Olive Garden is known for its unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks offer. This allows customers to enjoy unlimited servings of soup or salad and warm, freshly baked breadsticks with their meal. However, Olive Garden’s unlimited refills policy does not extend to main course entrees. So do Olive Garden entrees come with unlimited soup?
The Unlimited Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks Offer
Olive Garden first introduced its unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks offer in 1995. This offer allows customers to enjoy unlimited servings of soup or salad and Olive Garden’s signature warm, toasted breadsticks before their meal. Soups like minestrone, pasta e fagioli, and chicken and gnocchi are included in this unlimited offer. Salads like Garden-Fresh, house, and Caesar are also unlimited. This offer is available during normal lunch and dinner hours with the purchase of an entrée.
The unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks offer has become a signature part of the Olive Garden dining experience. It allows customers to customize their dining experience with their favorite soups, salads, and breadsticks. Olive Garden’s commitment to fresh ingredients also ensures high-quality soups and salads. This unlimited offer provides great value for customers looking to start their meal with an abundance of soups, salads, and breadsticks.
Rules and Restrictions
Olive Garden’s unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks offer comes with a few rules and restrictions:
- Only available for dine-in customers who purchase an entrée
- Valid during normal lunch and dinner hours
- Soups and salads are refillable, but each refill may not be a full portion
- Breadsticks are unlimited, but may be served a few at a time
- To-go boxes are not permitted for uneaten soups, salads, and breadsticks
While the offer provides unlimited refills, Olive Garden reserves the right to enforce these rules to prevent excessive waste and sharing. But in general, customers are able to enjoy soup, salad, and breadsticks in abundance before their meal.
Olive Garden Entrees
While Olive Garden’s soups, salads, and breadsticks may be unlimited, the same does not apply to main course entrees. Olive Garden’s lunch and dinner menus feature a variety of Italian inspired entrees made fresh daily.
Lunch Entrees
Olive Garden’s lunch menu features entrees like pasta, sandwiches, pizza, and more. Options include:
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
- Lasagna Classico
- Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
- Chicken Parmigiana
- Chicken Alfredo
- Classic Caesar Salad with Chicken
- Herb-Grilled Salmon
- Herb-Grilled Chicken Flatbread
Lunch entrees range from around $8-$12 depending on the dish. Most pasta dishes like fettuccine Alfredo or lasagna classico are under $10 for lunch.
Dinner Entrees
Dinner entrees at Olive Garden range from pasta classics to chicken, seafood, pork chops, and specialty dishes like:
- Tour of Italy – three of Olive Garden’s most popular pastas
- Chicken Alfredo
- Chicken Parmigiana
- Herb-Grilled Salmon
- Shrimp Alfredo
- Seafood Alfredo
- Lasagna Classico
- Four-Cheese Ziti al Forno
- Braised Beef and Tortelloni
Dinner entrees cost $13-$20 on average depending on the dish. Pastas generally start around $13-15 while seafood and specialty dishes are $17-$20.
Unlimited Entrees?
Olive Garden does not offer unlimited servings or refills of entrees. Customers can only order one entrée per person during each visit. Unlike the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks, customers cannot continuously order additional servings of the same entrée.
However, Olive Garden does offer variety with its Tour of Italy option. This allows customers to sample three different types of pasta in one entrée. While this provides some variety, each pasta is still a smaller portion, not full servings.
Attempting to order multiple full entrees per person or consistently ordering additional entrees would be prohibited by Olive Garden. The unlimited offer only applies to soups, salads, and breadsticks, not main course entrees.
Getting More Soup with Entrees
Since Olive Garden entrees do not come with unlimited soup by default, is there a way to get more soup with your meal?
Yes, there are a couple options for getting extra soup servings with your entree order:
- Order soup as one of your unlimited starters. Enjoy soup before your meal arrives and order more bowls as desired.
- For a heartier soup meal, order a bowl of soup and add an entree side like chicken, meatballs, or shrimp.
- Order soup as your side item in place of things like vegetables or fries.
- Order a lunch soup and salad combo with unlimited refills on the soup.
While soup does not come unlimited with Olive Garden entrees, you can construct your own soup-focused meal. By ordering strategically, you can enjoy as much hot, delicious soup as you’d like along with your entree!
Tips for Maximizing the Unlimited Offer
Here are some helpful tips for making the most of Olive Garden’s unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks offer with your entree:
1. Come Hungry
Don’t fill up too much on other food before your Olive Garden meal. Come hungry so you can really enjoy multiple rounds of soup, salad, and breadsticks before your entree. This allows you to get the most value out of the unlimited offer.
