-coli cause I think the lettuce was going thru a little something as well . But the fettuccine alfredo no chicken no shrimp cause that stuff was prolly infected w salmon-ella, was BUSSIN. Lemon and all. Add cheese read more

Oliva - a piece of bread in a basket - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

They have the best bread. Unfortunately for the Madison food scene, this is the only restaurant that i've visited (and I've been around) whose bread is smoking when you tear it apart. It's light, aromatic, crips on the crust and pillowy on the inside. A basket (or two) of this bread with olive oil, accompanied by a cup of their tomato based lentil soup, and you're on your way to lunch heaven. Other favorites are the puff pastry appetizer, kebobs, and artichoke shrimp with rice. That last one is a dinner item, they will serve it at lunch upon request. I also love the decor. Excuse my ignorance, but it seems very Turkish (please correct me if I'm wrong). It's elaborate but unpretentious, romantic but personable. A befitting ambiance for any occasion. read more

I think what impressed me the most with Oliva was the ambiance and the menu. I believe it's the first time I have seen a hybrid of Mediterranean and Italian, redundant as that may sound. And a large comfortable, classy dining area which might imply a more pricey menu. Yet, the extensive menu choices are all at a price point one can swallow. Pastas where pastas should be-around $8-9.00. appetizers between $5-10.00. Sandwiches and salads and some middle Eastern Kebab dinners And a variety of choices which made me think I need to try them all. We were in the mood for a light lunch. My companion had the Mediterranean Salad and I chose a small Shepherd's salad and a plate of stuffed grape leaves. While the latter were a little over-salted, they were full of flavor. The salads was fresh, visually appealing, and just right for a small serving. The number of appetizers and small plates really allow for tapas style eating here. The Italian entrees which I observed on other tables were pretty substantial and would fill the average eater. Don't look for "big food" though, because portions are more on the European side. Our server was quiet and even a bit retreating in her approach, but she didn't fail to keep our fresh bread basket or water glasses full. I like the 0ffering of dipping oil, parmesan and fresh bread. Our meals were delivered in a timely manner. I can recommend Oliva if you're looking for a quiet, unhurried lunch where you can catch up with a friend or family member. read more

The best word I have to describe Oliva is meh. That pretty much covers it. Meh. The decor, the food, the service was just meh. We decided to drive across town to try Oliva. My husband was craving Mediterranean and there unfortunately aren't many moderately priced good Mediterranean restaurants in this town. (Someone please remedy this ASAP). But I see they served Italian as well so why not. We got seated right away and our waitress was very sweet and new in her job. We ended up ordering some wine. I'm always curious to see what kind of pours restaurants give you. I had the same wine for the same price at a different location last weekend and the pours were vastly different. Oliva was definitely on the weak side. I despise cheap wine pours. Then our waitress brought us the only highlight of the entire experience...the bread. It was light and warm and great with olive oil. I ordered the cannelloni and my husband, who had planned to order the beef shish kebab changed his mind and ordered the special of a lamb shank. We both opted for the red lentil soup instead of salad because we are suckers for a great lentil soup. When it arrived, well let's just call it the Tale of Two Soups. My soup was all liquid with a scant amount of lentils on the bottom. I assumed this was the soup. I didn't see my husband's because a water glass was in the way. He happened to notice what I was eating and was shocked. He moved the glass and showed me his soup. It was completely different. Thick and loaded with lentils. Side by side they looked like completely different soups. Because we had to wait so long for the soup and wine we figured dinner would be awhile. But to our surprise, our dinner arrived within 3 minutes of us getting our soup. That immediately said to me....microwaved. Yep...the plate and food was screaming hot. Even at home, you know you don't get food like that unless it was microwaved. My cannelloni was rubbery with filling that was flavorless and tomato sauce that was too sweet. My husband's lamb shank was better with really tender meat but it severely lacked salt. He wished he would have stuck with his original decision of the kebabs. Too bad over all. We like to try new restaurants but the food and decor seemed soulless. I think it they would concentrate more on the Turkish side of the menu, it would actually work. I was really hoping this restaurant would deliver but sadly it didn't. read more

I really love this restaurant. The food is pretty good and the service is ok as well. You walk into a warm inviting restaurant with a beautiful fireplace in the middle. It is usually fairly busy so calling ahead to make a reservation is a good option. Our waitress was very nice and the service was ok all around. The bread is amazing that they bring you before your meal! It is fresh, crunchy yet soft and the olive oil to go with it is also amazing. Our food came out and it was pretty good. I ordered the eggplant Parmesan. The eggplant was a little underdone but it was still good. The red lentil soup is to die for, it's really delicious, the pepper in it is my favorite spice. Overall a pretty good restaurant. I recommend it for larger groups as you can share appetizers for the whole table. The hummus plates, falafel plates and a lot of other great options to share. read more

