The Number of Olive Garden restaurants is close to 900, And they are spread out over 52 States and U.S. territories. Unbelievably, the casual Italian restaurant chain was established by food producer General Mills in 1982. However, Olive Garden has Been a Part of the Darden Restaurants Organization since 1995.
You are Probably Already familiar with the extensive selection of pastas, soups, salads, And appetizers that Olive Garden provides if you have been there before.
Unbeknownst to you, There are a Number of Restaurant ordering tricks and tips that can help you make the most of your meal and guarantee that you’re receiving the greatest bargain.
In Reality, while dining at Olive Garden, you might have been inadvertently committing a number of errors. Read on to find out how to prevent making these ordering errors at Olive Garden, regardless of how frequently you dine there or how infrequently.
1. Not Downloading The Olive Garden App
Downloading the Olive Garden App is a Must if you intend to place an order from the Restaurant. The software, which is accessible on Google Play And the Apple software Store, has a number of features that will improve your overall dining experience.
You will get seated more quickly, which is one of the main advantages. When You’re On your way to Olive Garden during a busy time of the day, Check in to the app. You can add your name to the waitlist and view the current wait.
You’ll be seated more quickly than if you waited until you got to the restaurant to put your name on the list once you get there and check in.
You Should also have the app downloaded On your phone if you intend to order food to go. It Enables simple ordering and will even remember your preferred items, making it simpler to reorder them the following time an Olive Garden craving strikes.
2. Not Signing up for the eClub Newsletter
There is no better moment than the present to correct that oversight if you haven’t previously subscribed to the eClub email. You Can stay up to date on all the most recent Olive Garden News by subscribing to the newsletter. Be the first to learn about any exclusive deals or new menu items the chain will be introducing.
Additionally, Vouchers will be sent to eClub members so they can save money the next time they go to the restaurant. The eClub newsletter registration process just takes a few seconds. Just Your name, email address, zip code, and birthday are required.
You Can choose to receive promotions And coupons from other Darden restaurants, such as Longhorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Or The Capital Grille, at the same time as you complete your registration with Olive Garden.
Consider subscribing to text updates after completing the newsletter sign-up process to receive even more exclusive news and discounts. To subscribe, simply text OGNEWS to 29002.
3. Not Dining in On Your Birthday
Consider Going to Olive Garden to celebrate your upcoming birthday. There are additional benefits to dining at Olive Garden on your special day in addition to the great and enjoyable meal that you will be able to enjoy.
First off, Your waitress will give you a complimentary dessert when you celebrate your birthday at Olive Garden. Tiramisu, Strawberry Cream Cake, Black Tie Mousse Cake, Chocolate Brownie Lasagna, or Sicilian Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping are just a few of the delectable dessert options the restaurant may have available to you.
The Staff will serenade you, Which is another reason you might think about going to Olive Garden on your birthday. If the birthday person so wants, Olive Garden still sings happy birthday to them, unlike some other restaurants.
What could be better than receiving a complimentary dessert and receiving some extra birthday love from the staff and guests at your table?
4. Not Buying Extra Gift Cards Around The Holidays
Who doesn’t enjoy receiving a gift card to a restaurant? Getting a gift card is like getting free money to enjoy a good meal out because eating out may be pricey. Don’t Forget to Stock up on Olive Garden Gift Cards for the upcoming holidays.
You’ll Not only have plenty of presents prepared to offer to friends and family, But you’ll also be able to treat yourself with a free gift card. Olive Garden Often runs a Promotion where you can get a $10 gift card for every $50 you spend on gift cards around Christmas and Easter.
This may allow you to receive a bonus for each gift you buy someone else. If you frequent Olive Garden, you might also want to get a couple gift cards for your own usage.
You will Receive a total of $120 in Gift Cards if you purchase two $50 gift cards. That Represents a free 20% addition.
5. Not Splitting The Meal to Use Two Coupons
One coupon is allowed at Olive Garden. One voucher per purchase, not per table, to be clear. Consequently, if you have two coupons, you might share the tab with a tablemate so that you can each utilize one of them. Even while it may not seem like this will save a lot, every dollar counts.
Assume for the moment that you and a buddy each had a voucher good for $10 off your purchase and that you and your pals’ combined total for the outing was $80.
You would save $10 if you didn’t split the bill and used just one coupon. However, if You can divide the cost and each use a $10 discount on your order, You’ll wind up saving $20.
