The description of fast-casual dining covers a lot of ground, and while there’s a noticeable difference between fast-casual and fast-food restaurants, there’s arguably just as big a gap separating chains within each genre. Perhaps the best example of this comes in the form of wine. While you’d never expect to purchase wine from a fast-casual chain like Chipotle, Olive Garden serves wine and even offers it as a to-go option at many of its 900-plus locations across the United States.
Olive Garden’s allure of bringing classic Italian dishes to the table at an affordable price explains why it was America’s top casual dining chain for many years; however, the ability to purchase takeout wine by the bottle (which is typically cheaper than ordering by the glass) makes it an even more desirable spot for many wine enthusiasts.
While some other chains, like Applebee’s, also have wine available for carry-out, the quality and quantity of their wine selections simply can’t compete with that of Olive Garden’s.
Read more: 13 Things Every First-Timer Should Know Before Eating At Red Lobster
The types of wines you can buy from Olive Garden and how
Olive Garden to-go pickup area – Brandon Bell/Getty Images
While the option to purchase wine to-go isn’t available at every Olive Garden location across the country due to carry-out alcohol laws differing greatly state by state, it can be the perfect choice for a nightcap if you’re visiting a participating location. Furthermore, some locations require that you purchase food alongside the wine, while others mandate that you order the wine through a call-in or walk-in order rather than an online purchase.
It’s also important to note that not everything on the dine-in wine menu is up for grabs when ordering to go. While the typical Olive Garden menu features upwards of 20 different types of red and white wine, the chain’s takeout menu includes around 15. These varieties comprise many of the most popular that the chain has to offer, from Confetti Pink Moscato Blend to Sweet Red Roscato Rosso Dolce. In case wine isn’t your thing: Select Olive Garden locations also allow you to buy beer to go.
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