6 Italian Restaurant Chains Diners Say Aren't Worth It

Feasting on authentic Italian or Italian-American food should be an experience. Hearty portions that are full of flavor; rich, red sauce dribbling down your chin; a lap of crumbs from the warm, crusty bread; need we go on? If you've ever eaten out at a decent Italian restaurant, you know what it's like. The carb-induced food coma is always worth it.

Unfortunately, this is probably not the place to find the restaurants that are going to deliver that experience. But it will help you narrow down your search for Italian deliciousness, by helping you decide where not to go and potentially saving you from a lacklustre meal of overcooked pasta, flavorless sauce, and distinctly unsatisfying pizza. Phew.

We combed through social media to figure out the Italian restaurant chains that diners say are simply not worth your time, money, or attention — even if it does offer unlimited breadsticks, soup, and pasta. Yes, really. That one is on the list. In fact, it's first up.

After it first opened in Orlando, Florida in the early 1980s, Olive Garden quickly became a firm favorite with families across the U.S. Developed by General Mills (yes, the very same cereal giant that you're thinking of), the restaurant chain seemed to immediately understand what its target audience wanted: Good quality Italian-American fare at reasonable prices, and lots of it.

For years, people loved Olive Garden's range of hearty dishes and unlimited portions of breadsticks, soup, and salad, and they just kept coming back for more. The chain grew exponentially, and at the time of writing, there are nearly 1,000 Olive Garden locations across the U.S. But are they still any good? Well, according to some diners, Olive Garden simply isn't what it used to be. Some claim that one of the biggest issues for them is that the pasta is always overcooked. That's a pretty big problem, considering that pasta makes up the majority of Olive Garden's menu.

Others say that the food tastes like it has been reheated from frozen, the breadsticks are soft, and most dishes lack flavor. Plenty believe it's overpriced, too. "I love Olive Garden, but their across-the-board price increases make it impossible for me to go there anymore," said one Redditor in r/olivegarden. Another added: "At those prices I can go to my local Italian restaurant with better portions, better flavor, and the most amazing complimentary garlic rolls."

A few years after Olive Garden first opened its doors in Orlando, Fazoli's got its start in Lexington, Kentucky, in the late 1980s. Like Olive Garden, the chain was also created by a company: Jerrico, Inc, a restaurant group that also founded and owned the popular fast food fish chain Long John Silver's. And also like Olive Garden, it specializes in hearty, comforting Italian-American classics; plates piled high with spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti and Italian sausage, breadsticks, pizza, and plenty more. At its peak, Fazoli's grew to around 400 restaurants, but at the time of writing, it has less than 200 locations across the U.S.

Plenty of people aren't surprised by the decline of Fazoli's. In fact, one Redditor called the food "borderline inedible," in the r/lexington subreddit, while another said that "Fazoli's food is basically just microwaved lean cuisines." When our taste tester ranked 11 Italian chain restaurants in 2025, they also expressed disappointment with the quality of the food at Fazoli's, placing the Kentucky chain in last place. They noted that the pizza was "untouchable," the pasta sauce was "lackluster," and the chicken was "over-salted."

Back in the late 1960s, before Olive Garden was even a twinkle in the eye of General Mills, The Old Spaghetti Factory opened its doors in Portland, Oregon. Created by a pair of local restauranteurs, Guss Dussin and Mike Poulos, the restaurant (located in an old restored streetcar) specialized in, you guessed it, spaghetti. The pasta was prepared using an old family recipe with meaty sauce, and served with salad and sourdough bread for a budget price. It was the perfect formula, and expansion started immediately. By 2025, there were more than 60 locations (not just in the U.S., but also overseas in Canada and Japan).

But American diners say that The Old Spaghetti Factory is, well, old. Past its prime. Many say it's not what it used to be a few years ago, while others maintain that it's always been overrated. "[I] worked at the one in [Roseville, CA] when [I] was a teenager about 15 years ago. [It's] always been cafeteria food," said a commentor in r/Sacramento. Some added that the food is overpriced, while others say the portions have shrunk dramatically in recent years.

