Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock

Olive Garden

16405 SE Mill Plain Blvd 

Vancouver, WA 98683

Phone number: (360) 256-4051

olivegarden.com

Prices $$$$

We came for the all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadsticks — the Holy Trinity of corporate Italian cuisine — and yeah, they come free with a lunch special. The catch? Lunch specials are only Monday through Friday until 3pm. We showed up on a Saturday. Oops. Missed it by that much.

My wife ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo — $12.49 on the lunch menu, $17.49 for dinner. I went with the Chicken Parmigiana, which jumped from a manageable $13.49 at lunch to an eyebrow-raising $21.49. So when the bill came out to damn near $55, I nearly spit out my overpriced Diet Coke.

To his credit, the server offered to grab the manager and maybe knock the prices back down to lunch levels. But I declined. I missed the fine print. My bad. That’s called integrity, folks — look it up.

The salad? Fresh, sure. But whoever’s in the back manning the vinegar bottle went full Molotov cocktail. I like tang, but this was a salt-and-acid bomb. The Zuppa Toscana was watery, with a sausage-to-potato ratio so low it might’ve qualified as vegetarian. Not awful, just … meh. Breadsticks? Still the MVP — soft, salty, and piping hot.

The wife liked her Alfredo. My chicken parm and limp spaghetti? It was food. That’s about as glowing as I can get. But hey, it’s Olive Garden — it’s not like we walked in expecting Nonna to come out of the kitchen.

And for the love of God and every Italian who’s ever lived, how in the hell are there so few decent Italian restaurants in Portland? And don’t even get me started on the complete disappearance of veal. No veal marsala, veal parmigiana, or saltimbocca alla romana? What in the Fettuccine Alfredo is going on here folks? Somebody kill me a baby cow already — I need my veal fix, dammit!

CombatCritic Gives Olive Garden 5 Bombs Out Of 10 💣💣💣💣💣 More Bombs Are Better … Unless You’re On The Receiving End … HOOAH!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "BLACK" ELITE '14 / '15 / '16 / '17 / '18 / '19 / '20 / '21 / '22/ '23 / '24 ... 12 Years Running ... HOOAH!

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Olive Garden Italian Restaurant on Yelp

Google 'Local Guide' (Level 7) - 677,631 Visitors in August 2023 Alone ... HOOAH!

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And       

   Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock

Key Words: Vancouver, WA, veal, pasta, breadsticks, Olive Garden, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2025 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Vancouver, WA: Victoria's Was Victorious In Demosntrating Their Mediocrity

Victoria's Cafe

2626 E Evergreen Blvd Vancouver, WA 98661

(360) 836-8993

VictoriasCafeVancouver.com

Prices: $$$$

There were just a few people scattered throughout the dining room as I stood at the counter waiting to be seated, but the lad behind the counter was busy bussing tables and cleaning in the back. I stood there for close to five minutes.

He was equally as slow bringing me my coffee ($4) and taking my order (Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs ($20), but then things improved a bit.

The chicken fried steak was decent, but instead of being ¨smothered¨ with country gravy, there was only enough to barely cover the top. I was going to ask for more, but I did not want to wait forever and let my breakfast get cold.

It is a cute little place, but the service could have been better, the food was average, and the prices were a tad steep.

CombatCritic Gives Victoria's Cafe 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "BLACK" ELITE '14 / '15 / '16 / '17 / '18 / '19 / '20 / '21 / '22/ '23 / '24 ... 11 Years Running ... HOOAH!

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Victoria's Cafe on Yelp

Google 'Local Guide' (Level 7) - 677,631 Visitors in August 2023 Alone ... HOOAH!

