OG Yelpers

Wow, I can’t believe I never wrote a review for what should have been called the «SA Unilocal Thanksgiving Dinner 2015.» Seriously, there was sooooo much food!!! You know it’s really a «1^st world problem» when you *almost* don’t have room for dessert… almost!
Who could pass up that amazing pumpkin pie cheesecake, I know I ate half of my PIC’s (Partner In Crime, an acronym coined by Sonia C.) AND then I ate mine as soon as we got home! Everything was so good but there were def. individual favorites at each table.
Thanks so much, Olive Garden and their awesome staff and thanks so much to Tomas for putting all of this together! This was really a very special, one of a kind event (:

Bringing a new person to an Elite event is a genius idea in itself to bring normal peeps to the dark side. Bringing a n00b to an Elite event with 10+ dishes, free alcoholic beverages and a corporate Olive Garden rep giving away merchandise can be a bit overwhelming in the best of ways. I began the night with a glass of wine at the bar with my madre because I’ve been meaning to hang out with her and this was the perfect opportunity to SHOW her what being an Elite is all about since she hears me talk about it semi regularly.
Once the crew was lining up for the event, I soon realized we were at the end of what seemed like an endless row of people… as always. :(Luckily, it made no difference for this event. Tomas greeted us and hooked us up with name tags and a couple drink tokens each. We then got to sample 1 of 4 wines and the night officially began. We sat down at a random table and I officially got acquainted with Carol, her date and a couple other cool people. We all kept to ourselves initially but as courses passed by and critiques could be overheard, I chimed in and started conversation here and there.
Since there were so many dishes, I’ll be brief in highlighting some of the ones worth mentioning in my opinion. The risotto bites were perfectly fried, modest in size and overall pretty good but far from exceptional. The shrimp fresco was a bit spicier than anyone at our table had expected and one of my table mates was a little bit dramatic in his antics regarding this fact. The Chicken Parm Breadstick Sandwich was one of my favorite things but not because it really was all that fantastic but more-​so because it was one of those times where the idea of a good combination of foods was executed well and lived up to the expectation you had in your mind. The chicken was succulent, the batter had substantial flavor, the bread sticks were proportioned well to the other ingredients and all in all, it’s the best you could expect from this type of dish.
The Rosemary Garlic Chicken was a clean dish with light flavors and if I were in the mood for something that wouldn’t leave me bloated, this would be the clear winner. The accompanying mashed potatoes were above average, smooth and tasted very nice. They saved the best for (next to) last though and little room was available by the time the Cavatappi came to our table but the entire table agreed it was the clear winner for best dish of the night. It was so good in fact, Olive Garden gave most tables at the event a second round of this dish. In between all of this hearty food, I ordered a sangrita (a sangria margarita combination) and I enjoyed it but it seemed to be lacking potency. The pumpkin cheesecake was a cruel finish to the already difficult task of hurdling over 10 dishes with nothing but sheer grit (read: gluttony) and good olé American willpower.
They ended the night with the Olive Garden corporate rep rewarding our feasty feat by giving us a free t-​shirt and a $ 25 gift card. What Whaaaaat! Before this night, I saw Olive Garden as «the place with endless soup and salad» and now I know its much more than that. Awesome event for being hosted at a chain restaurant, great customer service, some nice new additions to the menu and as always great company with my fellow Unilocalers! Great job Tomas!

OG Unilocalers my 4^th Unilocal event! Thomas another hats off to you for setting up these magnificent events. I truly enjoy being amongst fellow Unilocalers and discussing our experiences in the community. Best of all I love the different venues.
In addition, Olive Gardens new menu is sure to attract more customers through its doors across the nation. Walking through this particular location was like visiting an Italian home in the hills. The decorations were very complimenting of a wine cellar/​dining room and being among fellow Unilocalers to share the experience was the best part.
Thomas thank you for organizing such an amazing event, and uniting the San Antonio Unilocal community! This experience and the new friends made could not have been done without you!

Another fantastic Unilocal event. Olive Garden was extremely generous and thorough with their samples, descriptions, and information. Thank you Tomas and OG for treating us so well!
The wine samplings at the beginning were great; I enjoyed the Head to Head Red. We started with salad and bread sticks, which are a must-​have at OG! The appetizers and entrees were amazing. We really enjoyed the Chicken Parm Bread Stick Sandwich, as well as the Salmon and the Pesto Pasta. The servers at this event were so sweet and on-​top of their game. The drink tickets were especially appreciated, and the surprises at the end were the perfect ending to a great night. I appreciate the feedback cards and the fact that they will be shared with the management/​corporate. The Olive Garden was amazing and I cannot wait to return and give them another shot.

