Your favorite offsite restaurant?

[CamAnd]

Another place that I don't understand why people like it. It's fast food served table service. The food is just shy of bad. If you want good casual Italian, try Macaroni Grill or Carrabba's. But you don't get all you can eat soup/salad with those two, maybe that's why people like Olive Garden? Personally I'd rather spend the $1.99 to get a side salad and GOOD food than free salad with bad food. JMHO.

No offense, but seeing as how you spend the money to stay CL, I'm surprised that you eat at these places when there are so many really good places in the area.

It seems we have similar tastes ducklite. I also agree that Macaroni Grill and Carrabbas' are superior to Olive Garden. Olive Garden tastes like cafeteria food to me. We like Carrabbas best in our area out of the 3. I love Italian dishes but lately, I always seem to get the Filet at Carraba's because of how it's seasoned and so yummy & tender.

 

[englishteacha]

I like Cracker Barrel. I know it's a chain, but I've found the food to be quite good, and the prices are reasonable.

As for Olive Garden, for those of us who live hours from a "real" Italian restaurant, Olive Garden is pretty good! I haven't eaten there often, but I've liked the food the few times I've been there.

 

[Figment22]

As far as the Italian restaurant chains go, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, Carrabba's all pale in comparison to Maggiano's Little Italy, which has its Orlando location in Pointe Orlando on International Drive. Yummmmm.

http://www.maggianos.com/

For a non-chain Italian dining experience, we enjoyed a very good meal at Ciao Italia on our last visit to Orlando in November.

http://www.ciaoitaliaonline.com/menu.asp

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

This one is OK, but don't get the Caesar salad there--the dressing is terrible.



I don't get the fascination with this place. The food is very low quality, and unless you want to stuff yourself silly without worrying about cost, I can't see why anyone would eat there.



Another place that I don't understand why people like it. It's fast food served table service. The food is just shy of bad. If you want good casual Italian, try Macaroni Grill or Carrabba's. But you don't get all you can eat soup/salad with those two, maybe that's why people like Olive Garden? Personally I'd rather spend the $1.99 to get a side salad and GOOD food than free salad with bad food. JMHO.

No offense, but seeing as how you spend the money to stay CL, I'm surprised that you eat at these places when there are so many really good places in the area.

I have never had a Caesar Salad there, but thanks for the tip.

I find the food ok at the Golden Corral and it's better then hot food which is served at Sweet Tomatos.

Compared to some Italian restaurants I have been to in Toronto, I find the food at Olive Garden a lot better. Plus for whatever reason every Olive Garden location in Canada closed. So it's one place we can not go anytime we want, unless we happen to be at WDW or somewhere else in the United States.

Also just like the Oliver Garden the other locations I mentioned are not opened in Toronto, so we also can not eat at them anytime we would want, if we are not in WDW or somewhere in the United States.

There are days when we don't stick around for the hot food at 5:00 PM in the lounge because what they are serving we might not like, so we would want to eat at any one of the locations I mentioned.

 

[ducklite]

I have never had a Caesar Salad there, but thanks for the tip.

I find the food ok at the Golden Corral and it's better then hot food which is served at Sweet Tomatos.

Compared to some Italian restaurants I have been to in Toronto, I find the food at Olive Garden a lot better. Plus for whatever reason every Olive Garden location in Canada closed. So it's one place we can not go anytime we want, unless we happen to be at WDW or somewhere else in the United States.

Also just like the Oliver Garden the other locations I mentioned are not opened in Toronto, so we also can not eat at them anytime we would want, if we are not in WDW or somewhere in the United States.

There are days when we don't stick around for the hot food at 5:00 PM in the lounge because what they are serving we might not like, so we would want to eat at any one of the locations I mentioned.

You are missing my point. Why do you eat at bad restaurants when there are so many good ones here? Regardless of if they are open or closed in Toronto, Olive Garden just isn't very good. I'm simply trying to suggest you try some of the good restaurants around here, because based on your post, you seem to have eaten at most of the bad ones repeatedly.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You are missing my point. Why do you eat at bad restaurants when there are so many good ones here? Regardless of if they are open or closed in Toronto, Olive Garden just isn't very good. I'm simply trying to suggest you try some of the good restaurants around here, because based on your post, you seem to have eaten at most of the bad ones repeatedly.

