Independent profile — not affiliated with Olive Garden
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is an Italian-American restaurant chain owned by Darden Restaurants, Inc. of Orlando, Florida, with 953 company-owned U.S. restaurants as of August 30, 2026, per Darden's Form 10-Q. This page lists the Guest Relations contact, gift-card and order routes, the Terms of Use arbitration clause, Trustpilot and BBB snapshots and the court-record summary.
Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints
USAComplaints currently maintains 20 historical complaints about Olive Garden, published between 2003 and 2013. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.
- Watered down tea, half-full soup and cold food
- Staff handled sesame allergy with great care
- Receiving multiple spam ads daily and dirty restrooms
- Staff let my 10-year-old daughter drink my beer
- Server avoided table, rushed check and returned receipt from trash
- Locked out of restaurant after 10 PM while food waited
- No one took drink or food order for fifteen minutes
- Left job for fear of being physically assaulted and retaliation
- Long wait and poor table placement at Tacoma location
- Missing salad and no server attention on birthday dinner
- Hair in soup and manager made no adjustment
- Redding location serves entrees before salad is finished
- Main course served after two bites of salad, chicken cold
- Sexual harassment by managers and assault by supervisor
- Mailed promotional gift card refused as already used
- Employee complaints about scheduling, breaks and management practices
- Dead mouse found in pasta and manager threw family out
- Waiter added $20 tips to credit card without authorization
- Racial and gender discrimination and roaches in breadsticks
- Unsanitary restaurant with roaches, mouse traps and smoking staff
Complaint Themes
Independent Sources
Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.
Contacts
- Guest Relations (800) 331-2729: 1-800-331-2729
- Official website: https://www.olivegarden.com/
- Darden headquarters switchboard: 407-245-4000 1 complaint mentions this number
- Gift card order status (1-800-248-4935): 1-800-248-4935
- Gift card order status email: [email protected]
- Contact Us feedback form: https://www.olivegarden.com/help/contact-us
- Employee Relations (current/former employees): (800) 932-2558
Locations
| Type | Address |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 1000 Darden Center Drive Orlando FL 32837 |
Olive Garden complaints: how to reach Olive Garden, resolve a gift card or order problem, and what the terms say
This page was checked on 2026-10-15. Olive Garden's FAQs page lists Guest Relations (800) 331-2729 for guests, and its Contact Us page offers 'FAQs' and 'Contact Us' routes ('Let us know how we can help and we'll be in touch soon').
- Order or visit problems. Olive Garden's FAQs page says: 'Please contact the restaurant directly if you need to change or cancel your To Go order. Your confirmation email will have the phone number to your local Olive Garden.' The Receipt Lookup page says receipts are available for the last 90 days and 'Some receipts may be unavailable for lookup'.
- Gift cards. The FAQs page says gift-card order status can be checked by calling 1-800-248-4935 (9am to 8pm EST) or emailing [email protected], and that a balance can be checked online or by calling the number on the back of the card. The site also has a 'Check Gift Card Balance' page. Read the card's own terms before disputing a balance.
- Online form. The Contact Us page asks 'What type of feedback would you like to provide?' with the options Dine-In Visit, Take Out, Gift Card and Question/Others, and a comment box of up to 2,000 characters.
- Which restaurant. Restaurant contact details are in the site's location finder. A problem at one restaurant can be raised with that restaurant's manager first, then with Guest Relations.
- Terms of Use and arbitration. The site's Terms of Use (effective date shown September 22, 2026) say they include 'an arbitration clause, mass arbitration procedures, and a class action waiver'. They define a 'Dispute' as any dispute 'arising out of or relating in any way to your relationship with the Company', including transactions with the Company and use of its sites. The opt-out must be made by letter or email within thirty calendar days of the date posted on the top of the Terms or your initial agreement, whichever is later, signed personally by you or your legal guardian, to 'Attention: Legal, 1000 Darden Center Drive, Orlando FL 32837' (the opt-out address block also lists [email protected]). A written Notice of Dispute must be sent by certified mail before arbitration with JAMS, and the Terms say that for claims within the small claims court's jurisdictional limit either you or the Company may elect to waive arbitration and proceed in small claims court. Read the Terms if you plan a legal claim.
- Other routes. A food-safety complaint goes to the county or state health department for the restaurant's location; a workplace discrimination complaint goes to the EEOC (1-800-669-4000). Current and former employees: the FAQs page lists Employee Relations (800) 932-2558, Payroll (407) 245-4400 and Benefits (888) 374-3343, and names The Work Number (800-367-2884, employer code 11533) for employment verification.
