by Linda Whiting

Created on: October 22, 2009   Last Updated: October 23, 2009

205 Mall Olive Garden in Portland, Oregon is a great place to eat, as are other Olive Garden Restaurants. Sandy (one of my closest friends) and I go out once a week to eat. We used to go to different restaurants, including other Olive Gardens. It gives us a feeling of going to a friend's house to eat. We have been going now for a year. Therefore, this does make a difference.

The first time we went through was great we were in one of those moods. You know where nothing has gone right. The week before we went to a different restaurant and the server was not very nice. She had no sense of humor. We have been going out for 5 years and have had good servers and bad.

We used to live in Roseburg, Oregon. We both meet someone and got married moving to Portland just different parts. We like a nice sit down restaurant. We decided to go near here for lunch at Olive Garden and try the endless Salad and Soup with bread sticks.

We are older ladies, we like to talk to the servers and kid around. Some places I know do not want the servers to fraternize with customers. The Olive Garden is not like that, the staff is friendly, and do not mind asking whatever question you have.

We were in a spunky mood, we asked for a fun waitress. She was great my friend does not like the kale in the soup. The waitress took almost all of it out. They had just opened up so there were not many people, but it got busy after a while. We still had great service despite it being packed.

The manager came over asked us how we were doing. My friend Sandy told him she forgot her money. He was very nice about this. She did not, but he handled it really well. He was awesome next time we went in he remembered our names not that we are not forgettable.

A Little More on the Restaurant

It is an Americanized Italian restaurant and largest Italian chain. It started out by General Mills (I thought they just made food you bought in a store.) in 1982. Later to become a spin off form General Mills as Darden Restaurants (they also own Red Lobster).

They have their own culinary school in a part of Tuscany, Italy. The chefs go there to train to become great chefs. They learn to pick the best produce. They say they cook with love I know I love the food. I know Sandy, her family, my family and I love to eat there. The prices are good also.

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