★
Olive Garden Italian Restaurants Reviews
Updated Nov 30, 2023
Filter by Topic
Work Life Balance
Management
Coworkers
Compensation
Benefits
Workplace
Career Development
Culture
Diversity & Inclusion
Senior Leadership
Clear All
Full-time, Part-time
English
Verify your email to use filters. Having problems? Resend email
Found 9,401 of over 10K reviews
67% Recommend to a Friend
75% Approve of CEO
Found 9,361 of over 10K reviews
Popular
- Popular
- Most Recent
- Highest Rating
- Lowest Rating
Recommend to a Friend
Approve of CEO
Gene Lee
2,591 Ratings
What are your colleagues talking about?
Find your exclusive Company Bowl™ on Community. Join the hottest conversation with your colleagues anonymously.
Top Review Highlights by Sentiment
Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor
Pros
- "I'm a student and they're great about giving me flexible hours to work around my schedule." (in 389 reviews)
- "Pay was good for an entry level part time job Low hours commitment Fairly easy job at times" (in 389 reviews)
- "Flexible schedule to be able to work on other things like school and social life." (in 363 reviews)
Cons
- "The management team is not as supportive as I would have liked and they really play favorites." (in 65 reviews)
Ratings by Demographics
This rating reflects the overall rating of Olive Garden Italian Restaurants and is not affected by filters.
- 5.0Nov 29, 2023ServerFormer EmployeeThousand Oaks, CA
Pros
Free meals and you can get discounts on feed
Cons
Very fast paced, low hours, not many growth opportunities
- 5.0Sep 30, 2023Server/WaiterCurrent EmployeeBrooklyn, NY
Pros
Tips: Servers can make decent money in tips, especially during busy shifts. Discounts: Many Olive Gardens offer employee discounts on food, which can make dining out more affordable. Training: Olive Garden, being a part of a larger chain, typically offers structured training for new servers. Team Environment: You often work with a diverse team, and the camaraderie can be rewarding. Consistent Clientele: Being a well-known chain, Olive Garden often has a steady flow of customers, which can translate to more stable earnings for servers compared to lesser-known establishments. Flexibility: Servers often have some flexibility in their schedules, which might be ideal for students or those with other commitments. Benefits: Some locations may offer benefits, including healthcare, especially if you're full-time.
Cons
Physically Demanding: Being on your feet for long hours, handling trays of food, and dealing with the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant can be tiring. Variable Income: Depending on the location, day of the week, or season, your tips (and thus, total earnings) might fluctuate. Stressful: Dealing with difficult customers, managing multiple orders, and working during peak times can be stressful. Corporate Policies: Some servers might find the corporate rules and guidelines to be restrictive, especially if they've worked in independent restaurants. Competition for Shifts: The best shifts (like Friday or Saturday nights) might be competitive, and new servers might get less desirable shifts initially. Potential for Low Tips: While some guests are generous, others might tip below average, affecting a server's overall earnings. Job Stability: Depending on the economic climate and other external factors, there could be layoffs or reduced hours.
2 - 3.0Oct 16, 2023ServerCurrent Employee, more than 1 year
Pros
- Servers have very little sidework compared to other serving jobs. - The schedule is flexible. - There's an online system for posting shifts & taking posted shifts. - Darden restaurants have quite a few benefits, such as an emergency relief program called Darden Dimes.
Cons
- Rules pertaining to the job are mandated by corporate, not our general manager. For instance, we have to use the Ziosks (electronic tablet at the table) to ring in all drinks, appetizers, and desserts, even when it makes no sense to do so. - Because Olive Garden offers refillable soups, salads, and breadsticks, each server only gets three tables for their section. - By default, corporations don't trust their employees. Don't expect to be able to eat "kills" (entrees from the kitchen that are unservable because of mistakes)--corporate says all kills have to be thrown out.
- 3.0Nov 30, 2023Kitchen ManagerFormer EmployeeEdina, MN
Pros
fun coworkers if you like teens
Cons
management doesnt know what they’re doing- all family based so they give most money and best shifts to family
- 2.0Oct 11, 2023Server/WaiterCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearToledo, OH
Pros
Co-workers are generally easy to get along with, and you can occasionally make decent money if you don't mind quantity over quality with customers.
Cons
For every decent table, you will get three cruddy ones. Loads and loads of favoritism from management, though to be fair I haven't worked there for several years now, when it was owned by Darden, so this aspect may have changed. I haven't written a review before now, as it took me this long to surface from the well of despair the OG dropped me into. This is the place to work when your enthusiasm for the industry has evaporated.
- 4.0Nov 23, 2023Server/BartenderCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearFrederick, MD
Pros
Great coworkers and down to earth management, easy table turnover so decent money, and decent benefits from Darden.
Cons
The endless soup/salad/breadstick/pasta bowl can be a LOT. But it’ll hone your skills on multi-tasking for sure.
- 4.0Nov 29, 2023HostessCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearMount Pleasant, MI
Pros
Flexible schedule, easy, nice people
Cons
Horrible hours, not enough pay, never stop hiring people even though they can barley give current employees enough hours
- 3.0Nov 30, 2023Server/WaiterFormer EmployeeMobile, AL
Pros
Can make some okay money as a server
Cons
The work environment can be stressful
- 5.0Nov 27, 2023ManagerFormer Employee, less than 1 yearEl Paso, TX
Pros
Management is very helpful They teach you everything Good money
Cons
Very very short shifts sometimes you leave after working 1 hour
- 5.0Nov 29, 2023ServerFormer EmployeeManchester, NH
Pros
Good pay, managers are nice, easy job
Cons
Drama from a having a younger staff
Join the Olive Garden Italian Restaurants team
Olive Garden Italian Restaurants Reviews FAQs
Olive Garden Italian Restaurants has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 9,512 reviews left anonymously by employees. 67% of employees would recommend working at Olive Garden Italian Restaurants to a friend and 57% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.
67% of Olive Garden Italian Restaurants employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. Employees also rated Olive Garden Italian Restaurants 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.
According to reviews on Glassdoor, employees commonly mention the pros of working at Olive Garden Italian Restaurants to be career development, benefits, management and the cons to be culture, workplace.
