If your looking for a real lump crab cake then this is your go to spot.You can get broiled or fried. They also have pasta as well as complimentary salad with breadsticks. You can get a variety of drinks such as Sangria for as little as $5
(4)
Tina D.
Very good food. A bit pricey but you get a lot of food. Fresh food. Probably one of the better restaurants in Aberdeen. No complaints.
(4)
Stan T.
After reading the mixed reviews of the Olive Tree in Aberdeen, I had to try it to decide for myself whether or not I liked it. Right off the bat I asked me server if the meat sauce was all beef. It is. The Olive Garden's is NOT. So I wind up ordering an angel hair with meat sauce, my standard by which to judge. The salad was one plate, not a bowl, but that's ok. It was enough to tide me over until the pasta came out. IT WAS SUPERB!!!! The perfect blend of pasta to meat sauce, spices, everything. I wound up taking only a small portion home with me for later. My server was very attentive, but forgot to give me my check. Seriously I could have taken my doggie bag and walked out. I couldn't do that though. I was raised better than that. I tracked the manager down and paid my tab. I'll definitely be returning!!
(4)
Lindsay W.
The salad and bread sticks here put olive garden to shame.
(4)
Michael K.
Good food and good service - they were able to accommodate our last minute reservation for 30 people, in town for a Ripken Tournament. Service was a little long but that's too be expected with a large party. Everyone's order was spot on, which is usually not to be expected with a large party so kudos here. Had the baked ziti, others had the crab dishes and said they were very good. I would come here again.
(3)
Kyle P.
My family vacation took a turn for the worst yesterday and the RV we rented broke down 4 hrs into our trip. PS. Don't use cruise America, they will leave you stranded!!!!!!! Anyways. After many tears and dance parties on the sidewalk of the Sunoco Maryland house, we abandoned the RV and crammed all of our stuff into a taxi van and headed to the super 8 for a bed for the night. Not knowing what a treat it would be we walked across the street to Olive tree!! A true step above Olive Garden. The food was fantastic and all local produce!!! Our waiterTerrell heard about our day and took care of us, like we w were family. It was a busy night for him too. With fantastic food and service I recommend Olive Tree to any Italian lover and really any food lover. Thank you Olive Tree for saving our night and our appetite!!!!
(5)
Jim O.
Good food, decent portions, very nice staff. A bit on the pricy side, but not so much as to be off putting. Would go again.
(4)
Ashley R.
New to the area and heard this place was good Italian and it was delicious!! Ordered Togo food for a Friday night in, and while we spent $50, we got sooooo much food. We didn't know the portions were so large and you get breadsticks and house salad with entrees. Ordered a buffalo chicken pretzel, not my favorite but my BF loved it. I had asked if they had vodka sauce because it wasn't in the menu online and they made a dish for me during the dinner rush (rare for most restaurants considering they were packed) and then we also got two large salads. All in all great experience, I really appreciate that the Togo team checks your order with you while you're standing there so you don't make it home with a wrong item.
(4)
Megan J.
Met a few friends here for lunch and was surprised to find no pasta on their lunch menu. I ended up ordering the Manicotti anyway which was pretty good and came with the typical bottomless salad & breadsticks. One of our party ordered the lunch special, but didn't want the soup so I also had Cream of Crab soup. I loved the soup (I'm a sucker for cream of crab). I wasn't feeling super great, so not being 100% enthused was probably influenced by that. One of my friends paid with a twenty and the waitress brought back a $10 so she had to ask for change, which was a bit odd.
(4)
KATRINA W.
Forks were dirty. Wine glasses were dirty. Soda glasses were dirty. My seat was dirty. Hubby wouldn't leave with me. Ordered shrimp. They were good but sitting in 4 cups of melted butter. Salad was ok. 1st and last time.
(1)
Garyala A.
Order take out of lobster ravioli, olive tree crab dip, spinach & cheese ravioli and a bowl of cream of crab soup, everything was outstanding, delicious and fresh, even the green salad, the bread is so soft and tasty. It was my first time experiencing Olive Tree, I love it, will definitely make this a good favorite restaurant to tell family and friends....looking forward to coming back to experience the rest of the menu soon.
(5)
Holly J.
Love the crab cakes and blackened chicken alfredo. They give you a nice salad and bread sticks along with your entree.
(5)
Tony M.
Like others have said, this is like a non-chain Olive Garden, down to the salad in the same bowl and the same breadsticks. They have more seafood on their menu, though. Service was impeccable and made lots of adjustments without complaint due to picky people in my party. The food was solid, nothing spectacular and not much different than that other place whose name starts with "Olive," but a little better. I got Italian food so maybe I went wrong there, but I wasn't in the mood for crab cakes. All in all a solid place, if not exceptional.
(3)
Painless R.
First, they waiter brought out this salad that was just thrown together and drenched in this salad dressing. I had the crab burger and the patty wasn't seasoned at all. It was this crab paste that was smeared on. The waitress was ok, though forgetful at times. I'm here on business, so I don't have to worry about going there again.
(1)
Sarah B.
I'm sure there are better places in Little Italy, but I've been coming here for my birthday every year since I was a kid. I bet there are even fantastic things on the menu other than what I get every time, but I'm ok with that. It's always either Veal Parm or Seafood Afredo for me all the way. The veal is real, not frozen and hand breaded, the Alfredo thick and creamy with scallops, shrimp and crab. Yes, you'll get the salad and breadsticks treatment that you'll get at an Olive GARDEN, but have the satisfaction of not furthering a corporate chain. I'm loyal to the places I frequent, and at least once a year, no matter where in the tri state area we lived, we ALWAYS came back to the Olive Tree.
(4)
Jess S.
I always order the chicken chesapeake when I come here. It's usually delicious. This time however, the crab imperial was tasteless. What happened? It used to be so flavorful. The color was even different. My fiance had the cream of crab soup which was great Esp with the breadsticks, but his main course, fish tacos, were gross. (Don't ask me why he ordered fish tacos at an Italian resturant) it was basically fried fish sticks with a slice of avacado and some wilted slaw and an odd cream sauce. Service was good, sangria was yummy, and we love the salad and breadsticks. For $60 though, we left underwhelmed and won't be returning for a while.
(3)
Jalisa J.
The Olive Tree has been one of my favorite restaurants since I was a child. I still go here every year with my parents for my birthday. The Olive Garden is also both of my parents favorite restaurants, so I also go here for their birthdays every year also. They have great drinks, and amazing food! I almost always order their lasagna and I have never been disappointed. The Olive Garden is a million times better than The Olive Garden (which is it sometimes confused with) - the food is better, the service is better, and the staff is better. If you are ever in the Aberdeen area, The Olive Tree is worth a try!
(5)
Matt N.
It's a Great HH place with lots of people to mingle with if that's your thing. The remodeled place is better too. Service awesome!
(4)
Victoria S.
We usually go here over the years for big events but haven't been on that side of the county in awhile so we decided to go last Saturday around noon. The place was empty, with only one other couple in the dining area. They removed all booths in our section so we had to sit at a table with chairs, which were a little uncomfortable. For an Italian place, the mood was eerie bc of the Jazz playing in the background. We ordered the crab pretzel (one of our favs) but was surprised at the small portion of crab this time around. Before I could never see the pretzel bc there would be so much crab around it. This time it was all pretzel and a small one at that. I understand it was lunch time but it's the same price as dinner $12? My sons friend ordered burger and fries and the fries were cold, breadsticks were dry. I had about 4 shrimp in my shrimp Milano and I only took 4 bites of that before it turned cold. The only thing that saved my lunch was our waiter. He was amazing and I even felt bad for him and gave a huge tip. He was there before I ever needed to ask for anything. For the price, I will do what most of the locals are doing and make my way towards White Marsh or the city for a good Italian meal.
(3)
Amy P.
This is kind of like a offbrand Olive Garden, and to be honest, I would rather spend money here than at an actual Olive Garden. The food is average, again, what you find at any casual Italian place. I had bruchsetta to start and it was quite nice, the pasta dish however, was only ok. The sauce was a little thin for my tastes. Bread sticks and salad were, again, average. I would eat here again, but, not on a regular basis. Wait staff is very nice, the decor is also nicely updated.
(3)
Patricia O.
Outstanding food. Service was great. Used OT many times for parties. Everyone loved it. Full pans come with salad and garlic bread. Wonderful desserts.
(5)
Marianne M.
Chose this restaurant at random for lunch while traveling and oh em gee...great choice! There is a large bar area with high tables and large windows, but we chose to eat in the dining area. Its roomy, clean and well_lit, with large windows as well. Our waitress was prompt and knowledgeable. There were 5 specials, including seafood, turkey, pork, and beef options. They also offer pasta, burgers, salads, pizza, and steak. We ordered the turkey dinner special, shrimp and crab penne in a cream sauce with asparagus and Sun-dried tomatoes, and a cup of Maryland crab soup. A family style salad and breadsticks was included. All of it was very fresh and perfectly prepared. My husband is still raving about the turkey dinner! It included a pile of roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, and cranberry sauce. The portion sizes were large...we took half of it to go. The only thing that wasn't fresh was the canned cranberry sauce, which he didn't mind. The penne dish had plenty of shrimp and crab, fresh asparagus and sundried tomatoes, and the perfect amount of sauce. There were plenty of great dessert options , including creme brule and canolis, but we couldn't eat another bite! We've already decided to make this a "must stop" the next time we are traveling through Maryland.
