Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

    3.4 (99 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Salad, Soup
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    From this Business

    OLIVE GARDEN ITALIAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    More like Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Never Ending Soup, Salad & Breadsticks--Salad
    Mark O.

    My server was very attentive and regularly checked in. She ensured my water glass stayed filled, offered to bring different tea bags, and quickly brought soup refills. Olive Garden food is OG food. I thought the breadsticks were seasoned stingily. The salad bowl was very generous and had plenty of the accompaniments. Not bad for $11+tip! I will be back.

    Angie M.

    I had a new waiter today. He was trying his hardest to please us and he succeeded. Very attentive to our refills, made great suggestions and was fast considering we were at a lunch. The chicken gnocchi soup was fabulous as always. Lots of salad and breadsticks. Lasagna lunch for $10? You can't get that value anymore for lunch.

    Just picked up dinner from this location. Purchased the dinner portion fettuccine Alfredo and received a tiny portion that appears to be even less than the lunch size. Paid $16 dollars for approximately 16 noodles...

    Micheal A.

    It wasn't my original plan on a Friday night to end up at Olive Garden, but my girlfriend and her friends were craving breadsticks and endless pasta. I also had never been, and that was just one more reason for them to put me in a car and take the night on with them. When we got there, it was pretty busy and loud. Although there was a 30 minute wait, they offered us a menu for drinks with deals which was a nice feature if you couldn't be seated for a while. After being seated, we were served with a large bowl of salad. The breadsticks arrived a little later, and after eating 7 that night I can confirm these breadsticks are AMAZING. For the endless pasta, I first ordered rigatoni with Alfredo and then rigatoni with a meat sauce with cheese on top and both tasted equally great! I strongly recommend trying both! Despite the wait, I was super glad Micheal and the girls decided to drive 30 minutes for some great food. If you are looking to get quality food for a night, endless pasta and the breadsticks are a great place to start here.

    Spaghetti with Meat Sauce**
    Karin L.

    It's a chain restaurant yes -- but even at chain restaurants there are variations in quality of product and service, and this location is consistent. You know what you are getting when you walk into Olive Garden, and the staff here are going to make sure that you get what you are expecting! The people who work here genuinely care about the work they are doing. From the kitchen to the servers - you can see their intentions in everything brought to the table. I can't say the same about every Olive Garden I've been to, or even every Olive Garden in this area. If you want to have a great experience -- this Olive Garden is the one to visit. Great food - friendly staff - exceptional service from employees you can tell genuinely care about the work they do. I love coming to the Ankeny Olive Garden, and I never doubt that I'm going to have a great time!

    Meatball pizza bowl.
    Julie R.

    Pasta. They mostly have pasta dishes. I really like the soups here, especially the chicken gnocchi and the potato sausage kale soup. Both are very good. The breadsticks here are nothing compared to the garlic buttery ones at Fazoli's. I've had several pasta dishes here and all were about average. The stuffed Marsala chicken was really good. Their calamari is very good with a light crispy breading. Clean. Family friendly. Friendly staff. Lot parking. Prices are a bit up. CyHawkApproved. Marcy'sDinerTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids.

    Kristyn M.

    Olive garden I have not been to an Olive Garden in a long time. I usually stick to the little local restaurants than the chain. However we had a gift card to burn so we made our way into the busy Ankeny spot. With a full house we were luck and found there was a table for two open. We were quickly waited on and the waitress was funny and very sweet. I have no problem at all with the dining experience. The salad and breadsticks were good and we even tried an appetizer of the stuffed mushrooms. It was a little greasy but good. I had the Baked Tilapia with Shrimp: Delicate white fish and shrimp baked with a white wine sauce and served with parmesan-garlic broccoli. - Well I nix on the broccoli but the dish was still pretty good. I am glad that the waitress suggested it. The hubby got his own meal and was full after the salad and breakstick norm. I really give a thumbs up to our server, she was great. The place was really busy and I have no complaints.

