Olive Garden sucks...
Posted by Anonymous on Oct 03, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
So, I had a dinner meeting with work folks tonight and it was at Olive Garden. Prior to the dinner, I figured, "Oh, Olive Garden. I should be able to find something vegan--I'll have a salad with some pasta w/ marinara, or maybe soup and salad, etc." Um, no. The only thing that I could eat was an iceberg lettuce salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette and a couple side dishes of overcooked squash/zucchini w/ marinara sauce. Yuck :P
Apparently, all of their pasta is made with egg and anything not pasta is meat. Even their minestrone (which is made with veggie broth) has egg-filled pasta in it.
Now, I'm home eating an actual dinner. I'm sure my co-workers think that all vegans can eat are nasty, plain, overcooked veggies. D**n Olive Garden >:(
I'm sure my co-workers think that all vegans can eat are nasty, plain, overcooked veggies.
Wonderfully profound observation! I have often wondered if my general wretchedness in restaurants made the worst possible impression on my folks and friends... especially coupled with misinterpretations of my attempts to be polite, i.e. "that looks good!"
;D I do this, too! I just really hate the idea of being "the angry vegan," so I always go out of my way to be overly complimentary of what other people are eating... (And of course I know that veg*ns are not, in actuality, any of those things by default; I just feel like the word "vegan" has all sorts of negative connotations for omnis. ::)) I never give the impression that I'm jealous of what others are eating (like "I wish I could have that!"), but I'll say, "Oh, wow. That looks pretty." Crap like that just to make it clear that I'm not judging others on what they eat, even though I'm being "picky" with what I'm eating... But I do wish that I could get a delicious vegan meal at a "regular" restaurant (i.e. the ones most of my friends will eat at) & have it look delicious... Oh, well. I guess I'll have to continue to dazzle them with my cooking skills. ;)
Also, as an aside: I think it's really funny that most people call veg*ns picky... Yeah, I'm picky--but you're the one calling tofu "weird." ;D On one hand, I understand that the "picky" misconception probably stems from us having to ask a bunch of questions about what we are ordering, but on the other--I have branched out SO much since giving up animal products. I can't tell you how many days of my life I ate a plain old boring turkey sandwich for lunch, or had a basic chicken breast & potatoes for dinner... And most of the people I eat with eat, like the same 5 things over & over! Now, I am "forced" (in a really amazing, awesome way) to be creative & I'm inspired to try so many new things! I wish everyone could see how well/much/creatively we cook!
Maybe a dinner party is in my future... ;) And sorry--I don't mean to "hijack" the thread & change it from the topic at hand!
Which chain restaurants do have vegan pasta?
The Spaghetti Factory said one one of their pasta noodles, the wheat pasta I think, is vegan. But you have to ask for it.
Last time I called ahead just to make sure, and when I arrived there with my dinner friends, all happy about being able to enjoy a hearty pasta dish with them, the guy said they didn't have any. And I was stuck eating a plate of flavorless vegetables.
I'm sure my co-workers think that all vegans can eat are nasty, plain, overcooked veggies.
Wonderfully profound observation! I have often wondered if my general wretchedness in restaurants made the worst possible impression on my folks and friends... especially coupled with misinterpretations of my attempts to be polite, i.e. "that looks good!"
i do that all the time, trying to be nice.
me: that looks good (especially when other people are cooking, i don't want to be like 'ew, wretch, am i smelling dead carcass AGAIN?")
them: yeah, it is, want some?
me: ::)
why do people think it is funny to offer me meat?
Anyone know whether the whole-wheat pasta is vegan? I just don't think I've heard of whole-wheat egg pasta though I guess it's possible... You can substitute it in for the cappelini in cappelini pomodoro (which I would HAVE to imagine is veggie--though who knows. The marinara sauce it seems might be easier to slip broths in...
Sorry to keep resurrecting the chain-restaurant threads (and even sorrier to find myself defending Olive Garden), but...
After reading the notice from Olive Garden again, I wonder whether they are trying to CYA a little bit. They might have no way of ensuring that the ingredients got to the restaurant through all-vegan avenues (e.g., not in a plant that also processed dairy or eggs), or that there is cookware dedicated to vegetarian dishes. Or they might use something like white sugar in a dish, which isn't totally vegan. I'm wondering if they'd rather be safe than sorry by not claiming that anything is 100% vegetarian/vegan. I don't think of veg*ans as a litigious group in general, but I guess anything is possible.
(I must admit that sometimes I fall into this trap. I'll be cooking for an all-vegan potluck and find myself in the supermarket thinking something like... "is vinegar vegan?" I should know better...)
After reading the notice from Olive Garden again, I wonder whether they are trying to CYA a little bit. They might have no way of ensuring that the ingredients got to the restaurant through all-vegan avenues (e.g., not in a plant that also processed dairy or eggs), or that there is cookware dedicated to vegetarian dishes. Or they might use something like white sugar in a dish, which isn't totally vegan. I'm wondering if they'd rather be safe than sorry by not claiming that anything is 100% vegetarian/vegan. I don't think of veg*ans as a litigious group in general, but I guess anything is possible.
I get what you're saying, but I don't think this is the case. They have eggs in all their pasta (confirmed), and also cheese and/or eggs in their Italian dressing. Their marinara sauce "may or may not" have chicken stock in it, according to the manager at the Olive Garden where I last asked... ::) I understand not being able to guarantee that vegan ingredients were processed on strictly dedicated vegan equipment, but that doesn't seem at all to be what Olive Garden means when they beat around the bush to say that their products aren't totally vegetarian/vegan. It's dumb.
