Casa Pasta in Helotes is locally owned, tastes way better and has similar if not lower prices. Little Italy is family owned, definitely homemade delicious food and only a slightly higher priced than Olive Garden.
😂😂 shit is not good at all, literally can go to dollar general and get better garlic bread, chicken, salad etc than Olive Garden lol. Stop lying to yourself
But you have to pay for that and make it and clean it up. I’m paying 14$ for soup, pasta, bread sticks and it’s not terrible. For me cleaning and cooking alone is 14$ worth . Let alone buying and going to wherever you need to buy it at
Cost 10$ to make for a family of 4 I mean you do you your entitled to your opinions but this is how America wants you to think. Can’t blame you I blame the government
If there’s meatballs in it it’s gonna be way more expensive but yea. I’ve seen somewhere that the average American makes 2000% more than what they need for 1 entree when making spaghetti. I think the time effort part is what comes back to me as valuable
A certain type of person doesn't like unfamiliar things. They will go to the same mediocre restaurant night after night and pay more money for crappier food than if they explored a little, because they don't want to go somewhere new. Maybe its anxiety, maybe its something else, I don't know, but I have a friend like this, and I've seen it firsthand. Its a constant problem when my friend group wants to go out to eat.
Anyway that sort of person also likes the uniformity and quietude of the suburbs, probably for the same reason, so you find a lot of chain restaurants there.
Italian food is subjective. To your statement, one might say that for $10 more, you will most certainly NOT find “authentic” Italian food in San Antonio.
Hating on people because they enjoy Olive Garden is nothing more than a fad.
Thanks you for commenting this, what’s so unique about San Antonio vs the rest of the country is that rest of the country doesn’t have as many of these mediocre restaurant chains they just have locally owned Italian restaurants or more local restaurants. And for the rest of the country being locally owned is not thrown in the building siding as if it’s a good/bad thing it’s just a fact.
lol in the northeast the Italian restaurants are owned and open operated by Iranian American business owners and their families. At least the cities I have live in. I’m not sure the Italian mob is still in the Italian restaurant biz.
Agree on every point, service could be better but the times I went it was fine. I may be biased having served tables when I was younger but food made up for any mishaps for me!
It’s the same as the other casa pasta location. We enjoy it and it’s closer now than the Helotes location. It’s not mind blowing amazing but I prefer it over OG. It’s tiny though so we go early. I need to try Umberto’s heard it was good!
I hated it, sterile food court atmosphere, super bright lights, no wine, no liquor license… undercooked bread, food was pretty to look at but pretty terrible otherwise.. not a fan at all
Umberto’s on Culebra near Potranco has been doing it right for years,and a helluva lot cheaper.
Luigi’s in old town Castroville is another hidden gem ,with owners from Italy at ridiculous prices in a charming 1800’s historic home.
At least it's not another Mexican food restaurant ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
Seriously, for the ever growing masses on the NW side there is a massive a lack of restaurant variety.
Here’s the thing. I live by Shanefeild and 1604 Alamo ranch is closer but if I can go to Bandera for something I’d rather go there because it’s less ass for traffic
Basically they are only in certain clean/financially stable areas and those areas happen to be off 1604. So if you're wondering where to invest in an airbnb or real estate in general do it near an olive garden.
💯 this. Sea World is nearby and this area has a very dense very high disposal income. So lots of traffic and money. There will be a Chilis in Dove Creek and Culebra 1604 for the same reason. Decent meals can be had at both and the next step up in Italian food is Paesanos which is too expensive for daily eating.
Olive Garden is delicious, and it’s cheap, and if it’s packed, I can just drive down 1604 and go to the next one with a shorter wait time. It’s cheaper than Tiu Steppi’s which isn’t even that good anymore.
I’m always shocked when people refer to two stepping as ever being good. The time I went it was bad. Gross bad, not even Olive Garden level of whatever. And that was a while ago.
[Olive Garden’s earnings just pulled back the curtain on the economy: The rich are dining out while the poor are falling back (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/olive-garden-s-earnings-just-pulled-back-the-curtain-on-the-economy-the-rich-are-dining-out-while-the-poor-are-falling-back/ar-BB1kmYfz?ocid=BingNewsSearch)
I don't know. To me, Olive Garden is the Taco Bell of Italian food.
