11 Restaurant Secrets About Olive Garden

Ever since Olive Garden opened in Orlando, Florida, in 1982, it's been earning legions of fans for its comforting Italian-inspired food. The chain is famous for its never-ending breadsticks, tasty appetizers, and pastas that you can mix and match with different proteins and sauces. It's safe to say that Olive Garden is many people's go-to spot for a meal out, considering it was once the largest casual dining chain in the U.S. Olive Garden only recently lost that top spot to Texas Roadhouse.

While plenty of people probably know Olive Garden's menu inside and out, plus the best dishes to order, many things about the chain aren't such common knowledge. For example, did you know that it was created by cereal conglomerate General Mills? Or that it was the first chain restaurant to introduce the concept of unlimited food items? You might also be interested to know that the chain gave its original tagline of "When you're here, you're family" to talk show host Jimmy Fallon.

Fun historical facts aside, several Olive Garden secrets can help you get a better meal from the chain. These include details about how they make certain items, menu hacks, and ways to score free food and drinks. So, before you dip your next breadstick, here are a few tips and tricks you probably didn't know about Olive Garden and how to use them to your advantage.

Ask Olive Garden fans what the best thing about the chain is, and many will probably cite the chain's iconic unlimited breadsticks. Olive Garden has been giving endless baskets of Italian-style breadsticks to diners since it first opened its doors, and it's not likely to stop anytime soon. In fact, when investors complained that the excess of breadsticks was costing the chain too much money, parent company Darden refused to budge on the policy, stating that it "conveys Italian generosity."

While the breadsticks are indeed never-ending at Olive Garden, there are some unspoken limits about how they're served. For one, the breadsticks are only free if you order an entrée. Once your order is placed, your server will bring you a basket that's carefully crafted with one breadstick for each person at the table, plus one extra. After those are gone, you can order additional bread baskets to your heart's content, but each will only have one breadstick per person.

Olive Garden veterans know that nothing goes better with the chain's buttery, garlicky breadsticks than dipping sauces. The dipping sauces cost extra, but what many people might not know is that they're also endless. Not only that, but you can switch up the sauce every time you ask for a refill. That way, you're not relegated to dunking your bread in just the marinara, Alfredo, or five cheese marinara.

Olive Garden's food may be the main focus for many, but the chain also has a pretty stand-out wine selection. In fact, the wine program has won awards and accolades from prestigious institutions. The wine list is designed to appeal to all palates with over 20 different wines to choose from, including crisp whites, fruity rosés, and bold reds. And while your server may not be a sommelier, they are trained on pairing wines with different foods. They can also give you free samples to try.

Olive Garden states on its website, "Guests of drinking age are invited to sample a complimentary one ounce portion of any of Olive Garden's wines to decide what tastes best for them." Many servers have backed up that claim and stated that guests can try multiple samples. There is a limit to that, though. A representative for Olive Garden told the U.S. Sun that guests are welcome to sample up to three wine samples.

The philosophy behind the free wine samples is simple — it gives guests a positive wine experience and encourages people to try more wines and order more beverages. It's important to note, though, that it's not a free-wine-for-all situation. If you're not planning on ordering a glass or bottle of wine, it's pretty shady to ask your server for samples.

In the world of chain restaurants, freshness isn't always guaranteed. After all, many chains aim to keep things consistent across the board, so they rely on products that are made elsewhere and shipped to their multiple locations. We know that several chain restaurants secretly use frozen burger patties and get other items delivered in bags. Olive Garden may rely on some frozen items (more about that later), but it insists that its soups and sauces are made fresh daily.

Multiple Olive Garden employees have confirmed that the soups are made from scratch in-house. As one TikToker who worked at the chain explained, the soup is made fresh in giant pots, then portioned out into one-gallon bags and chilled to preserve its integrity. It's taken out when needed and reheated, then fragile ingredients like spinach and kale are added right before serving.

When it comes to Olive Garden's sauces, we know for sure that the famous Alfredo sauce is made in-house. As one employee on Reddit stated, "The Alfredo is always fresh. It has a shelf life of four hours, and has to be made accordingly or else the butter separates from the dairy." As for the marinara sauce, though, Tasting Table reported that the tomato sauce is made in batches at a separate facility and shipped to stores. Then, it gets prepared in the restaurants with extra seasonings and meats.

