15 Absolute Best Dishes To Order At Olive Garden

Dining at Olive Garden has become a popular option for Americans since the eatery was founded over 40 years ago. The restaurant chain gained popularity for its Italian style cuisine that caters to American palates. While traditional Italian food is a bit pricey, for those looking to pay a bit less and forgo some authenticity, Olive Garden is a great alternative and has a variety of menu options. Even if you aren't strapped for cash, sometimes you can't deny the satisfaction of having endless breadsticks and salad before digging into a signature entrée.

Whatever the reason for your trip to Olive Garden, there are plenty of flavors and pastas available on the menu. When it comes to picking the best dishes, choosing a filling meal with a memorable taste is an important determining factor. The restaurant conveniently offers different protein options, ranging from red meat to poultry, seafood, and more. Although the proteins are creatively incorporated into various meals throughout the menu, only a few items are considered the restaurant's best dishes.

The chicken parmigiana can be a hit or miss depending on the chef, but when it is made correctly, the customer can count on being served some unforgettable flavors. The dish is made with the perfect amount of sauce on both the chicken and the pasta. While the description of the dish boasts two lightly fried chicken breasts, we can't deny that we love the crispness of the breaded Parmesan coating when it is slightly overcooked. The chicken breasts are topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. The marinara adds a vibrant flavor to the crispy chicken without turning it into a soggy mess and causing the fried breading to fall apart.

Conveniently, the side of spaghetti acts as a delightful addition to the chicken parm, breaking up some of the saltiness in the coating. If spaghetti and marinara sauce isn't your thing, you can customize your pasta side. Fettuccine Alfredo is a great alternative and its combination with the marinara sauce along with the chicken parm results in a pleasantly surprising taste.

The signature Olive Garden chicken Alfredo dish never disappoints when dining in. Of course, there are plenty of copycat recipes online, but nothing quite compares to the original. The smoothness of the sauce and the tenderness of the fettuccine noodles, along with the grilled chicken provides a soothing sensation in your mouth that makes you eager for the next bite. You can also upgrade your dish by ordering a chicken Florentine instead; this secret menu hack gets you all the chicken, sauce, and pasta you love, just with extra fresh spinach added.

And, when it comes to takeout, requesting an extra Alfredo sauce on the side is a necessity to enjoy the dish in all of its greatness. Taking into consideration how long it takes you to pick up your takeout and the time you spend transporting the dish to its destination, by the time you reheat the meal, you can expect dry noodles. 

The extra Alfredo on the side will allow you to reheat the meal to the desired temperature while still getting the creaminess of the Alfredo sauce. Even if the meal is still hot upon arrival, the Alfredo sauce on the side won't go to waste. The dish always tastes great with some extra Alfredo, and it can also act as a dipping sauce for the breadsticks.

This selection may be considered a little controversial, but it is definitely worth a taste before you write it off. The meal is quite simple and made up of fettuccine noodles, Alfredo, and topped with shrimp. While the dish typically comes with enough Alfredo to coat the shrimp and noodles, asking for an additional side of the sauce will come in handy if you prefer a saucier dish. The great thing about the meal is that the shrimp is succulent rather than overcooked and mushy. The texture isn't chewy, which is a welcomed surprise while noshing on the soft noodles.

Even though the shrimp doesn't appear to be sufficiently seasoned, the combination of the Alfredo and the signature grated Parmesan cheese create the creamiest Alfredo sauce that you never knew you needed. Despite the lack of seasoning, the shrimp doesn't taste fishy or give off that undesirable ocean taste. Instead, the muted flavors come together to make a savory and fulfilling dish.

You definitely won't leave Olive Garden feeling hungry after eating the chicken tortelloni Alfredo. It's easy to look at the name and confuse this dish with tortellini, which is a small pasta that is typically stuffed with meat. The tortelloni is a larger pasta with a similar shape and is usually stuffed with a cheese-based filling. The Chicken Tortellini Alfredo dish is made up of tortelloni filled with asiago cheese, baked with Italian cheeses in Alfredo sauce, and topped with grilled chicken. The asiago filling adds a sharp taste to the meal, while the chicken has a bit of a smoky flavor that elevates the entire dish.

Since it is a baked dish, the tortelloni and Alfredo come with some golden brown coloring that adds to the overall presentation and appeal of the meal. If you fill up on breadsticks and salad beforehand, chances are you will be able to take half of your meal home to have leftovers for later.

The Tour of Italy at Olive Garden gives customers a sample of some of the restaurant's most popular dishes; chicken parmigiana, fettuccine Alfredo, and lasagna classico. You can start with any dish on the plate, but the chicken parmigiana is a great way to kick off the meal. The crispy chicken breast topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese provides a burst of tangy yet salty flavors. The chicken parm also adds texture and crunch to the Tour of Italy dish that has a majority of soft noodles. The lasagna classico features multiple layers of rich meat sauce, noodles, and cheese.

