A woman’s Boston father attempted to order his favorite Olive Garden dish, Chicken Parmigiana. The only issue? They were at a restaurant in Italy at the time. The Italian waiter’s response to the request is not one to be missed.
Gabby Donahue (@gabbydonahuee) filmed the interaction, and a TikTok of it has been understandably viewed more than 1 million times.
Recipe For Disaster
Gabby’s parents are visiting Italy for their 30th wedding anniversary. And dining out is a big part of the trip. At an Italian restaurant, as they begin to order a meal, her father scrolls through pictures of the aforementioned Olive Garden delicacy on his phone for the waiter’s, um, edification.
Meanwhile, with one finger on his cheek and a faintly distressed frown on his face, the waiter says, “It doesn’t exist in Italy.”
It’s a dish that Gabby’s father seems sure is an international delicacy.
So, Boston accent and all—her dad blinks in stunned disbelief as he questions, “It doesn’t exist in Italy?”
The waiter, engaged and good-natured, tries hard to be gentle but ultimately stumbles.
His mouth downcast and eyes locked on the screen, he admits, “I don’t know what it is.”
But this admission also feels a bit like an accusation—one that carries the weight of 10,000 horrified Italian grandmothers.
According to its website, Olive Garden’s Chicken Parmigiana comes with “two lightly fried parmesan-breaded chicken breasts with our homemade marinara and melted Italian cheeses. Served with a side of spaghetti.”
The server, continuing to look at the image, asks, “On the pasta?”
He points directly at the screen and says,”No, that’s horrible.”
This isn’t a dish—it’s an affront, he’s saying, without, well, saying.
Meanwhile, Gabby says her father was just “Looking for a chicken parm meal, and was kinda shocked when he was told it didn’t exist in Italy.”
Viewers Weigh In
Viewers couldn’t help but remark on the waiter’s reactions, saying he looked “stressed,” “horrified,” and even “offended.”
Another viewer shared that her father “tried to order Zuppa Toscana” (another Olive Garden delicacy) in Italy.
So maybe it’s an American-dad thing?
Chicken Parm’s Enduring Popularity
Chicken parm is the Americanization of a Southern Italian dish, melanzane alla parmigiana. It was originally made with eggplant (cheaper than chicken and easily grown in a backyard). Chicken became a popular option once the dish hit America. Meat was cheaper, more readily available, and heartier.
Dad’s Got Jokes
Though the waiter ultimately concedes—he says, “That looks good”—probably more out of desperation and politeness than anything else, this seems to really energize Gabby’s dad. He “promises” to send some Olive Garden over to Italy.
Now, it might be an international culinary exchange, or it might be a story the waiter tells for the rest of his life: that time the Boston Irish guy tried to teach him all about pasta.
Delicious Dish
In a follow-up email, BroBible learned her dad had been a good sport about going viral.
“He [thought] it was pretty funny when I posted it and it started getting some traction,” she says.
And he got something tasty to eat.
“He ended up getting a pasta dish with ham and an Alfredo sauce,” his daughter says. “Although he liked it, he would have preferred a chicken parmesan meal of some sort, and yes even from Olive Garden.”
@gabbydonahuee @Olive Garden ‘s biggest fan 😭😭😭😭 #italy #cultureshock #chickenparm #olivegarden