(5)
Gaurav D.
One of THE worst service I've felt by a waitress. We figured there might not be as much diversity in the town, however, we defiantly did not think it would show. 4 out of 5 of us had to use the restroom right after the dinner. We also had to wait about 30 minutes for our checks, keeping in mind it was not busy AT ALL!
(1)
Chris M.
Although the staff was very professional and fast, the food was NOT worth the price. For that matter I wouldn't have been satisfied at any price point. 20$ for a plate of store bought frozen and thawed artificial crab and generic pasta covered in a thin tasteless sauce... Pass by the Olive Tree... Save your money.
(2)
T.J. F.
The atmosphere is classy and refined, but the food is not necessarily what you would classify as "fancy" fare. They try to combine Md seafood with Italian cuisine and succeed quite well. I highly recommend the crab pretzel and the crab burger, both topped with the same crab dip. It contains chunks of crab meat so large, you may as well be eating a burger with a whole crab cake on top.
(5)
Kevin J.
This place reminds me of the movie "Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy. Olive Tree is the the rip off of Olive Garden. The food quality is a little lower than Olive Garden, but so is the price so it evens out. I work around here, so it is a typical lunch spot. The wait staff will get you in and out and back to work. But I would not go out of my way to come here for dinner. Recommend the lasagna.
(3)
Jonathan M.
It's very simple, Olive Tree is very similiar to the well-known Olive Garden. However, I thought it was a little better. Therefore, a large portion of this review will be more of a comparison. Salad & Breadsticks: I liked their salad better as it had a larger variety of vegetables, and was made with a creamy italian dressing instead. I disliked their breadsticks as it was disgustingly doused in butter. The butter even seeped downthrough the paper napkins and out through the tray onto the table. Now that's excessive. Entrees: I can't say the taste of the food was any better or worse, but Olive Tree's menu seems slightly more extensive. **Olive Tree doesn't give out the little chocolate mints with your bill** When evaluating Olive Tree for what it is, a chain Italian restaurant, looking at Service, Quality, Food Quantity, & Price.... I'll give it 3 stars.
(3)
C N.
This place is the Paula Dean's of italian food. Everything was drenched in butter. To top it off, the service was horrible. We didnt get a refill during our entire meal even though there were about 5 teenagers standing around not doing anything. I would highly recomend avoiding this place unless you have a lot of time to kill or arteries to clog
(1)
L L.
Food- Great sea food. We had the surf and turf, the crab cakes and the crab pretzel. Lavatory - Clean. Atmosphere- It was bright and full, busy, but not noisy or crowded. Value- we spent almost $100, but it was worth it. Operations- Happy friendly service. Return- Oh yes, I'll be back. Notes: I've definitely bookmarked this one.
(4)
Christina H.
I love this place! They are in the middle of a remodel, but they are still open for business. My husband and I came here a few weeks ago and enjoyed a nice quiet dinner. This place is very similar to Olive Garden with the fact that you will receive free breadsticks and salad with your entree. There are endless menu options and everything I have ordered from there has been delicious. My family used to always come here when we were younger and even still it is a good place to eat. The service is attentive and you will leave full (and with leftovers!)
(4)
David B.
When traveling via car, a long distance, I am not one to sit behind the wheel for 11 hours. Eight or nine hours and I'm done for the day. Traveling to Virginia, I found I needed to stop for the night....I couldn't quite make it to Baltimore. The green sign of the Olive Tree beckoned. The biggest surprise to this random dining choice: the crab cakes. Over an over again, crab cakes skimp on the crab in favor of the binder. The Olive Tree did not....crab cakes that were nearly solid sweet, succulent crab. The best I've had in many years. If I find my self traveling again on I-95 south, the Olive Tree beckons for crab.
(4)
Jim E.
I have been going here for years. I have not been in a while. The food quality is not what it used to be. It was average. It has more of a fast food feel to it than the high quality meals they used to serve. It seems they are catering more to the quick in and out traffic from the interstate and don't have to worry about repeat business. The real irritant was when they refused to serve me a beer(my 1st of the evening) without carding me to make sure I really am 50 years old and refused to serve my 49 year old companion since she left her purse at home. At my age that's ridiculous. The manager said Harford county required it but I have lived here 25 years and never had this happen. I will not go back.
(2)
Jeff K.
This place has some pretty decent reviews and I, weary from my flight into town, checked Yelp from my hotel room to see what was nearby for a decent sit down dinner. Being only a mile from the hotel and a name foreign to me, I headed over to Olive Tree for a bite. Crowded parking lot, that's a good sign, right? I walked up to the hostess stand, oddly placed in the middle of the restaurant, and I was led to a booth in one of the rear sections of the building and was immediately assaulted by an odor, kind of a mix between garbage and wet mildewy rags. I almost killed myself getting into the booth due to the greasy film coating the tile floor. It was enough that you could get from one place to the other without ever lifting your feet. Undeterred (all these people are here for a reason, right?) I looked through the menu which, like all other things at Olive Tree, was just barely different enough from the Olive Garden so as to avoid possible litigation. Not being a fan of Olive Garden and their brand of faux-Italian cuisine, I held out hope that what we had here was a restaurant that attempted to be a BETTER Olive Garden, rather than Olive Garden's creepy quiet cousin with the wandering eye that follows it around. I had some breadsticks, which were okay, and ordered a seafood alfredo dish. What I got was a massive bowl of pasta with what looked like previously frozen seafood covered in a plain white, near-flavorless "alfredo" sauce. I took a few bites, but there was nothing there. No color, no flavor, nothing. The seafood didn't even have any flavor left. For some reason, I accepted the to-go box from the waiter and put the rest in it before I left (by "left", of course I mean skated out the door on a thin film of grease). As I walked into the hotel lobby, I asked myself if I was really going to open that box, or maybe just munch on a little single-serving bag of potato chips I had in the room. So I threw the box in the trash can and went upstairs.
(1)
Richard D.
Had dinner tonight at olive tree. Typically it's great but tonight was awful. The service was the worst I have had here and we frequent the olive tree. Either way the two stars were given because the food was good.
(2)
Jennifer S.
I was able to make it in just before the lunch rush started. The waitress gave us more salad than two people could eat with a meal. It still wasn't busy when we had to flag the waitress down for a water refill and more of their unlimited breadsticks. One thing that I always request at restaurants is ice without water, and it didn't surprise me that the waitress allowed my refill to have ice in it. Thinking about it more, there might not have been a lunch rush but rather a problem seating the party of ten that arrived after us. The food was so bad that neither I nor my guest wanted to finish our meal or take it home. The vegetables tasted like they were frozen and then steamed - served plain without butter or seasonings. His fish tasted like it had the frost burn cooked off of it. My steak was served a little too well-done, without seasonings. The salad was the best part of the meal. The comparison that this place begs to have with the Olive Garden ends with their food. I will consider skipping lunch before I go back here.
(2)
Becca H.
Olive tree is a better (MUCH better) version of Olive Garden. The shrimp and crab penne is delicious, very creamy and flavorful with lots of shrimp and crab. Their steaks are also great, seasoned well and always cooked to your liking. The crab dip and crab pretzel are always a treat. The shrimp in the grilled shrimp Naples are seasoned to perfection. I could go on and on about many of the dishes that I've tried at olive tree, and they all have one thing in common: they are all delicious and worth every penny. The service is good, the drinks are good (try the sangrias!), and this has made olive tree one of my favorite restaurants. The only *small* negative is that I'm not too fond of their breadsticks. But that's easily overlooked given the fact that everything else is amazing!
(5)
C R.
Very nice seafood place. I went with a large group on Sunday night and there was plenty of seating. We were seated within minutes. Even with the quick seating, the food was great. I was hungry, so when they came out with the salad and breadsticks, I filled up on that. We also got the pretzel crab thing as an appetizer. The sauce was a bit too much, but still good stuff. For entrees, I tried crab cakes with swordfish and ribs, as well as some clam pasta. We also ordered calamari pasta, but I didn't try that. Overall, nothing to complain about. Good food, nice environment and responsive waitresses. Would totally stop by again if in the area.
(4)
Pri P.
I love their seafood Alfredo, crab pretzel, and shrimp Fra Diavolo. Delicious!!!!
(4)
Dan J.
There is something to be said about a place which copies everything it can from a sub-par restaurant (The Olive Garden) and winds up being worse in almost every respect. Negative one star each for being dirty, tasteless, and a cheap knock-off. Some like it but the only time I go is when there is a going-away for a colleague or other work function I can't get out of...