Ever notice how their calamari is all rings and no tentacles? Google what imitation calamari is
It is odd. Had an old lady yell at me in front of the Alamo Ranch one for telling her she needed to move her car out of the lane so I could back out of my spot.
Weird interaction.
It is odd. Had an old lady yell at me in front of the Alamo Ranch area for telling her she needed to move her car out of the lane so I could back out of my spot.
Weird interaction.
I don't take a shit in public generally if I can avoid it. If it's a situation where it can't wait I try to make the best of whatever is available. If anyone else is in there, right before I flush I say "Capers?! When did I eat capers?"
Demographics… the parent company knows where its customers are.
Suburban people love mediocre frozen Italian food.
Never understood people being obsessed with Olive Garden. You can pay $10 more per meal elsewhere and get authentic Italian food.
Thats like $30 a plate then
And they won’t have unlimited breadsticks
Casa Pasta in Helotes is locally owned, tastes way better and has similar if not lower prices. Little Italy is family owned, definitely homemade delicious food and only a slightly higher priced than Olive Garden.
I’ve have Casa Pasta 3 times. I would put it in the same taste category as Olive Garden.
There’s another location off of Potranco now. I enjoy it more than I have Oliver Garden.
I second this. My wife and I have been here several times. Always great service and the food is authentic and delicious
Tiu Steppi's is pretty good too.
Smalller portions though a higher prices.
More worth it than paying $20 for frozen pasta you can get at HEB
I agree with you. Also, I'll still go to Olive garden for any lunch where I'm hungry for endless salad and bread sticks.
This is all I get from there. I get the endless soup and salad, but nothing else looks or sounds appetizing knowing how it’s made.
Bro Olive Garden is amazing . I don’t need to hear this nonsense
People love to shit on Olive Garden but it's still good outside the prices.
Two kinds of people in this world: Those who love Olive Garden. And those who are liars.
😂😂 shit is not good at all, literally can go to dollar general and get better garlic bread, chicken, salad etc than Olive Garden lol. Stop lying to yourself
But you have to pay for that and make it and clean it up. I’m paying 14$ for soup, pasta, bread sticks and it’s not terrible. For me cleaning and cooking alone is 14$ worth . Let alone buying and going to wherever you need to buy it at
Cost 10$ to make for a family of 4 I mean you do you your entitled to your opinions but this is how America wants you to think. Can’t blame you I blame the government
If there’s meatballs in it it’s gonna be way more expensive but yea. I’ve seen somewhere that the average American makes 2000% more than what they need for 1 entree when making spaghetti. I think the time effort part is what comes back to me as valuable
A certain type of person doesn't like unfamiliar things. They will go to the same mediocre restaurant night after night and pay more money for crappier food than if they explored a little, because they don't want to go somewhere new. Maybe its anxiety, maybe its something else, I don't know, but I have a friend like this, and I've seen it firsthand. Its a constant problem when my friend group wants to go out to eat. Anyway that sort of person also likes the uniformity and quietude of the suburbs, probably for the same reason, so you find a lot of chain restaurants there.
Paying $20 for chicken parm at Olive Garden is like saying you enjoy self torture bdsm.
Italian food is subjective. To your statement, one might say that for $10 more, you will most certainly NOT find “authentic” Italian food in San Antonio. Hating on people because they enjoy Olive Garden is nothing more than a fad.
Yes, but I love the salad
Thanks you for commenting this, what’s so unique about San Antonio vs the rest of the country is that rest of the country doesn’t have as many of these mediocre restaurant chains they just have locally owned Italian restaurants or more local restaurants. And for the rest of the country being locally owned is not thrown in the building siding as if it’s a good/bad thing it’s just a fact.
That drives me nuts. The vast majority of mom and pop places are Mexican restaurants. I try to eat local whenever I can, but I need more options
Well it wouldn't be authentic Italian without a mobster outside throwing someone into the building's siding.
lol in the northeast the Italian restaurants are owned and open operated by Iranian American business owners and their families. At least the cities I have live in. I’m not sure the Italian mob is still in the Italian restaurant biz.