Who operates Olive Garden
Darden Restaurants, Inc.'s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026 (filed 2026-07-24) says Darden is a full-service restaurant company that, as of May 31, 2026, 'owned and operated 2,202 restaurants through subsidiaries in the United States' under the Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth's Chris, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Chuy's, Seasons 52, Eddie V's, Bahama Breeze and The Capital Burger trademarks. The filing's table shows 949 company-owned Olive Garden restaurants in the United States at fiscal year-end, and 63 franchised Olive Garden restaurants (11 in the U.S. including Puerto Rico and Guam, 32 in Latin America, 8 in Canada, 1 in Europe, 6 in Asia, 4 in the Middle East and 1 in the Caribbean), for a total of 1,012. Darden's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 30, 2026 (dated October 2, 2026) shows 953 company-owned Olive Garden restaurants at August 30, 2026 and 2,218 Darden company-owned restaurants in total. The 10-K also says Darden 'is the parent company of GMRI, Inc.' and that 'GMRI, Inc. and certain other of our subsidiaries own and operate our restaurants'.
The 10-K describes Olive Garden as 'an internally-developed brand' and 'the largest full-service dining Italian restaurant operator in the United States', and says Olive Garden opened its first restaurant in 1982 in Orlando, Florida. It also says Darden closed the sale of eight Olive Garden restaurants in Canada to Recipe Unlimited Corporation on July 14, 2025. Darden's principal executive offices are at 1000 Darden Center Drive, Orlando, Florida 32837, telephone (407) 245-4000. The olivegarden.com footer reads '© 2026 Darden Concepts, Inc.' and its Terms of Use say the sites are 'operated by Darden Corporation or our affiliates'; this page does not identify which subsidiary operates an individual restaurant.
Regulator and government records
EEOC (2024 consent decree). The EEOC's news release says 'GMRI, Inc., doing business as Olive Garden, will pay $30,000 and agreed to significant non-monetary remedies under a consent decree' settling a disability discrimination suit (U.S. EEOC v. GMRI, Inc. d/b/a Olive Garden, No. 2:23-cv-01448-NR, W.D. Pa.). The EEOC alleged that the general manager of the Tarentum, Pennsylvania restaurant asked a busser applicant with a disability illegal disability-related questions and that the restaurant declined to hire him. The release says the parties 'agreed to settle the case by consent decree before any findings concerning EEOC's claims' and that the court approved the decree on April 9, 2024; the remedies include a bar on disability discrimination and unlawful disability-related inquiries, ADA training for the general manager and certain other personnel at the Tarentum location, and reporting to the EEOC about that location.
FTC (2007 gift-card matter). In an April 3, 2007 release the FTC said Darden Restaurants Inc. 'has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it engaged in deceptive practices in advertising and selling its gift cards' (alleged inadequate disclosure of gift-card dormancy fees; co-respondents named in the complaint: GMRI Inc. and Darden GC Corp.). The release says Darden stopped charging a dormancy fee on all Darden gift cards as of October 2006, and that the proposed consent order required clear disclosure of any automatic fee or expiration date and restoration of fees. The release states that 'consent agreements are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation.' It announced a proposed order for public comment; this page did not locate the Commission's later final-order documents.
SEC filings. Darden's Form 10-K for fiscal 2026 refers in Item 3 to Note 16, which says Darden is 'subject to private lawsuits, administrative proceedings, and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business' and that management believes the final disposition 'will not have a material adverse effect'. BBB National Programs and state attorney general pages were not opened in the sources checked on 2026-10-15. State and county health-inspection records are held by each agency and are not summarized here.
Complaint record
Trustpilot, as displayed on 2026-10-15 for www.olivegarden.com: 2.5 from 1,051 reviews, shown as an unclaimed profile; Trustpilot states it does not fact-check reviews. Its AI-generated summary of recent reviews mentions cold or dry food and slow service.
BBB: a BBB search for 'Olive Garden' on 2026-10-15 showed 1,464 results. They include address entries grouped under shared regional BBB profiles (for example one profile appears for Henrietta, Rochester and Vestal, NY locations) and at least one result linking to a LongHorn Steakhouse profile, so they are not 1,464 separate company files and there is no single Olive Garden company file in that search. No BBB figures are combined or averaged on this page.
Complaint archive on this site: 20 complaints naming Olive Garden were published here between November 2003 and May 2013. They describe individual restaurant visits, former-employee accounts, a gift-card complaint and an email-marketing complaint, and one thank-you message. These are consumer-submitted accounts that have not been tested in any proceeding, and they are separate from the Trustpilot and BBB figures above.
Trustpilot scope. The Trustpilot page lists reviews that name Canadian restaurants (for example 'Olive Garden located at Vaughan Mills' and a Winnipeg location), and the 10-K says Darden closed the sale of eight Olive Garden restaurants in Canada on July 14, 2025, so the Trustpilot figure is not limited to company-owned U.S. restaurants.
Court records
Darden says in its Form 10-K that lawsuits typically involve 'claims from guests, employees and others related to operational issues common to the restaurant industry'. A CourtListener docket search for 'Darden Restaurants' on 2026-10-15 returned 262 dockets, including individually captioned suits filed in 2026 in federal courts in several states, and a search for 'Olive Garden' in case names (newest first) returned 92 dockets, the newest filed in September 2026 (Chalhoub v. Olive Garden Holdings LLC, S.D. Iowa). The result lists do not state the claims or outcomes, so none of those matters is summarized. The one matter listed as a case on this page is the EEOC consent decree described under regulator records, taken from the EEOC's own release. No Olive Garden consumer class settlement with a claim deadline was identified in the sources checked on 2026-10-15.