My goodness gracious… what a flippin’ good event this was! Tons of great new dishes and cooking techniques with great new and old Unilocaler friends! Upon walking in you were greeted by the lovely Prisca (who remembered my name throughout the event, THANK YOU!), Tomas wrote out everyone’s name tag and gave us 2 drink tickets for the evening. Then we went straight to Juan, who was amazing, he educated us on the three wines they would be serving that night, the red was delicious.
My sister and I sat down and salad was already on the table, then food just started pouring in… we left with Italian baby bellies. I loved the new Risotto bites, Italian Meatball Sandy, and Rigatoni with Chicken Pomodoro, thank you for giving me new options to choose from on my next visit. Olive Garden was incredibly generous, we must’ve been really good Unilocalers. The cheesecake was huge, my mom LOVED the leftovers. The service was incredibly personable and fantastic, Jocelyn would always come to our side of the table with a big smile on her face, loved her! OH MAH GOSH, you guys, the two drink tickets were for ANYTHING on the cocktail/​wine/​beer list, I thought they were only for the wine… hez no… for a moment I imagined myself in a sick rap video with bottles in each hand. I ordered the Italian Margarita, a glass of red, and the peach Bellini (mad thanks to Cheryl for giving me an extra drink ticket), all made me want to kick myself for never ordering their drinks in the past, they’re oh soooo good!
You guys know how much I love meeting new Unilocalers, on this occasion I was able to meet Cathy S., Ying, Marc, Cheryl, and Ron, I was super happy to meet everyone! Seeing Christine M., Steven G., and The Joeys is always a treat!
Thank you Olive Garden and Tomas for taking such good care of us and providing us with such a memorable experience. I’ll be in soon to use our $ 25 gift card, when they announced this amazing gift we were all part of Oprah’s audience when she told everyone they were walking away with a free car, everyone flipped their lid!

Multi Course Menu is how the Italians do it… oh and how we did it up just right this night!
Salad & Breadsticks
Crispy Risotto Bites
Shrimp Fresco
Mediterranean Flatbread
Chicken Parmigiano Breadstick Sandwich
Italian Meatball Breadstick Sandwich
Rosemary Garlic Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
Cavatappi with Pesto Alfredo
Rigatoni with Chicken Pomodoro
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Two Wine Samples
Two Drink Tickets: Italian Margarita and Cappuccino
Two Gifts: Olive Garden T-​Shirt with $ 25 gift certificate
Hits:
Chicken Parmwich (crunchy cheesy yummy goodness)
Pesto Alfredo (cheesy pesto heaven)
Shrimp Fresco (spicy hot so watch out)
Pumpkin Cheesecake (O.M.G.)
Flatbread (great combo of flavors)
Misses:
Chicken Pomodoro (boring compared to everything else)
Meatball Sandwich (bland meatballs and too dry)
The staff at Olive Garden were super sweet and friendly… and they genuinely seemed to enjoy being there serving us this great meal. Conner was our waiter and was phenomenal. Tomas once again has planned an overwhelming and overstuffed evening for the Elite Squad. Thank you all so much for such a splendida serata!
*OG please bring back escargot with garlic butter in mushroom caps

Oh, my… where do I start? Great company, great food (and drink… yes, Daryll), and great FUN at the OG Unilocalers at Olive Garden. I was SO stuffed, now I know how a pasta shell feels.
Given Olive Garden’s past, it was really refreshing to see such promising new menu items. And I sincerely apologize to the OG corporate folks for my continuous insistence on carrying VEAL PARMIGIANA. I was promised that they would take a look at adding my beloved VP to the menu. Right now I have to go to… shall we say a competitor nearby… for my VP.
Thanks to Tomas for organizing such a WONDERFUL event! The food was simply AMAZING! The chicken parm (although it tasted much like VEAL) was my personal favorite. Not far behind was the pumpkin cheesecake. And the flatbread was also very tasty as well. In fact, ALL of the samplings were excellent! Service by the staff was spot on, and I give a personal shout out to Conner, who I know from my school.
It was great seeing old friends (JULIE!!!) and meeting new ones (Carol, Ron, Elvis, and Christine) and simply enjoying a «buonasera» with my Unilocal family.