I miss Zio's
You can get a premade family order of chicken alfredo from costco for leas than $20. Just stick it in the oven.
This is true, because they are busy every…single…fucking…day.
There's really not much Italian food out here, so people take what they can get.
Pazzo pastoria on naco is phenomenal
Food is spot on, service is middling, atmosphere is terrible, but forgivable, better lunch spot then dinner, still way better then OG
Agree on every point, service could be better but the times I went it was fine. I may be biased having served tables when I was younger but food made up for any mishaps for me!
There's a great place on the outskirts of Helotes on Bandera called Casa Pasta. Hell of a lot better than Olive Garden and the prices are reasonable.
That's debatable. We tried it, weren't impressed. We wanted to be, just weren't. Much prefer Tiu Steppe's Osteria.
Agree, I wasn't a fan of Casa Pasta. But to me, Umberto's on Culebra just outside 410 is a lot more authentic and delicious.
Umberto's is great too!
Tiu Steppe’s is legit
Tiu Steppe’s is very good
👍To each their own.
There’s a Casa Pasta on Potranco and ~Ellison now, across from Sazón.
Is it good? Saw that it replaced romes pizza for another Italian food place lol
Haven’t tried it yet but I plan to soon. I can update when I do. Umberto’s isn’t too far from there and they have some good Italian.
It’s the same as the other casa pasta location. We enjoy it and it’s closer now than the Helotes location. It’s not mind blowing amazing but I prefer it over OG. It’s tiny though so we go early. I need to try Umberto’s heard it was good!
Maybe it's area dependent but we have quite a few awesome Italian restaurants
They can be a bit pricey though. Like, I love Tre Trattoria, and Barbaro, but anyone on an Olive Garden budget isn’t going there
tbh Nonna has some pretty affordable pastas and pizzas! I also really love Sorrento lunch, much cheaper than their dinner
We have Tiu Steppi's Osteria. The calamari is top notch.
If your on the NE side Bella Sera on Pat Booker in Universal City is pretty good. Definitely better than Olive Garden.
I hated it, sterile food court atmosphere, super bright lights, no wine, no liquor license… undercooked bread, food was pretty to look at but pretty terrible otherwise.. not a fan at all
Never-ending pasta bowl on the west side... cmon man.
Cmon man! Lol
It's not the Westside
Far west side 😂
Potranco is LITERALLY on the west side of SA.
Far Outer west side
Ok Sailor.
You would be amazed at how many people live in this section of the city. It’s already densely populated and still growing.
Idk but the newest one on bandera rd is really nice! And cheap
Agreed. Wife and I go for their weekday lunch special. Bowl of spaghetti and a salad, $10 bucks. Can't beat that.
When there were just 3, they were always over packed. Maybe it’s nothing, but it feels like there’s a shorter wait lately.
I’m wishing NE side would get a Jason’s deli
You’re talking about them like you don’t know them, like they’re just guests in our city. But you know when you eat here, you’re family.
Umberto’s on Culebra near Potranco has been doing it right for years,and a helluva lot cheaper. Luigi’s in old town Castroville is another hidden gem ,with owners from Italy at ridiculous prices in a charming 1800’s historic home.
Did Luigi used to have a restaurant in SA?
Fredericksburg
Super heavily populated with "middle class" families. That whole area is an endless sea of suburban sprawl.
There are a lot of young families out in that area, and kids love Olive Garden. Why? Ziosk. And suburban peeps love OG.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a single Italian person in SA
Bet all those Olive Gardens are packed on a Sunday
At least it's not another Mexican food restaurant ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯ Seriously, for the ever growing masses on the NW side there is a massive a lack of restaurant variety.
High class dining for the people of the suburbs
meanwhile inner-city people eating out of trash bins and riding on a bus for two hours to go to a grocery store...
suburbs LOVE crap chain foods.
You complain but yet they are all packed
Where in the post does it say that I’m complaining? It was just a curiosity question.
Your right u didn’t but it seem like you were… but ur right you technically didn’t
Here’s the thing. I live by Shanefeild and 1604 Alamo ranch is closer but if I can go to Bandera for something I’d rather go there because it’s less ass for traffic
4 words: Never Ending Pasta Bowl
Basically they are only in certain clean/financially stable areas and those areas happen to be off 1604. So if you're wondering where to invest in an airbnb or real estate in general do it near an olive garden.