Any chef will tell you that one of the most common mistakes people make when cooking pasta is not salting the water sufficiently. Salt not only infuses flavor into the pasta, but it also prevents the starch from swelling too much and turning the pasta mushy. You would think that an Italian restaurant chain like Olive Garden would take this basic step, but apparently that's not the case.

Remember that investor who complained about Olive Garden's breadstick policy being wasteful? Well, that was Starboard Value LP, and in the same 2014 report where it brought up that issue, it also called out Olive Garden for slacking in the saltwater department. The report stated, "Shockingly, Olive Garden no longer salts the water it uses to boil the pasta, merely to get a longer warranty on its pots."

Just a few years ago, a Reddit user created a thread asking if the no-salting policy was still in place, and several employees responded that it was. However, they pointed out that the pasta is not cooked in pots per se, but rather large pasta cookers that are more like modified deep fryers. And it seems the reasoning for leaving out the salt is indeed equipment longevity. As one user commented, "Salting the water would cause decreased lifespan and corrosion to build up."

If you thought skipping the salt was Olive Garden's only pasta shortcut, think again. The pasta itself isn't made fresh to order either. It's actually cooked in big batches ahead of time. A former Olive Garden employee on Quora said, "Pastas are cooked until they are close to al dente. They are then cooled in an ice bath and portioned into bags if they are a specialty pasta or put into chilled holding drawers for the cooks on the line to have easy access."

Considering how much pasta most Olive Garden locations go through daily, it makes sense to prep the noodles ahead of time to ensure that the kitchen works more efficiently and the dishes get to customers in a timely fashion. It's actually a pretty common practice for high-volume restaurants. And if you're going to do that, keeping the noodles chilled is just good food safety practice.

So, how does your Olive Garden pasta arrive at your table piping hot? The Quora user explained, "As the tickets come into the kitchen, the cook can grab the correct pasta, put it into boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds, strain it, and plate it with the sauce." So, while the pasta may not be cooked à la minute, you're still getting somewhat of a made-to-order meal.

It's no secret that many chain restaurants rely on frozen ingredients and microwaves to keep things quick and consistent. Olive Garden is no exception. If you really want to know what's happening behind the kitchen doors, sites like Reddit and Quora are goldmines. Former employees have spilled plenty of behind-the-scenes details about what's frozen, what's fresh, and what goes straight into the microwave before it hits your table.

In a Reddit thread where a user asked just how fresh Olive Garden's food is, employees jumped in with some pretty definitive answers. They explained that many of the appetizers are frozen, thawed, and reheated. These include the lasagna fritta, shrimp fritto misto, toasted ravioli, and the stuffed ziti. Proteins arrive at the restaurants frozen, as do the stuffed pastas. The lasagna noodles with cheese also come frozen and are thawed and layered with meat sauce and fresh cheese before being baked.

Olive Garden also microwaves a few items, but far fewer than you might think. According to one Quora user and Olive Garden employee, "Many hot desserts are microwaved so that it only takes a few minutes to receive it. Some vegetables are also microwaved. Broccoli is one example. It is blanched in boiling water in the morning and given an ice bath." Other sources also indicate that not too many things other than select desserts and sides get zapped in Olive Garden's kitchens.

Part of Olive Garden's charm is the little rituals that feel extra indulgent. Take, for example, the moment your server asks if you'd like some cheese, then keeps going until you've got a snowy pile of it layering your dish. Like the breadsticks, salad, and soup, the cheese is unlimited. Some Olive Garden servers have even reported grating anywhere from two to four blocks of cheese over customers' dishes. But here's the catch: that so-called Parmesan isn't exactly the real thing.

When a Reddit user asked exactly which type of Parmesan cheese Olive Garden uses, many employees chimed in to say that the cheese is actually Romano. Several got even more specific, stating that it's Lotito brand Romano cheese. The general consensus is that Olive Garden's parent company Darden, opts for Romano over Parmesan because it's cheaper. That doesn't seem to faze diners, though, many of whom love the cheese regardless of whether it's a substitute for real-deal Parm.

