Olive Garden is known for providing fast and affordable Italian dining to the masses,
but just how do its most popular dishes stack up against each other? Because you're family (as the
slogan goes), here are the most popular Olive Garden menu items ranked from worst to best.
In a cruel twist of irony, the dish we were the most excited about was the one that
left us the most gravely disappointed. Olive Garden's alfredo sauce is practically iconic.
Made in house and oh so velvety, the recipe has stayed tried and true,
with zero alterations, since the restaurant was founded.
For many of us, it was our first introduction to 'Italian-American' food and was the highlight
of a trip to Olive Garden as a kid. Sadly, our visions of fettuccine enveloped in the
creamy and luscious alfredo sauce came crashing down on our most recent visit.
What we received was a generous portion of pasta that wasn't tossed in the sauce that we know and
love. Instead, a tiny scoop of the homemade sauce sat atop and towards the center of the heap.
There was no attempt from the kitchen at combining it with the pasta,
and by the time it reached our table, it was heading towards congealed territory.
Without it being properly combined, some noodles were drenched in sauce that was less of a sauce
and more of a solid cheese, while others were completely bare. The sautéed shrimp were tiny,
as expected, and lacked any additional flavoring that would have helped save the dish.
There are many ways to kick off a meal at Olive Garden, but never with our evening's selection:
lasagna fritta, which was our next foray into OG oblivion. Learn from us, friends.
This popular item is unique to the establishment and is described as fried,
parmesan-breaded lasagna topped with parmesan cheese and meat sauce
with pan-seared beef and Italian sausage that is then served over creamy alfredo sauce.
It was a heavy start to our meal, but we were just getting started and felt up for the challenge.
What we received could be best described as a plate of deep-fried nonsense.
We were expecting an exterior similar to that of a toasted ravioli, but the frittas were not at
all crispy. The addition of multiple sauces added further to its sogginess and our utter confusion.
There was simply way too much going on with the only flavor that shined through
being one of grease. Next time, this will be a hard pass.
You don't get much more quintessentially Italian-American than the chicken parmigiana.
While unheard of in Italy, this is a staple in many American restaurants and should be the
shining example of how you judge them, at least in our humble opinion. For Olive Garden's version,
this classic entrée comes with two lightly fried parmesan-breaded chicken breasts
that are covered in a homemade marinara sauce and then topped with melted Italian cheese.
We had high hopes for this one, so let's start with the positive. The chicken was actually
cooked really well, but everything fell flat after that. The breading had no distinct flavor,
outside of a salty profile. The sauce and cheese added little to the dish, especially since they
seemed to have been left under the broiler just a bit too long. And it was served with a standard,
sad side of spaghetti and sauce that proved to be just okay, with the pasta being slightly overdone.
Overall, it was completely forgettable and something
we think should be avoided at all costs upon your next visit.
Our harrowing journey continued with another Olive Garden classic: the Tour of Italy. In this dish,
full single servings of each of the three Olive Garden classics — chicken parmigiana,
lasagna classico and the signature fettuccine alfredo — come together on one large,
almost family-sized plate. With a price point just shy of $20,
it is a fantastic deal, but we base that solely on the portion size.
It began with a portion of the forgettable chicken parmigiana on one side. Then, cradled
in the middle, you'll find a heaping portion of fettuccine that was, once again, just topped with
their signature Alfredo sauce as opposed to it being mixed thoroughly. Then, the lasagna classico
looked like an absolute mess — a far cry from the countless photos used on menus and in commercials.
The reason the Tour of Italy even made its way slightly up our list is solely based on
its price point, as it felt less like a tour of Italy and more like a tour of the frozen aisle at
your local grocery store. Unfortunately, beyond it being one heck of a deal if you're starving,
there's no other reason to order this dish.
Things are beginning to look up, we promise. The classic and comforting dish of baked ziti brought
pasta, sauce, and cheese together in perfect harmony with an explosion of flavor that's
baked to ensure a nice, crusty exterior. Simply described as a baked blend of Italian cheese,
pasta, and their signature five-cheese marinara,
Olive Garden's version is about as traditional as you'll find in any chain restaurant.
Upon first inspection, you'll notice a perfectly golden crust on the top of the dish and a generous
portion of pasta beneath. The mozzarella was the prevailing flavor, with the signature five-cheese
marinara acting as a secondary contributor, but we do wish there'd been a creamy element to the dish.
Simply put, however, it was pleasant. Bonus points for
it being just as delicious reheated the next day.
Nothing gets a meal going quite like a nice cocktail. With Italian food, you can usually
count on a nice glass of crisp red wine to be the perfect complement to an Italian meal.
But at Olive Garden, a place that does not exactly do things traditionally,
the signature cocktail is an Italian Margarita. And the verdict? We didn't hate it. The addition
of the Amaretto gave it a certain brightness with a unique tart-meets-sweet flavor. This one also
has the added bonus of being quite boozy, with approximately 3 and a half ounces of liquor in it.
The Italian twist was a bit of a surprise and offered a less in-your-face sweetness
than the standard chain margarita. But since it is sugar laden, it might be more classic to
pair your Italian-inspired meal with a glass of wine. Still, we enjoyed its refreshing nature,
and the buzz certainly prepared us for all the food we were about to consume.