(2)
Asil G.
This is one of my favorite places to eat lunch and dinner. The food is consistantly fresh, the people are friendly, there's a welcoming atmosphere & they have great daily specials.
(5)
Tommy F.
This place sucks. I was staying in a hotel across the street while my car was getting repaired. Dinner was awful. My hotel restaurant (pause a moment ot reflect on this) offered tastier, fresher food. Olive Garden is a bad enough spoof of Italian food, and this joint actually tried to rip off Olive Garden. Dishonest, but what can you expect, being the same family who runs this photocopy also ran the late Grab-N-Go of shameful memory.
(1)
Paul B.
I was pretty impressed with the Olive Tree. Staff was very attentive and my meal was good. I was impressed with the house salad and bread sticks that kicked everything off. I will be back when I'm in the area again.
(4)
Seth M.
I'm with Debbie A on this one... this is just another iteration of the Olive Garden. No better, no worse. The happy hour specials aren't bad.
(3)
Joseph R.
Tried this place based on the recommendation of hotel staff. Not a lot if choices near by and I like the idea of a locally owned place. Interesting spin off from Olive Garden theme. I ordered the Chicken Marsalla. the portion was fit for two. Taste was good but the Marsalla sauce was served more like a soup than a sauce (a little to much for my taste). Sauce was thick, like gravy. Chicken was tender, although it seamed like pre-packaged quality. I chose the seasoned broccoli rather than a pasta, and was pleasantly surprised. Broccoli was cooked just right and seasoning was nice. Prior to the meal they served an acceptable garden salad with creamy Italian dressing and butter soaked bread sticks with little flavor. I would rate this place as acceptable. I will try them again to see if it may have been just this dish. Service was good, with a small town attentiveness.
(2)
Geoff c.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. The endless breadsticks and salads were great (and yes, it's exactly like an Olive Garden). They were able to accommodate us as a large walk-in group. The crab cakes were very good. The portions on everything were very filling. I personally thought it was better than Olive Garden (at least those that I've been to).
(4)
Terry B.
Been here a few times. It's like playing Russian roulette, you don't know how it's going to turn out. A few years ago, everything was always good. I get the stuffed shrimp and it is usually pretty good and filling. Just depends on who the cook is on the night you go. Had a bad experience with a waiter not speaking good English and made things a little difficult. I will go back again though. The salad and breadsticks are pretty good also.
(3)
Bob D.
Been here a few times now and every time it's been really good. The food is most definitely fresh and good quality. Atmosphere is ok too. Definitely one of the better restaurants in the area.
(4)
Griffith G.
Wow... this place was cheap, but not inexpensive. I live in Boston and my neighborhood is known for it's fabulous restaurants. There is a terrific Italian restaurant just a few blocks away that serves homemade pastas, delicate sauces, excellent fresh seafood dishes all this and a great bar. Maybe I was expecting to much, or maybe I'm a food snob, but this place was terrible. I tried to order a sidecar, but the waiter informed me that the bar tender would want to know what was in that... Ok, maybe I'll just have a beer. I ordered a crab and penne dish. Crab, in a Maryland restaurant, duh... should be a no brainer. The tiny bits of crab where barley worth mentioning and the cheap penne pasta was drowned by a heavy alfredo style sauce. The dish was not good. My sister ordered fried calamari, and it was terrible. Fried, salty rubber. Truly some of the worst calamari I have tried. The large portions of cheap quality food is typical of a large chain restaurant, however this is not a large chain. I wonder how my local restaurant can serve such high quality food, in a neighborhood with very high rent for retail spaces, and yet the prices are very similar to this Olive Garden... I mean Olive Tree crap. I can't imagine why places like this do so well. I usually try to be positive about something in my reviews, but there is nothing to celebrate.
(1)
Sabine M.
We love this place. Every time we travel to Maryland, we make a special trip to stop and eat. The Crab Cakes are out of this world. Definitely worth every penny. Food is great, service good and the portions are enough for a few meals. I would definitely recommend The Olive Tree.
(5)
Eric W.
I just got take out from here tonight. More food, more deliciousness. I tried the shrimp scampi for the first time and loved it.
(4)
Rachel C.
This place is EXACTLY like Olive Garden but with more seafood. Even down to the soup, salad and breadsticks. If you're in Aberdeen, this is probably the best place you'll find to eat out. Food is good, service is great.
(3)
Stephen M.
Excellent service and food was great.
(5)
Christina W.
I remember the early days of this place where you watched fresh pasta being made while you waited. I remember when the food here wasnt just good it was really good. Sadly thats not the case anymore. Obvious short cuts are being taken in the quality of food. Seems cheaper is working. Lump crab in the crab dip is replaced with pink strings or a cheaper version. The one good thing about this place is the bar. Its usually a good time.
(2)
Jay S.
I actually like this place better than the Olive Garden that it's meant to emulate. The free salad and breadsticks are super fresh and are always delicious. I've tried a different entree every time and have yet to be disappointed. The discounted drinks and appetizers during happy hour are one of the better ones in Aberdeen.
(5)
Katharine T.
My boss and I came here for lunch today. He had the crab cakes, which are apparently really good, and I had the Chicken Parm, which was A-OK but not delicious. The service was pretty good, and very friendly. The meals come with free salad and breadsticks (a la Olive Garden), actually, the whole place is very Olive-Garden-esque, but decent fare.
(3)
Metin A.
Clearly, this restaurant is playing off of Olive Garden in both image and food choices. The waiting staff was friendly and did their jobs well. I was disappointed in the shrimp scampi--I know it is supposed to be in a butter garlic sauce, however I felt as if at least an entire stick of butter was used just for my dish. Far to heavy and buttery, and it killed whatever flavor should have been there. For what it's worth, their prices are competitive and the food is OK. Service was good as well, so I can't truly complain.
(3)
Paige L.
I have eaten at The Olive Tree a few times in the past and have usually had some sort of pasta dish. However, last night I wasn't in the mood for something heavy so I ordered a crab cake and asparagus. The crab cake was huge and delicious. I couldn't imagine have gotten the two crab cake option, as one was quite satisfying. My boyfriend just ordered an appetizer of mussels, and the plate was huge and the mussels were quite tasty. I even enjoyed the salad, although I am usually not a fan of Italian Dressing. Overall, we were quite satisfied with out meal and will probably go back there again.
(4)
Jacki S.
We go here often. Much better than Olive Garden. You get a lot of food for the money. Salad dressing is fabulous. I do wish they used better tomatoes in the salad. Even in the summer, their tomatoes are flavorless. Crab ravioli is excellent, so is the spaghetti carbonara. Can't remember what it is called, but the dish that has lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and fettucine alfredo is huge! You will definitely need a box!
(4)
Paul B.
Sadly for Harford County, Olive Tree is a pretty good restaurant compared to everything else around. They arguably have one of the best crab cakes around, the wine menu is simple and affordable, and the service good. I tried the Pork Romano. It's a delicous, delectable dish, with all of my favorites: pork cutlets, spinach, prosciutto, and a tasty gravy. Unfortunately, it was at least twice as salty as it should have been, knocking off one star. Still, I'm always happy to eat at Olive Tree.
(4)
Joe D.
I was actually surprised at this place. The crab and shrimp pasta was good even if it was with pink sauce which is a combination of Alfredo and marinara. The Salad was excellent to. Next time I am in town again I will eat here again tro try some of their grilled Italian seafood!
(4)
Douglas W.
The Olive Tree does an outstanding job. Friendly service, EXCELLENT CRAB dishes, good place for larger groups. My only issues is they can get real busy, but when you have good food at reasonable prices...
(4)
L L.
my new favorite Italian place! A co-worker highly recommended the Olive Tree when we moved to the area and started looking for great places to have a delicious meal. We were highly impressed with how versatile the menu is (easily twice as much to offer as Olive Garden or Carrabbas). I liked the salad better here.. it has chunks of cucumber and the dressing is much more flavorful! The breadsticks here have some special seasoning on them and they aren't drowned in butter and overly salty. We started with an appetizer, the bang bang shrimp, which had a spicy, delicious sauce on it, and with a spicy surprise: the calamari had a few fried pepperoncini rings mixed in there too! Such a nice surprise. Our entrees were also completely fabulous. The Olive Tree offers more options of protein, plus thicker, richer, more delicious sauces. The wait staff was extremely prompt, friendly and pleasant. Our food arrived super quickly. Of course, my major test of a restaurant is how clean the restroom is. The restroom here is beautiful, trendy, and CLEAN! Easily the cleanest bathroom I've ever seen! We left the restaurant completely full, completely happy, and with a goody bag full of leftovers! Doesnt get any better than that! We will DEFINITELY be returning SOON! Next time we don't know where to go or have company visiting, we will definitely be bringing ourselves to the Olive Tree!
(5)
Tim G.