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And       

   Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Vancouver, WA: Victoria's Was Victorious In Demosntrating Their Mediocrity

Key Words: Vancouver, WA, Victoria's Cafe, Victoria, cafe, breakfast, eggs, bacon, biscuits & gravy, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2024 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

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Vancouver, WA: Winston's British Fish N Chips - Great Food, Small Portions

Winston's British Fish n Chips

2711 NE Andresen Road

Vancouver, WA 98661

(866) 260-9563

Winston's British Fish n Chips

Open Daily: 11 am - 7 pm

$$$$

There was a 90-minute wait when we stopped by Saturday evening, but the lady gave us a card for a free meal, having now returned to collect our complimentary fish & chips.

The fish was light and crispy, not greasy, and the tartar sauce was a nice compliment. Unfortunately, they were already out of mushy peas by mid-day, so I got the curry sauce, whether I wanted it or not.

The chips were also very good, but like the fish, there were not enough of them and I was still hungry after my meal.

I can honestly say that it was some of the best fish & chips I have had, but the serving sizes were a tad on the light side in my opinion. There could have been more chips, only a smattering received, and the fish could be just a little bit bigger. Raise the price to $16 if you have to, but sell the public the very best fish n chips while, simultaneously, satiating our hunger for the real deal.

CombatCritic Gives Winston's British Fish N Chips 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "BLACK" ELITE '14 / '15 / '16 / '17 / '18 / '19 / '20 / '21 / '22/ '23 ... 10 Years Running ... HOOAH!

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Winston's British Fish N Chips on Yelp

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Vancouver, WA: Winston's British Fish N Chips - Great Food, Small Portions

Key Words: Vancouver, WA, Portland, OR, Winston's British Fish N Chips, fish, chips, british, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2023 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Vancouver, WA: Paws Down the Best Dog Training Outfit This Side of the Columbia ... HOOAH!

Paws Down Pets Dog Training

2804 NE 155th Avenue

Vancouver, WA 98682

(360) 936-6129

pawsdownpets.com

Prices: $$$$

Paws Down and Julie stepped in when another local training facility refused to tailor a program to get my dog, Kemper, and I where we needed to go before a last minute move overseas.

I am a disabled combat veteran, but do not qualify for a 'service animal' from non-profits because I do not have the 'correct' diagnosis, even though I suffer from the same exact symptoms as those with PTSD.

My wife's mother, who lives in Europe, recently had a stroke and my wife has been by her side since early August. If I hope to see my wife at all over the next several years, because of her and my commitment to ensure that her mother gets the care and attention she deserves, we needed to be much closer than the Pacific NW, hence our uprooting.

In order to have Kemper fly with me in the cabin on a grueling 10-hour trans-Atlantic flight, he needed some several skills which he was lacking when we adopted him from the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society after six years of being abandoned and abused, for no reason, by one owner after another. Even with his unjust and unconscionable treatment early in life, he is one of the sweetest and dogs I have ever known.

Julie and Kemper quickly developed a strong bond and she was willing to work with me one-on-one, tailoring a training plan for both of us to get us where we need to be with just two months before boarding the plane. 

Having a Master's in Psychology, I am an expert in operant and classical conditioning, but lacked the understanding of how dogs think, so Julie was training both of us along the way. 

Kemper picked-up on things quickly and me, not so much, but we were compelled to get the job done and succeed in our mission, no room for error. Paws Down is not exactly cheap when it comes to private training, but Julie did not charge for travel time to our home and routinely stayed after the allotted one-hour appointment times.

Yesterday, less than two months after starting with Julie, Kemper passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen test and his certificate is on the way, arriving well before we need it for travel to our new home.

Thank you Paws Down and Julie for helping me ensure that my support animal and I make it safely to Europe, reuniting our family after moths apart.

CombatCritic Gives Paws Down Dog Training 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF FAME' ... More Bombs Are Better ... HOOAH!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: 

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/'20  

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Paws Down Pets Dog Training on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Vancouver, WA: Paws Down the Best Dog Training Outfit This Side of the Columbia ... HOOAH!

Key Words: Vancouver, WA, Portland, OR, Paws Down, dog training, pet, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, product, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2020 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved