I’ve eaten here quite a few times and never gotten sick which is saying something considering I’m pretty sensitive. The waiters are always very accommodating when I mention I have celiac and how important it is to reduce the risk of contamination. They always take my request very seriously and even let the manager know. That being said, their GF options are very limited. I just always get plain GF pasta tossed in olive oil with a side of chicken. I find the simpler, the safer. I have definitely had better GF pasta, this one is quite mushy. But hey, I can’t complain because at least I have something to eat when I go there with my family, and I always prioritize my safety over taste. I’ve been glutened by restaurants that claimed they could accommodate me and it is NOT fun. So that makes me appreciate Olive Garden all the more.
Yes
HORRIBLE. We went to an Olive Garden in Sacramento a few weeks ago and it was okay. Then we went to a location in Palm Desert last night and it was awful. The non-Celiac people in the group all said their meals were NOT good, for various reasons. One of our group had ordered pasta in a cream sauce and had said it tasted like leftovers. He was up sick all night. I am Celiac and ordered the same dish I'd ordered in Sacramento (pasta primavera) from the very limited GF menu and it was disgusting. Totally over cooked noodles, the chicken was tough, and the vegetables were mushy. The waiter was vacant and entirely inattentive but very pre-occupied with his table of friends next to us. And I was sick all night and all day today so I'm pretty sure the noodles weren't GF at all. I'll never be going back to Olive Garden again.
No
Asked my server if they had a Gluten Free menu. He told me they did and would get me one. The manager came to my table to ask about my sensitivity and how severe the allergy was. She then showed me the gluten free menu on the table kiosk. In addition went over all the kitchen protocols to protect me such as new glove and utensils. Salad made from scratch directly from the cooler to prevent any cross contamination, if I wanted the steak or salmon that it would be cooked in a clean sauté pan vs the grill to prevent any cross contamination. GF pasta is cooked in different water from all other pasta. Red flagging the kitchen ahead of my order so that they could take the necessary precautions.
— Very
— Separate gluten-free menu
— Some
— Excellent
We were very impressed with our entire experience. As soon as we told the hostess my daughter has Celiacs, she told us they had gluten free options, prepped separately and she would notify the manager so they would stop at our table. The waiter was familiar with our needs, happy to answer our questions on the menu and the manager also came over, introduced himself and said he would talk to the kitchen staff himself to ensure her food was prepped safely. She had pasta with sauce and grilled chicken, as well as the salad. We wish we had asked for the sauce on the side, as it was heavy on the sauce, but other than that, we were very pleased. Thank you Olive Garden for a good, safe place to eat while traveling!
— Very
— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
— Some
— Good
The gluten free rotini was very yummy! I honestly couldn’t tell a difference. One of the managers was also very helpful and made sure my dish was prepared separately from gluten-containing ingredients to avoid cross-contamination. Our server said that the GF pasta could be substituted for any of the dishes on the menu, but double check what you order because some of the dishes will still have gluten-containing ingredients.
— Somewhat
— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
— Some
— Excellent
Has gluten free noodles I went there and ordered and told the waiter multiple times that this is an allergy and to make sure to tell the cooks that I NEED gluten free. Well he gave me grilled chicken instead of fried chicken so I thought I was in the clear… he gave me normal noodles.
— Not at all
— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
— Some
— Excellent
My server had celiac so I felt safer dining here knowing that. I ordered a salad without croutons and grilled chicken. You can also get this with grilled shrimp. There is also steak, salmon and rotini pasta.
— Somewhat
— Separate gluten-free menu
— Some
— Good