Me and my boyfriend's birthdays were yesterday, but neither of us had the balls to ask for a free desert. I got the stuffed chicken Marsala, and he got the creamy white pasta. Mine had lots of ooh mommy, and the mushrooms were a great addition. My boyfriend never said "when" while they were putting the cheese on, and they put a whole mountain of the hard dairy! Our server was really cute, but he wouldn't give me his number. Overall, great experience, and the chocolate mints were the perfect cherry on top! read more

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant - My server - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Food was SO good and the manager offered me a free desert for my birthday!! Such a nice environment and my waiter was very kind and friendly. Definitely will be back!! read more

An annoying visit to a restaurant I used to favor. Looking at the reviews, it appears the service has been going down for the last year or so. So here's my assessment. 1. Greeted promptly, asked for a booth and was told they didn't have any, as I was staring a 4 open booths in the dining room. oops. Turns out the hosts were brand new. So I guess they get a pass. 2. Ordered a raspberry lemonade, got it promptly, tasted off, like it was too much syrup. Traded it for a 'safe' iced tea. 3. Ordered soup and salad and Shrimp Scampi. Got the salad and one of the things I looked forward to are the pepperoncinis. No perroncinis, server swore he put two in the salad. He brought us a bowl of perroncinis. 4. Breadsticks were delivered overcooked or were sitting a long time. Had to get replacements for those too 5. Finally, all the prices were 20% higher than the last time I was there. I get it, prices have gone up, but 20% for less service and poor service at that. C'mon. Although the server appeared to be newer, and he really tried, he was hampered by the restaurant itself. Gave a good tip, but had to have a talk with the manager. Hope it turned into a learning experience. Manager gave me a Gift Cert for my time and patience. We'll see if we go back to use it. Not a great experience. read more

Husband and I went there for a late lunch and everything was so good and fresh. Roni our server was friendly and accommodating.

Good food but extremely terrible service it was obvious the server had no idea what the hell he was doing. The entire experience was unexcused and completely embarrassing. Management is also a joke. read more

The one star I give is for the food. The rest of the stars I don't give is for the service. It was terrible If they're gonna be having servers that are mentally challenged they need to better extensive training because that would be the only excuse for the terrible service that I got. I was so embarrassed, I work two jobs back to back and I wanted a relaxing time out and ended up more stressed than when I started. Thank you for the terrible service. read more

Was so looking forward to lunch today. Went home at noon, snowy, thought I'd treat myself to the cheese stuffed chicken marsala for lunch. Got it curbside. Sooo disappointed!! Chicken dry, very little gravy and the cheese was dry, overcooked and almost burned. It'll be a long while before I go back. read more

ILOVED Olive Garden as a kid but for whatever reason stopped going as an adult. I've been back recently and have been so happy with no only the quality of the food, but the highly trained, courteous and attentive staff. If you've got a question about the menu, your waiter can help you out. I have been provided recommendations and even helped with what something tastes like. The portions are big and come out hot, my beverage was always full and the environment was quiet and casual. Come for the breadstick and stay for the nice conversation and a glass of wine with your fam. Olive Garden is definitely back in my restaurant line-up! read more

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The food was amazing and the waiters were really kind they didn't check in to much but they did come often enough

It's kinda hard to rate chain restaurants so this rating is mainly based on this place specifically and their staff. For this olive garden, the food is fine. Not the most special italian but for a quick warm chain bite of food it's not bad. The staff here is pretty good. They will try to seat you as fast as possible and waiters and waitresses are proactive. Not too chaotic environment. It's a very much stereotypical olive garden read more

I went with family on Father's Day to Olive Garden and it took awhile to get food. Our waitress apologized to us for the wait. We got their Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks deal along with 2 bottles of their Rose wine which was very good- thus why we got 2 bottles lol. Overall, decent experience for Olive Garden. read more

Nothing special about this place. Like any other Olive Garden. Our server came once to check on us. Which was not what I expected as we had run out of drinks and water and had to wait. So removed a star. Otherwise it was a decent experience read more

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant - Inside - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Quick and ready friendly service with a smile, with quality taste included. Would recommend to anyone thinking "Italian Dinner".