I have never been to a Unilocal Elite event before due to my crazy work schedule and being gone a lot for work but this was an amazing night! I honestly was not sure what to expect, let alone how many people would be there but I was amazed for sho!
Tomas and OG, thank you for such a badass night! I do not think I could have had a better night with a better group of people, especially ones I had never met before. The staff that night were honestly the best I have ever had. Cooper, our table’s server was downright on point!
The food though… OMG…I was full when I left but dang… I could have eaten so many of those items everyday all my life. The rissoto bites, meatball sandwich, rosemary chicken and the creamy mashed potatoes, and of course the cheesecake! Did I mention their moscato wine was so soooooo good too? I definitely think I want to get one of those meatball sandwiches for lunch right now but it’s not lunch time yet =(Oh and I would totally get an entire pumpkin cheesecake just for myself. I might end up looking like Fat Bastard eating the entire thing sitting on my couch in pure foodie bliss though.
I will definitely be more active with Unilocal again because this was just awesome! Did I mention I even won a raffle? First time in my 30 years of life to win anything in a raffle! It had so much awesome Unilocal swag too! Best part of the swag other than the Olive Garden gift card? A Unilocal flask! That’s right, a freaking flask! Psssh… you can’t tell me nothing after that! I seriously had one of the best nights I have ever had while living in this city.
Thanks again Tomas and OG, you’re the sh***! Oh, and to Tiffany S. and Joey P. thanks for being awesome Elite’s and being so nice to me that night, it was great meeting you!

So, before tonight, I hadn’t been in an Olive Garden in. .15ish years?? The old favorite familiar characteristics are still there — helloooo never-​ending soup/​salad/​breadsticks! And hey there, Tour of Italy. .I’m back, how ya been?! — but my old high school friend has adulted *very* well, and has been well-​served by a bit of a make-​over .
The staff was incredibly gracious in presenting a large group of Unilocalers a multi-​course meal to introduce a new refreshed seasonal menu. I got there a bit too late for the chicken parm sammiches-​upon-​breadsticks (sadface!), or the risotto crisps, but my world was absolutely righted via pasta. Immediately.
Alfredo pasta, with a dollop of fantastic pesto, topped with fresh diced tomato? ! Put that in my facehole! Lots of that.
Many other dishes were served, but that particular pasta dish was clearly the across-​the-​board favorite.
So. Much. Food.
Who’s got 2 thumbs and will have THE best lunch in the office tomorrow? ?
Mmmmhmmm…this girl.
I’ll definitely see you again *soon*, new-​found old friend!

What an unbelievable event! I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of Olive Garden and the hard work of Tomas and the staff. All ten courses wowed from the classic OG salad all the way through the pumpkin cheesecake. Great food, great drinks, great service — this really made me feel «elite.» Each course was described concisely but thoroughly as well as the wine presentation. Love that our feedback is going to be passed on up the chain… They pulled out all the stops on this one. Thank you so much!

Yesterday was my first visit to a Unilocal event and I was very impressed with the event. The service at Olive Garden was excellent and enjoy all the appetizers, entrees and dessert. My favorite appetizer was the Mediterranean flat bread, the rosemary chicken was delicious and so was the salmon. The pumpkin cheese cake was out of this world. Thank you Tomas for making me feel welcome.

Wonderful event! I loved every moment of it. This event really opened my eyes to some of the changes Olive Garden has undergone, and it seems like they’ve upgraded their food quality quite a bit. The staff were all lovely and incredibly attentive, and it was nice that we got to put down our comments about each course of the 10-​course meal. The event was also very well-​organized, planned, and efficient. It started right on the dot at 7PM and ended right on the dot at 9PM. Perfect! I don’t think I have ever been to an event that was so perfectly on time, which was very very very nice (as a medical student, time is precious).
Thank you!

Full disclaimer, I am not an elite member however I was welcomed with open arms by elites. This was my first Unilocal event and I am so grateful I came!
We were given a 10 course sample menu which opened my eyes to the various entrees and appetizers that OG has tons offer. For many years I stuck with the soup and salad. .but that’s gonna change.
Every single dish I tried was delicious however my top entrée was the rosemary chicken. I’ve had tons of baked chicken, howeve this entrée was by far the best. Mash potatoes accompany the dish while and it still falls under 600 calories.
We also were fortunate enough to eat the pumpkin cheese cake dessert which I will order every single time eat at OG.
The staff was phenomenal, you can tell they have workers who love their job. They even made sure we all went home with an awesome gift!
Tomas did a great job organizing this event. Extremely friendly and willing to answer any question. Really got me excited to work towards becoming elite.