Well I don't think they are bad restaurants the way you think they are. If you don't like them that's fine, however if I like eating at those locations that is my choice.

 

[ducklite]

Well I don't think they are bad restaurants the way you think they are. If you don't like them that's fine, however if I like eating at those locations that is my choice.

I'm not saying it's not. It's just unfortunate that you aren't trying other places that the vast majority of people find to ahve far superior food. Sometimes getting out of a rut can bring pleasant surprises.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I'm not saying it's not. It's just unfortunate that you aren't trying other places that the vast majority of people find to ahve far superior food. Sometimes getting out of a rut can bring pleasant surprises.

We have tried other restaurants and we just did not like them as much as the ones I listed. I am going to say again if you don't like these restaurants that's fine because it's your opinion, however my family and I enjoy these places so I wish that you would respect my opinion about this subject.

 

[mrsstats]

I happen to like Olive Garden and Golden Coral. Yes, there may be others that have much better food but for some price is a consideration too. Everyone has their own opinion and that's what makes the world go round.

 

[ducklite]

I happen to like Olive Garden and Golden Coral. Yes, there may be others that have much better food but for some price is a consideration too. Everyone has their own opinion and that's what makes the world go round.

I doubt price is a consideration when all of someone's trips are taken on CL. (If it is, I'd reconsider staying CL, but that's me) And for the record, Macaroni Grill and Carrabba's are in the same price range as Olive Garden.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I doubt price is a consideration when all of someone's trips are taken on CL. (If it is, I'd reconsider staying CL, but that's me) And for the record, Macaroni Grill and Carrabba's are in the same price range as Olive Garden.

Like I said before there are some days when we do not stay for the foods they offer at 5:00 PM in the lounge, so those nights we would either eat somewhere in WDW or offsite.

 

[ducklite]

Like I said before there are some days when we do not stay for the foods they offer at 5:00 PM in the lounge, so those nights we would either eat somewhere in WDW or offsite.

I have no idea why your response is at all relevant to my comments, other than to maybe once again feel the need to tell everyone in every post that you only stay CL. It's really not that great of a thing, and really nothing worth mentioning in every post. Someday you'll realize that.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I have no idea why your response is at all relevant to my comments, other than to maybe once again feel the need to tell everyone in every post that you only stay CL. It's really not that great of a thing, and really nothing worth mentioning in every post. Someday you'll realize that.

I am only mentioning CL because you keep brining it up.

 

[ducklite]

I am only mentioning CL because you keep brining it up.

This time.

 

[OlderMan]

...DW and I were in Hong Kong, we ate at Planet Hollywood.

NEVER go halfway around the world to eat at some place you would not eat at home. Perhaps the WORST meal we've had at a restaurant --and we've had plenty.

Having said that:

Favorites in Orlando: Del Frisco's--pricy but worth every penny (steak house).
Viet Garden in "Little Saigon" on Colonial Drive east of I-4 (love their summer rolls).
Thai Thani (sp) on I-Drive south of Bee Line (can get "Thai Hot!!!!").

Remember, if you're on vacation, don't eat at the chains! Eat somewhere you wouldn't eat at home! (You can eat at Olive Garden, McDonalds, etc at home, can't you?)

 

[CanadianGuy]

I have no idea why your response is at all relevant to my comments, other than to maybe once again feel the need to tell everyone in every post that you only stay CL. It's really not that great of a thing, and really nothing worth mentioning in every post. Someday you'll realize that.

Actually way I read this thread YOU brought it up. Way more than once too.

Ahem.

Knox

 

[CamAnd]

As far as the Italian restaurant chains go, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, Carrabba's all pale in comparison to Maggiano's Little Italy, which has its Orlando location in Pointe Orlando on International Drive. Yummmmm.

http://www.maggianos.com/

For a non-chain Italian dining experience, we enjoyed a very good meal at Ciao Italia on our last visit to Orlando in November.

http://www.ciaoitaliaonline.com/menu.asp

Maggiano's is very good compared to the others. But you'd find the other 3 more prevalent in locations. While there are dozens of O.G, MG, & Carraba's nearby, the closest Maggiano's to us is 2 hours away. There isn't an abundance of Maggiano's in that area either.