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Met a friend here for lunch yesterday without looking at the menu or reading reviews first - something I rarely do. We were immediately greeted and sat. The decor is interesting - seems to have a lot of different "areas" within the large space. The kitchen was sort of open so you could see the chef but not necessarily what he was doing. There was only one waitress but it really wasn't busy at all. She brought us waters right away and continued to be seen until we were ready to order. I was torn between two dishes and she helped me choose, which is always appreciated. The worst thing to hear is "I haven't tried that before" or "I'm not really sure". We were given bread and my friend requested their house dressing to dip it in. She has been here several times and insisted I try. She made a comment that she'd wished she ordered a salad too just so she could have more of the dressing. The food came quickly and was absolutely delicious. I had canneloni which was hard to stop eating. The portion size was perfect - could've saved half if I had ordered a side salad. I over-heard the waitress speaking to the table next to us at one point. She apologized that there was a delay in their food and that it was her fault and not the kitchen's. I thought she handled the situation with tact; assuming responsibility and then offering up some free dessert. Sometimes it's just easier to blame it on the kitchen and I liked that she was honest. I will definitely be back. My friend highly suggested the Gyro plate - which, by the way, is made of beef - not lamb like she had thought =) read more

Had a great experience here. Our waiter was nice, courteous and attentive. We started off with humus and cigar borek they were fresh and delicious , my friend had a mediterranean pizza and it was perfectly done, crisp and tasty. I ordered the lamb kabob and it was spiced just right! It was our first time. We'll be back read more

Nice ambiance , good service very disappointing food. We ordered calamari and received pre-frozen uniform cut pieces which were NOT calamari. Some derivative of pollock. Fishy tasting. We also ordered a soup with our meal. Pepper lentil soup. Not much to write home about. Then the worst of the night. Eggplant parmesan which was not baked, but sliced and breaded then deep fried with canned tomato purée. Flavorless. Spaghetti was over cooked and flavorless. We also ordered a gyro. No pita bread offered or available. Pre-cut frozen gyro. Uniformity of cuts of gyro meat indicates pre-made product. All this mediocrity for $50.00. Appalling. I saw many people at this restaurant and the majority ordered the individual pizzas. Very disappointed and I will never go back. A bad date night meal read more

I had my son's graduation party here, they accommodated our group of 20 with ease. They had 2 fantastic waitresses handle us. We all ordered different things off the menu and many beverages. Everyone enjoyed their meals, I defiantly brought a group of fussy eaters with high expectations, I am happy to say everyone was pleased. They were awesome! We would absolutely come back, the place was clean the service excellent and they made our special event perfect! Thanks! read more

We were pleasantly surprised with the overall experience at Oliva. The house bread was delicious. I had the gyro plate and found the marinated meat was one of the best I've ever had. read more

Oliva - Doner (Gyro plate) - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Our server stole from us. He felt he deserved additional tip and added $10 to the bill after we left. We needed to contact the bank to cancel payment. Also, he was inattentive even though we were the only ones in his section. Food was very oily, basically oozed out of my vegetarian plate. Took it home and had to use 5 paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Ordered tea and got a single 6/8 oz glass instead of a pot. Dessert portions were a bit on the small side (3 triangles of baklava) and did not taste much better than store bought. We won't be back. Update: Talked to the owner/manager about the theft. He was aware of it and had talked to the bank on his end. Unfortunately he said that he would talk to the server about this, which was appalling to me as now knowingly employing someone who steals from their customers. If you do decide to dine here, pay in cash or verify that your card isn't being overcharged. I likely wasn't the first person server #53 stole from, and I probably won't be the last. read more

Wow!! This used to be a favorite.. What happened? Host rude.. Waitress worse.. She came alive & complained about staffing problems when it came time to tip! Portions scanty & special order made incorrectly.. With no apology.. Too bad.. Our last visit.. read more

Being in a strip mall, it's not a place that many people consider, but it has very good food at a very reasonable price. I recommend the Gyro Doner or the Eggplant Parm, both are excellent. They have good pizza as well, which is very popular with our 5 year old. My only complaint is that they don't have a full bar, just wine and beer, and their selection is pretty limited. But again, very good food at a reasonable price. read more