Is Olive Garden Legitimate?
Olive Garden is a restaurant brand of Darden Restaurants, Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol DRI) that files annual and quarterly reports with the SEC; its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026 reports 949 company-owned Olive Garden restaurants in the United States at that date, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 30, 2026 reports 953. The official website olivegarden.com and its Guest Relations phone number are published on the company's own FAQs page. Complaints about individual restaurants are allegations and are listed separately above.
Court & Public Records
| Case | Authority | Dates | Type | Outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. EEOC v. GMRI, Inc. d/b/a Olive Garden Docket 2:23-cv-01448-NR | U.S. District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania | — | Settled | Settled Per the EEOC's news release, the EEOC sued under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act over the hiring of a busser applicant at the Tarentum, Pennsylvania restaurant; the parties settled by consent decree 'before any findings concerning EEOC's claims' and the court approved the decree on April 9, 2024. GMRI, Inc., doing business as Olive Garden, agreed to pay $30,000 to the applicant and to injunctive terms, ADA training for certain Tarentum personnel and reporting to the EEOC. | Source |
Related Complaints
Names this company in a role other than the primary subject — not necessarily current or complete.
Company Relationships
- Owned by: Darden Restaurants, Inc.
- Affiliated with: LongHorn Steakhouse
- Affiliated with: Bahama Breeze
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Olive Garden customer service phone number?
Olive Garden's FAQs page lists Guest Relations at (800) 331-2729 (read 2026-10-15). Darden's headquarters switchboard in Orlando is (407) 245-4000 per its Form 10-K.
Who owns Olive Garden?
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), headquartered at 1000 Darden Center Drive, Orlando, Florida, owns and operates Olive Garden restaurants in the U.S. through subsidiaries, per its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026.
How many Olive Garden restaurants are there?
Darden's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 30, 2026 lists 953 company-owned Olive Garden restaurants in the United States at that date. Its Form 10-K lists 949 at May 31, 2026, plus 63 franchised Olive Garden restaurants (1,012 in total).
How do I cancel or change an Olive Garden To Go order?
Olive Garden's FAQs page says: 'Please contact the restaurant directly if you need to change or cancel your To Go order. Your confirmation email will have the phone number to your local Olive Garden.'
How do I check an Olive Garden gift card balance?
The site has a 'Check Gift Card Balance' page at olivegarden.com/purchase/check-gift-card-balance, and the FAQs page has a question on getting the balance (read 2026-10-15).
Can I sue Olive Garden or join a class action?
The Terms of Use (effective September 22, 2026) say they include an arbitration clause, mass arbitration procedures and a class action waiver, and define a Dispute as one 'arising out of or relating in any way to your relationship with the Company'. They allow an opt-out by letter or email within thirty calendar days of the date posted on the Terms or your initial agreement, whichever is later, signed personally by you or your legal guardian, to Attention: Legal, 1000 Darden Center Drive, Orlando FL 32837. They require a Notice of Dispute by certified mail before arbitration and say either side may elect small claims court for claims within its limit. Whether a particular claim is covered depends on the claim; a lawyer can advise.
What do Trustpilot and BBB show for Olive Garden?
On 2026-10-15 Trustpilot showed 2.5 from 1,051 reviews for www.olivegarden.com (unclaimed profile). BBB's search for 'Olive Garden' showed 1,464 results, which include address entries grouped under shared regional BBB profiles and some non-Olive Garden profiles, so there is no single company file; Trustpilot's page also includes reviews naming Canadian locations.
Is Olive Garden involved in lawsuits?
Darden's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q say it is subject to lawsuits and claims in the ordinary course of business, typically from guests and employees, and that it does not expect a material adverse effect. The EEOC announced a $30,000 consent decree with GMRI, Inc. d/b/a Olive Garden in 2024 (court approval April 9, 2024, before any findings on the EEOC's claims). CourtListener shows 92 dockets with 'Olive Garden' in the case name; this page does not summarize them.
How can I get help with an Olive Garden gift card order?
Olive Garden's FAQs page says gift-card order status can be checked by calling 1-800-248-4935 between 9am and 8pm EST or emailing [email protected], and that a balance can be checked online or by calling the number on the back of the card. The Contact Us form has a 'Gift Card' feedback option.
Has the FTC taken action involving Olive Garden gift cards?
The FTC announced on April 3, 2007 that Darden Restaurants Inc. had agreed to settle FTC charges of deceptive gift-card advertising and sales (dormancy fees); the release states that consent agreements are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission of a law violation. Darden stopped charging dormancy fees as of October 2006, per the release.