We came here during a working lunch. It was good, what can I say? I got the angel hair spaghetti. ERRR, wrong answer! Never get spaghetti during work hours. You will most assuredly splatter on yourself. I did. Otherwise our service was decent. I do remember being a bit thirsty for far too long, though. The food took a bit to come out, but it was worth the wait. The price was a wee much, but nothing I haven't paid before for similar, or worse, food. All in all not a bad place, similar to Olive Garden, though I wonder which came first - the chicken or the e-- err, Olive Garden or Olive Tree?
(3)
Tanya C.
Umm... I don't understand the great reviews this place has been getting. Maybe I'm too picky but I have had much better... even at Olive Garden. I had the clam livorno, which interesting enough had bacon in it (or some sort of ham). It also had sand which was an unexpected and unwelcomed addition... I guess they didn't clean the clams well enough. Overall disappointing. My friend had the pork chops which he didn't even touch after he took one bite. Overall the food was bad though you did get a ton of it for the price you pay, but I don't really want to take this home. So if your going for quantity over quality then come here. You even get free salad and breadsticks...
(2)
Michael R.
Great chicken Parmesan and salad was awesome too!
(5)
debbie a.
Nothing much to say except for that this is Olive Garden version 2.0
(3)
James K.
This place is a great value, now it's not a fancy Italian restaurant that some of the other reviews are trying to compare it to. I'm from the Washington DC area and I travel to Aberdeen often. I wish we had something like this down by us. It is similar to the Olive Garden, but in every way it's way better!!! This is a great place to get good food at a great price.
(5)
Katty C.
I ordered the rib eye steak from a special hand written menu (a piece of paper) and it was not good at all. The meat itself was okay but somehow they sunk the steak with so much juice on the plate (a shallow bowl) and it just make it so salty. Okay, I would say it is definitely edible, but surely not great.
(2)
Barbara D.
Always have wonderful food and service at The Olive Tree.
(5)
Mark T.
Why do people like this place. It's like a bad Olive Garden.
(2)
Kelly B.
The Olive Tree is no doubt better AND unrelated to Olive Branch and Olive Garden. The bread is fresher, the salads are WAY better and the food is superb. My Mother and I go to Olive Tree in Aberdeen for every special occasion. Their chicken parmigiana is excellent-very large and very filling. I wish they would give more spaghetti :p The spinach ravioli is amazing and so is the chicken chesapeake. Alright-to be honest everything's good. The atmosphere is really nice and at times peaceful. Usually don't have to make reservations unless it's a holiday. So delicious, I wish I was there right now.
(5)
Manny P.
Best crab pretzel eaten so far
(5)
Nick B.
Two years ago I would have given this place five stars. Although it is still a tastier Olive Garden, I feel like the quality of the food has dropped while the prices have raised. The portions are still massive, and the breadsticks are infinitely better than the Garden. However, I got shrimp last time I was there and I could tell that some of my food had been frozen at one point. The quality just seems to be a shell of what it used to be. The wait staff is still friendly and the place is a decent place for a relatively quiet lunch or dinner, but there are better Italian places out there.
(3)
Crit V.
Great service, excellent food and fair price. Family style American Italian. Visited here in 2010.
(3)
barry k.
The food is pedestrian, no spices, ordered a seafood dish topped with fresh basil, for the life of us we couldn't find any! The portions are too big, but this place is about quantity, not quality. Our server never inquired if we enjoyed our meal! Me and the Mrs. make a better spaghetti sauce! If you want real Italian food go to Liberatores!
(2)
Paige R.
Comparatively to the other area options, this place is like a diamond in the rough. The experience is pretty much exactly like Olive Garden (go figure) except the cooked seafood is actually very tasty. Note I qualified that. On my last visit, there was no way I could get all the home-cooked goodness in my stomach and the waitress boxed up the extra never-ending salad bowl and the rest of my dinner. There was so much (a good three servings of chicken on one dish) that I ate the leftovers for lunch for the next two days!
(4)
Brian M.
Well let me say this place is great, I am Italian off the boat from Genoa so decent to good Italian is easy for me to spot. When we go to Olive tree which is now quit often we always start with the Fried Calamari and the stuffed oyster appetizers which is almost a meal in itself but we usually go with a party of 4-5. This is by no means a steak house and I don't recommend the steak on any level as the one time I ordered it I received a fatty lump of crap that tasted a bit of bleach "Bleach, Really". Everything else is incredible as far as American Italian goes, I must insist you try the Seafood Alfredo as it is the most incredible pasta dish I have tasted here in the states. My wife quit enjoys the Chicken parma and the shrimp scampi. The decor and atmosphere is a bit reminisce of Olive garden but all other likenesses end there
(5)
John G.
We went here for my uncle's birthday. The food and the service was outstanding. I highly recommend the crab cakes, but the past was good as well.
(4)
Anthony B.
Ok so my uncle lives in aberdeen and he always takes me to this place to eat whenever i am passing thru or visiting him. I am from North Jersey so i do know good italian food, and plus i am italian so yeah i know whats up lol. The food here is actually pretty good but the thing that i think is the best here is the Crab Pretzel. Holy crap is this thing just a wonderful fattening concoction. Its a big pretzel topped with a cheese sauce and lump crab meat then topped with more cheese. Well i haven't had this in well over a year but i will tell you that i am craving this. If you ever come here this appetizer is a MUST. I promise that you will love this.
(4)
Dan L.
I got the lasagna and it was pretty good. It's very similar to Olive Garden, even down to the breadsticks and the salad. Don't make a special trip but it's worth the stop if you're drivin' through.
(4)
Eric N.
It's similar to an Olive Garden. My colleagues and I actually came here two days in a row because it was conveniently located near our hotel. It might have been 3 stars, except that it was good both times so it earns the 4th star for consistency. I got a massive lasagna the second time and it was everything I could do to eat 75% of it.
(4)
Andrew E.
The food here was ok. If you are looking for something like soup and salad for lunch, it is a good spot. If you are looking for good pasta don't go here. I would say it is
(3)
Brian T.
This place has good Italian food for a reasonable price. The only reason I wouldn't rate it higher is because the pizza tastes like it is made from a pizza kit you would find at the grocery store and there is almost nothing on the menu for people trying to avoid consuming 1,500+ calories in one meal.
(3)
Heather T.
Our food was very bland. My salad plate was dirty. The Alfredo sauce was separating on the plate and desperately needed salt. The Olive Tree gives an appearance of a restaurant that you might want to sit down , relax, have some wine and enjoy a nice dinner with your significant other however the noise level is RIDICULOUS! You couldn't even hold a conversation at your table. This was at 7:30 on a saturday night. Chuck E Cheese has a quieter atmosphere. Also there are people constantly walking past and bumping into your table. At one point some guys ass bumped into our bread stick holder and another time people were standing behind my husband as we were eating and they kept bumping him with their asses. The worst part of this is we waited over 45 minutes for this awful experience and I couldn't wait to get out of there. Even if the food was outstanding (which it totally wasn't) it wouldn't be worth the misery of putting up with that environment. Harford county really needs some good new restaurants where a couple can have a nice relaxing dinner with out kids/people screaming, constant motion going by and good food.
(1)
Bruce B.
I stop in Aberdeen regularly and get tired of going to the same places all the time. I heard this is the best place in town so I stopped in. I'd say I feel sorry for Aberdeen, but I do like the Bob Evans and Applebee's there. Much better than Olive Tree. I guess it is like Olive Garden, but I don't like Olive Garden either. I understand this is somewhat of an Italian restaurant, but the special was Corned Beef and Cabbage. Should have been the clue I needed to head out. I ordered a Chicken Marsala and forgot to ask for dressing on the side of the salad. I'm actually not too fussy and when I forget to to ask I accept the risk. But the salad was drowning in dressing. Totally inedible. totally! I would have shrugged this off as my mistake but the Marsala was drowning in sauce. There's really no need for that in a fine restaurant. I had eaten here once before and thought it was acceptable (not great, just ok) but this has really turned me off. The service was good, the price was reasonable, just not what my palate was looking for. I guess I'll stick with my old standards. It's pretty sad when a nice restaurant can't top Bob Evans.
(2)
Mike Y.
We have not been here for a little bit, so some things might have changed. To pretense - it is a better version of Olive Garden, but still is Americanized Italian. We have noticed a little decrease in the quality of food over the past couple of years, but we are big fans of the blacken chicken alfredo and the crab cakes venetian. Service is hit or miss. Portion sizes are generous, and the salad and breadsticks are usually pretty good. Close to home, so it is convenient, but if we want some better quality Italian we would go to Chiapparelli's in Havre de Grace.
(4)
Suzanne S.
Our waitress was very pleasant. The food was good.
(4)
Eric F.
I ate at The Olive Tree last year when I came to Aberdeen and I'm getting hungry just sitting here thinking about it. Between the crab cakes and the stuffed shells entree that I had, I was in heaven.
(5)
Foula H.