A group of friends and I visited Oliva last friday. We ordered a few appetizers. I think Baba Ganoush, Kalamari and Charman. Kalamari was a little bland but the other two were great and very flavorful. I ordered the Beef Kebab and we shared a chocolate cheesecake, both of these dishes were delicious. We had a great time, our waitstaff was gracious and attentive. Will definitely be back! read more

Solid gyro, really like it a lot (I've lived in lots of cities, have tried many different gyros over the years). Wish they had gyros for dinner as well as lunch. Service is usually pretty bad though. Pleasant enough people, but honestly whole staff seems tuned out like they don't care about customers & wish we'd go away. It makes me feel bad, like "hey I'm sorry I'm here, but I am hungry..." Had a good experience the first time I ate here, but not lately. read more

First impression, server was rude. He didn't know the menu, tried to correct us on the menu items, and told us that they don't have any Turkish wine (a quarter of the menu). The hummus was unexceptional. The salad came with store bought dressing. My wife did not get a water refill by the ambivalent waiter until after the main course arrived. Our dinners were relatively bland. The gyro, and it is generic gyro not Turkish doner, is kronos. The tzatziki is store bought. My wife's shish kabob came with four chunks for $15. Overall, uninspired cuisine, an inaccurate menu, and shoddy service will not bring us back. read more

We went here the other day to try some place new, after looking on yelp app I saw Oliva it had good reviews, and said it was good for kids, so we went. It was not good, I expected better food for the price, it really was not a place for kids at all! The food was so bland I had the Mediterranean shrimp, it was not what i thought it'd be I could have made this 10x better at home for pennies on the dollar ($13.99), it was some rubbery shrimp sauteed onions, peppers, and tomatoes in some tomato juice, with a little garlic powder. The rice that came with it was dry and pretty tasteless they said it was seasoned with jasmine but I couldn't taste it! We had brought our kids (2 & 3) because the reviews said good for kids, they seemed very annoyed that they were there but they where accommodating. Other patrons seem upset we were there with kids also. (the kids were being well behaved occasionally knocking a fork on the table or getting a little loud giggling but that was it no screaming or crying) *All in all , I won't be back! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in the area. I love how I can get hummus and eggplant Parmesan in one place. And it's all delicious too. The ambiance is nice and the waitstaff are super pleasant. We come here for my birthday and anniversary every year. Absolutely love it!! read more

Their food was not bad. Spaghetti a little watery and not very big serving size for what I paid. On top of that I left my devit card at the place and was about half way home before I realized. I called at 7:20 (40 minutes before close) and they put me on hold for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes I hung up and attempted to call back to my surprise they had shut their phones off for the night at 7:30! Very disappointing. read more

Came here for the first time for lunch a few days ago. It is located in a strip mall with plenty of parking there and across the street. The inside of this establishment is cozy and clean with nice Mediterranean decor. A bit unique as the menu is mostly Italian but has a wide variety of Greek and Turkish selections as well. The service is very good. They bring out a basket of bread and there is olive oil and cheese on the table to enjoy it with. The bread is very good and not like many of the run of the mill mass produced garbage you get in many places. This is important to me for this type of cuisine. Everybody in my party went with lagnasa which they said was very good. I tried an appetizer called Cigar Borek which is a feta cheese filled pastry tube of delicious. I had the lamb kabobs which came with a side of rice that was spiced with what I believe were pine nuts. Also included is a small salad on the plate itself. The meat is cooked to order and it was very lean and tender. The dish was not large but I enjoyed t very much and it was enough. I would definitely try this place again. read more

Excellent service and food! My Gyro plate was super and the pizza was very good and the lamb kebab was memorable: rare and tender. Overall very happy. read more

Came here on a Friday night for dinner! Arrived here with a party of 3 and wait wasn't too bad, perhaps 30 minutes. There was a great couch and fireplace to sit and wait! The lambrosa wine from Italy is nice and bubbly! Very fruity like a fruit juice! Bread was amazing! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside! Olive oil was great! Fried calamari was alright. Chicken kebab was great! Grilled to awesome flavor but was a little dry for my taste. Imam Fainted. eggplant with pine nuts! The sauce was basically tomato, but if you're a vegetarian fan, this is great! Lasagna was great! Light and cheesy. Side note: the waiter misunderstood our order and kindly offered to replace our dish. When we refused as there would be another 15 minutes wait, he was so thoughtful and sent us a chocolate hazelnut cake! I'm not sure if I would be back although the food was great. But there are other places in town for more authentic mediterranean (greek) and italian food. read more