Let me warn you, this post will have many exclamation points! I honestly don’t know where to start! First a round of applause to Tomas for organizing such a great event! And to OLIVE GARDEN! I will admit, I’ve always ordered the same entrée for as long as I’ve known but tonight has definitely changed my food ordering in the future!
The OG staff was pleasant, friendly, accommodating and great customer service!
They provided us a menu with 10 courses. Starting off with their classic salad and breadsticks (always a favorite) and then introduced some of their new entrees!
Their breadstick sandwiches are a great addition and very much welcomed
The drinks/​cocktails were great as well. The moscato is my go to drink!
My favorite was the herb grilled Salmon!!! So good and light! And crisp perfectly on the edges!
Of course the pumpkin cheesecake was the icing on top!!! If I had more room in my belly, I would have ate it on the spot but the OG staff boxed it right up and it will be devoured before midnight I’m sure!
Again, kudos to everyone! A great night to end my Monday!

What can you say when you’re surrounded by great food and great people? How about, I’m so glad I made it. About 40 very lucky people got the opportunity to experience Olive Garden like very few get to. I think you usually have to be a celebrity to treated like this. We all felt pampered. What can I say?
We were treated to an 11-​course tasting. .. from the fresh baked breadsticks that no one can resist, to a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake dessert. But in between we were able to sample Crispy Risotto Bites that had a wonderfully crisp and flavorful coating. Shrimp Fresco which was a real taste pleaser to this Unilocaler! I like things spicy and the sauce on the shrimp definitely fit the bill. It was a two thumbs up from me on that one. There was Mediterranean Flatbread and two, count them, two breadstick sandwiches (Italian Meatball and Chicken Parmigiana). The Chicken Parmigiana was my favorite of the two. The Herb-​Grilled Salmon had a nice, flavorful crust on the outside and perfectly done on the inside. I wish I could do that at home. Olive Garden, can you give me a class on that? The Rosemary Garlic Chicken was beautifully presented on an oval platter and to me the potatoes that accompanied it were just as good as the chicken. Is that crazy, or what?! But I have to admit, my favorite of the night for entrée had to be the Cavatappi with Pesto Alfredo. It was probably one of the more basic dishes in my opinion, but people say when you do something simple, you better do it perfectly. And they did! The Rigatoni with Chicken Pomodoro was good, but the alfredo had me smiling. To round out the meal was an I-​N-​C-​R-​E-​D-​I-​B-​L-​E Pumpkin Cheesecake! It had a great spice to it that put it over the top in my dessert book. Not to mention the portion everyone got was huge! I took mine home (minus a few small bites), plus an extra piece for friends at work. Or maybe I’ll make new friends, which this cheesecake could definitely do for anyone!
But just as important as the food, was getting the chance to hang out with some great people. I was able to to meet in person some Unilocalers I had only exchanged complements with online. It was great to meet Julie G., Cathy S. and Jade M. Everyone was as friendly in person as they are on the site. I met some new people (Matt, Brent and Cheryl) who would be great to see in the future.
Of course we all have Tomas to thank for making it all happen. I can’t even imagine everything he has to do and all the time he has to take to make these events come to fruition. We are very lucky to have him in charge of the San Antonio area. Lastly, if it weren’t for Olive Garden I know I definitely would have had a boring dinner. But thanks to them and their generous offerings, I had a meal that I will not soon forget. Not to mention, the couple of pounds I’ll probably have gained thanks to their generosity. Ha! A big thank you to everyone who attended and made it such a fun night. Looking forward to seeing everyone again in the future!

OG knows how to party like OGs. Tomas and Olive Garden rolled out the red carpet for us and truly treated us like family.
We started with wine samples. I really liked the Red to Head and the Moscato! Then a 10 (yes that says ten) course sampling meal: salad and breadsticks, risotto bites (so delicious!), shrimp fresco (whoa spicy!!!), Mediterranean Flatbread, breadstick sandwiches — meatball marinara and chicken parmesan (genius), garlic rosemary chicken, herb grilled salmon (so good!!), Alfredo pesto cavatappi pasta (creamy and dreamy), chicken pomodoro rigatoni and then pumpkin cheesecake (omg my life is complete). It felt like a eating marathon but we all made it to the finish line with happy tummies :-). I was particularly excited to try the breadstick sandwich and it was legit. If you haven’t tried it yet you need to.
Even better they provided us with a tasting card to write our own feedback and comments and to-​go boxes for everything we couldn’t finish. Everything was incredibly flavorful and I appreciate the variety that we were able to try. I also got to sample the berry sangria and caramel hazelnut macchiato (cappuccino style with steamed milk and espresso) and both were great. I would definitely order several of these dishes and drinks again in the future.
The service was excellent and I was excited that we got to hear about Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute in Italy while mingling with Unilocalers and other Unilocal elites. The staff went above and beyond to welcome us. If the food/​drinks and impeccable service weren’t enough they gave all of us «I heart pasta» t-​shirts AND a gift certificate for a future meal! It was incredibly generous and very unexpected. My heart is so full right now as I’m writing this review. Olive Garden =love.
Tomas, how do you do it? Top notch as always. Olive Garden, thanks for showing us an OG time. It was epic.

