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| - I'll be the first to give credit where credit is due: Olive Garden's recent rebranding efforts, with the new logo and font, and some more modern menu options, are welcome and give a nice facelift to the company.
However, it may be too much change or not very well executed: menu now boasts a selection of "italian tapas" which are basically an extension of their appetizer menu, most of which are $5 or $6 and discounted to $4 during a happy hour special of sorts, offered Mon-Fri 3-6PM.
Tried the polenta and shrimp dish- four shrimp atop a bed of polenta with a tomato and olive sauce, good value with four shrimp, but sauce was overly salty and unbalanced with many olives. Server apologetically revealed that the dish isn't going over well.
Though they're most known for their pasta dishes (and, okay, breadsticks), I usually just come here for their unlimited soup and salad lunch special: $7 for as much of either as I like, along with breadsticks. Good value, and good flavors- I usually stick with the zuppa toscana, but the chicken and gnocchi is good for something different.
In addition to the tapas portion, OG now has a small menu of featured dishes that are "healthy preparation"/lower-calorie than their typical pasta dishes. A few steps in the right direction, guys- now to work on the execution.
Additional note: never get a cappuccino here. It's not worth the $4. Drive through a Starbucks afterward if you must. You'll thank me later.
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