    Shrimp Scampi

    See all

    28 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jj W.
    0
    59
    9

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Jj - Thank you for ordering curbside! We hope to see you again soon!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alice V.
    99
    21
    10

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Mia was a great waitress, had good humor along with keeping up with our table when needed! she did a great job!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    The service is great! Love the food and drinks, I think this is the best restaurant ever! I whould come again soon!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lia G.
    2
    37
    136

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    The soup was not hot,breadsticks were not fresh,very disappointing! The meatball Parmigiano appetizer was so so, not hot either!

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Steve D.
    32
    11
    15

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    took very long breadsticks took forever food was expensive and did not taste well overall 2 stars

    Business owner information

    Photo of Olive Garden

    Olive Garden

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

    Are you open on Easter Sunday?

    Hi Vickie - Yes, our restaurants are open for Easter. We hope to see you there!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta

    Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta

    4.8
    (110 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. Just Meh! The pizza was flavorless. I tried the pepperoni and…read moreNonna's Specialty pizza slices. Nothing remarkable The menu is big. Probably too big to do anything well. Service is was below par. I walked in said hi. This is my first time. What do you recommend. He just pointed at the pre-made pies. I made my selections paid and sat down. They brought over my slices after reheating them in the oven on too small paper plates. No follow-up. Only 1 other table with customers.

    Took a friend to Nonna's Pizza & Pasta for their 49th birthday... I hadn't really researched it…read moreother than knowing people said they did pizza by the slice and by looking at their menu online before we headed that way. Parking is great. It's in the same building as Filet Steakhouse. Down on the Southeast corner... It's not exactly what I expected. Don't expect the atmosphere of Baratta's, Latin King, or Cosi Cucina. The front dining area is more informal. Don't take that wrong though... I'm not taking anything away from it. The place has a great vibe to it and I felt comfortable. I loved the NYC themed decor and the look of the place. There is at least one more dining area called the Manhattan room. I'm not sure if this is a private room or what it exactly takes to get in there... It sure looked pretty classy through the doorway though! The process is more or less order at the front counter. Pay when you order. Seat yourself. Self serve drinks (Coke products). Silverware and napkins can be picked up by the drink station. While you order at the counter the food is brought to your table when it is ready. Seating is all low top tables and chairs along with a few stools at the bar. I noticed a few people picking up menus, going to a seat and browsing the menu and then going up to order. This is probably what I would do next time if I was ordering anything but the pizza by the slice. The service we had was really good. From the gentlemen at the front counter and register...along with the staff who were working the floor dropping off food and bussing tables. The menu is quite extensive! Everyone can find something. Appetizers, soup, salads, pizza by the slice, round pies, square pies, thin and crispy, gluten free... Calzones, hot and cold sandwiches, pasta dishes, chicken and shrimp entrees, salmon, desserts, and kids meals. While I do like pizza... And they have a HUGE selection of pies in all kinds of combinations...by the slice or baked fresh... We both tried pasta dishes. 1x Shrimp Parmigiana 1x Stuffed Shells sub alfredo 2x House salads (creamy parm and blue cheese) 2x Fountain drinks Complimentary bread with our entrees The wait for our food was short. Our salads came out first. Everything was fresh and tasted good. One thing... Some of the pieces of lettuce could have been chopped a smaller. Made it a little harder to manage than it should have been... Easy fix though... Make sure you grab a knife. I'm not sure if that's normal or if it was a one off. Not a big deal. The pasta dishes hit the table along with the complimentary bread... If you go here just for pizza by the slice... You're really missing out! Their pasta dishes would easily rival any of the places I listed above when I mentioned atmosphere. The portions are large. I had to do something that I don't normally do. I took some home for the next day. I'm usually the guy who gets irritated because someone writes... "I can easily make three meals out of what I was served...!" When I order the same thing where they are...and I clean my plate. Lol All in all a great meal and I think we spent in the mid-$60 range before tip. Definitely going to back to check out some of the other items on the menu... And the pizza! https://nonnaspizzapastas.com/

