At Olive Garden, while perfect plates of pasta are our specialty, we know healthy meal options are important for your family. We've committed to offering a variety of choices available every day while ensuring our smart dining options maintain the delicious flavor your family desires.
You can learn more about the sustainability pledge that Olive Garden and the other brands in the Darden family have made by visiting the Darden website.
Whether you're eating light or in the mood to indulge, we take pride in giving choices and letting you decide. That's why we make nutritional information for our food readily available to help inform your choice.
How is your nutrition information calculated?
We analyze our menu items either through calculated analysis (a sophisticated software program) or by chemical analysis (sending multiple samples to be tested in a lab). There are many factors that go into deciding which method to use, including the type of food, preparation, and information from our suppliers. Both types of analyses are based on the standardized recipes we use in our restaurants every day. As our chefs make changes to a recipe, we make the changes to our analysis. We know we can never make the exact same dish twice, but our approach to nutrition analysis helps ensure the nutrition we report is representative of what will be served in the restaurant.
What is a serving of soup?
The serving size for all soups is 8 fluid ounces. ToGo orders receive 16 fluid ounces.
What is a serving of salad?
One serving is about 5 ounces. The amount of salad served depends on the number of guests in your party. For a party of 1 to 2 guests, about 10 ounces would be served (so ½ of the bowl would be one serving).
Do your breadsticks contain dairy?
There is no dairy in our breadsticks or in the breadstick topping. The garlic topping is made from margarine.
Do you have any menu items that do not contain garlic?
Given the role of garlic in Italian cuisine, garlic is used in many of our dishes. The following menu items do not contain garlic. If a dish or menu item is not on this list, please assume it contains garlic.
Appetizers, Soup and Salads
- Chicken & Gnocchi Soup.
- Famous House Salad with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and/or Balsamic Vinegar. Request without croutons and without signature Italian dressing.
Entrées
- All of our CYO Pastas do not contain garlic (however, all of our pasta sauces do contain garlic). Choose any pasta and pair it with Olive Oil, or Parmesan Butter sauce. If you'd like a topping, choose Sauteed Shrimp.
- Grilled (with salt & pepper only) Salmon or Sirloin with Steamed Broccoli on the side. Request them to be grilled with no other seasonings/spices.
Kids Entrées
- Mac & Cheese.
- Any Pasta with Parmesan Butter Sauce.
Do you have any menu items that do not contain onion?
Given the role of onion in Italian cuisine, onion is used in many of our dishes. The following menu items do not contain onion. If a dish or menu item is not on this list, please assume it contains onion.
Breadstick & Salad
- Breadstick with garlic topping
- Famous House Salad with signature Italian dressing. Request without onions and without croutons.
Entrées
- All of our CYO Pastas do not contain onion (however, all of our pasta sauces do contain onion). Choose any pasta and pair it with Olive Oil, or Parmesan Butter sauce. If you'd like a topping, choose Sauteed Shrimp.
- Grilled (with salt & pepper only) Salmon or Sirloin with Steamed Broccoli on the side. Request them to be grilled with no other seasonings/spices
Kids Entrées
- Mac & Cheese.
- Any Pasta with Parmesan Butter Sauce.
Do you use MSG in your foods?
Our food recipes do not use added MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and, based on information from our suppliers, MSG is not added to any of the ingredients we use. However, certain foods and ingredients naturally contain glutamate or glutamic acid (such as tomatoes, milk, cheese, mushrooms and certain yeasts and proteins).
FAQs
Olive Garden serves several types of Italian-American cuisine, including pasta dishes, steaks, and salads. The company advertises its breadstick product and centers its lunch menu around it.
Are Olive Garden lunch portions smaller? ›
According to Olive Garden's menu, the lunchtime Alfredo is around 650 calories, while a dinner portion is closer to 1,310 — nearly double the size of the lunchtime serving.
How many courses are in an Italian dinner? ›
An Italian meal usually consists of four courses (starter, first course, main course, and dessert). However, this can be extended to eight or more (starter, first course, main fish course, main meat course, cheese, and dessert).
How do you use Italian restaurant in a sentence? ›
She has invited me to her birthday dinner tonight at an Italian restaurant. It has simple, inexpensive rooms and a good Italian restaurant. We eat pasta and risotto with truffles at an Italian restaurant.
Is the food at Olive Garden made from scratch? ›
Our soup and sauce masters create dishes by hand and from scratch, every day. With fresh, whole ingredients like kale, peppers and squash. Because they know cooking that way – the Italian way- everything tastes better. to everything they make.
What is a true Italian meal? ›
Typically, Italian dinner dishes include a variety of pasta, soups, risottos, and seafood. With an Italian-inspired dinner menu, you'll find dishes like pizza, spaghetti, ravioli, and desserts such as tiramisu.
How many servings of salad are in a bowl at Olive Garden? ›
The amount of salad served depends on the number of guests in your party. For a party of 1 to 2 guests, about 10 ounces would be served (so ½ of the bowl would be one serving).
Are portion sizes too big? ›
Increased portion sizes are thought to contribute to overeating and unwanted weight gain ( 1 ). Research indicates that many factors can influence how much you eat. People tend to eat almost all of what they serve themselves. Therefore, controlling portion sizes can help prevent overindulging ( 2 ).
Why do restaurants serve such large portions? ›
Profit margins for restaurants are slim due to a number of fixed costs including wages, rent, equipment, and utilities that must be paid despite the amount of customers served. Therefore, in order to increase profits, restaurants will justify a higher menu price with larger portions.
What is salad called in Italian? ›
Salads in Italy come in many varieties, including simple insalata verde (green salad, just a big bowl of lettuce), insalata mista (mixed salad of lettuce, carrots, tomato, perhaps some fennel), and meal-size insalatone (big salads filled with cheeses, meats, seafood, fruits, nuts).
In America, we often choose our meals based on convenience, but let's dive into what a traditional meal structure in Italy looks like.
- Aperitivo. The Aperitivio is a pre-meal drink designed to cleanse and wet your palate before beginning the first course. ...
- Antipasto. ...
- Primo. ...
- Secondo. ...
- Dolce. ...
- Digestivo.
Vocabolario di ristorante
| Vorrei… | |
|---|
| Buon appetito! | Enjoy your meal! (the waiter might say this too) |
| Later, the waiter might ask… |
| Tutto bene? | Do you like it? Is everything ok? |
| Ha finito? Avete finito? | Have you finished? |
45 more rowsItalians don't slather their bread with butter, nor dip it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. They enjoy it with a light drizzle of olive oil or plain. Resist the urge to dip or ask for butter.
How do you ask for the bill in an Italian restaurant? ›
Make a hand gesture similar to signing. The waiter won't even come to you and he will immediately understand you are asking for the bill. This custom originates from the act of signing cheques. Alternatively, simply signal the waiter/waitress with your hand and ask “Il conto per favore”.
Is Olive Garden dressing Italian or Caesar? ›
Our Signature Italian dressing has been a favorite with our guests for over 35 years.
Why is Olive Garden so popular? ›
Italian-American Cuisine: The chain's focus on Italian-American dishes is appealing to many, offering a wide range of popular and comforting foods like pasta, breadsticks, and salads. Affordability: Olive Gardens is known for its reasonable prices, making it an accessible option for a wide range of customers.
Do Olive Garden chefs go to Italy? ›
I did a little research, and I put some two and two together. It appears that someone in corporate found an independent cooking school in Tuscany and made a deal with them. Olive Garden ranks all of their chefs and managers (as any corporation would), and the top 100 win a one-week trip to Italy the following year.
How is your nutrition information calculated? 