Love love love!!! Crab pretzel, crabcakes, peach sangria..mmmmmmm
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Trina B.
If your looking for a real lump crab cake then this is your go to spot.You can get broiled or fried. They also have pasta as well as complimentary salad with breadsticks. You can get a variety of drinks such as Sangria for as little as $5
(4)Tina D.
Very good food. A bit pricey but you get a lot of food. Fresh food. Probably one of the better restaurants in Aberdeen. No complaints.
(4)Stan T.
After reading the mixed reviews of the Olive Tree in Aberdeen, I had to try it to decide for myself whether or not I liked it. Right off the bat I asked me server if the meat sauce was all beef. It is. The Olive Garden's is NOT. So I wind up ordering an angel hair with meat sauce, my standard by which to judge. The salad was one plate, not a bowl, but that's ok. It was enough to tide me over until the pasta came out. IT WAS SUPERB!!!! The perfect blend of pasta to meat sauce, spices, everything. I wound up taking only a small portion home with me for later. My server was very attentive, but forgot to give me my check. Seriously I could have taken my doggie bag and walked out. I couldn't do that though. I was raised better than that. I tracked the manager down and paid my tab. I'll definitely be returning!!
(4)Lindsay W.
The salad and bread sticks here put olive garden to shame.
(4)Michael K.
Good food and good service - they were able to accommodate our last minute reservation for 30 people, in town for a Ripken Tournament. Service was a little long but that's too be expected with a large party. Everyone's order was spot on, which is usually not to be expected with a large party so kudos here. Had the baked ziti, others had the crab dishes and said they were very good. I would come here again.
(3)Kyle P.
My family vacation took a turn for the worst yesterday and the RV we rented broke down 4 hrs into our trip. PS. Don't use cruise America, they will leave you stranded!!!!!!! Anyways. After many tears and dance parties on the sidewalk of the Sunoco Maryland house, we abandoned the RV and crammed all of our stuff into a taxi van and headed to the super 8 for a bed for the night. Not knowing what a treat it would be we walked across the street to Olive tree!! A true step above Olive Garden. The food was fantastic and all local produce!!! Our waiterTerrell heard about our day and took care of us, like we w were family. It was a busy night for him too. With fantastic food and service I recommend Olive Tree to any Italian lover and really any food lover. Thank you Olive Tree for saving our night and our appetite!!!!
(5)Jim O.
Good food, decent portions, very nice staff. A bit on the pricy side, but not so much as to be off putting. Would go again.
(4)Ashley R.
New to the area and heard this place was good Italian and it was delicious!! Ordered Togo food for a Friday night in, and while we spent $50, we got sooooo much food. We didn't know the portions were so large and you get breadsticks and house salad with entrees. Ordered a buffalo chicken pretzel, not my favorite but my BF loved it. I had asked if they had vodka sauce because it wasn't in the menu online and they made a dish for me during the dinner rush (rare for most restaurants considering they were packed) and then we also got two large salads. All in all great experience, I really appreciate that the Togo team checks your order with you while you're standing there so you don't make it home with a wrong item.
(4)Megan J.
Met a few friends here for lunch and was surprised to find no pasta on their lunch menu. I ended up ordering the Manicotti anyway which was pretty good and came with the typical bottomless salad & breadsticks. One of our party ordered the lunch special, but didn't want the soup so I also had Cream of Crab soup. I loved the soup (I'm a sucker for cream of crab). I wasn't feeling super great, so not being 100% enthused was probably influenced by that. One of my friends paid with a twenty and the waitress brought back a $10 so she had to ask for change, which was a bit odd.
(4)KATRINA W.
Forks were dirty. Wine glasses were dirty. Soda glasses were dirty. My seat was dirty. Hubby wouldn't leave with me. Ordered shrimp. They were good but sitting in 4 cups of melted butter. Salad was ok. 1st and last time.
(1)Garyala A.
Order take out of lobster ravioli, olive tree crab dip, spinach & cheese ravioli and a bowl of cream of crab soup, everything was outstanding, delicious and fresh, even the green salad, the bread is so soft and tasty. It was my first time experiencing Olive Tree, I love it, will definitely make this a good favorite restaurant to tell family and friends....looking forward to coming back to experience the rest of the menu soon.
(5)Holly J.
Love the crab cakes and blackened chicken alfredo. They give you a nice salad and bread sticks along with your entree.
(5)Tony M.
Like others have said, this is like a non-chain Olive Garden, down to the salad in the same bowl and the same breadsticks. They have more seafood on their menu, though. Service was impeccable and made lots of adjustments without complaint due to picky people in my party. The food was solid, nothing spectacular and not much different than that other place whose name starts with "Olive," but a little better. I got Italian food so maybe I went wrong there, but I wasn't in the mood for crab cakes. All in all a solid place, if not exceptional.
(3)Painless R.
First, they waiter brought out this salad that was just thrown together and drenched in this salad dressing. I had the crab burger and the patty wasn't seasoned at all. It was this crab paste that was smeared on. The waitress was ok, though forgetful at times. I'm here on business, so I don't have to worry about going there again.
(1)Sarah B.
I'm sure there are better places in Little Italy, but I've been coming here for my birthday every year since I was a kid. I bet there are even fantastic things on the menu other than what I get every time, but I'm ok with that. It's always either Veal Parm or Seafood Afredo for me all the way. The veal is real, not frozen and hand breaded, the Alfredo thick and creamy with scallops, shrimp and crab. Yes, you'll get the salad and breadsticks treatment that you'll get at an Olive GARDEN, but have the satisfaction of not furthering a corporate chain. I'm loyal to the places I frequent, and at least once a year, no matter where in the tri state area we lived, we ALWAYS came back to the Olive Tree.
(4)Jess S.
I always order the chicken chesapeake when I come here. It's usually delicious. This time however, the crab imperial was tasteless. What happened? It used to be so flavorful. The color was even different. My fiance had the cream of crab soup which was great Esp with the breadsticks, but his main course, fish tacos, were gross. (Don't ask me why he ordered fish tacos at an Italian resturant) it was basically fried fish sticks with a slice of avacado and some wilted slaw and an odd cream sauce. Service was good, sangria was yummy, and we love the salad and breadsticks. For $60 though, we left underwhelmed and won't be returning for a while.
(3)Jalisa J.
The Olive Tree has been one of my favorite restaurants since I was a child. I still go here every year with my parents for my birthday. The Olive Garden is also both of my parents favorite restaurants, so I also go here for their birthdays every year also. They have great drinks, and amazing food! I almost always order their lasagna and I have never been disappointed. The Olive Garden is a million times better than The Olive Garden (which is it sometimes confused with) - the food is better, the service is better, and the staff is better. If you are ever in the Aberdeen area, The Olive Tree is worth a try!
(5)Matt N.
It's a Great HH place with lots of people to mingle with if that's your thing. The remodeled place is better too. Service awesome!
(4)Victoria S.
We usually go here over the years for big events but haven't been on that side of the county in awhile so we decided to go last Saturday around noon. The place was empty, with only one other couple in the dining area. They removed all booths in our section so we had to sit at a table with chairs, which were a little uncomfortable. For an Italian place, the mood was eerie bc of the Jazz playing in the background. We ordered the crab pretzel (one of our favs) but was surprised at the small portion of crab this time around. Before I could never see the pretzel bc there would be so much crab around it. This time it was all pretzel and a small one at that. I understand it was lunch time but it's the same price as dinner $12? My sons friend ordered burger and fries and the fries were cold, breadsticks were dry. I had about 4 shrimp in my shrimp Milano and I only took 4 bites of that before it turned cold. The only thing that saved my lunch was our waiter. He was amazing and I even felt bad for him and gave a huge tip. He was there before I ever needed to ask for anything. For the price, I will do what most of the locals are doing and make my way towards White Marsh or the city for a good Italian meal.
(3)Amy P.
This is kind of like a offbrand Olive Garden, and to be honest, I would rather spend money here than at an actual Olive Garden. The food is average, again, what you find at any casual Italian place. I had bruchsetta to start and it was quite nice, the pasta dish however, was only ok. The sauce was a little thin for my tastes. Bread sticks and salad were, again, average. I would eat here again, but, not on a regular basis. Wait staff is very nice, the decor is also nicely updated.
(3)Patricia O.
Outstanding food. Service was great. Used OT many times for parties. Everyone loved it. Full pans come with salad and garlic bread. Wonderful desserts.
(5)Marianne M.
