1 week Ago By [email protected] (Kylie Werner)
Olive Garden is known for its never-ending breadsticks, bottomless soup and salad, as well as its pasta. The Italian restaurant chain has a decent sized menu with a variety of options and is fairly popular in the United States at the time of writing. The chain even saw an uptick in visitors in 2024.
Just like any other restaurant, Olive Garden's menu has some food items that are more popular with customers than others. In order to help you determine which of these dishes are customer favorites for a reason and which ones might be better to skip, we decided to rank Olive Garden's most popular menu items from worst to best. To determine what the most ordered items are, we looked at which dishes diners recommended and said are their go-tos that they order again and again.
Then, to rank those menu items, we evaluated customer reviews from independent sources. To learn more about our evaluation process, visit the methodology slide at the end of this article. 14.
Lasagna Classico Lasagna Classico is not a hit with customers. The food item is said to be made fresh daily on the chain's website and has layers of pasta, Parmesan, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, and our homemade meat sauce. A writer with labeled the lasagna as mediocre due to how small of a portion it was and its lack of flavor in spite of the fact that it was smothered in meat sauce.
A diner on ordered it off a recommendation and gave the classic Italian dish a rating of 1.6 out of 10, decreeing it the worst lasagna they've ever eaten and explaining that it was dry, lacked sauce, and was somewhat burnt. A user on agreed that the lasagna was small but called it tasty.
Reviewers on reviewed the lasagna and said it was serviceable with a good amount of cheese, sauce, and quality meat but was unremarkable. 13. Tour of Italy The Tour of Italy is one menu item that and recommended ordering because of the variety it provides which is supposed guarantee you'll at least like something.
However, that didn't work out for some customers. The dish comes with the chicken parmigiana, lasagna classico, and fettuccine Alfredo which all come with sauces that are made fresh every morning. A diner on gave the three-part dish a rating of 7.
5 out of 10, which isn't bad but also isn't great. The commenters under the post, however, were not as kind criticizing the presentation stating that the amalgamation of fettuccine Alfredo looked as if it had been sitting then had sauce thrown over it and was undercooked. A who reviewed the menu item stated that it looked unappetizing and lacked flavor, giving an extremely low score of 9 out of 100.
Meanwhile, a compared the chicken parmigiana to a McChicken patty with Ragu on top of it, they ended up giving it a rating 2 out of 5 and the lasagna a 3 out of 5. There were some customers on who liked the Tour of Italy describing it as amazing with distinct flavors. 12.
Chicken Parmigiana The chicken Parmigiana is two Parmesan-breaded chicken breasts that are lightly fried then topped with in-house marinara sauce as well as melted Italian cheeses and served with a side of spaghetti. The dish has fairly middling reviews receiving equally positive and negative responses from customers. Multiple users on stated it was delicious, with one adding, "I told my violently Italian uncle this one time and I thought he was (going to) drown me in his pool.
" Another even said that for them the quality of the chicken in the dish had improved recently. A customer on described the chicken in the dish as crispy, the marinara sauce as having a delightful zesty flavor, and the perfect amount of melted cheese. Others on , however, were not as impressed, stating that the chicken Parmigiana was dry and overcooked as well as lacking enough sauce and cheese.
11. House Salad As we stated above, something that Olive Garden is known for is its bottomless salad. The chain only offers one salad, its house salad, which has tomatoes, olives, onions, and pepperoncinis covered in Italian dressing and is popular just not with everyone.
Most diners on talked positively of the salad describing the ingredients as fresh and the salad as tasty, attributing that to the Italian dressing which you can purchase a bottle of. But both and say that it doesn't taste the same — . There were who agreed, stating that the salad is tasty and refreshing, although there were also from other users about being served smaller portions — which isn't a huge deal since it is bottomless — and one about the dressing being overly pungent and the ingredients tasting canned.
Customers on also called the salad basic and subpar. A writer for even gave the salad a low rating of 2 out of 10, explaining that the dressing was a tad sour, the lettuce was bitter, and the overall flavor combination was extremely unpleasant. 10.
Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo The steak gorgonzola Alfredo recently made a return to Olive Garden's menu towards the end of 2024 after being removed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been met with mixed reactions from diners. The dish is made with grilled sirloin tips cooked to medium, gorgonzola blue cheese, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and fettuccine Alfredo topped with balsamic drizzle. Some employees on stated that customers at their locations have not enjoyed the dish and even sending it back, while other employees say it's been performing well.
A few attributed the negative reactions to the gorgonzola as it is a strong cheese. However, a customer in the thread said that for them it was the steak that ruined it as it had a foamy texture and felt unsettlingly soft. Other said the pasta dish lacks balance and made them sick after just a bite.
Diners who took to had differing reviews, as well, with one declaring it was still as good as they remembered, and calling it horrible due to too many flavors that don't go well with one another. 9. Chicken Alfredo The chicken Alfredo is another dish that was recommended by and is listed as one of the chain's more popular dishes that got somewhat mixed reviews.
On its , the chain states the sauce for the classic pasta dish is made from scratch with Parmesan, cream, garlic, and butter. A user on visited Olive Garden for their birthday, got the chicken Alfredo, and stated that it was a very good meal. Commenters under the post agreed that the chicken Alfredo is one of their favorites, with one even adding that it is top-notch and they prefer it over more high-end, expensive Italian restaurants.
There were diners on who said they enjoy the menu item calling it tasty, creamy, and comforting. However, other patrons on Yelp have had issues with the chicken being rubber-like and the dish overall being dry, as well as having an inconsistent taste with it either being overly salty or lacking flavor completely. 8.
Stuffed Chicken Marsala The stuffed chicken marsala is another dish that was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic and was brought back at the end of 2024. It has somewhat varied feedback but is still . The chicken breast in the dish is stuffed with Italian cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes then covered in a creamy marsala mushroom sauce and served with mashed potatoes.
Users on were excited about the return of the dish and enjoyed it, with one user even referring to it as a slam dunk meal. A diner on seemed to agree, calling it delicious. However, there were other who said the dish was overly salty and different than the original — employees in one admitted that due to the directions they have been provided on how to cook it the chicken often comes out burnt.
7. Eggplant Parmigiana The eggplant Parmigiana has received fairly positive reviews, although it does have some complaints. It still is a great option for diners who are looking for a meat-free dish.
According to the restaurant's website, the eggplant is hand-breaded then lightly fried, topped with marinara and melted mozzarella and served with a side of spaghetti. Customers on described the menu item as crispy, filling, and enjoyable — with one even calling it their favorite dish. However, other yelpers called it adequate but not something they would have again, and that it didn't live up to the raviolis or the zuppa toscana.
A patron on stated that the eggplant Parmigiana was cooked perfectly and flavorful. However, a shared the eggplant Parmigiana they received that had very little breading and was mushy. They were still kind enough to say it wasn't bad, but a commenter was not as forgiving, comparing the dish to a T.
V. dinner. 6.
Shrimp Scampi Olive Garden's shrimp scampi is another good option for those who don't eat meat or for seafood lovers in general that has, for the most part, received positive responses from customers. The restaurant advertises the dish as a lighter version of the classic, as the shrimp is sautéed in a garlic sauce and then tossed with asparagus, tomatoes, and angel hair pasta. A diner took to to share how excited they were to learn that they could still have the shrimp scampi without breaking their diet.
Others in the comments said that the dish looked phenomenal, that they loved it, and is something that some of them always get. A customer on noted the seafood pasta as light but still filling. is where reviews on the shrimp scampi became mixed.
There were a couple of customers who complained about having issues with the pasta being bland, stating that they had to dig to the bottom of the dish for any actual flavor. One even gave it a rating of 4 out of 10. Although, there were others who described the shrimp scampi as flavorful, light, and packed with fresh tomatoes and asparagus.
5. Chicken and Gnocchi Soup The chicken and gnocchi soup is one of four soups that Olive Garden offers and is a creamy soup that consists of roasted chicken, gnocchi — or the Italian version of a dumpling — spinach, and carrot. When a writer for the Takeout visited , they put the chicken and gnocchi soup at the bottom of the pack due to the broth being overpowering and not having much of the actual ingredients.