In This case, it means that you would receive 25% off rather than just 12.5% off. Most of the time, You won’t even need to bother the waitress by asking them to split the check for you because you can simply pay at your table and divide the bill on the tabletop kiosk.
6. Not Trying the Never-Ending Soup, Salad & Breadsticks
One of Olive Garden’s most recognizable features is its Never-Ending Soup, Salad & Breadsticks menu. If You haven’t taken advantage of these offers yet, You should change that the next time you come.
Each table at Olive Garden receives a set of breadsticks from the servers. Don’t be reluctant to request more breadsticks after you and your friends have finished the initial basket of warm and delectable breadsticks.
This Exclusive Olive Garden promotion includes unlimited refills on any soup or house salad that you order. There are four flavorful soups to sample: Minestrone, Chicken Gnocchi, Pasta E Fagioli, and Zuppa Toscana.
Furthermore, One of the best features of Olive Garden’s special is the opportunity to select a different soup when you request a refill. Only dine-in orders are eligible for the Never-Ending Soup, Salad & Breadsticks specials, so keep that in mind.
These specialties cannot be ordered to go or in excess to be taken home. However, if you eat at the restaurant, your server is likely to let you take whatever is currently on the table home.
7. Not Ordering a Family-Style Meal
When you visit Olive Garden again, you should think about having a family-style lunch. These substantial trays of some of the menu’s most well-liked entrées are made to serve four to six people.
Chicken Parmigiana, Shrimp Alfredo, Chicken Alfredo, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, Lasagna Classico, Cheese Ravioli, and Chicken Fingers are just a few of the selections available. You Can also choose a Jumbo House Salad, a gallon of soup, Or a half-gallon of soup in addition to these entrées.
These Meals not only make it simple to feed a large group, But they can also help you save money. For instance, the Lasagna Classico costs $46.99 for a big tray that may serve up to six people.
The price of a single Lasagna Classico entree is $17.99. It would cost $107.94 to order six individual entrées. That represents a considerable savings.
8. Not Saving Half of Your Meal to Bring Home
You might want to think about packing up half of your meal to take home for later, whether you’re trying to eat healthier at Olive Garden or are just seeking for the best value.
Olive Garden surely doesn’t scrimp when it comes to portion sizes, unlike some restaurants who hardly serve you any food on your plate.
You’ll still have plenty to eat in the restaurant if you divide your meal into two parts and take half home. Additionally, the Never-Ending breadsticks are available if you are still a little peckish. Request a to-go box as soon as you receive your food, if possible.
After that, you may immediately divide it up and seal the box. This will make tidy packing simpler. Since the excess will already be tucked away in the box, it can also prevent you from giving in to the temptation to take “just one more bite.”
9. Not Ordering the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl When it is Available
The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl is only available on a limited number of dates each year, in Contrast to Olive Garden’s continual promotion for soup, salad, and breadsticks. As Much delectable pasta as you can eat is the ideal promotion for pasta lovers.
You should keep an eye out for information on the following chance because the promotion only lasts for a few weeks at a time. This is another benefit of subscribing to the eClub email.
Past Menus for the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Menu have given customers the option to select from four different pasta kinds (spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccine, Or rigatoni), Though the choice may change for future promotions.
The Sauce of your choice (classic marinara, traditional meat sauce, alfredo, creamy mushroom, or five-cheese marinara) And the topping of your choice (meatballs, crispy chicken fritta, or Italian sausage) can then be placed on top of the pasta you’ve chosen.
10. Not Ordering an Extra Entrée To Bring Home
You can never have too much Olive Garden if you’re like most people. Although going to the restaurant every day certainly isn’t practical for a variety of reasons, you might think about ordering extra meals to take home and eat the next day. Customers may easily accomplish this at Olive Garden without spending a fortune.
You can order an extra entrée to take home when you order an entrée from the Olive Garden menu. Olive Garden will only charge you $6 for the extra entrée rather than the full price of the meal.
This promotional deal offers three delectable dishes: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Fettuccine Alfredo, and Five Cheese Ziti al Forno. Both to-go and dine-in orders can include the $6 Take Home Entrée.
On your check, you can even place up to five Take Home orders for each entrée. The breadsticks, soup, and salad that you would like with your extra meal must be ordered individually.
11. Not Going For Lunch
If Olive Garden is your only dining option, you should occasionally think about having lunch there as well.
