The Worst "Free" Restaurant Food

[big dog cowboy]

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
Jan 18, 2011

Remember the story of Hansel and Gretel? How the witch of the woods lured them into her edible candy hut and gave them piles and piles of free food—just so she could fatten them up and turn them into stew?

Well, think about that old fairy tale the next time a waiter drops a plate of “free” food on your table. For years I've been recommending the best foods to buy, and warning about menu items that might make you fat. But our newest Eat This, Not That! research reveals that some of the worst dietary sins aren’t ordered at all. They just come to your table for free!

Plenty of mischievous food peddlers are happy to give you free food—food that’s certain to fatten you up plenty, if not land you in a big black cauldron. Whether it’s “bottomless” buckets or “endless” entrees or the breadsticks and salad at Olive Garden, freebies almost always consist of high-fat, high-carbohydrate munchies that won’t fill you up—after all, the restaurant wants you to buy more food!—but will fill you out.

Of course, I wouldn’t recommend shoving the waiter into an oven; restaurants do sort of frown on that kind of thing. But I would recommend shoving these free plates to the other side of the table, before you create a dietary fairy tale of your own: “Hansel and Regrettal.”

THE #1 WORST "FREE" RESTAURANT FOOD: Olive Garden Bottomless Salad and Breadsticks

Read more: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/worst-free-restaurant-food

 

[Cowboy Brian]

I love Bloomin onions, has nothing to do with this thread but it must be mentioned lol.

 

[MonsterD]

LOVE Olive Garden breadsticks, lol. Seems like breadsticks are not quite as bad as other things, ah well.

 

[TheDallasDon]

I love Bloomin onions, has nothing to do with this thread but it must be mentioned lol.

Those are good, have u ever had the fried green beans with the wasabi dipping sauce?

 

[Yeagermeister]

LOVE Olive Garden breadsticks, lol. Seems like breadsticks are not quite as bad as other things, ah well.

breadsticks and the pasta soup is better than the rest of the menu

 

[Cowboy Brian]

Those are good, have u ever had the fried green beans with the wasabi dipping sauce?

Nop, i'm not really a fan of green beans so never would consider ordering those.

 

[67CowboysFan]

Salad, bread sticks and the endless pasta bowl. Gotta love it.

 

[Rynie]

Olive Garden is teh FAIL.

 

[urface59]

Those are good, have u ever had the fried green beans with the wasabi dipping sauce?

Usually not a big fan of green beans but good god I could eat these things all day.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Efin' ketchup and they all have that crap but those cheddar rolls from the redcrab are crucial. lolz

 

[basstapp]

quite honestly, I eat out probably 2 times a week and when I do I am not worried about calories. I worry about calories when I cook at home because it is something I can control . With that said breadsticks and alfredo sauce please

 

[VietCowboy]

I love the fried green beans and blooming onions. Other fried favorites:

Cheesecake Factory - Corn nuggets

Maggiano's - Fried Zucchini Fritters

Arnold's (local Meat and 3) - Fried Green Tomatoes.

Cafe Coco's (local diner) - Canadian French Fries (they put gravy and mozzarella cheese on it)

 

[SkinsandTerps]

Are you talking about the corn fritters at Cheesecake Factory ?

Either way those things are horrible.

Maggiano's makes a great fried cheese though.

EDIT: Cheesecake has a fried mac and cheese that is excellent though.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

I went to Olive Garden by myself when I was on a business trip. The server brings this humungous bowl of salad, enough for 6 people. I laughed and she smiled and said "Don't worry if it's not enough. Free refills." And then she comes back with a big smile and about 8 huge breadsticks in a basket. What a waste. She laughingly apologized and said that they didn't have any other size.