While the never-ending soup and salad, giant platters of chicken Alfredo, and famously meme-able unlimited breadsticks get the most attention at Olive Garden, the chain’s dessert selection is none too shabby. From a chocolate-loaded Black Tie Mousse Cake to Warm Italian Doughnuts, the nice, simple offerings are fairly safe and not likely to severely displease anyone — with one exception. According to customers across the web, Olive Garden’s tiramisu is a big red flag.
One thing you need to know before going to Olive Garden for the first time is that all of its desserts are shipped to stores frozen, then defrosted or heated before serving. This may not sound enticing, but many of the desserts don’t suffer from this treatment — as long as they’re reheated the right way. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s tiramisu is served very inconsistently. Many reviews complain that the dessert is often still frozen when it hits the table, sometimes to the point of rock hardness. Multiple customers also found ice crystals or chunks in their serving. This is the total opposite of the rich, creamy, slightly cakey texture that defines this Italian classic.
At about $9 per slice, Olive Garden’s tiramisu isn’t super cheap, either, so getting a half-icy version must be truly disappointing. Some customers also had the opposite problem, saying their tiramisu wound up soggy. That said, there’s nothing wrong with the taste of this treat when it’s thawed properly. It just might not wow you, either.
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Olive Garden’s tiramisu isn’t always bad, but there are better options
Serving of Olive Garden tiramisu on square white plate – Carmen Varner/Tasting Table
It would be remiss not to mention that Olive Garden’s tiramisu has plenty of fans, with some outlets giving the sweet treat good reviews and a few customers even asking if it’s possible to take a whole plate home. In our ranking of Olive Garden desserts, our taste tester had a decent experience with the dish, putting it in fourth place. However, other reviewers find the tiramisu rather generic with an underwhelming flavor, which may be because it lacks a certain ingredient: alcohol.
Now, we acknowledge that putting liquor in a dessert probably doesn’t seem worth it to a family-oriented chain like Olive Garden. However, alcohol is a traditional ingredient in tiramisu, usually in the form of rum, Marsala wine, or coffee liqueur. It adds an aromatic depth that some would consider crucial. Customers who usually order this treat from fancy Italian restaurants or like to whip up a classic tiramisu recipe at home may be quite disappointed by Olive Garden’s simpler alcohol-free version.
This tiramisu isn’t the worst chain dessert out there, but it does seem to be one of the most inconsistent. We would recommend it over the strawberry cheesecake, the one dessert to avoid ordering at Olive Garden, but you’ll want to cross your fingers that you don’t wind up with a tiramisu iceberg. For a safer chocolate dessert, the delectable Black Tie Mousse Cake is our top pick.
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Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Dining and Cooking