    Photos
    Bar and seating.
    Bar and seating.
    Ziti Matriciana
    Ziti Matriciana
    Nonna's Special

    See all

    Nonna's Special
    Bianca’s Grill and Vineyard

    Bianca’s Grill and Vineyard

    3.3
    (12 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    I really wanted to like this place as it's new to Ankeny and a local small business but I have to…read moresay my first time here was underwhelming. We were seated quickly at 5:45. Two other tables in the place were occupied. Host came and gave us waters/silverware. We didn't see a server for 15 minutes while the host came by again gave us some bread. We let him know we were ready to place a drink/app order. He said he was just the host, he'd go look for our server and also apologized for the wait because they were slammed. No other tables had filled other than the 2 that were occupied when we came in. There was an uninterested bartender, or rather just a guy standing on the other side of the bar because he didn't do anything the whole time we were there. Our server came over after another 5 minutes and took our drink/app order. While waiting for our drinks, the table behind us complained about their steak & said it was inedible and the server brought the owner out who offered them half off their bill & gave them free desserts. When our drinks finally came (40 minutes later), we said we were ready to place our entree order. She took our order, seemed unenthused & said "it will be awhile for the garlic knots, we are super busy, so... sorry." Still only 3 occupied tables. The garlic knots came out & they were the same bread as the ones that came out for free in the beginning. Would have been good to know before we paid extra for them as the appetizer. They were good and buttery. The side salads were rather boring, romaine lettuce & cucumbers and an underwhelming amount of croutons. The ranch for the salad was quite good. Our entrees came out an hour after ordering. My husband ordered the lasagna & said it tasted good but it was more like a baked pasta with thick layer of cheese, then a layer of lasagna noodle on top of a pasta-sauce soup. I ordered the chicken parm. Presentation was not good. Not enough sauce, too much cheese. Chicken was breaded well but I barely got to it. Taste was not very flavorful. I didn't dislike it but I won't be desperate to eat it again. We had to ask for refills every time we needed one. Didn't complain but we did ask for our check right away, the owner came over apologizing for the wait and offered us a free dessert. She was very nice and apologetic & we felt bad. We chose a cannoli and it was delicious. The owner told us she makes the cannoli filling herself and it was so good!! The entire meal took a little over 2 hours & we're not sure if we'll be back, but if we were it would be for the owner's cannolis & not for dinner. I hope it was just an off night & might suggest hiring better staff if it wasn't.

    We love Bianca's. The food is delicious and unique. Not typical and boring like chain restaurants…read more The owner creates a wonderful Ambiance and provides a wonderful wine collection. It was slow when there last night and the owner is not afraid to work and provide wonderful service.

    Photos
    Sign
    Sign
    Sign
    Sign
    Menu page 1

    See all

    Menu page 1
    Wig & Pen Pizza Pub

    Wig & Pen Pizza Pub

    3.9
    (172 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Stopped here on a Saturday night and we were greeted with a friendly smile right away. Both my…read moresignificant other and I ordered a beer. We enjoyed their selection. For an appetizer we ordered the onion rings. They are shoestring rings which are my boyfriend's favorite and he loved these. His only complaint was that they needed more salt, but there was some at the table so he just added his own. The ranch that comes with them is also very good. For pizza, we split the Northsider and thought it was delicious. The pepperoni they have is so good. I'm not sure where they are getting it, but it's my favorite pepperoni. To us, it seemed a little pricey for pizza, but it was so delicious we thought it was worth it. We typically don't eat all our leftover pizza, but there was not a single slice left over. The service is wonderful and they even let us know ahead of time that pizza was running a little longer when we ordered which didn't bother us, but it was appreciated they told us. They even box your leftovers up which is so appreciated. Everyone was kind, the pizza was 10/10, and the drinks were cold. We will be back!