I ate here with a couple of friends on Saturday. I mistakenly got the lamb shank instead of the kebabs, but it must have been some good karma, because that lamb was some of most tender and tasty that I have ever had, in a delicious and rich sauce. My friend raved equally about the baked eggplant. My other friend had the tortellini, and really liked it, although she'd had better at restaurants with a primary focus on Italian. The décor was quite nice and the owners and staff very friendly. Pricing was reasonable. Since Oliva is close to my home on the West Side, I will definitely be coming here often! read more

I've been intending to go here since it first opened (since it's been called the west side Bunky's, which is a fav of mine), but didn't get a chance until just last week. We had the olive tapenade with bread as an appetizer, which I really liked (although my dining companion was unimpressed - "it's just olives"). The bread was okay, but cold and a little hard. I had a $2 soda (really, $2 for a glass of soda and I don't even get offered a refill?) and my date chose from the sparse beer selection. My soup came quickly, but was lukewarm. I was expecting greatness, but it was mediocre. I much prefer Bunky's lentil soup. I had the chicken kebab and my date had the BBQ chicken calzone. Both were a disappointment. Maybe because I was comparing it to Bunky's chicken shawarma, which is perfect - thinly sliced, nicely seasoned, plenty of charred vegetables, yummy rice, fabulous hummus, and great yogurt sauce. Oliva's chicken was huge chunks, poorly seasoned, maybe 4 small pieces of onion and 1 of pepper, bland rice, no hummus, and way-too-dilly yogurt sauce. I tried the calzone, which was okay, but we both agreed the calzones at Benvenuto's are better (and bigger) even though they aren't the greatest either. I was ready for this to be my new "go-to" place on the west side. Guess not. read more

Really enjoyed our meal here! Cute restaurant with good food! We started with appetizers- cigar borek (delicious cheesy pastry appetizer- kind of like a Turkish mozarella stick... Except with feta cheese and better), baba ganush (very good), and the Shepherd salad (yummy and refreshing). For dinner, we got an array of things. We unanimously decided the stuffed eggplant (karniyarik) was the best entree. Chicken shish kebab was good, but would have been disappointed by serving size if we did not get appetizers. Overall, very nice and fresh tasting meal, with lots of yummy Turkish options. Will definitely be back! read more

We ate there for the first time last weekend, the hubs ordered the lasagna and I had the stuffed eggplant. We also shared an appetizer sampler- the oliva tapenade was wonderful, the Turkish bread is delish- warm and fresh. The stuffed eggplant was good, as was the lasagna; however, the lasagna was steaming, so it may have been microwaved. Not that it's a felony to do so, but it was not expected. We shared baklava for dessert- unlike a previous reviewer's experience, ours was flaky and yummy. Beer and wine only, so know before you go. read more

Delicious, delicious, delicious. When we arrived, we were seated quickly and the waitress was very friendly and quick. We started our dinner with the house soup of red lentil soup and that was just delicious. Good balance of flavors and not too heavy on the lentils. We then had our appetizers of the Appetizers Combo (Humus, Kisir, Chaman, and Tapenade) and Garlic Bread. The garlic bread was wonderful. I wasn't thrilled with the texture of the Kisir, the humus was a tad on the bland side for me, the tapenade was a tad salty. My favorite was the Chaman. However, my husband and our friend enjoyed each spread, so it's likely my taste buds are just off. For our entrees, my husband chose the Imam Fainted and enjoyed that very much. I decided to start with Shepherd Salad because I was craving a salad and that was a good idea. The salad very well done - the veggies were a good balance of each vegetable and the dressing light and refreshing. I also chose the Falafel entree and that was, again, delicious. Our friend had the gyro combo and enjoyed that very much considering it was her first time having that. The rice that accompanied each of the entrees was yummy...and I'm not a big fan of rice. For dessert, we had baklava and that was just amazing. It wasn't too crunchy and wasn't too sweet. One thing to note: the portions were huge. (And we also ordered way too much but we didn't realize that the appetizers would be portioned as big as they were. We got full off the red lentil soup and the appetizers themselves). Our waitress was super sweet and prompt. Wish I could her name to give her proper kudos. Oh well. But we'll be coming back here ! read more

Dude. Oliva's is good. I really love their red lentil soup. I've had the chicken and lamb shish kebab and both are delicious - well seasoned and cooked perfectly - not dry at all. Loving eggplant, I'm really tempted to try the Imam fainted, but i enjoy so much the kebabs, i have yet to do it. It is nice that Oliva's offers a little for everyone. The service has always been good, too. read more

