“Karma, karma, karma,” was on TikToker Seo Musacchio’s (@sayohjang) mind as she pondered the cosmic consequences of posting an, ahem, less than stellar review of the service she received at Olive Garden.
“I’ve never had an eating experience like this before,” she emphatically stated.
What happened at this Olive Garden?
“I’ve worked in restaurants. I work in the [expletive] dental office,” she said in the clip. “Like, this is real. I work in customer service, healthcare, everything. I know how people can be, and I’m never like this.”
Musacchio then paused her episode of “90 Day Fiance” before continuing, “I was dumbfounded. Like we were at the restaurant, and the server would come up and be like: ‘Plates.’ ‘Napkins.’ ‘Anything else?’”
The tone was mechanical–almost robotic, noted the small content creator. She was left wondering, “Why are you so abrupt and short with me?”
“I mean, we are at the Olive Garden, where, when you’re there, you’re family–it didn’t feel like family at all,” the TikToker said.
‘Feels like family’…not
In an unconfirmed copy of the Olive Garden Employee Handbook from 2022, the second and third core principles of the company are “The guest wins” and “Make everyone feel like family.”
That begs the question: “What kind of family?” But in the spirit of never-ending salad and breadsticks, we’re guessing that family should look inclusive, happy, and engaging.
Not like a server telling you, “I brought you the right plate, I swear I did.”
Not like a server leaving your table untended for 30 minutes.
Nor like forgotten cheese: “We were waiting on some breadsticks, we’re waiting on the salad, she ain’t bring the cheese. The cheese, the damn cheese that you eat and you wait for.”
Of course, anyone can have a bad day, or simply an unenthusiastic one. “I get when you have a bad day,” said Musacchio, “But it doesn’t need to show.”
In a follow-up email, Musacchio told The Mary Sue, “I was hesitant to bring it online but I felt it was an important experience and story to be told. I felt instantly cold vibes from our server and the entire experience made me question why we were being treated differently than other tables.”
She then went on to explain that their table had time, knew what they wanted and so—thinking it to be easy–placed their order early. Even at this stage, there was whatever the opposite of hospitality is from the server.
“We knew what we wanted so when we told her that, she instantly rolled her eyes?” she said.
Viewers blame the server
Commenters let their opinions be known.
“I fear you were stereotyped, baby. They won’t give you good service so they can act unsurprised if you do happen not to tip,” one wrote. “The stigma of ‘black people don’t tip,’ is bad [upside-down smiley face emoji).”
While another simply said, “Wow, did you get the mints at least?”
Then a professional opinion: “friend, I’m saying this as a server & I am so sorry but she was definitely stereotyping u, u were right to leave a review but honestly the wrong food and refusing to take accountability would’ve sent meeee. After seeing the other tables get excellent service and another server taking care of u [double sobbing face emoji] u had every right to ask for the manager and not tip 20% [sobbing face emoji].”
“It felt off,” replied Musacchio. “We all still tipped but she didn’t want to look us in the eye when she’d come to the table. I’m obviously black so race did come to mind. She was black, my friends are Cambodian, Mexican and Latin American so it could’ve been stereotyping on her part…”
Olive Garden: an American favorite
In 1982, the first Olive Garden opened its doors in Orlando, Florida, with a focus on “Italian generosity, of family, hospitality, of being in someone’s home where they just want nothing more than for you to have a good time and be well fed,” said Jamie Bunker, senior vice president of marketing in a July 2025 interview with CNN.
In fact, as Eater writer Helen Rosner wrote of the chain, “The restaurant was built for affinity, constructed from the foundations to the faux-finished rafters to create a sense of connection, of vague familiarity, to bring to mind some half-lost memory of old-world simplicity and ease. Even if you’ve never been to the Olive Garden before, you’re supposed to feel like you have.”
The food, like the decor, is designed to evoke a sense of Italy without specificity. A kind of nonplace that still has tangible form and evokes a feeling of the remembered.
The food and decor might not be the only things ringing the bell of memory. “Is it because I’m Black,” mused Musacchio with an exaggerated frown, “Is she a racism?”
Nonetheless, the server got a tip–and at the hands of Musacchio’s friend, a little feedback: “The food was good, the server was not.”
Sometimes, it seems, family is where the tough love is.
@sayohjang My unhinged story time about the Olive Garden last weekend ? I don’t normally complain about servers but we had a time. My bestie had to write a review lol #olivegarden @Michelle Andrade @Minerva Moreno @ChaCha C. ♬ original sound – Seo Musacchio
The Mary Sue reached out to Olive Garden for comment.
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