    I had the opportunity to visit for the first time. Although they may specialize in pizza and…read moresandwiches, whenever I see French Onion Soup on the menu I'm going to try it! The soup came out piping hot and very cheesy as I would expect. The broth and onions were good with the rye croutons they use adding slight mushroom-flavored undertones. I also got a side salad which paired well & made for a tasty lunch. I'll certainly be back to try some of their other menu items!

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Med Flying Tomato Union Jack
    Med Flying Tomato Union Jack
    Tap Beers

    See all

    Tap Beers
    Cinnaholic

    Cinnaholic

    5.0
    (5 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    This is a small national chain shop that serves gourmet cinnamon rolls. It is located in a large…read morestrip mall area in Ankeny. There is tons of parking available in the strip mall's parking lot that is in a reasonable walking distance. As I mentioned, these are gourmet cinnamon rolls, and gourmet does not come cheap. The shop is very clean. They have a decent size dining area with tables and chairs. There is also a lounge area with purple couches. You will find a fenced in patio area available to eat you treat at as well. The guy working the shop was friendly enough, but my interaction with him was limited. They have a bunch of signature and rotating/seasonal cinnamon rolls such as Strawberry Fields Roll, Berry Crumble Roll, Tropical Bliss Roll, Caramel Apple Pie Roll, and Campfire S'mores Roll. You can also get a traditional plain cinnamon roll. They also have soft serve, brownies, cookie dough, king cake and ice cream floats. I got a Snicker Salad. It was made while I waited and only took five minutes. I ordered it at night and ate it the following morning. It was still delicious. I really enjoyed it. It was tasty. I highly recommend checking this place out to satisfy your sweet tooth.

    Loooooove Cinnaholic and this new location! Visited on a Monday night and they were decently…read morepacked. Got my order in through the app and made an easy pick up. Customer service was extremely awesome for just me doing an online order. Very helpful and sweet. This location was big and very clean and beautiful. Cinnamon roll was hot and tasty. Loved every bite. I think I would prefer to come out here rather than downtown now. Excellent parking spaces and very clean and upscale. I hope this new location does very well and I look forward to coming here many more times to enjoy this wonderful vegan treat in Ankeny!

    Photos
    Seating area
    Seating area
    Cinnaholic
    Cinnaholic

    See all

    Uptown Food And Beverage

    Uptown Food And Beverage

    4.1
    (73 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    This is my favorite restaurant in Ankeny. The food is amazing and everyone is great. It's a great…read moreatmosphere and great food! You can call and order takeout. The pizza is homemade and so delicious!

    Since moving to the area mid-summer, we have learned that Uptown Ankeny is a fun spot, and now we…read morehave found a restaurant to pull us there even more often! Uptown Food and Beverage was a fabulous stop, combining a tremendously cozy setting (booths/tables), ease of parking, location, and remarkable historic photos lining their walls. This place works well. Luckily, we had a superb server for our maiden voyage, as Adriana rocked! She helped us with menu options and was both kind and knowledgeable. We shared a tasty Caesar salad, and I appreciated that they served the dressing on the side without requesting it. Their thinner-crust pizza is delicious! We selected two, ordering their Margherita (olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, sweet basil, and topped with aroma tomatoes) and their Spicy Italian 16" options. Wowowowowowowowow! Both pizzas were fabulous, maintaining their consistency, and simply delicious. Thanks to fellow Yelper Dan T for his Spicy Italian recommendation. Sure, we brought home a lot of pizza, but this weekend will be better because of it. I learned they have a good lunch buffet (11-130PM), and we arrived during their 5-7 PM weekday Happy Hour but did not explore it. I had heard about their onion rings and saw an order at a nearby table that had me yearning for them on our next visit.

    Photos
    Uptown Food And Beverage
    Their superb Spicy Italian pizza...
    Their superb Spicy Italian pizza...
    Exterior signage

    See all

    Exterior signage

    Olive Garden Italian Restaurant - italian - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...