The Best Things to Order at Olive Garden in 2026

The best Olive Garden order in 2026 are Zuppa Toscana, Chicken Marsala, Shrimp Scampi, Lasagna Fritta, and Tiramisu, with the unlimited soup and breadsticks representing the best deal in casual dining.

Olive Garden is not trying to be an Italian restaurant, and I think that is the key to enjoying it. It is an American chain that does Italian-American comfort food at scale, and some of what it does in that category is genuinely excellent. The soups are great. The breadsticks are great. Chicken Marsala is better than most people expect. The Tiramisu is one of the best desserts at any casual dining chain.

What is not great is the pasta. Most of the pasta dishes are heavy, oversalted, and not why you should be going to Olive Garden. I will tell you what to order and what to skip, and why.

Key Takeaways

• Zuppa Toscana is the best item on the menu and the reason to take the unlimited soup option every single time
• Chicken Marsala is the most underrated entree and the best example of something Olive Garden actually cooks properly
• The unlimited soup and salad add-on is one of the best deals in casual dining at $6.99 to $8.99
• The lunch combo with soup or salad and a half-portion pasta entree is the best structured value, under $13
• Skip the Fettuccine Alfredo, the Tour of Italy, and the Chocolate Brownie Lasagna
• Tiramisu is the only dessert worth ordering

The Best Things to Order at Olive Garden

Best Soup: Zuppa Toscana

Unlimited with entree add-on, ~$6.99 to $8.99

I would go to Olive Garden specifically for this soup. Italian sausage with fennel and red pepper flakes, sliced russet potatoes, kale, and a cream broth that is rich without being too heavy. The sausage is spiced well, the potatoes give it body, and the kale adds just enough texture and color to make it feel like a real dish rather than a cream delivery system.

Every time I order it I get at least three bowls. That is what the unlimited option is for, and Zuppa Toscana is the reason to take that option. The other soups are good, but this one is genuinely excellent.

The second-best soup is Pasta e Fagioli, which is hearty, tomato-based, with cannellini beans, ground beef, and ditalini pasta. More filling than the Zuppa, worth knowing if you plan to order a full entree. Chicken Gnocchi is good when it is fresh. Minestrone is the vegetarian option and the least distinctive of the four.

The house salad that comes with the unlimited option is also worth noting. Romaine, black olives, croutons, pepperoncini, and red onion tossed in the house Italian dressing. The dressing is tangy, herby, and slightly sweet in a way that I find addictive. Ask for dressing on the side if you want to control how much goes on. If you love it as much as I do, Olive Garden actually sells their signature Italian dressing on Amazon so you can use it at home.

Best Appetizer: Lasagna Fritta

~$13.99

Fried pasta stuffed with a parmesan cheese mixture, served with both alfredo and marinara for dipping. This is the one appetizer at Olive Garden that feels genuinely conceived rather than just assembled. Crispy exterior, molten cheesy interior, and the two sauces together let you mix and control the flavor on every bite.

The Stuffed Mushrooms are the second-best appetizer, closer to $13.49 and more shareable. Mushroom caps filled with clams, herbs, parmesan, and romano cheese, topped with breadcrumbs. The clam-mushroom combination is unexpectedly good and the portion size is generous.

Bruschetta at around $10.99 is simple and reliable. Tomato, basil, and red onion on toasted bread with balsamic reduction. Nothing revelatory but cleanly done and the cheapest way to start the table.

Skip the Calamari at $14.99. It is the most expensive and most ordered appetizer at Olive Garden and consistently the most disappointing. The calamari is decent but not worth the price when the Lasagna Fritta exists.

Best Entree: Chicken Marsala

~$22.99

This is the best-executed dish at Olive Garden and the most underrated item on the menu. Pan-seared chicken breast in a Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms, garlic, and herbs. Marsala is one of the few sauces that requires real technique. You need a proper wine reduction and good fond development from the pan, and Olive Garden’s version actually delivers that. The sauce is savory, slightly sweet from the wine, and the mushrooms absorb it well.

I think a lot of people overlook this because they come to Olive Garden expecting pasta, and Chicken Marsala is not pasta. That is a mistake. This is better than most Italian-American restaurants charge twice as much for.

Best Pasta: Shrimp Scampi

~$21.99

Angel hair pasta, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus in a lemon-herb garlic butter sauce. The reason this is the best pasta on the menu is the sauce. It is light, bright, and citrus-forward in a way that almost nothing else at Olive Garden is. The rest of the menu leans heavily into cream and red sauce. The Scampi cuts against that pattern and it is better for it.