Although Parmesan and Romano are similar in that they're both hard, salty cheeses that pack an umami punch, there are a few key differences between the two. For one, Parmesan is made with cow's milk, while Romano can be made with cow's, goat's, or sheep's milk. In addition, Romano tends to be sharper than Parmesan with a bold, nutty flavor.

Like nearly every family-friendly restaurant chain, Olive Garden has a kids menu with dishes such as chicken fingers, pizza, and pasta with a choice of sauce. It's a solid offering — so much so that we ranked it fifth in our list of 13 chain restaurant kids menus. The menu states that kids meals are for children younger than 12, but that rule may not be set in stone

Once again, Reddit is a great source to uncover what really goes down at Olive Garden behind the scenes. When one user asked if they could order a kids meal at the chain, several employees said they have no problem serving adult meals from the children's menu, although some said it depends on the manager. Others said they will put in the order, but leave out the free drink that comes with the kids meals.

If your local Olive Garden sticks to the "under 12" rule, you can always order a kids meal through the app for delivery or pick-up, as it's unlikely anyone will ask you who it's for. It's a smart way to go, considering you get a decent-sized meal that consists of an entrée, side, drink, and breadsticks for under $8 (depending on location). Just keep in mind that the kids meals don't include complimentary soup or salad.

Olive Garden loves to make guests feel special, and if you're celebrating a birthday, there's an extra sweet perk you might not know about. Birthday guests can receive a complimentary dessert when dining at the chain. There are several options to choose from, including the chain's famous Chocolate Lasagna, Tiramisu, and Black Tie Mousse Cake. Unlike many chain restaurants that offer birthday freebies, you don't necessarily have to sign up for a loyalty program to get it.

Although Olive Garden hints that the best way to get a free dessert is to sign up for its eClub, many servers say all you have to do is tell them it's your birthday, and they'll hook you up with a free dessert. However, if you do sign up for the eClub with basic info like your birthdate, you'll get a coupon emailed to you a week or two before your birthday for the free dessert, and that coupon is valid for 21 days. The only stipulation for getting the free birthday dessert is that you have to order an adult entrée to qualify. While many locations are pretty lax about the whole thing, some may ask for that coupon or other verification, so it's always a good idea to bring your ID with you.

If you've ever ordered Olive Garden for delivery or to-go, you're probably aware that the never-ending soup and salad only applies to dine-in meals. Not to worry, though, because you can recreate part of that experience by ordering Olive Garden's to-go soup by the gallon. Yes, you read that right — the chain sells one-gallon portions of soup in what some people have described as a paint bucket-like container with a plastic ladle.

The gallon of soup is listed on Olive Garden's catering menu as Homemade Soups Large (serves 12). It rings in at just over $30 (depending on location) and you can get any of the chain's four signature soups, including the Chicken & Gnocchi, Pasta e Fagioli, Minestrone, and Zuppa Toscana. If you're having trouble deciding which soup to choose, check out our ranking of every Olive Garden soup.

The gallon of soup is a pretty good deal in that 12 servings work out to about $3 per bowl. Plus, many people say it freezes well. It doesn't typically come with complimentary breadsticks, but you can order those in batches of six or 12. And if you really want to emulate the endless soup, salad, and breadsticks deal at home, you can also order the jumbo house salad that serves 12 and comes with 12 breadsticks.

Olive Garden has long inspired home cooks to try their hand at recreating its famous dishes, as evidenced by the copious number of copycat recipes floating around. While some are pretty decent dupes, they're not always exact. What many people don't know is that you can track down original Olive Garden recipes if you know where to look.

Over the years, Olive Garden has shared several recipes on its website, but at the time of writing, there are none to be found on the official site. Fortunately, some savvy fans had the foresight to make copies of the recipes. A Reddit user shared a folder of recipes that were on the site in 2013. Another Reddit user posted a file of recipes that were on the site during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The only point of contention that some people have with the 2013 file is that the recipe for the chain's famous Alfredo sauce calls for eggs, and that doesn't seem to jibe with the info on Olive Garden's allergen guide. The COVID-19 file, however, has a recipe for the sauce that is likely an updated version of what the chain serves today. In addition, you won't find recipes for all of the dishes currently on the Olive Garden menu in either document. But hey — we OG fans will take what we can get!