What Glory. Such carbs. 5 stars.
If an exorbitant amount of food isn’t something you’re into, do not proceed.
UNLIMITED BREADSTICKS Y’all! Also, the lovely salad and spicy shrimp apps. If the idea of using breadsticks as sandwich bread weren’t good enough, there were two kinds! The meatball breadstick Sammy was the BEST. The chicken parm sammy was not as worshipped as the meatball at my plate. The chicken was a little overfried.
Entrées! We were able to sample a garlic salmon, a rosemary chicken and two kinds of pasta. The rosemary chicken was by far my favorite. The chicken was pan seared beautifully, the roasted garlic cloves were creamy & the mashed potatoes were SO CREAMY. It could have been the only thing they’d served me and I would have been so pleased.
THE CHEESECAKE THOUGH. This creamy, majestic slice of magic… If regular pumpkin pie and the world’s fluffiest cheesecake had a baby… It would this Olive Garden dessert.
Also, the Corporate office representatives were so sweet! We got drinks, t-​shirts & gift cards! Service was also very attentive and Tomas did a wonderful job as the Beyoncé of our Elite familia.

Really great fun at Olive Garden with drinks, appetizers, food, and people! Sampled a great selection of bread, sandwiches, and pasta with seafood and chicken! Olive Garden really went out of way to make us feel at home with considerate staff and delicious food.
Their new sandwiches on bread sticks was amazing! Soft garlic breadsticks on yummy basics like meatballs and chicken parmigiana. The special pesto Alfredo was also super delicious despite how full I was after the first five courses.
The drinks were also beautifully crafted! The Bellini and margaritas looked colorful. I will definitely go back to Olive Garden to sample the rest of their menu.

Man oh man, where do I start? Do I start with how miserable I am and how I had to waddle out to my car after the awesome Olive Garden staff stuffed me with their totally awesome cuisine?
We had a 10 course meal consisting of everything from appetizers, to several entrees, and then finally finished it off with their new AWESOME pumpkin cheese cake.
Tomas did an awesome job pulling this one off and the Olive Garden staff were more than accommodating.
I got to meet several non Elite Unilocalers and got to tell them how much fun it was — they saw it with their own eyes at the event tonight though.
Thankfully I got the desert to go — not sure if I could have driven home if I had eaten at the restaurant lol.
I hope to see you all at the next one — carry on Unilocalers — and thanks again Tomas!

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is one for the books!!! This Unilocal event is sure to go down in history!!! If you don’t give this event 5 stars IDK what’s wrong with you LOL, for real though. And when it comes to being Elite «if you didn’t know, now you know!»
This could NOT have been possible without OG and Tomas. You pulled out all of the stops with this one and I’m so overwhelmed by the insane amounts of hospitality we just experienced. Every single waiter/​waitress/​manager carried themselves with such pride to work for such a hospitable company, and it showed! Honestly, my BF and I went to this same exact location about 2 months ago and we were seriously, completely underwhelmed with the food (just keeping it real). It was so sub par that I didn’t even bother to write a review about it…
BUT TONIGHT… The one and only OG has redeemed themselves in the most overzealous way possible! In comes their ALL NEW MENU (which has already been parodied on the most recent episode of South Park w/​the crispy risotto bites) and an all-​new freshness of dishes being offered compared to their standard fare. My taste buds, compared to last time, were TINGLING with delight! I do not consider myself a seafood lover, but the salmon was much tastier than I thought it would be, although a few at the table did note how it was a bit overcooked. Doused with lemon, charred on top… delicious.
The meatball sandwich is a force to be reckoned with, but the chicky chicky parm parm sandwich definitely needed more sauce. And of course, their shrimp fresco, at the on-​set, totally packed a punch BUT that spiciness does go away after the 2^nd bite or so. And last but not least, the icing on top of the cake, or in this case, PUMPKIN cheesecake!!! Again, not a fan of traditional cheesecake, but THIS… it does not even need to be Fall for this.
A $ 25 OG gift card ensures my return and a free shirt just seals the deal. Couple that with free Unilocal swag (compliments of our Fearless Leader) and you’ve got yourself a night on the town with SA’s Unilocal Elite Squad.