Ordering guide
What to order at Olive Garden
Olive Garden is best ordered strategically — a couple of dishes clearly outperform the rest, and the unlimited items change the maths.
Order this at Olive Garden
1Chicken Alfredo
The sauce is made in-house and it's the dish the kitchen makes most often.
2Tour of Italy
Lasagna, chicken parmigiana and fettuccine Alfredo on one plate — the best sampler.
3Zuppa Toscana
The best of the unlimited soups by a wide margin.
4Shrimp scampi
The lightest entrée that still tastes like a full dish.
5Never-ending pasta bowl (when running)
Best value on the menu; pick the meat sauce and add meatballs.
Ordering tips
- Order soup rather than salad as your unlimited side — Zuppa Toscana is the reason.
- Ask for breadsticks fresh from the oven instead of the batch on the pass.
- Add grilled chicken to any pasta rather than ordering a chicken entrée; it's usually cheaper.
- Lunch portions of the same pastas cost noticeably less.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at Olive Garden?
Chicken Alfredo is the safest great order, and the Tour of Italy is the best way to try three signature dishes at once. Take soup instead of salad and choose Zuppa Toscana. If the never-ending pasta bowl is running, it's the best value on the menu.
What is the best soup at Olive Garden?
Zuppa Toscana — sausage, potato, kale and cream — is the clear favourite, with chicken gnocchi second. Both come with the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks, so trying them costs nothing extra.
What is the best pasta at Olive Garden?
Fettuccine Alfredo and chicken Alfredo top the rankings, with lasagna and shrimp scampi behind. If you want lighter, ask for the sauce on the side and add grilled chicken instead of a fried topping.
Is the never-ending pasta bowl worth it at Olive Garden?
If you'll eat more than one plate, yes — it includes unlimited pasta, sauce and toppings alongside the soup, salad and breadsticks. If you only want one serving, a standard entrée is usually the better plate of food.
Olive Garden locations on DishVote
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