Chose this restaurant at random for lunch while traveling and oh em gee...great choice! There is a large bar area with high tables and large windows, but we chose to eat in the dining area. Its roomy, clean and well_lit, with large windows as well. Our waitress was prompt and knowledgeable. There were 5 specials, including seafood, turkey, pork, and beef options. They also offer pasta, burgers, salads, pizza, and steak. We ordered the turkey dinner special, shrimp and crab penne in a cream sauce with asparagus and Sun-dried tomatoes, and a cup of Maryland crab soup. A family style salad and breadsticks was included. All of it was very fresh and perfectly prepared. My husband is still raving about the turkey dinner! It included a pile of roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, and cranberry sauce. The portion sizes were large...we took half of it to go. The only thing that wasn't fresh was the canned cranberry sauce, which he didn't mind. The penne dish had plenty of shrimp and crab, fresh asparagus and sundried tomatoes, and the perfect amount of sauce. There were plenty of great dessert options , including creme brule and canolis, but we couldn't eat another bite! We've already decided to make this a "must stop" the next time we are traveling through Maryland.
(5)Gaurav D.
One of THE worst service I've felt by a waitress. We figured there might not be as much diversity in the town, however, we defiantly did not think it would show. 4 out of 5 of us had to use the restroom right after the dinner. We also had to wait about 30 minutes for our checks, keeping in mind it was not busy AT ALL!
(1)Chris M.
Although the staff was very professional and fast, the food was NOT worth the price. For that matter I wouldn't have been satisfied at any price point. 20$ for a plate of store bought frozen and thawed artificial crab and generic pasta covered in a thin tasteless sauce... Pass by the Olive Tree... Save your money.
(2)T.J. F.
The atmosphere is classy and refined, but the food is not necessarily what you would classify as "fancy" fare. They try to combine Md seafood with Italian cuisine and succeed quite well. I highly recommend the crab pretzel and the crab burger, both topped with the same crab dip. It contains chunks of crab meat so large, you may as well be eating a burger with a whole crab cake on top.
(5)Kevin J.
This place reminds me of the movie "Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy. Olive Tree is the the rip off of Olive Garden. The food quality is a little lower than Olive Garden, but so is the price so it evens out. I work around here, so it is a typical lunch spot. The wait staff will get you in and out and back to work. But I would not go out of my way to come here for dinner. Recommend the lasagna.
(3)Jonathan M.
It's very simple, Olive Tree is very similiar to the well-known Olive Garden. However, I thought it was a little better. Therefore, a large portion of this review will be more of a comparison. Salad & Breadsticks: I liked their salad better as it had a larger variety of vegetables, and was made with a creamy italian dressing instead. I disliked their breadsticks as it was disgustingly doused in butter. The butter even seeped downthrough the paper napkins and out through the tray onto the table. Now that's excessive. Entrees: I can't say the taste of the food was any better or worse, but Olive Tree's menu seems slightly more extensive. **Olive Tree doesn't give out the little chocolate mints with your bill** When evaluating Olive Tree for what it is, a chain Italian restaurant, looking at Service, Quality, Food Quantity, & Price.... I'll give it 3 stars.
(3)C N.
This place is the Paula Dean's of italian food. Everything was drenched in butter. To top it off, the service was horrible. We didnt get a refill during our entire meal even though there were about 5 teenagers standing around not doing anything. I would highly recomend avoiding this place unless you have a lot of time to kill or arteries to clog
(1)L L.
Food- Great sea food. We had the surf and turf, the crab cakes and the crab pretzel. Lavatory - Clean. Atmosphere- It was bright and full, busy, but not noisy or crowded. Value- we spent almost $100, but it was worth it. Operations- Happy friendly service. Return- Oh yes, I'll be back. Notes: I've definitely bookmarked this one.
(4)Christina H.
I love this place! They are in the middle of a remodel, but they are still open for business. My husband and I came here a few weeks ago and enjoyed a nice quiet dinner. This place is very similar to Olive Garden with the fact that you will receive free breadsticks and salad with your entree. There are endless menu options and everything I have ordered from there has been delicious. My family used to always come here when we were younger and even still it is a good place to eat. The service is attentive and you will leave full (and with leftovers!)
(4)David B.
When traveling via car, a long distance, I am not one to sit behind the wheel for 11 hours. Eight or nine hours and I'm done for the day. Traveling to Virginia, I found I needed to stop for the night....I couldn't quite make it to Baltimore. The green sign of the Olive Tree beckoned. The biggest surprise to this random dining choice: the crab cakes. Over an over again, crab cakes skimp on the crab in favor of the binder. The Olive Tree did not....crab cakes that were nearly solid sweet, succulent crab. The best I've had in many years. If I find my self traveling again on I-95 south, the Olive Tree beckons for crab.
(4)Jim E.
I have been going here for years. I have not been in a while. The food quality is not what it used to be. It was average. It has more of a fast food feel to it than the high quality meals they used to serve. It seems they are catering more to the quick in and out traffic from the interstate and don't have to worry about repeat business. The real irritant was when they refused to serve me a beer(my 1st of the evening) without carding me to make sure I really am 50 years old and refused to serve my 49 year old companion since she left her purse at home. At my age that's ridiculous. The manager said Harford county required it but I have lived here 25 years and never had this happen. I will not go back.
(2)Jeff K.
This place has some pretty decent reviews and I, weary from my flight into town, checked Yelp from my hotel room to see what was nearby for a decent sit down dinner. Being only a mile from the hotel and a name foreign to me, I headed over to Olive Tree for a bite. Crowded parking lot, that's a good sign, right? I walked up to the hostess stand, oddly placed in the middle of the restaurant, and I was led to a booth in one of the rear sections of the building and was immediately assaulted by an odor, kind of a mix between garbage and wet mildewy rags. I almost killed myself getting into the booth due to the greasy film coating the tile floor. It was enough that you could get from one place to the other without ever lifting your feet. Undeterred (all these people are here for a reason, right?) I looked through the menu which, like all other things at Olive Tree, was just barely different enough from the Olive Garden so as to avoid possible litigation. Not being a fan of Olive Garden and their brand of faux-Italian cuisine, I held out hope that what we had here was a restaurant that attempted to be a BETTER Olive Garden, rather than Olive Garden's creepy quiet cousin with the wandering eye that follows it around. I had some breadsticks, which were okay, and ordered a seafood alfredo dish. What I got was a massive bowl of pasta with what looked like previously frozen seafood covered in a plain white, near-flavorless "alfredo" sauce. I took a few bites, but there was nothing there. No color, no flavor, nothing. The seafood didn't even have any flavor left. For some reason, I accepted the to-go box from the waiter and put the rest in it before I left (by "left", of course I mean skated out the door on a thin film of grease). As I walked into the hotel lobby, I asked myself if I was really going to open that box, or maybe just munch on a little single-serving bag of potato chips I had in the room. So I threw the box in the trash can and went upstairs.
(1)Richard D.
Had dinner tonight at olive tree. Typically it's great but tonight was awful. The service was the worst I have had here and we frequent the olive tree. Either way the two stars were given because the food was good.
(2)Jennifer S.
I was able to make it in just before the lunch rush started. The waitress gave us more salad than two people could eat with a meal. It still wasn't busy when we had to flag the waitress down for a water refill and more of their unlimited breadsticks. One thing that I always request at restaurants is ice without water, and it didn't surprise me that the waitress allowed my refill to have ice in it. Thinking about it more, there might not have been a lunch rush but rather a problem seating the party of ten that arrived after us. The food was so bad that neither I nor my guest wanted to finish our meal or take it home. The vegetables tasted like they were frozen and then steamed - served plain without butter or seasonings. His fish tasted like it had the frost burn cooked off of it. My steak was served a little too well-done, without seasonings. The salad was the best part of the meal. The comparison that this place begs to have with the Olive Garden ends with their food. I will consider skipping lunch before I go back here.
(2)Becca H.
Olive tree is a better (MUCH better) version of Olive Garden. The shrimp and crab penne is delicious, very creamy and flavorful with lots of shrimp and crab. Their steaks are also great, seasoned well and always cooked to your liking. The crab dip and crab pretzel are always a treat. The shrimp in the grilled shrimp Naples are seasoned to perfection. I could go on and on about many of the dishes that I've tried at olive tree, and they all have one thing in common: they are all delicious and worth every penny. The service is good, the drinks are good (try the sangrias!), and this has made olive tree one of my favorite restaurants. The only *small* negative is that I'm not too fond of their breadsticks. But that's easily overlooked given the fact that everything else is amazing!
(5)C R.
Very nice seafood place. I went with a large group on Sunday night and there was plenty of seating. We were seated within minutes. Even with the quick seating, the food was great. I was hungry, so when they came out with the salad and breadsticks, I filled up on that. We also got the pretzel crab thing as an appetizer. The sauce was a bit too much, but still good stuff. For entrees, I tried crab cakes with swordfish and ribs, as well as some clam pasta. We also ordered calamari pasta, but I didn't try that. Overall, nothing to complain about. Good food, nice environment and responsive waitresses. Would totally stop by again if in the area.
(4)Pri P.
I love their seafood Alfredo, crab pretzel, and shrimp Fra Diavolo. Delicious!!!!
(4)Dan J.
There is something to be said about a place which copies everything it can from a sub-par restaurant (The Olive Garden) and winds up being worse in almost every respect. Negative one star each for being dirty, tasteless, and a cheap knock-off. Some like it but the only time I go is when there is a going-away for a colleague or other work function I can't get out of...
