May 10, 2026 at 4:49 am

Italian Exchange Student Wasn’t Thrilled About Being Taken to Olive Garden

by Matthew Gilligan

man at olive garden

TikTok/@alessandro.salimei

Is Olive Garden real Italian food?

Well, it depends on who you ask…

To a suburban family in the Midwest, the answer is probably a big, fat YES.

To someone who hails from Italy…probably not.

An Italian exchange student named Alessandro went to an Olive Garden restaurant with his American host mom and talked about his experience on TikTok.

man talking about olive garden

TikTok/@alessandro.salimei

Alessandro was outside an Olive Garden restaurant and he said, “I cannot believe it.”

He asked his host mom, “Rhonda, why? I’m not going inside.”

Rhonda replied, “Yes, you are. You promised me.”

Alessandro said, “Why did you do this to me?”

exterior of an olive garden

TikTok/@alessandro.salimei

The exchange student then said, “I have to be mentally prepared for this.”

He added, “I will ask if there’s anybody Italian in there. If there’s not, I’m walking out.”

Alessandro finally went inside the restaurant.

At the end of the video, he said, “Let’s go to McDonald’s.”

man talking about olive garden

TikTok/@alessandro.salimei

Check out the video.

@alessandro.salimei

@Italiangirl1130 took me to @Olive Garden #foreignexchangestudent #olivegarden #funnyvideo #foryoupage #america

♬ original sound – alessandro.salimei

And here’s what viewers had to say.

This person chimed in.

Screenshot 2026 03 15 at 7.52.00 AM Italian Exchange Student Wasn’t Thrilled About Being Taken to Olive Garden

Another viewer shared their thoughts.

Screenshot 2026 03 15 at 7.52.11 AM Italian Exchange Student Wasn’t Thrilled About Being Taken to Olive Garden

And this TikTok user spoke up.

Screenshot 2026 03 15 at 7.52.26 AM Italian Exchange Student Wasn’t Thrilled About Being Taken to Olive Garden

I guess folks from Italy aren’t the biggest fans of Olive Garden…

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