The tiramisu is one of the few dishes on the Olive Garden menu with actual roots in Italy.
The classic, no-bake, coffee-flavored dessert is served cold, and it's rich yet light,
and offers just the right amounts of sweetness with a dash of bitterness to cap off a meal. The
subtle jolt of caffeine also provides the added bonus of helping you thoroughly avoid a food coma.
Color us impressed that Olive Garden actually serves a very good version of the Italian dessert.
With a non-alcoholic spin to make it a family-friendly option, it's layered
with custard and espresso-soaked ladyfingers as opposed to the rum in the traditional preparation.
On our visit, we found it to be incredibly delicate and flavorful.
We missed the slight bitterness that the alcohol provided in soaking the ladyfingers,
but the espresso mimicked it quite nicely. Bravo, Olive Garden!
"Why don't you find something you want on the menu? And you nod,
and smile…. All right, bigger nod…. This all looks yummy!!
At this point in our meal as we were enjoying the main events, we were almost confident Olive
Garden couldn't deliver in the entrée department... and then came the chicken
marsala. As luck would have it, this beacon of hope finally came along to change our minds.
The chicken was cooked to juicy perfection while the plentiful mushrooms and marsala sauce offered
delicious flavors in perfect consistency. It was a welcome diversion from the often
overpowering sweet versions of marsala sauce that tend to be found at mass-produced chain
Italian-American restaurants. It's served with a side of their fettuccine alfredo,
and we found the creaminess was a nice compliment to the savory-sweet elements of the main course.
The roots of the cheesecake are highly debated, but one thing is clear: Do not
confuse New York-style cheesecake with the Italian variety. The Italian version of the dessert
uses ricotta cheese, and the result is a more delicate, airy, and whipped-like texture. Olive
Garden pleasantly surprised us with a splendid presentation of the classic Italian preparation.
The body of it was super light thanks to the ricotta, and we positively loved the flavor of
the shortbread cookie crust that complimented it and added a hint of sweetness and welcome crunch.
Unlike so many strawberry sauces that tend to lean towards a syrupy texture and overly sweet flavor,
this one tasted very fresh and used nice, large chunks of strawberries. This was a
real winner and a true highlight of what was otherwise a pretty lackluster meal overall.
"I'll take half of the half of the half!"
"I can't believe people live like that."
Ok, now, we've made it to the good stuff. The heart and soul of Olive Garden.
As we inch into the top three of our list, we've entered the true reason
why we love this place to begin with. While it can't always be rainbows and sunshine,
there are some downright stellar options to be found here.
Complimentary and bottomless with each and every meal, the house salad is a staple of Olive Garden.
Served in a giant bowl, it comes topped with tomatoes, olives, onions, and pepperoncini,
and is served with the chain's signature Italian dressing — which it describes as a special
blend of Italian spices, oil, and vinegar. We'll just call it heaven in dressing form.
This is the pinnacle of salads and the reason to visit the chain. On our visit,
the lettuce was perfectly crisp, and the ingredients were a wonderful complement
to the dressing — which, if we were able to, we'd probably drink in bottle form.
It's tangy, slightly sweet, and all around just perfect. There's a reason this salad
dressing has been on the menu for more than 35 years, and we doubt we'll ever see it leave.
Another perk of this salad is that your server will also gladly hand-crank parmesan
cheese over top of the plentiful dish to your heart's content. Keep it comin'.
While you might be tempted to go straight from the free salad to the entrées,
Olive Garden actually has a rather impressive selection of homemade soups.
There's zuppa toscana, minestrone, pasta e fagioli, and the fan favorite chicken and gnocchi.
Described as "a creamy soup made with roasted chicken, traditional Italian dumplings,
and spinach," what this soup lacks in photogenic qualities, it certainly makes up for in flavor.
In fact, even when we received our entrées, we continued to retreat back to our giant
bowl of comfort. Creamy without being too thick, it had the consistency of a hearty
broth and was chock full of ultra-tender chicken and soft, pillowy dumplings.
The only way to describe it is utterly addictive. While it's doubtful we'll be
seeking out a dinner return to the Olive Garden in our future,
the lunch special is reason alone to visit. Available on weekdays only, this plentiful bowl
of deliciousness along with salad and breadsticks for under eight bucks is an absolute steal.
We would have been wholly satisfied if our meal started and ended with Olive Garden's
golden brown breadsticks. The restaurant's breadsticks are a cathartic experience,
and the true star of the Olive Garden show. Freshly-baked every 15 minutes,
breadsticks are complimentary with every meal. Perfectly salted, they are served warm
and feature a garlicky, buttery exterior, offering just the right amount of crunch,
which opens to a wonderfully pillow-like inside where all your carb-y dreams come true.
Also offered unlimited throughout your meal, the only thing needed to bring these babies to the
next level are the sauces that you can order to dip them in. Available in 8-ounce bowls,
you can dip these sticks to your heart's content in fresh marinara, homemade alfredo,
and five-cheese marinara sauces. A meal at Olive Garden might be full of twists and turns,
but the trifecta of breadsticks, soup, and salad is the real reason you should visit.
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