The Most Popular Items on the Olive Garden Lunch Menu
If you’re trying to decide where to grab a delicious lunch, you may want to consider Olive Garden.
From lasagna to pasta dishes to classic Italian soups and salads, the Olive Garden lunch menu is full of flavorsome options.
Olive Garden serves lunch on weekdays (Monday – Friday) from 11 am to 3 pm.
You’ll be happy to know that during lunch hours, you can savor some of Olive Garden’s entrees in a lunch portion size at a reduced price of the dinner-sized entrees.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best Olive Garden lunch menu items you should try on your next visit!
Lasagna Classico
If you’ve ever dined at an Olive Garden, you know that a trip to this Italian-inspired restaurant is always a treat.
But if there’s one dish that rises above the rest, it’s their classic Lasagna Classico.
Lasagna Classico is a hearty dish of layered pasta, ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and their signature marinara sauce.
It’s the perfect blend of savory flavors, creamy cheese, and rich tomato sauce tucked between layers of comforting pasta.
The freshly grated Parmesan cheese added just before serving adds an extra flavor.
The mix of textures between the soft noodles combined with juicy ground beef and creamy ricotta makes every bite as delicious as the last.
On top of that, the marinara sauce has just enough spice to give it some extra kick without overpowering the other flavors in the dish.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 500
Chicken Parmigiana
Olive Garden’s Chicken Parmigiana is an Italian-inspired dish with breaded chicken breasts topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese.
The chicken is usually baked in a preheated oven until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
The result is a wonderfully flavorful meal that can be served as an entree or as part of a larger meal.
This dish will hit the spot if you want a delicious and filling lunch option.
The breaded chicken breasts are tender and juicy, while the tomato sauce has just enough acidity to bring out all the flavors in the dish.
The melted cheese makes it even more irresistible – a perfect combination of flavors in every bite.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 630
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo is another popular lunch option from Olive Garden.
The fettuccine noodles are perfectly cooked and then tossed in a creamy alfredo sauce made with real cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and spices.
This dish has a rich, creamy flavor with hints of garlic and Parmesan cheese.
The creamy sauce coats each strand of fettuccine perfectly for a luxurious experience with every bite.
The garlic adds just enough kick to give it extra oomph without overpowering the other flavors.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 650
Shrimp Scampi
The Shrimp Scampi from Olive Garden is made with sautéed shrimp, fresh asparagus, and tomatoes in a garlic-butter sauce served over al dente angel hair pasta.
The restaurant adds a touch of white wine and lemon juice for extra flavor.
This dish tastes so good because all the flavors combine perfectly.
From the tartness of the lemon juice to the richness of the buttery sauce, every bite is filled with intense Italian flavors that will delight your taste buds!
The shrimp’s firm texture perfectly complements the creamy yet acidic sauce.
It’s a must-try if you’re a fan of seafood dishes.
And unlike other cheese-based sauces, Shrimp Scampi won’t weigh you down after your meal.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 480
Spaghetti
Sometimes, we just need a plate of traditional spaghetti with marinara sauce or meat sauce to satisfy our Italian food cravings.
That’s why Olive Garden has perfected its classic Spaghetti dish.
The marinara sauce is made from vine-ripened tomatoes, herbs, and spices that give it its signature flavor.
In contrast, the meat sauce is made with ground beef, Italian sausage, and a hearty blend of spices.
The spaghetti noodles are cooked al dente and served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for an added flavor.
You can add toppings such as Italian sausage, meatballs, or grilled chicken for extra protein.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 360
Eggplant Parmigiana
If you are looking for a vegetarian lunch option at Olive Garden, Eggplant Parmigiana is the perfect dish for you.
The eggplants are lightly breaded and fried until golden brown, then topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.
The results are slices of eggplant that have a crispy outside and a creamy inside.
The marinara sauce is deliciously flavorful, and the cheese melts into a gooey goodness that will have you wanting more.
Along with the al dente spaghetti noodles, this dish is as satisfying as it is healthy.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 630
Spaghetti & Meatballs
There are days when I want to tuck into a bowl of comforting pasta and meatballs.
And Olive Garden’s Spaghetti & Meatballs is the perfect way to do just that!
The spaghetti is cooked al dente, while the savory beef and pork meatballs are juicy and flavorful.
If you love an intense meat flavor, I recommend going with their meat sauce filled with pan-seared beef and Italian sausages.
But if you enjoy the subtle flavor of tomato sauce, go for the marinara sauce instead.
The combination of sauces, spaghetti, and meatballs is just delicious!
Calories (Lunch-sized): 680
Cheese Ravioli
If you’re a fan of Italian food, you’ve probably heard of the famous Cheese Ravioli dish from Olive Garden.
The pillowy ravioli is filled with a blend of Italian cheeses and served in their delicious meat sauce or marinara sauce.
The combination of ricotta and Romano cheeses gives this dish its unique flavor.
The texture is also spot on; the soft pasta combined with the smooth filling makes for an incredibly satisfying experience that will leave you wanting more.
It’s topped off with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and herbs for an added flavor boost, making it a great lunch option.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 450
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
The star of the Five Cheese Ziti al Forno dish is the five-cheese blend.
The cheese blend includes creamy parmesan, Romano, mozzarella, fontina, and creamy ricotta cheeses.
All these cheeses are combined with ziti pasta and lightly seasoned with basil, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, parsley flakes, and red pepper flakes.
You get savory notes from the parmesan and Romano cheeses and hints of sweetness from the mozzarella cheese.
The fontina provides an earthy undertone, while the ricotta adds some creaminess to the mix.
And lastly, you get some subtle spiciness from the red pepper flakes, which helps to tie everything together nicely!
All that comes together in a bubbly oven-baked dish that will make your mouth water just thinking about it!
Calories (Lunch-sized): 630
Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks
Olive Garden’s Soup, Salad & Breadsticks combo is precisely what it sounds like – a combination of all three items served in one meal.
For the soup part, you can choose among Olive Garden’s four signature soups: Zuppa Toscana, Minestrone, Pasta e Fagioli, and Chicken & Gnocchi.
The salad is a mix of greens with tomatoes and croutons served with your choice of dressing.
And lastly, two breadsticks accompany the meal for a bit of crunch.
This lunch dish is the perfect combination of warm and cold, savory and sweet, creamy and crunchy.
Calories (Lunch-sized): 400-520
Conclusion
As one of the most popular Italian chain restaurants, Olive Garden is renowned for its wide selection of classic Italian dishes, all made with high-quality ingredients.
The Olive Garden lunch menu offers a variety of flavorful dishes, including lasagna, pastas, soups, and salads.
Olive Garden serves lunch on weekdays from 11 am – 3 pm. During lunch hours, you can get some of their favorite entrees in a lunch-size portion at a reduced price.
Whether you’re looking for a light or hearty meal, go ahead and treat yourself to a delicious Italian-American lunch at Olive Garden!
For more information about Olive Garden, check out the articles below.