Their marinara sauce "may or may not" have chicken stock in it, according to the manager at the Olive Garden where I last asked... ::)
Ummm, they don't even know? Lame.
After reading the notice from Olive Garden again, I wonder whether they are trying to CYA a little bit. They might have no way of ensuring that the ingredients got to the restaurant through all-vegan avenues (e.g., not in a plant that also processed dairy or eggs), or that there is cookware dedicated to vegetarian dishes. Or they might use something like white sugar in a dish, which isn't totally vegan. I'm wondering if they'd rather be safe than sorry by not claiming that anything is 100% vegetarian/vegan. I don't think of veg*ans as a litigious group in general, but I guess anything is possible.
I get what you're saying, but I don't think this is the case. They have eggs in all their pasta (confirmed), and also cheese and/or eggs in their Italian dressing. Their marinara sauce "may or may not" have chicken stock in it, according to the manager at the Olive Garden where I last asked... ::) I understand not being able to guarantee that vegan ingredients weren't processed on not strictly dedicated vegan equipment, but that doesn't seem at all to be what Olive Garden means when they beat around the bush to say that their products aren't totally vegetarian/vegan. It's dumb.
Okay, this just riles me up....because a classic marinara sauce DOES NOT have MEAT in it!! "Marinara Meat Sauce" is one of my label pet peeves....
Also as for the "May or May not", unfortunately, it sounds like it is at the whim of whomever is making the sauce that day.....hence the manager can't guarantee it being veg*n.
Their marinara sauce "may or may not" have chicken stock in it, according to the manager at the Olive Garden where I last asked... ::)
Ummm, they don't even know? Lame.
I suspect they do know, but don't want to cop to it... That could just be the frustrated, cynical vegan in me, but I bet if I would have said I have an allergy, they'd have been all over finding out what EXACTLY is in their food. I just don't have any respect for restaurants that beat around the bush & make little effort (if any) to appease their customers with special dietary requests. It's not as if vegetarian/vegans are non-existent (obviously), and to be so unwilling to provide ACTUAL answers makes me not even interested in eating there. Jimmy John's is the same way, so I wouldn't even want to eat a side salad there if I were able to confirm it was vegan... Why should I have to fight to spend money at their business?? ???
After reading the notice from Olive Garden again, I wonder whether they are trying to CYA a little bit. They might have no way of ensuring that the ingredients got to the restaurant through all-vegan avenues (e.g., not in a plant that also processed dairy or eggs), or that there is cookware dedicated to vegetarian dishes. Or they might use something like white sugar in a dish, which isn't totally vegan. I'm wondering if they'd rather be safe than sorry by not claiming that anything is 100% vegetarian/vegan. I don't think of veg*ans as a litigious group in general, but I guess anything is possible.
I get what you're saying, but I don't think this is the case. They have eggs in all their pasta (confirmed), and also cheese and/or eggs in their Italian dressing. Their marinara sauce "may or may not" have chicken stock in it, according to the manager at the Olive Garden where I last asked... ::) I understand not being able to guarantee that vegan ingredients weren't processed on not strictly dedicated vegan equipment, but that doesn't seem at all to be what Olive Garden means when they beat around the bush to say that their products aren't totally vegetarian/vegan. It's dumb.
Ah well... I guess I meant to say "vegetarian" rather than "vegan" anyway knowing the eggs/cheese in salad bit. So much for devil's advocacy... >:D
But yeah, meat in marinara is dumb. I try not to order marinara sauce out. (Because of that, and because I feel pretty darn dumb buying pasta with tomato sauce for $7.00 or more when I am perfectly capable of opening a jar and making it myself.)
On a different note, we have a free weekly in San Diego called The Reader. They do an annual survey of the "Best of San Diego" in many different categories. Somehow about 5 years ago, Olive Garden was voted top Italian restaurant. San Diego can be a fun place, but also so generic...
hmmm. at the one near me they told me that the pasta the cappelini pomodora is made out of was vegan.
apparently the breadsticks are too.
there was some mushroom ravioli too without cheese.
when im out I do the best I can which getting vegan food.
hehe.....did you stress the fact that egg whites aren't vegan? I think those noodles are just "yolkless"...also, be sure to request the breadsticks aren't brushed w/ butter.....sorry, but working in restaurants, one learns a thing or two about what horrid misconceptions there are out there, as well as the sales practices/ploys some will stoop to.
Yes, I am fairly sure that all of their pasta contains egg. I was told the bread sticks are brushed with butter way before baking..so it's not possible to get them w/o butter. I don't bother.
That really sucks.. sorry to hear about your experience. Although I'm vegetarian, I don't care for Olive Garden at all. I'd rather go to The Olive Tree though they have limited locations and I'm not sure how they fare for vegan options.
I think the only good thing was their bread sticks, and even then life without them continues on. Does the other "italian" chain the old spaghetti factory have vegan options?
I think the only good thing was their bread sticks, and even then life without them continues on. Does the other "italian" chain the old spaghetti factory have vegan options?
Yes. Their spaghetti with marinara is vegan. It's not the best thing in the world, but it's tasty enough & has kept me from starving when out with family. Also their side salad with balsamic vinaigrette.
ugh. I hate going to chain restaurants like this (grill places or "italian" places) because the only thing I can ever order is either salad or noodles with marinara. not the kind of thing that's worth buying at a restaurant, but when you're going to spend time with the family you do what you have to do.
Olive Garden sucks even if you are not a vegan.
Olive Garden sucks even if you are not a vegan.
The most important point thus far.
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