Olive Garden vs Red Lobster

The Olive Garden vs. Red Lobster debate may not be appropriate at first glance because these chains have different cuisines. But when their menus are closely perused, there are similarities that are worth the comparison.

Both are also chains of casual dining restaurants with their headquarters in the United States. Olive Garden and Red Lobster also have nearly the same number of locations worldwide – more than 800 for Olive Garden and 700 for Red Lobster.  At one point in their histories, these chains were sister companies; both were once owned by Darden Restaurants.

Nearly Similar Vibe

When it comes to the interior décor, both chains appear to have been designed by the same company, if not designed with a similar mindset. Customers appreciate the warm and welcoming, if cozy, vibe in the restaurants although Olive Garden locations typically have brighter interiors than Red Lobster locations.

In the end, your choice between the two restaurants’ overall vibe will be influenced by your current mood as well as the people you’re bringing along to the restaurant. Olive Garden restaurants, however, are widely considered to be more family-friendly than Red Lobster but you can still bring groups to the latter.

Bread et al Comparisons

While Olive Garden has an Italian-American menu and Red Lobster specializes in seafood and fish dishes, both chains offer chicken, steak and pasta dishes. The former prides itself on the freshness of their breadsticks and soups, which are made onsite on a daily basis and served either hot or warm. The breadsticks are large and, thus, filling in their own right, too, but a few people consider it as too greasy, garlicky, and even a bit tough.

The former has its cheddar bay biscuits, a great-tasting biscuit that comes for free with your orders. These are also filling and flavorful so you may want to avoid the temptation of eating too much of it – there are other dishes to savor, too.

As for the appetizers, the chains are nearly equal in food quality. Both chains offer stuffed mushrooms, calamari, and mozzarella sticks although each one has its own standouts – five Italian cheese fonduta for Olive Garden and lobster and langostino pizza for Red Lobster.

Red Lobster offers specials on its lunch and dinner menus, usually on the weekdays, as well as unlimited biscuits with each order of these specials. These specials include Classic Caesar Salads, Seafood Lovers’ Lunch, and Grilled Shrimp Salad while the desserts include vanilla bean cheesecake and chocolate chip lava cookies.

Olive Garden has its own lunch specials, too, especially the customized pasta bowls. There are several choices in pastas, sauces and toppings for this purpose.

As for the chicken, Olive Garden makes its chicken dishes better than Red Lobster. But Red Lobster definitely hits it out of the ballpark with its wide range of delicious seafood including lobster tails, crab legs, shrimp dishes, and hand-battered fish.  Red Lobsters also makes better pasta but Olive Garden has the better lighter and healthier options.

Customer Service Comparison

As soon as you enter either an Olive Garden or a Red Lobster restaurant, you will appreciate that the staff members seem to go out of their way to make their customers feel welcome. The waiters are typically friendly and fast on their feet yet still providing each table with the appropriate attention – none of the rushed service in fast-food restaurants here.

In this Olive Garden vs. Red Lobster comparison, we must say that the scorecard is a draw! You will find that each chain has its unique appeal – Olive Garden for its delicious Italian-American dishes and Red Lobster for its seafood dishes. You may want to mix and match their dishes so that your party or event can be swinging in style and food.

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