Much though Olive Garden food is good at all times, it tastes much better when you can save money while still enjoying the chain’s mouthwatering entrées. The Lunch Specials at the Restaurant are a fantastic way to save money on some of your favorite foods.
Some of the Most well-liked meals, Like the Chicken Parmigiana, Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Eggplant Parmigiana, And Cheese Ravioli, are Available in lunch-sized amounts.
A Soup or Salad and Two Breadsticks are also included with each entrée. These Lunch-sized quantities frequently cost less than $10, which is comparable to what you’d pay at many fast food establishments.
The Lunch specials are even more affordable when you add a $6 Take Home Entrée to them. Don’t Miss Out on the lunch specials, Which are offered Monday through Friday until 3 p.m.
12. Not Purchasing Extra Salad Dressing To Bring Home
The Italian salad dressing made in-house by Olive Garden is superb. It is frequently cited as the salad’s best component. Its ideal oil, vinegar, and spice proportions enable it to harmoniously blend with the vegetables and croutons in the house salad.
You May always make your own versions of Olive Garden’s Salad Dressing, But did you know you can just buy a bottle of the authentic stuff when you’re there?
That’s right, you can buy bottles of Olive Garden’s salad dressing to use on your own home-made salads. Even bottles of the restaurant’s Italian salad dressing are available at some grocers and through a few online merchants.
The restaurant also offers a house salad dressing with Italian seasoning, balsamic vinaigrette, extra-virgin olive oil and a selection of cheeses.
13. Not Customizing Your Meal
Although the Menu at Olive Garden has a wide variety of alternatives, did you know that there are actually many more choices available than those listed there?
Olive Garden also Features a Secret Menu that customers can use to completely personalize their entrée. If you use other components from the menu, you’ll typically find that your waitress and the cooks are open to making alterations to your meal.
Some of these Adjustments might not cost you anything, while others might. Before placing your order, you might want to validate the price.
One Option is to select a different pasta variety or sauce to go with your chosen dish.
Additionally, You can ask for a special soup by requesting your waitress to combine two distinct soups into one bowl (combining minestrone and potato soup yields a great, creamy minestrone soup). Try The Sampler plate if you’re craving an appetizer but aren’t sure what to choose.
Try Substituting it for a Smaller Portion of one of the other Appetizers if it doesn’t have anything you’re in the mood for.
14. Not Bringing Gift Cards from Other Darden Restaurants
The Darden chain of restaurants includes Olive Garden. The Darden company also owns LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, among other well-known eateries.
You can use gift cards for one restaurant at another Darden restaurant because all of these establishments are related. This implies that you can utilize a gift card to Olive Garden instead of LongHorn, Yard House, or another restaurant owned by the Darden family.
Bring your gift card to Olive Garden and use it there to get a meal you’ll like if you received one of these other brands as a present but don’t appreciate it as much as Olive Garden.
In a similar vein, this implies that Olive Garden gift certificates are also redeemable at any of the other Darden restaurant brands.
Conclusion
Next Time you visit Olive Garden, keep these ordering mistakes in mind to ensure an unforgettable dining experience.
From exploring daily specials to customizing your order, these tips will help you make the most of your visit and discover new flavors. So, Go ahead and embrace the culinary delights that Olive Garden has to offer!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Despite the fact that Olive Garden is renowned for its large servings, they also provide lunch-sized portions for those looking for a lighter dinner. Furthermore, splitting an entree or taking leftovers home are great ways to control portion sizes.
You Can visit Olive Garden’s official website, subscribe to their email newsletter, Or follow them on social media to be informed about their seasonal specials and promotions. These Websites frequently offer information about mouthwatering new recipes and exclusive deals.
Yes, Olive Garden provides delivery and takeaway options. They Simply offer tasty meals that you may conveniently Eat at home. For More information on the selections offered, go to their website or get in touch with the Olive Garden branch closest to you.
There are many healthy options available at Olive Garden. You can choose options that fit your nutritional requirements, such as lighter pasta dishes, salads, and seafood. For healthier options, look for the “Lighter Italian Fare” section on the menu.
Since Olive Garden maintains a casual dining environment, there is no set attire requirement. When dining at Olive Garden, you can feel comfortable wearing smart-casual attire.
Yes, Olive Garden offers catering for special occasions and events. Olive Garden’s Catering Menu has a selection of dishes to suit your needs, whether it’s for a business event, a family gathering, or any other occasion. For more details or to book a catering order, get in touch with your neighborhood Olive Garden.