Sauce Hacks
- Rosa sauce: ask for half alfredo, half marinara on any pasta; a creamy pink sauce for the price of the base dish.
- Spicy meat sauce: Calabrian chili from the spicy alfredo stirred into meat sauce on request at most stores.
- Alfredo dip: a side of alfredo with the free breadsticks costs less than the dipping sauces with breadsticks appetizer.
- Five cheese marinara on anything: the ziti sauce can replace marinara on spaghetti, ravioli and the kids pastas.
Cheaper Versions of Named Dishes
| Named dish | Menu price | Build it instead |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken alfredo | $20.79 | Lunch or lighter fettuccine alfredo plus a grilled chicken topping |
| Spaghetti & meatballs | $18.28 | Spaghetti with marinara ($13.99) plus a side of meatballs ($4.29) |
| Shrimp alfredo | $21.49 | Fettuccine alfredo ($16.99) plus a crispy shrimp fritta side ($4.49) |
| Chicken parmigiana dinner | $20.49 | Lunch portion on weekdays with one breast for about a third less |
Prices are the typical US price; topping prices vary slightly by location.
Breadstick and Salad Tricks
- Ask for breadsticks without the garlic topping to make them vegan and drop them to 120 calories.
- Order the house salad without croutons and it moves to the gluten sensitive list at 110 calories.
- Extra pepperoncini, olives and onions on the salad are free on request.
- Bottles of the signature Italian dressing are sold at the host stand.
- Ask for the bake at home breadsticks with a ToGo order; they reheat better than the pre baked box.
Kids Menu Orders for Adults
Servers at many locations allow adults to order from the kids menu at their discretion. The kids pizza at $6.99 and the kids cheese ravioli are the two most requested, and both include a side and a drink. Ask politely; it is not guaranteed.
Substitutions the Online Order Form Allows
Olive Garden's own ordering system exposes several swaps: substitute fettuccine alfredo for the spaghetti side on chicken or eggplant parmigiana, remove roasted red peppers from the shrimp carbonara, choose marinara or meat sauce on cheese ravioli, pick the steak temperature on the sirloin, and add the $6 take home entrée at checkout. Create Your Own Pasta from $13.99 is the biggest hack of all: any of six pastas with any of six sauces, including gluten free rotini.
What the Kitchen Will Not Do
Swaps inside the Tour of Italy, unlimited refills on takeout orders, discounts on the Never Ending Pasta Bowl toppings, and alcohol with delivery. Anything else is worth asking about.