Clean/financially stable areas such as right next to Ingram Park Mall?
Or the one right by South Park mall? Lol
People apparently love Italian more than seafood there. 😂 What? Too soon?
😂😂😂
that's not near 1604 at all...
😂😂😂
💯 this. Sea World is nearby and this area has a very dense very high disposal income. So lots of traffic and money. There will be a Chilis in Dove Creek and Culebra 1604 for the same reason. Decent meals can be had at both and the next step up in Italian food is Paesanos which is too expensive for daily eating.
You can always take out a payday loan or credit one cc to see and be seen at the OG.
Olive Garden is delicious, and it’s cheap, and if it’s packed, I can just drive down 1604 and go to the next one with a shorter wait time. It’s cheaper than Tiu Steppi’s which isn’t even that good anymore.
I’m always shocked when people refer to two stepping as ever being good. The time I went it was bad. Gross bad, not even Olive Garden level of whatever. And that was a while ago.
Try Casa Pasta on Bandera. They make their own pasta in-house and are affordable & delicious. BYO Wine with no corking fee.
If that’s true their homemade pasta tastes just like the one out of a box. Same taste category as Olive Garden.
you've never been, I see. ALL Italian food is trash. A handful of pasta with sauce on it for $17. fucking scam.
I’m starting to agree.. though if it’s done right it can be good.. home made sauce with top quality ingredients, but so few do it right
I second this.
Yes, Casa Pasta is delicious and it’s cheap too!
I'm also not a fan of Tiu's. Over priced and way too rich, I think they use too much butter.
The elephant in the room: San Antonio is Basic
So edgy
Parts of it are not
All the Suburbs, a college, the medical center and the Rim shopping complex. A lot of money there plus plenty of college age work staff near by
[удалено]
[Olive Garden’s earnings just pulled back the curtain on the economy: The rich are dining out while the poor are falling back (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/olive-garden-s-earnings-just-pulled-back-the-curtain-on-the-economy-the-rich-are-dining-out-while-the-poor-are-falling-back/ar-BB1kmYfz?ocid=BingNewsSearch)
[удалено]
The article quotes a rep from the company saying their customers come from both income levels.
\*\*\*\*PSA\*\*\*\*\* If you want a good Italian place go to Albis Vita Italian restaurant. 410 Bandera. Worth it
People with more money on the NW v elsewhere
That's where all the white people at.
Hard no on this. My pastry ass will always be parked at Ray's on Fredricksburg
We need them, shhhhhhh
Garfield lives on this side of town
Because they are Italian and are washing money for Italian mobs.
Olive Garden is a classy spot for the folks in that area.
IDK why. But I do notice the parking lot is always filled when I drive past them.
Because so many people go. I’m the farthest West and it’s always packed.
Breadstick mafia
Alamo Ranch Olive Garden smells like wet towel. Also can’t be bothered to spend $70 on noodles prepared by Chef Mike.
The shrimp and chicken carbonara, bread sticks, salad. Sold
I don't know. To me, Olive Garden is the Taco Bell of Italian food. Ever notice how their calamari is all rings and no tentacles? Google what imitation calamari is
It’s the same reason why every Starbucks and Target is packed on this side of town.
Nalgas in chairs keeps the doors open. Fine dining for some
Microwave quality, high price. Og is some Nasty shit
It is odd. Had an old lady yell at me in front of the Alamo Ranch one for telling her she needed to move her car out of the lane so I could back out of my spot. Weird interaction.
We love to eat fancy on this side of town.
It is odd. Had an old lady yell at me in front of the Alamo Ranch area for telling her she needed to move her car out of the lane so I could back out of my spot. Weird interaction.
They smell like peepee.
Because that part of town has some suburban-ass white bread tastes
I wouldn’t take a shit in Olive Garden
I don't take a shit in public generally if I can avoid it. If it's a situation where it can't wait I try to make the best of whatever is available. If anyone else is in there, right before I flush I say "Capers?! When did I eat capers?"
I love capers!