The fettuccine Alfredo makes the meal complete when saddled in between the two other dishes that possess powerful flavors. The popular sauce, which consists of ingredients like garlic, butter, cream, and Parmesan, offers a great balance and breaks from the flavors of the lasagna and chicken parm. Overall, the dish offers a variety of flavors that mesh well together whether you combine the components or eat them separately.

Whether you're in the mood for poultry or seafood, you can get the best of both worlds with the chicken and shrimp carbonara from Olive Garden. The dish consists of spaghetti, red peppers, bacon, chicken, and shrimp tossed in a creamy sauce. The decadent dish is elevated when you add on the restaurant's freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The shrimp and chicken are seasoned and sautéed while the bacon starts out crispy, but it becomes softer throughout the meal. The good part about the softer bacon is the flavor appears to soak into the dish more.

The chicken has some crispness and markings to it that helps add some texture and a slight crunch to the meal. The shrimp is succulent and allows for smooth chewing throughout the dish. Whether you finish the chicken and shrimp carbonara at the rest restaurant or take it home to eat later, it comes with more than enough sauce, so reheating shouldn't be an issue (after you bring your leftovers to room temperature).

With layers of tangy cheeses and robust meat sauce, this classic lasagna is packed with flavor. The presentation of the lasagna classico is visually appealing in that you can see each layer and know what you are getting in every bite. The marinara sauce is tangy but is tamed by the ricotta cheese, which manages to balance the acidic flavor. The meat sauce is made up of beef and Italian sausage and adds to the mouthwatering aspects of the savory dish. The hearty meal is quite filling, especially if you indulge in the salad and breadsticks beforehand.

When it comes to leftovers, reheating the meal may be an issue. Past experiences have found that reheating the dish in the microwave or the oven results in a melted cheesy mess. While the flavors will still be there, the initial structure of the lasagna will be long gone. This meal is best enjoyed when dining at the restaurant.

You can't go wrong with a classic like spaghetti and meatballs. The classic meal never fails to satisfy, and luckily, at Olive Garden, you can look forward to large meatballs with your choice of marinara or meat sauce. Customers can expect a generous portion of al dente noodles and tender meatballs topped with a hearty tomato sauce. The noodles are typically already coated with sauce when it arrives at the table, so it only needs to be mixed if you want even more sauce in each bite. While the meat sauce offers more flavor in every bite thanks to the seasoned meat, the marinara option should not be overlooked.

The plain marinara sauce manages to tone down the taste of the meatballs and would be appreciated by those who feel overwhelmed if there is too much flavor in their dish. The meal is pretty filling, but depending on how hungry you are, you may finish the dish in one sitting.

For some foodies, everything tastes better when it's fried. That being said, Olive Garden's toasted ravioli appetizer will easily fulfill any fried food needs minus the grease. The ravioli are lightly fried, which means you still get that crispiness without having to worry about oil dripping from your mouth. Unlike the cheese ravioli, which you should avoid ordering at Olive Garden, the toasted version of the dish uses seasoned beef and leaves the classic marinara sauce on the side so the diner can decide how much or how little they want. 

However, we will say that customers should take caution when biting into this appetizer. If the ravioli doesn't have enough time to cool, you may be hit with a blast of steamy heat. Moreover, while it's a good portion for an appetizer, it would help if there was a little more of the seasoned beef included in each ravioli. On a brighter note, you won't have to worry about it filling you up before your meal arrives. 

We never imagined asparagus could work in a pasta dish, but this shrimp scampi had us begging for more. The meal features shrimp, tomatoes, asparagus, and angel hair pasta tossed in a garlic sauce. While we had our doubts, the asparagus adds a distinct flavor to the dish that becomes more potent with each bite. The shrimp is succulent and the tomatoes manage to add extra flavor, whether you bite into them whole or as they're slowly broken down and mixed with the sauce. This dish is also especially delectable when the asparagus is left a little crunchy, as it adds a nice texture to the soft noodle dish. 

The Olive Garden shrimp scampi is considered a lighter take on the classic dish. Though, we found that adding a little butter to this dish, while it might take away some of the lightness, makes all the difference. While a good portion of the garlic sauce remains intact, the additional butter makes up for any dry spots caused by overheating the dish. Butter aside, this light, yet filling dish one of the best on Olive Garden's menu. 