(2)Asil G.
This is one of my favorite places to eat lunch and dinner. The food is consistantly fresh, the people are friendly, there's a welcoming atmosphere & they have great daily specials.
(5)Tommy F.
This place sucks. I was staying in a hotel across the street while my car was getting repaired. Dinner was awful. My hotel restaurant (pause a moment ot reflect on this) offered tastier, fresher food. Olive Garden is a bad enough spoof of Italian food, and this joint actually tried to rip off Olive Garden. Dishonest, but what can you expect, being the same family who runs this photocopy also ran the late Grab-N-Go of shameful memory.
(1)Paul B.
I was pretty impressed with the Olive Tree. Staff was very attentive and my meal was good. I was impressed with the house salad and bread sticks that kicked everything off. I will be back when I'm in the area again.
(4)Seth M.
I'm with Debbie A on this one... this is just another iteration of the Olive Garden. No better, no worse. The happy hour specials aren't bad.
(3)Joseph R.
Tried this place based on the recommendation of hotel staff. Not a lot if choices near by and I like the idea of a locally owned place. Interesting spin off from Olive Garden theme. I ordered the Chicken Marsalla. the portion was fit for two. Taste was good but the Marsalla sauce was served more like a soup than a sauce (a little to much for my taste). Sauce was thick, like gravy. Chicken was tender, although it seamed like pre-packaged quality. I chose the seasoned broccoli rather than a pasta, and was pleasantly surprised. Broccoli was cooked just right and seasoning was nice. Prior to the meal they served an acceptable garden salad with creamy Italian dressing and butter soaked bread sticks with little flavor. I would rate this place as acceptable. I will try them again to see if it may have been just this dish. Service was good, with a small town attentiveness.
(2)Geoff c.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. The endless breadsticks and salads were great (and yes, it's exactly like an Olive Garden). They were able to accommodate us as a large walk-in group. The crab cakes were very good. The portions on everything were very filling. I personally thought it was better than Olive Garden (at least those that I've been to).
(4)Terry B.
Been here a few times. It's like playing Russian roulette, you don't know how it's going to turn out. A few years ago, everything was always good. I get the stuffed shrimp and it is usually pretty good and filling. Just depends on who the cook is on the night you go. Had a bad experience with a waiter not speaking good English and made things a little difficult. I will go back again though. The salad and breadsticks are pretty good also.
(3)Bob D.
Been here a few times now and every time it's been really good. The food is most definitely fresh and good quality. Atmosphere is ok too. Definitely one of the better restaurants in the area.
(4)Griffith G.
Wow... this place was cheap, but not inexpensive. I live in Boston and my neighborhood is known for it's fabulous restaurants. There is a terrific Italian restaurant just a few blocks away that serves homemade pastas, delicate sauces, excellent fresh seafood dishes all this and a great bar. Maybe I was expecting to much, or maybe I'm a food snob, but this place was terrible. I tried to order a sidecar, but the waiter informed me that the bar tender would want to know what was in that... Ok, maybe I'll just have a beer. I ordered a crab and penne dish. Crab, in a Maryland restaurant, duh... should be a no brainer. The tiny bits of crab where barley worth mentioning and the cheap penne pasta was drowned by a heavy alfredo style sauce. The dish was not good. My sister ordered fried calamari, and it was terrible. Fried, salty rubber. Truly some of the worst calamari I have tried. The large portions of cheap quality food is typical of a large chain restaurant, however this is not a large chain. I wonder how my local restaurant can serve such high quality food, in a neighborhood with very high rent for retail spaces, and yet the prices are very similar to this Olive Garden... I mean Olive Tree crap. I can't imagine why places like this do so well. I usually try to be positive about something in my reviews, but there is nothing to celebrate.
(1)Sabine M.
We love this place. Every time we travel to Maryland, we make a special trip to stop and eat. The Crab Cakes are out of this world. Definitely worth every penny. Food is great, service good and the portions are enough for a few meals. I would definitely recommend The Olive Tree.
(5)Eric W.
I just got take out from here tonight. More food, more deliciousness. I tried the shrimp scampi for the first time and loved it.
(4)Rachel C.
This place is EXACTLY like Olive Garden but with more seafood. Even down to the soup, salad and breadsticks. If you're in Aberdeen, this is probably the best place you'll find to eat out. Food is good, service is great.
(3)Stephen M.
Excellent service and food was great.
(5)Christina W.
I remember the early days of this place where you watched fresh pasta being made while you waited. I remember when the food here wasnt just good it was really good. Sadly thats not the case anymore. Obvious short cuts are being taken in the quality of food. Seems cheaper is working. Lump crab in the crab dip is replaced with pink strings or a cheaper version. The one good thing about this place is the bar. Its usually a good time.
(2)Jay S.
I actually like this place better than the Olive Garden that it's meant to emulate. The free salad and breadsticks are super fresh and are always delicious. I've tried a different entree every time and have yet to be disappointed. The discounted drinks and appetizers during happy hour are one of the better ones in Aberdeen.
(5)Katharine T.
My boss and I came here for lunch today. He had the crab cakes, which are apparently really good, and I had the Chicken Parm, which was A-OK but not delicious. The service was pretty good, and very friendly. The meals come with free salad and breadsticks (a la Olive Garden), actually, the whole place is very Olive-Garden-esque, but decent fare.
(3)Metin A.
Clearly, this restaurant is playing off of Olive Garden in both image and food choices. The waiting staff was friendly and did their jobs well. I was disappointed in the shrimp scampi--I know it is supposed to be in a butter garlic sauce, however I felt as if at least an entire stick of butter was used just for my dish. Far to heavy and buttery, and it killed whatever flavor should have been there. For what it's worth, their prices are competitive and the food is OK. Service was good as well, so I can't truly complain.
(3)Paige L.
I have eaten at The Olive Tree a few times in the past and have usually had some sort of pasta dish. However, last night I wasn't in the mood for something heavy so I ordered a crab cake and asparagus. The crab cake was huge and delicious. I couldn't imagine have gotten the two crab cake option, as one was quite satisfying. My boyfriend just ordered an appetizer of mussels, and the plate was huge and the mussels were quite tasty. I even enjoyed the salad, although I am usually not a fan of Italian Dressing. Overall, we were quite satisfied with out meal and will probably go back there again.
(4)Jacki S.
We go here often. Much better than Olive Garden. You get a lot of food for the money. Salad dressing is fabulous. I do wish they used better tomatoes in the salad. Even in the summer, their tomatoes are flavorless. Crab ravioli is excellent, so is the spaghetti carbonara. Can't remember what it is called, but the dish that has lasagna, chicken parmigiana, and fettucine alfredo is huge! You will definitely need a box!
(4)Paul B.
Sadly for Harford County, Olive Tree is a pretty good restaurant compared to everything else around. They arguably have one of the best crab cakes around, the wine menu is simple and affordable, and the service good. I tried the Pork Romano. It's a delicous, delectable dish, with all of my favorites: pork cutlets, spinach, prosciutto, and a tasty gravy. Unfortunately, it was at least twice as salty as it should have been, knocking off one star. Still, I'm always happy to eat at Olive Tree.
(4)Joe D.
I was actually surprised at this place. The crab and shrimp pasta was good even if it was with pink sauce which is a combination of Alfredo and marinara. The Salad was excellent to. Next time I am in town again I will eat here again tro try some of their grilled Italian seafood!
(4)Douglas W.
The Olive Tree does an outstanding job. Friendly service, EXCELLENT CRAB dishes, good place for larger groups. My only issues is they can get real busy, but when you have good food at reasonable prices...
(4)L L.
my new favorite Italian place! A co-worker highly recommended the Olive Tree when we moved to the area and started looking for great places to have a delicious meal. We were highly impressed with how versatile the menu is (easily twice as much to offer as Olive Garden or Carrabbas). I liked the salad better here.. it has chunks of cucumber and the dressing is much more flavorful! The breadsticks here have some special seasoning on them and they aren't drowned in butter and overly salty. We started with an appetizer, the bang bang shrimp, which had a spicy, delicious sauce on it, and with a spicy surprise: the calamari had a few fried pepperoncini rings mixed in there too! Such a nice surprise. Our entrees were also completely fabulous. The Olive Tree offers more options of protein, plus thicker, richer, more delicious sauces. The wait staff was extremely prompt, friendly and pleasant. Our food arrived super quickly. Of course, my major test of a restaurant is how clean the restroom is. The restroom here is beautiful, trendy, and CLEAN! Easily the cleanest bathroom I've ever seen! We left the restaurant completely full, completely happy, and with a goody bag full of leftovers! Doesnt get any better than that! We will DEFINITELY be returning SOON! Next time we don't know where to go or have company visiting, we will definitely be bringing ourselves to the Olive Tree!
(5)Tim G.
