When most people think of Olive Garden, they picture heaping bowls of pasta coated in rich sauces and endless garlic-covered breadsticks that just keep coming. But there’s more to the classic Italian-American chain than countless combinations of noodles and sauces. From juicy proteins to fragrant sauces, Olive Garden’s menu hides some surprisingly satisfying flavors that don’t involve a single piece of pasta. I tasted my way through the short non-pasta section of the menu to find out which dishes deserve a spot on your table and which ones you might want to skip. And, if you’re heading to one of the restaurant’s many locations soon, check out our ranking of every Olive Garden appetizer too.
If you’ve thought Italian food meant all pasta all the time, you’re in for a treat. Whether you’ve got your go-to order that you’ve been sticking with for years or are looking to try something new, something on this list might pique your interest. But don’t worry. Even though we’re going off the beaten path with some non-pasta options, the salad and breadsticks will still keep coming.
Read more: Chain Restaurants That Serve The Highest And Lowest Quality Steak
4. Grilled Chicken Margherita
Chicken with cherry tomatoes and pesto on a white plate with broccoli and breadsticks. – Orianna McDavid/Chowhound
Sadly, the margherita chicken from Olive Garden found itself squarely in last place — and I love pesto, so this was a disappointment. Based off of a traditional margherita pizza, this dish consisted of two chicken cutlets with pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes, all coated in a lemon garlic sauce, with a side of garlic-parmesan broccoli. The melted cheese and pesto worked well together to create a layer of herbal richness that was brightened by the pops of acidity from the roasted cherry tomatoes for a balanced flavor overall. I rather enjoyed this combination and the amounts of each flavor. The chicken, too, was sliced in thin cutlets and was salty and flavorful.
Unfortunately, the big issue with this dish also arose with the chicken. The texture was chewy and rubbery, with the consistency of a frozen chicken breast that comes out of a plastic resealable bag at the grocery store. Needless to say, this was a huge disappointment to experience even in a mid-tier restaurant. The breadsticks were the highlight of this meal, as the broccoli was garlicky and salty but overcooked.
I’m not a picky eater, and I’ve never had to send something back at a restaurant, but if I had ordered this while I was out to eat, I would have seriously considered it. If not for the texture, the flavors were underwhelming yet balanced enough to have made this a doable option for a picky eater, but as it currently stands, I wouldn’t recommend it.
3. Stuffed Chicken Marsala
Chicken breast and mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and breadsticks. – Orianna McDavid/Chowhound
I’m not going to lie — this one hurt. Chicken marsala is my favorite Italian dish by a mile. I love the creamy wine-mushroom sauce, the garlic mashed potatoes, juicy chicken breasts, and baby bella mushrooms. Let’s just say, I’m a big fan. So, to try this version from Olive Garden was a big letdown. Although the sauce was fragrant, the mushrooms flavorful, and the potatoes perfectly creamy and rich, the chicken was chewy and had a very unpleasant texture that completely distracted from all of the wonderful flavors and aromas from the rest of the meal. The chicken breasts came stuffed with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. But the stuffed element of the dish was unnecessary and didn’t really add or detract from the overall experience. The taste was vaguely like a parmesan and grits pancake, which wasn’t bad, but I could have done without it.
If you’re someone who somehow doesn’t care about texture. though, I would totally suggest this option for the vibrant and rich flavors of the other components of the meal. If you decide to make it at home instead — which I would recommend for the marsala lovers out there — you can take your dinner to the next level by pairing it with the perfect wine.
2. 6-ounce Sirloin
6-ounce sirloin with fettuccini alfredo and breadsticks. – Orianna McDavid/Chowhound
This 6-ounce steak from Olive Garden was fantastic. I usually avoid ordering a steak anywhere besides a steakhouse (one that has perfected that restaurant-flavor magic), and I was nervous this would be overcooked past the medium rare I requested. But after slicing into this steak, I was incredibly pleased with the temperature. It was a perfect medium rare indeed. The meat was tender and perfectly salt-and-peppered, making each bite flavorful and easy to enjoy. I would actually order this steak again if it came with a different side. Unlike the other non-pasta entree options, which came with broccoli or recipe-mandated sides, the steak was automatically assigned fettuccini alfredo as the accompaniment.
Unfortunately, the choice of fettuccini alfredo as the only side option was what kept this steak out of first place in this ranking. I have no complaints at all about the steak — except maybe wishing there was more of it to enjoy. I suppose this is likely why the chain opted for the more filling pasta as a side over the broccoli, but the noodles weren’t a hit for me. I avoid ordering alfredos in restaurants because I’m so fond of my family recipe — restaurants always disappoint — but I suppose Olive Garden couldn’t have known that.
1. Herb-Grilled Salmon
Herb-grilled salmon with broccoli and breadsticks. – Orianna McDavid/Chowhound
The big winner of this Olive Garden taste test was the herb-grilled salmon with parmesan-garlic broccoli. The filet was flaky, rich, and well-seasoned and had an excellent mouthfeel from the first bite. It was not overly fishy like one would expect with salmon that had sat around too long, which is always a relief — and something of a surprise when ordering fish at a restaurant that doesn’t specialize in serving and sourcing fresh seafood. So the apparent freshness was a pleasant surprise, as was the bright grilled herbal flavor.
As I’m reflecting on it now, I realize I didn’t even have a squeeze of fresh lemon on this dish, which is saying something. In all my life, I can’t think of a time I’ve eaten salmon without a bit of lemon (or the occasional lemon pepper seasoning), and I’m retroactively impressed that I didn’t notice the lack of it while enjoying this meal.
Methodology
Plate with salmon, broccoli and breadsticks and plate with salad on wood table. – Orianna McDavid/Chowhound
To rank these dinners from Olive Garden, I tried each one in sequence and took notes on my experience with each dish’s flavors. I have tried the equivalent of each of these meals either in home kitchens or at other restaurants (or both), so I had a solid frame of reference for each dish as to what it should taste like and how I prefer it to be prepared.
When it came to the entrees themselves, I had a difficult time deciding between the steak and the salmon for first place, as both were cooked perfectly and totally tasty, which left me with no complaints about either. I do have steak somewhat regularly, but I don’t personally prepare and eat salmon very often at home, so that may have skewed my preference in favor of the salmon as well.
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