The angel hair soaks up the butter-lemon combination well. The shrimp are well-cooked when the timing is right. Ask for extra scampi sauce on the side if you want more of it. This is also one of the lower-calorie options on the pasta section if that matters to you.

Reliable Crowd-Pleaser: Chicken Parmigiana

~$22.49

Breaded chicken breast, marinara, melted mozzarella over spaghetti. This is the most consistently good dish at Olive Garden. The chicken is pounded thin before breading, the mozzarella melts properly, and the marinara is their strongest red sauce. It is not an exciting order but it is never a bad one.

I recommend this for anyone ordering with a group where not everyone wants to be adventurous. It is the safest pick that still tastes genuinely good.

Best Budget Pasta: Spaghetti and Meatballs

~$17.99

The cheapest pasta on the menu and one of the better values. The meatballs are large, hand-rolled, and seasoned with fennel and herbs that make them taste like something someone actually thought about. The marinara is the same sauce as the Chicken Parmigiana, which is Olive Garden’s best red sauce.

This is what I order when I want something simple and filling without overthinking it. I have been told by more than one person who works in Olive Garden kitchens that this is the most commonly ordered staff meal, which tells you something.

Best Dessert: Tiramisu

~$9.49

The only dessert worth ordering. Espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, cocoa dusting. Olive Garden makes theirs in-house and the result is lighter and better than what you get at many Italian restaurants charging more for it. The mascarpone layer is not dense and the espresso soak is generous without being soggy.

Zeppole are worth getting to share if you want something lighter at the table end. Fried dough with powdered sugar and a caramel dipping sauce, a few bites each, a nice finish.

Skip the Chocolate Brownie Lasagna. It sounds creative, tastes like a decent brownie with extra steps, and is not worth $9.49 when the Tiramisu exists.

The Unlimited Breadsticks

The breadsticks are free with any entree and they are consistently one of the best things Olive Garden makes. Soft, pillowy, brushed with garlic butter straight from the oven. They arrive hot, they are better when they are hot, and you should always ask for them to come fresh if the basket has been sitting.

Ask for extra garlic butter on the side. You can dip them in the marinara from any entrée as well.

The breadstick supply is genuinely unlimited, but replacement speed varies during busy times. If you want more, ask early rather than waiting until the basket is empty.

The Best Value Strategy

The lunch combo runs until 3 PM on weekdays at most locations and is the best structured deal on the menu. Soup or salad plus breadsticks plus a half-portion pasta entree for $10.99 to $12.99.

You get unlimited soup and unlimited breadsticks included. Order Zuppa Toscana and the Spaghetti and Meatballs half-portion and you have a complete lunch that costs about what a fast casual bowl does.

The unlimited soup and salad add-on at dinner, $6.99 to $8.99 added to any entree, is also excellent value. I always take it and always get at least three bowls of soup. If you are eating with the unlimited soup option, pace yourself through the first course or the entree will feel redundant.

The Never Ending Pasta Bowl returns seasonally in the fall, usually September through November, at around $13.99. When it is available it is the best value deal in casual dining. It is not currently running in spring 2026 but worth knowing for fall planning.

What to Skip

Fettuccine Alfredo is the most ordered pasta at Olive Garden and the most disappointing. American-style Alfredo, meaning cream-based and heavy, rather than real Alfredo, which uses butter and pasta water. The execution is gloopy on a good day and bland on average. If you want something creamy, order the Chicken Marsala instead.

The Tour of Italy at $24.99 is a marketing concept more than a dish. Three smaller portions of Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna Classico, and Fettuccine Alfredo on one plate. The lasagna in this format always arrives slightly cold in the center and each portion is smaller and less well-executed than ordering one full dish. Pick one entree and get it done right.

The Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is heavy in a way that crosses from comfort food into discomfort food. Skip it.

A Note on Ordering Fresh

Olive Garden has a hospitality policy that requires managers to replace any dish that does not meet your expectations, no questions asked. If something arrives cold, poorly cooked, or different from what you expected, send it back. The policy is real and staff are trained to honor it.

For more casual dining rankings and where Olive Garden fits in the broader landscape, the best Mother’s Day brunch restaurants guide covers occasion dining options across several chains. And if you are ever trying to decide between a casual sit-down and a faster option, the fast food tier list puts the full chain landscape in context.

Final Verdict

The optimal Olive Garden order is Zuppa Toscana from the unlimited soup, Chicken Marsala as the entree, and Tiramisu at the end. That combination showcases what Olive Garden actually does well and skips everything it does mediocrely.

If someone at your table insists on pasta, point them toward the Shrimp Scampi or Spaghetti and Meatballs and away from the Fettuccine Alfredo. The breadsticks are free and they are good. Take the unlimited soup. Get three bowls of Zuppa Toscana.

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