We came here during a working lunch. It was good, what can I say? I got the angel hair spaghetti. ERRR, wrong answer! Never get spaghetti during work hours. You will most assuredly splatter on yourself. I did. Otherwise our service was decent. I do remember being a bit thirsty for far too long, though. The food took a bit to come out, but it was worth the wait. The price was a wee much, but nothing I haven't paid before for similar, or worse, food. All in all not a bad place, similar to Olive Garden, though I wonder which came first - the chicken or the e-- err, Olive Garden or Olive Tree?
(3)Tanya C.
Umm... I don't understand the great reviews this place has been getting. Maybe I'm too picky but I have had much better... even at Olive Garden. I had the clam livorno, which interesting enough had bacon in it (or some sort of ham). It also had sand which was an unexpected and unwelcomed addition... I guess they didn't clean the clams well enough. Overall disappointing. My friend had the pork chops which he didn't even touch after he took one bite. Overall the food was bad though you did get a ton of it for the price you pay, but I don't really want to take this home. So if your going for quantity over quality then come here. You even get free salad and breadsticks...
(2)Michael R.
Great chicken Parmesan and salad was awesome too!
(5)debbie a.
Nothing much to say except for that this is Olive Garden version 2.0
(3)James K.
This place is a great value, now it's not a fancy Italian restaurant that some of the other reviews are trying to compare it to. I'm from the Washington DC area and I travel to Aberdeen often. I wish we had something like this down by us. It is similar to the Olive Garden, but in every way it's way better!!! This is a great place to get good food at a great price.
(5)Katty C.
I ordered the rib eye steak from a special hand written menu (a piece of paper) and it was not good at all. The meat itself was okay but somehow they sunk the steak with so much juice on the plate (a shallow bowl) and it just make it so salty. Okay, I would say it is definitely edible, but surely not great.
(2)Barbara D.
Always have wonderful food and service at The Olive Tree.
(5)Mark T.
Why do people like this place. It's like a bad Olive Garden.
(2)Kelly B.
The Olive Tree is no doubt better AND unrelated to Olive Branch and Olive Garden. The bread is fresher, the salads are WAY better and the food is superb. My Mother and I go to Olive Tree in Aberdeen for every special occasion. Their chicken parmigiana is excellent-very large and very filling. I wish they would give more spaghetti :p The spinach ravioli is amazing and so is the chicken chesapeake. Alright-to be honest everything's good. The atmosphere is really nice and at times peaceful. Usually don't have to make reservations unless it's a holiday. So delicious, I wish I was there right now.
(5)Manny P.
Best crab pretzel eaten so far
(5)Nick B.
Two years ago I would have given this place five stars. Although it is still a tastier Olive Garden, I feel like the quality of the food has dropped while the prices have raised. The portions are still massive, and the breadsticks are infinitely better than the Garden. However, I got shrimp last time I was there and I could tell that some of my food had been frozen at one point. The quality just seems to be a shell of what it used to be. The wait staff is still friendly and the place is a decent place for a relatively quiet lunch or dinner, but there are better Italian places out there.
(3)Crit V.
Great service, excellent food and fair price. Family style American Italian. Visited here in 2010.
(3)barry k.
The food is pedestrian, no spices, ordered a seafood dish topped with fresh basil, for the life of us we couldn't find any! The portions are too big, but this place is about quantity, not quality. Our server never inquired if we enjoyed our meal! Me and the Mrs. make a better spaghetti sauce! If you want real Italian food go to Liberatores!
(2)Paige R.
Comparatively to the other area options, this place is like a diamond in the rough. The experience is pretty much exactly like Olive Garden (go figure) except the cooked seafood is actually very tasty. Note I qualified that. On my last visit, there was no way I could get all the home-cooked goodness in my stomach and the waitress boxed up the extra never-ending salad bowl and the rest of my dinner. There was so much (a good three servings of chicken on one dish) that I ate the leftovers for lunch for the next two days!
(4)Brian M.
Well let me say this place is great, I am Italian off the boat from Genoa so decent to good Italian is easy for me to spot. When we go to Olive tree which is now quit often we always start with the Fried Calamari and the stuffed oyster appetizers which is almost a meal in itself but we usually go with a party of 4-5. This is by no means a steak house and I don't recommend the steak on any level as the one time I ordered it I received a fatty lump of crap that tasted a bit of bleach "Bleach, Really". Everything else is incredible as far as American Italian goes, I must insist you try the Seafood Alfredo as it is the most incredible pasta dish I have tasted here in the states. My wife quit enjoys the Chicken parma and the shrimp scampi. The decor and atmosphere is a bit reminisce of Olive garden but all other likenesses end there
(5)John G.
We went here for my uncle's birthday. The food and the service was outstanding. I highly recommend the crab cakes, but the past was good as well.
(4)Anthony B.
Ok so my uncle lives in aberdeen and he always takes me to this place to eat whenever i am passing thru or visiting him. I am from North Jersey so i do know good italian food, and plus i am italian so yeah i know whats up lol. The food here is actually pretty good but the thing that i think is the best here is the Crab Pretzel. Holy crap is this thing just a wonderful fattening concoction. Its a big pretzel topped with a cheese sauce and lump crab meat then topped with more cheese. Well i haven't had this in well over a year but i will tell you that i am craving this. If you ever come here this appetizer is a MUST. I promise that you will love this.
(4)Dan L.
I got the lasagna and it was pretty good. It's very similar to Olive Garden, even down to the breadsticks and the salad. Don't make a special trip but it's worth the stop if you're drivin' through.
(4)Eric N.
It's similar to an Olive Garden. My colleagues and I actually came here two days in a row because it was conveniently located near our hotel. It might have been 3 stars, except that it was good both times so it earns the 4th star for consistency. I got a massive lasagna the second time and it was everything I could do to eat 75% of it.
(4)Andrew E.
The food here was ok. If you are looking for something like soup and salad for lunch, it is a good spot. If you are looking for good pasta don't go here. I would say it is
(3)Brian T.
This place has good Italian food for a reasonable price. The only reason I wouldn't rate it higher is because the pizza tastes like it is made from a pizza kit you would find at the grocery store and there is almost nothing on the menu for people trying to avoid consuming 1,500+ calories in one meal.
(3)Heather T.
Our food was very bland. My salad plate was dirty. The Alfredo sauce was separating on the plate and desperately needed salt. The Olive Tree gives an appearance of a restaurant that you might want to sit down , relax, have some wine and enjoy a nice dinner with your significant other however the noise level is RIDICULOUS! You couldn't even hold a conversation at your table. This was at 7:30 on a saturday night. Chuck E Cheese has a quieter atmosphere. Also there are people constantly walking past and bumping into your table. At one point some guys ass bumped into our bread stick holder and another time people were standing behind my husband as we were eating and they kept bumping him with their asses. The worst part of this is we waited over 45 minutes for this awful experience and I couldn't wait to get out of there. Even if the food was outstanding (which it totally wasn't) it wouldn't be worth the misery of putting up with that environment. Harford county really needs some good new restaurants where a couple can have a nice relaxing dinner with out kids/people screaming, constant motion going by and good food.
(1)Bruce B.
I stop in Aberdeen regularly and get tired of going to the same places all the time. I heard this is the best place in town so I stopped in. I'd say I feel sorry for Aberdeen, but I do like the Bob Evans and Applebee's there. Much better than Olive Tree. I guess it is like Olive Garden, but I don't like Olive Garden either. I understand this is somewhat of an Italian restaurant, but the special was Corned Beef and Cabbage. Should have been the clue I needed to head out. I ordered a Chicken Marsala and forgot to ask for dressing on the side of the salad. I'm actually not too fussy and when I forget to to ask I accept the risk. But the salad was drowning in dressing. Totally inedible. totally! I would have shrugged this off as my mistake but the Marsala was drowning in sauce. There's really no need for that in a fine restaurant. I had eaten here once before and thought it was acceptable (not great, just ok) but this has really turned me off. The service was good, the price was reasonable, just not what my palate was looking for. I guess I'll stick with my old standards. It's pretty sad when a nice restaurant can't top Bob Evans.
(2)Mike Y.
We have not been here for a little bit, so some things might have changed. To pretense - it is a better version of Olive Garden, but still is Americanized Italian. We have noticed a little decrease in the quality of food over the past couple of years, but we are big fans of the blacken chicken alfredo and the crab cakes venetian. Service is hit or miss. Portion sizes are generous, and the salad and breadsticks are usually pretty good. Close to home, so it is convenient, but if we want some better quality Italian we would go to Chiapparelli's in Havre de Grace.
(4)Suzanne S.
Our waitress was very pleasant. The food was good.
(4)Eric F.
I ate at The Olive Tree last year when I came to Aberdeen and I'm getting hungry just sitting here thinking about it. Between the crab cakes and the stuffed shells entree that I had, I was in heaven.
(5)Foula H.
Love love love!!! Crab pretzel, crabcakes, peach sangria..mmmmmmm
(5)