The Worst Olive Garden Entree That Isn't Pasta

While Olive Garden may not be the best option if you're hoping to find the fanciest of Italian fare, the family-friendly restaurant is a perfectly good choice for those craving hearty pasta dishes, flavorful soups, and of course, a procession of never-ending breadsticks. However, the casual dining chain offers a slew of other Italian-inspired dishes — some worth coming back for and some, well, not so much. 

In Tasting Table's own ranking of every Olive Garden entree (that isn't pasta), we called out some truly yummy gems, like the standout 6-ounce steak topped with a delectable garlic herb butter sauce, and the rich and creamy stuffed chicken Marsala, the umami-packed entree that came in at number one on our list. However, we also discovered the worst of the bunch, and coming in last in our Olive Garden menu ranking was the eggplant Parmigiana. 

Although it's certainly a filling option for those seeking to avoid meat, flavorwise, we found the layers of eggplant, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, and cheese to be lackluster at best — and we're not the only ones who'd say so. As shown by Reddit user @mtnagel's photographic proof in a thread on the subreddit r/ExpectationVsReality, the fried eggplant dish definitely falls short of what's promised on the menu. In addition to the barely melted bits of shredded cheese, they bemoaned the lack of breadcrumbs covering the eggplant discs as well as the plate's overall lack of crispy fried crunch. As one commenter wrote, the entree "looks like a TV dinner."

Thankfully, our own serving of eggplant Parmigiana from Olive Garden was not nearly as lacking in cheese and breadcrumbs as Reddit user @mtnagel received. However, that fact only added to our own grievances with the dish. Our primary issue with the eggplant plate was its overall lack of acidity, which caused the main ingredient to get lost in the sauce (no pun intended) amidst the blandness of the breadcrumbs and the fattiness of the melted mozzarella. 

Unfortunately, it couldn't even be redeemed by its side of spaghetti covered in a mountain of tomato sauce. In our opinion, even a little spritz of lemon would do much to sharpen some of the eggplant's flavors. Even so, we don't see ourselves ordering this entree again anytime soon, at least not at Olive Garden.

If we were, however, looking for a more flavorful version of this classic dish, we'd turn to Tasting Table's own recipe for baked eggplant Parmesan and whip it up at home. In addition to trading in the typical breadcrumb coating for the crispier touch of panko, this recipe sees the veggies suitably seasoned in a blend of garlic powder and Italian herbs. Most importantly, though, it tackles that acid issue by incorporating white wine vinegar into the sauce. As recipe developer Ting Dalton explains, "It just lifts the tomato sauce and adds an extra tanginess alongside the aromatic basil and fragrant garlic." The result? Balanced, crispy, but no less cheesy eggplant goodness. Olive Garden, take note.