I never used to like this place, but it's changed and the food is now good. The calamari was good. Kind of small pieces for my taste, but the breading wasn't too dense, however The serving was kind of small. The clam stuffed mushrooms were really good. Just the right amount of doneness and not watery like alot I've had. I had the chicken gnocchi soup. Not bad, but I expected more than one gnocchi. The salad was great as always and worth the visit if for no other reason than to have salad and breadsticks read more

I typically avoid large chain restaurants, but birthday boy got to choose tonight. We (group of 6) were immediately seated by a friendly host. Our server was there immediately and took our drink and appetizer orders. Salad and breadsticks were promptly brought out and replenished when needed. I ordered the chicken alfredo and had plenty to have for lunch the next day. Our server was extremely friendly and provided excellent service. Atmosphere....decorated like every other Olive Garden that I've ever been to. This establishment was clean and the restrooms were well taken care of. read more

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant - Mozzarella sticks - not very pretty but yummy - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Stopped for lunch with daughter. Good service! Ordered Ziti al Forno (baked pasta) but received a bowl of pasta with sauce poured on top and then run through a salamander. Disappointed. Daughter enjoyed her calamari (with light breading) and Alfredo with added chicken and mushrooms. read more

If you refer people to an online wait list, it should be accurate. Said there was no wait online, I would have called ahead if I knew their app didn't work read more

Probably one of my favorite places to eat! Great food! Service is usually a little slow but definitely worth it! Endless combinations and endless dishes leave you overly full and leaving with left overs. read more

Reece is 10/10 waiter, this man needs a raise!!! Best service I've ever had on unlimited soup and salad ever!!! read more

This is a very good Olive Garden. My husband and I have been to our share of Olive Garden's, and we really don't expect much. It's a toss up. You may encounter a good location, or you may bite into raw chicken and overcooked pasta. This Cedar Rapids location is a safe one, in my opinion. The soup was hot, the appetizer came out fast, and both of our meals were very good. My husband and I both ordered the custom lasagnas that are on special at the moment. I ordered an alfredo lasagna with veggies, and he got a cheese with meatballs. They were made perfectly and portioned large enough that we had extra to take home. We also tried the cannolli for dessert. They come in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. I just mainly like the strawberry, but my husband loves all of them. I don't know what else to say about Olive Garden, other than we go there for the good offers and stable routine. It's nice to come in between 3-5 and have a big meal for 9 dollars. And when we don't feel like something heavy, we can always eat the soup and salad. As long as we keep getting good meals from this location, we will keep coming back. read more

I stopped into this Olive Garden to get a tasty, healthy meal to go on the way back to my hotel. I didn't call ahead, I sat at the bar and ordered their new spicy hot wings and the Salmon and garlic broccoli and a pop to go. I wasn't pressed for time, so the 15 minute wait to get my food wasn't that big of a deal. I paid and I went on my way. I opened up the wings at the hotel and was really surprised to see how small they were. They were really small. I wish I would have gotten a pic of them. But they basically just tasted like a normal buffalo wing. Not impressed at all. The Salmon and broccoli was the only saving grace to this meal. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the herbs on it were spot on. I definitely won't go out of my way to eat at this Olive Garden again. read more

I've eaten here twice; both times with my grandparents. We'd dine here early in the evening (about 5-5:30pm) and service was always good. No complaints about food or atmosphere; still quiet in the restaurant during this time. This Olive Garden has always been relatively clean as well. Good for date night, families, girls night or large groups. Moderately priced, but portion sizes are good. Look for coupons in the Sunday paper. read more

The new-to-me online add to Wait list was a remarkable enhancement to our overall dining experience. The foid and service was outstanding!! I am never disappointed at this location. read more

Soooo salty!! Their so called famous salad is about as boring as can be. Mostly iceberg, some olives, 1 - 2 small tomatoes, pepper, bunch of croutons and very salty dressing without any other flavors. The fried zucchini are anything but and r equally bad. Very limited healthy options. Everything is high fat, high calories dishes. Not coming back soon! read more

Olive Garden gets bad reviews at times because people want to believe it is something it is not. They serve inexpensive family centered, Italian food. It's not fancy, it's simple basic food. They do that very well. In fact some of their dishes are quite good like the seafood dishes. read more

The waitress was so nice , it was her first day and she was the best the food was so good

I had a dish called Seafood Portofino instead of my usual spaghetti with meat sauce. Bad move on my part. The sauce on this dish was very heavy and a little oily. It also had a rather unpleasant, fishy taste that did not improve as the food cooled. The menu picture was not done any justice by the actual dish. The server seemed very rush and didn't do a very good job. No drink refill was offered, and worst of all there was no dessert upsell and I was really in the mood for the raspberry cheesecake. Fortunately, I did not pay, a friend did. read more

Appetizer, soup, and breadsticks were good. They had nice flavor and they came out in a reasonable time. Then came time for the entrees... well it took over 30 mins. Then when I received my Stuffed Chicken Marsala is when the problems started. It was 2 chicken breast stacked on top of each other with cheese in the middle. This is not considered stuffed. The chicken breast were also way over cooked (black on the edges) and had a rubbery texture. Then the side of garlic mashed were pasty/gummy. We did revive a free desert for the wait. Also, our waiter was very nice and did his job. The food on the other hand was disappointing. read more