2. Pace Yourself
Don’t overwhelm your server by asking for multiple baskets of breadsticks or bowls of soup all at once. Pace yourself, and order a few servings at a time throughout your meal to keep a steady flow of freshly prepared soup, salad, and breadsticks.
3. Try New Items
Take advantage of the unlimited offer to sample new soups, salad dressings, or breadstick flavors. You can try a wider variety without having to pay for multiple servings.
4. Share with Others
Dining with a group? Take advantage of the unlimited offer by sharing breadsticks, soups, and salads family style so everyone can enjoy a variety. Just don’t take home leftovers.
5. Pair Strategically with Entrees
Complement your entree with the right unlimited sides. For example, pair a hearty pasta with salad or enjoy seafood with a bottomless bowl of soup.
Olive Garden Menu Hacks
Regular Olive Garden diners have uncovered some creative menu hacks to maximize value and customize your meal. Here are a few tricks to try on your next visit:
Add Meatballs to Soup
For a heartier soup, ask your server to add a few meatballs to your bowl. This works great with pastas e fagioli or minestrone.
Swap Sides
Prefer soup or salad instead of fries or veggies? Ask to substitute your entree side for unlimited soup or salad at no extra charge.
Cheap Chicken Meals
Order a side of chicken for around $5 extra and add it to a salad or bowl of soup for an inexpensive chicken meal.
Kid’s Meal Hacks
Kids jumbo meals like pizza, pasta, and chicken tenders provide great value. For bigger kids, order an adult entree and a kid’s meal for shared sides.
Take Home Breadsticks
While you can’t take soup or salad to go, you can request a doggy bag of breadsticks at the end of your meal to enjoy the garlic goodness at home.
Olive Garden Drink Combos
Pairing the right beverage with your Olive Garden meal can enhance the experience. Here are some suggested drink pairings:
| Entree | Drink Pairing |
|---|---|
| Fettuccine Alfredo | Pinot Grigio |
| Chicken Parmigiana | Chianti |
| Shrimp Alfredo | White wine or sangria |
| Seafood Alfredo | Limoncello spritz |
| Lasagna Classico | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Herb-Grilled Salmon | Bellini or rosé |
Pairing Italian wines, beers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages can perfectly complement your Olive Garden pasta, seafood, chicken, or specialty entree.
Tasty Leftovers
While you can’t take unlimited soup, salad, or breadsticks to go, Olive Garden entrees make for delicious leftovers. Here are some tips for enjoying Olive Garden meals again:
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge within 2 hours of eating.
- Reheat pasta dishes with a little extra sauce or broth to restore moisture.
- Use chicken or seafood entrees to create new meals like stir frys, sandwiches, or pasta bakes.
- Refrigerate Alfredo sauce and reheat gently to prevent curdling.
- Slice meatballs and add to salads, soups, pizza, or sandwiches.
- Enjoy lasagna chilled straight from the fridge for different texture.
With proper storage and preparation, Olive Garden leftovers can taste just as fresh as during your restaurant visit. Get creative with recipes!
Top Leftover Tips
Here is a quick summary of tips for Olive Garden leftovers to remember:
| Tip | Description |
|---|---|
| Store Properly | Refrigerate in airtight containers within 2 hours |
| Reheat Pasta | With extra sauce or broth to restore moisture |
| Prevent Curdling | Reheat Alfredo sauce gently on low heat |
| Use Components | Repurpose meats and sauces into new dishes |
| Change Texture | Enjoy lasagna and other baked pastas chilled |
Reasonable Expectations
Olive Garden’s unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks offer provides great value for guests looking to start their meal with delicious Italian favorites. However, this unlimited offer does not extend to main course entrees. While you can find ways to incorporate extra soup with your entree, you can’t endlessly order additional full servings of the same entree. But you can construct well-rounded meals pairing your favorite entrees with bottomless soups, salads, breadsticks, and beverages. With reasonable expectations, you can enjoy Olive Garden’s generosity without excess.
Summary of What to Expect
- Unlimited soup before your entree
- One entree serving per person
- Soup or salad as an entree side
- Bottomless breadsticks all meal
- Great value with starters and entrees
- Delicious leftovers for another meal
Conclusion
At Olive Garden, entrees do not come with unlimited soup by default. However, the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks offer provides a way to enjoy abundant amounts of soup before your meal arrives. While you can’t endlessly order more servings of the same entree, you can supplement your entree with bottomless starters. Take advantage of salad, breadsticks, and strategic soup ordering to construct a customized Italian dining experience. With reasonable expectations, you can enjoy the generous hospitality of Olive Garden without excess.