When we think of unique fried food, our mind typically jumps to state fair foods like deep-fried tacos, Twinkies, or Oreos. We didn't expect the Olive Garden menu to feature fried lasagna and actually be successful in the taste department, but this was a pleasant surprise. The lasagna is fried in a Parmesan breading, placed on a bed of Alfredo, and topped with meat sauce. The Alfredo offers a creaminess that you didn't know you needed in an already cheese-filled pasta. These lasagna bites are fried perfectly, too; they're not too chewy, nor are they so soft that they fall apart. Despite the sauce beneath and on top of the lasagna fritta, the breading did not become soggy. However, we downed this appetizer rather quickly, which could have staved off any potential sogginess. If it was left out for too long, the breading might become soggy. 

Although the lasagna fritta is technically an appetizer, ordering it with some breadsticks and a soup or salad could make it a meal. Its texture and flavor makes it one of the best meals you can order at Olive Garden, hands down. 

Although creamy chicken marsala can be served with rice or potatoes, Olive Garden's version is made of what appears to be lightly-floured chicken mixed with mushrooms and spinach and served in a creamy sauce over fettuccine. The chicken in this dish is tender and juicy, and the sauce doesn't really soak into the meat so much that it becomes soggy. Moreover, the dish is super creamy, since the breading on the chicken doesn't flake off and into the meal. 

Even though the dish is called chicken marsala fettuccine, it doesn't mean you have to stick to that noodle shape. While the meal is great in its original form, customers have found creative ways to substitute different pastas to make the dish even better. Diners have reported swapping the fettuccine for rigatoni, tortellini, and other noodle shapes.

The chicken marsala fettuccine has a good chance of achieving the status of the best meal at Olive Garden, seeing as how it's been a favorite among customers for years. However, some diners have said they could do without the spinach in the dish, even though we personally enjoy the leafy addition. The portion size makes it a filling meal, and thanks to the creaminess of the overall dish, it's easy to finish it in one sitting.

Between the cheese-stuffed ravioli and the bacon in the creamy sauce, the combination of flavors in the ravioli carbonara isn't something we knew we needed, but are glad that we are able to have. When we think of a ravioli, bacon is the furthest thing from our minds, but the meaty addition adds a smokiness to the dish that manages to elevate the other flavors. Not only is the taste there, but the presentation of the dish makes it hard not to dig in. Not only is the color on this dish perfect, but the sauce is rich and the noodles are soft. We also enjoy that some of the bacon pieces have a crispier texture than we anticipated. While there were some gummy bacon bits in there, it wasn't enough to make us swear off ordering the dish ever again.

Even though the ravioli carbonara is good on its own, some customers revealed they used the Olive Garden menu to their advantage to add shrimp and even onion and peppers to the meal for an additional charge. Even without a protein add-on the meal is quite filling, and you can likely finish it in one sitting. If you do add on a protein, there is a good chance that you will be bringing home leftovers. Luckily, the ravioli carbonara reheats well, whether it is in the oven or the microwave, but you have to watch it to avoid overcooking it. 

The vibrant colors alone are enough to make you want to try the zuppa Toscana. But, it's even better to know that it's served with the brand's tantalizing breadsticks. While some homemade zuppa toscana recipes may use a combination of bacon and sausage, the restaurant serves the dish, which is made with gluten-free ingredients, with a creamy broth filled with potatoes, spicy Italian sausage, and fresh kale.

While the zuppa toscana features some hearty ingredients, the broth is on the thin side — so it won't leave you stuffed. The russet potatoes are thinly sliced with the skin still on, which makes them a defining textural element in this soup. We don't find the sausage spicy, but it's hard not to appreciate the overall flavor it brought to the soup.

While there are several dishes that are contenders for the best meal at Olive Garden, we're going to have to give this title to the chicken and gnocchi soup –which features pillowy soft gnocchi and tender chicken that tastes great with a spoonful of the creamy broth. The spinach adds some color, lightness, and a refreshing element to the otherwise savory soup. That being said, the chicken and gnocchi soup is a bit heavy for an appetizer. More than likely, the soup will be followed by one of the many pasta dishes offered on the Olive Garden menu — resulting in a half-eaten entrée.

Although the soup is heavy, it is tasty, and we have no doubt of it being finished in one sitting — which means there's a low chance of it making it into the doggy bag at the end of your meal. We've found that the broth is thick enough to enjoy the soup on its own, or dip the breadsticks into.

These selections were made based on personal experiences, feedback from friends who have also tried the dishes, and online reviews. Personal experiences served as the driving force behind the selections, however, it was important to incorporate the opinions of others while determining the best dishes. The factors that were used to determine the best dishes were taste, noodle to sauce ratio, and portion size. Although price is an important factor when it comes to dining out, it was not included when selecting these dishes. With the ever changing economy, the price of certain meals may seem cheap or overly expensive depending on a person's financial situation.

While making these selections, focusing on the dish itself was determined to be the best option. When choosing the best dishes, I compiled a list of some of the most popular dishes at Olive Garden and then narrowed down the options based on taste, quality, and how full the meal left patrons.