This place is ALWAYS busy. I really don't get it. Anyway, had an early dinner here with Grandma last night. We both ordered the Baked Pasta Romano with Chicken and salad. The salad tasted like it was leftover from the lunch hour. It was super wilty and brown...just sort of "mushy" overall. The breadsticks seemed to have been cooked too long and were super dry. The pasta dish was pretty good! I liked the "nutty" Asiago cheese sauce and the tomatoes in it, but the spinach in the dish was sort of lackluster. There was just something off about it. The chicken in the pasta was really good. Overall I was happy with this dish! Our server was really nice and attentive, but not overly so. I still think it's a bit overpriced for what it is (a fancy microwaved dinner). Somehow it doesn't stop me from coming here on occassion. read more

Long wait on a Saturday night at 8:30pm they service was good and the food wasn't bad. But its the same old stuff at olive garden. The bread sticks are my favorite at this place. There's not much on the menu you couldn't make at home yourslf. read more

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Yes, it's a chain. And yes, it is overpriced for a chain. BUT is a great place for group outings, AND the service is great - everyone is friendly, they refill drinks in a timely fashion, and with a menu where everyone can find something they will like, it makes me a fan. read more

My husband and I had lunch at the Olive Garden in Cedar Rapids this past Wednesday. He ordered soup with his meal; I ordered salad. There are free refills for both soup and salad. My husband ordered a refill for his soup. I did not request a salad refill. My husband ate the remainder of my salad; I ate his soup refill. The waiter chastised us because I had consumed my hubby's soup reorder. He told us that the manager had walked by, and God forbid, had observed me eating the soup! According to the manager, only the person who had ordered the original soup or salad was allowed to consume the refill! Since refills are free, we didn't think it mattered who consumed the soup! The manager's implication was that we were stealing food, and that we should have paid for the soup refill! We believe that the waiter felt badly about the situation, but was obligated to relay the manager's admonition! I speculate that this person, i.e. the manager, has a control issue! Perhaps a few visits with a mental health professional would be of benefit to her! It will be a while before we will be visiting this Olive Garden again! In the meantime, the restaurant needs to re-evaluate individuals hired for managerial positions! This person will turn customers away! read more

The manager Julia is a b***h Other than that I guess it's good for a chain restaurant read more

I'm always satisfied going here. I ordered the fettuccine with steak and they messed it up (mine was over done, the other was raw inside) They made it up though by giving me free dessert and a free take home entree. Waitress was super nice and efficient. Salad was perfect as always, breadsticks hot and garlicky and the fettuccine alfredo was delicious as always! read more

Tragicaly, this restaurant-much like Red Lobster, has gone downhill. It seems that they have cut serving sizes and food quality to keep their profits high. Go to Zio Johno's for real Italian food at a far more reasonable price. They have coupons in Pennysavers and at the Restaurant that saves you money every visit! read more

I love the food. The new little touch screens on the tables make the servers less attentive and sometimes the questions we have are not answered because the server I feel, rely on that screen. I also feel awkward summoning the server through that screen because I feel like we are bothering them. If they are not checking on our table maybe they are busy???Great food! read more

Chicken parm, great, breadsticks are amazing, salad, good, soup, amazing, but how in the world can an Italian place have worse pasta than Ramen? PLAIN RAMEN! I am tempted for my next visit to order my chicken parm without the spaghetti because it tastes like it was drowned in water. You can pick up spaghetti from Wal-Mart for 99 cents and it will taste 100x better. If you can't make half decent spaghetti, please don't call yourself an Italian place. simple as that. read more

Great salad and breadsticks, which I could survive on without an entree. But do like the selection of Italian dishes, altho they have both winners and losers occasionally. But when I complained on one of the latter, was rewarded with a gift card to bring me back for another try. The at-the-table-checkout is a great feature. Plus, having to wait to be seated gets you half-priced wine or beer at the bar. Highly recommend them for informal and tasty dining. read more

I had the seasonal lobster ravioli and my s.o had the tour of italy. I honestly wished I got fettuccine Alfredo bc that was the best tasting. The waiter was super nice, but the food was so incredibly salty for the lobster ravioli. Apparently it is a disputed item on their menu that they were thinking of taking off the menu bc of the varying complaints from other customers. Also, there was NO lobster in mine! The wine glasses and silver ware were very dirty and this was the worst dining experience at olive garden I have ever had. Even after mentioning the feedback to the waiter, he didn't bring a manager or offered to have the chef re do the sauce or take it off the bill. There were not that many ppl there, as it was MLK day when we went. I took whatever I had left over home and added cream to balance out the saltiness of the dish and the restaurant. read more

Visited with my family. Been a while . Not good. Service was slow. Food was subpar and the waitress offered the excuse that the current kitchen staff was not the greatest and everyone is frustrated. Customer doesn't know, customer doesn't care. Pass this one up. read more