They did note, however, that it was the best soup for dipping breadsticks in. A former Olive Garden employee on felt differently, going as far as saying they are addicted to the soup, which they claim to have craved daily since leaving and asking if any cooks would be willing to share the recipe so they can make it at home and save money. Multiple other recommended the soup, stating that it is delicious and a menu item they order regularly, even compared it to a "hug in a bowl.
" reviewers also seemed to enjoy it for the most part. Although, there was one customer on who said that the soup was inedible, and another on who questioned if the recipe had changed after the soup was thicker than usual on multiple visits to the restaurant. However, others in the thread noted that is probably due to which employee is prepping the soup as each one makes the soup differently.
4. Olive Garden Breadsticks The never-ending breadsticks are an Olive Garden staple. Despite the adoration for them, people have still discovered that that they can have at home.
Customers on have shared that they especially love the breadsticks with sauces like the Alfredo and the salad dressing. They also explain that they use them to soak up the rest of their soup or pasta sauce. One even took to the site to ask if it is possible to go to Olive Garden and only eat the breadsticks, and a different who claims to be from the bread capital of the world said that they would devour a basket of the restaurant's breadsticks.
An employee on even stated that during a rush, there will consistently be four to six trays of 30 breadsticks each in the oven for two to three hours. also enjoy the breadsticks, although a couple of them did have off experiences with them being moldy or hard. 3.
Zuppa Toscana The Zuppa Toscana has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from diners who have had it. It was even dubbed the when visiting the Italian restaurant. The soup is gluten-free and made with spicy Italian sausage, fresh kale, and russet potatoes that are swimming in a creamy broth.
Quite a few recommended the soup to others, describing it as delicious, and dubbing it one of their favorite items from the Italian restaurant. even recommended dipping breadsticks in it. A diner on stated that soup hit the spot during lower temperatures, but complained that the Zuppa Toscana tasted significantly watered down.
There are even recipes that have attempted to recreate it for fans who want to make the soup for themselves at home. 2. Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara The chicken and shrimp carbonara is a dish that has received a lot of recommendations and not a lot of complaints.
The pasta dish is spaghetti that has sautéed seasoned chicken and shrimp tossed in a creamy sauce that consists of bacon and roasted red peppers. There were a few diners on listed the chicken and shrimp carbonara as their favorite menu item. There was a who said that the dish was above average with copious amounts of shrimp, chicken, peppers, and bacon pieces, but they found it was not as flavorful as they would have hoped and needed seasoning.
There were multiple and even on who recommended it, called the dish their favorite or even going as far as declaring it the best dish in the menu at Olive Garden. One commenter on a with the picture of the pasta was even left shocked after finding out that something that looked so mouthwatering came from the chain restaurant. 1.
Lasagna Fritta The lasagna fritta, despite being an appetizer, from what we found has only received glowing reviews from those who have tried it which is why it earned the top spot of our list. The lasagna is Parmesan-breaded, then fried, placed on top of creamy Alfredo sauce, and finished with meat sauce and Parmesan cheese. When a writer from the Takeout visited , they described the fried starter as having a nice variation in textures, as the exterior was pleasantly crisp and crunchy and the inside was filled with creamy ricotta.
who had the lasagna fritta enjoyed it, with that it was better than the fried ravioli from the restaurant, and got caught up in eating it for a minute before describing the dish as amazing and giving it a rating of 9.3 out of 10, adding that they've never had anything like it before and don't know what could top it. There were commenters on these TikToks that backed up the reviews, calling the appetizer their favorite giving a 10 out of 10.
Some commenters on one of the TikToks, as well as even said that they will order it as their main entrée — which has earned them weird looks from staff, but who cares about that when you're eating tasty fried lasagna? Methodology In order to determine the most popular menu items, we researched which dishes diners said that they consistently ordered at the restaurant as well as the ones that they recommended to others visiting the chain. Then to rank them from worst to best we analyzed customer reviews that discussed the taste, quality, and preparation on independent sources such as Yelp, Reddit, and Tripadvisor. In addition to those, we examined reviews from TikTok and YouTube as well as local and national publications.
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