Again, our taste tester wasn't overly impressed with The Old Spaghetti Factory, either, which they ranked just above Fazoli's. They noted that the restaurant lives up to its name, but in all the wrong ways, with "archaic decor" and "past-its-prime tasting food." They also noted that the portions were "shockingly small."

Founded in the 1990s, Brio Italian Grille is a little different from some of its Italian-American competitors. It has always focused on regional Italian cuisine — specifically, Tuscan food (which is why it used to be known as Brio Tuscan Grille). Today, the restaurant, which strives to offer a more sophisticated dining experience, still offers Tuscan dishes, but it also blends in inspiration from other areas of Italy, like the Amalfi coast, for example.

This all sounds like a recipe for success, right? Actually, Brio Italian Grille's parent company Bravo Brio Restaurants has had a rough ride, and has filed for bankruptcy twice in the 2020s. Many diners probably aren't all that surprised. Previous complaints include bad quality food that lacks flavor and prices that can't be justified by said mediocre food. When one spot closed in Raleigh, North Carolina, one Redditor said in the r/raleigh subreddit "We tried it for the first time a couple months ago and it was easily one of the worst meals we've ever had. Not surprised." 

Considering we deemed it one of the most expensive Italian chains in the U.S. in May 2026, you would hope for a few more glowing reviews. Alas, we found the opposite. Still, some had positive things to say about Brio Italian Grille in the past, at least. "We used to love it before COVID, but then when it reopened after, it was never the same," said another Reddit user in r/raleigh.

Maggiano's Little Italy, often referred to as simply Maggiano's, opened in Chicago in 1991, and served up a range of Italian-American family recipes. But while it had a family restaurant image, it was actually another company-founded concept, and the brainchild of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group. Still, people enjoyed it. It felt authentic, at least, and the food was budget-friendly, comforting, and abundant.

Now owned by Brinker International, there are currently just over 50 Maggiano's across the U.S. But sadly, many diners say they're not worth your money anymore. Again, people say the food lacks flavor, the sauce is watery, and it's overpriced. The chain started updating its menu in 2024 with good intentions, but for some, this seems to be exactly when things started going wrong.

Many mourned the old bread recipe, and claimed the lasagna had gone downhill, alongside many other favorites. "Filet mignon is a worse cut. Mashed potatoes way lower quality and flavor. It goes on and on," said one person in a comment with more than 50 upvotes in the r/restaurant subreddit. "The entire menu is worse now."

Brio Italian Grille isn't alone in its financial struggles. In 2024, Buca di Beppo was one of many restaurants also filing for bankruptcy. It was a major fall from grace for the chain, which was founded in Minneapolis in the early 1990s. Back then, people loved it straight away; the focus was on good quality southern Italian-inspired food, a fun atmosphere, and plenty of nostalgic, old Italian decor. By 2023, it had expanded to more than 80 restaurants in the U.S., but by 2024, this had shrunk to 44 locations.

Many diners can probably shed some light on what happened; it seems that Buca di Beppo simply lost its way, and the food became average at best. In fact, after the news that one restaurant had closed in Seattle, one Redditor said that while it was good "20 years ago," it was now "disgusting." They added: "I'm guessing they changed their food director to Chef Boyardee." Others have claimed that Buca di Beppo has long been overpriced, and in the r/pasadena thread, one user called it "sh*tty fake Italian food."

Nobody deserves to be disappointed by a mediocre-at-best Italian restaurant experience. That's why we made this list, to spare you the Italian restaurant blues. You're welcome. 

We took to social media to figure out which chains diners say simply aren't worth it. We honed in on Reddit, especially, as the forum is always home to many who love to share their opinions on everything from a restaurant's food to its prices and portion sizes. We picked out the chains that provoked the strongest reactions, and added them to our list.

If you disagree, we're not here to argue. Food is subjective, after all. If you're an Olive Garden stan, we're pleased for you. But we think this list is proof that many don't agree that the Florida-founded chain, or many others, are worth the hype. Need some more positivity? We recommend our list of the best Italian restaurants in every state.