Hands down the best calzone I've had in the Madison area. It was a nice atmosphere and there vice was great. My wife had the gyro platter which was also delicious. If you're in the mood for some good food from the Mediterranean area, this is a great place. read more

Oliva is hit or miss. The customer service has been amazing. Whether I'm with my partner, with my family, alone or with my kiddos. I have never been approached rudely, or had any negative interactions at Oliva. The calamari was a little underdone, breading a bit raw still. The grape leaves weren't my favorite. (I've had a few different styles.) The hummus platter was wonderful. The pizzas were delightful. Overall I would say yes for service. If I find my bills and recall other entrées I've had I will adjust this review to show them. I'll write reviews sooner in future! read more

Had a very wonderful dinner here. They have lots of vegetarian entrées. I had the vegetable stew, hummus, grape leaves and the fresh bread. It was all completely delicious! I will definitely come back. The service was very friendly and on top of things as well. We sat very close to the fireplace on a cold winters night in Madison, it was warn & toasty. Great job guys! read more

Great ethnic appetizers on this menu. For a place that is Mediterranean and Italian, I would consider this place just your average Italian restaurant judging the entrees. One page of the menu is dedicated to Pizza and another to Calzones. If you are looking for someplace with a variety of ethnic choices, I would not recommend this place. Atmosphere and service excellent. read more

We love this restaurant and go every time we are visiting Madison! This time we had the stuffed grape leaves, Mediterranean salad with shrimp, and eggplant parm! Delicious! read more

Oliva - Mediterranean salad with shrimp - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I ordered the falafel entree for lunch ($9) & water to drink. Tasty meal overall, & fillling enough for a warm midday meal. Good service too. This is the first restaurant in the area I've encountered that offers Turkish döner. read more

Oliva - Falafel entree - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Very lovely people working there. Food was fresh and delicious. I had the Nohutlu Ispanak - - it was wonderful. I hear the vegetable stew is also outstanding. I would definitely recommend it to my friends. read more

Nope. Not liking this place. I've gone there 3 times just to make sure. Mostly bc we live around the corner and also bc we thought it just might have been the dishes i ordered, or the day of the week...blah, blah, blah. Nope, it really is just that the food isn't really that good or tasty.On the Italian side of the menu, the food was bland. No real depth of flavor. On the mediterian side, The falafel was mushy and tasteless. Not a typical falafel -which I don't mind creativity in presentation, but it has to taste good. Event kids didn't like their kids selection. 3 times a charm for me. read more

Love this place. We eat here often and have never had a bad meal. Service is attentive and friendly. I had the lamb kabobs this time and they were cooked perfectly to my order. Companion had the spaghetti and meatballs and was very happy with his order. Unfortunately, the bread is delicious and I ate too much and was stuffed after finishing my meal. read more

Went to OLIVA for the second time last night, however, it will be the LAST time thanks to an argumentative female manager who wears her hair back in addition to wearing glasses. We ordered two entrees and a bottle of Cote Mas Blanc France wine. Per the menu, there were options of carafe and bottle wine offerings. We found out that they don't offer carafes, so we ordered a bottle and were charged $28. even though the menu indicated the price to be $25. When the bill arrived, we asked about the price discrepancy... we were given a great deal of attitude by the unpleasant manager who only grudgingly reduced the price as "if doing us a favor". Erroneous menu prices are the establishment's fault and not the customers who bring it to their attention. Our bill was over $70. and unbelievably, this manager chose to berate customers over a $3. price difference on a bottle of wine due to their incorrectly stated menu prices. No customer needs to be treated in this manner. As a result, sadly, they have lost our business FOREVER over an UNNECESSARY menu error that should have been corrected and a needlessly disgusting and shameful verbal exchange. read more

Nice ambience and good food. The wait staff is very friendly. Definitely recommend this place.

Oliva's makes a nice first impression with it's interior design. The earthy reds and greens look great with the dark hardwood floors and stone fireplace. It made me feel as if I was dining at home with close friends and family. As far as the food, I think it can be a hit or miss. We started our meal with warm, fresh Turkish bread that I dipped in olive oil. That was followed by a romaine salad that was pretty small with a bland dressing. I tried the chicken parm ($13), which was soggy and lacking in flavor. My friend had the Mediterranean shrimp ($15) and she said it was awesome. The side of rice absorbed the sauce that was packed with flavor, and she was ready to go back the next day. The friendly service, reasonable prices, and relaxing atmosphere are enough to make me want to go back. I picked a more traditional Italian entree, but would love to try their falafel! read more