I Used to Love Olive Garden, But These 5 Things Made Me Change My Mind

When you're trying to figure out where to eat for lunch or dinner, Olive Garden might come to mind. I personally have found myself daydreaming about the endless soup, salad, and breadsticks more than once, because who could resist that? If you had asked me before what my go-to restaurant was if I was looking for a tasty meal, Olive Garden would have been near the top of the list, but I've since changed my mind about that.

Olive Garden is still one of the top American-Italian chains in the country, bringing in around $3.3 billion in annual sales as of fiscal 2026. However, there are plenty of reasons why I'll often choose another restaurant over Olive Garden, no matter how tempting the breadsticks may be.

If you're a fan of Olive Garden or wondering whether it's worth visiting the chain, these are 6 reasons Olive Garden is no longer my first choice when it comes to eating out.

This post was updated in June 2026 to include updated information about Olive Garden prices and menu items.

Eating out in 2025 was more expensive than in previous years, with restaurant prices rising about 3.5% to 3.9% over the year. As a family of five, we find that some places are worth going to and others aren't. Olive Garden's menu prices increased, but at a rate below the industry average, reportedly less than 4%.

There's no doubt you can save a lot of money by making food at home instead of eating out. However, if you decide you want to treat yourself to a night without cooking or dishes, it's hard to know what's worth it.

While the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden may still be a good deal, many of the other meals are not. Classic entrees such as the Shrimp Alfredo or the Chicken Parmigiana typically cost between $17 and $21, depending on the dish and location.

Even if you decide eating at Olive Garden is worth the cost, there's also the nutritional value to consider. Most people don't order pasta because of the health benefits, but many also don't realize just how unhealthy some of the dishes at Olive Garden are.

The average person may consume around 2,000 calories in a day. At Olive Garden, you can easily consume over half of those calories in one meal. The Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo, for example, contains 1,980 calories. Even if you only ate half, that's still nearly half of the recommended daily value.

Sodium is also another issue when eating at Olive Garden. Many of the meals contain far more sodium in one dish than what you should consume in a day. The Fettuccine Alfredo, for example, contains approximately 810 mg to 850 mg of sodium per serving.

If I'm going to splurge on a night out, I want to make sure it's worth it — especially if I'm going to spend close to $100 to feed my whole family. Some customers have complained that the quality of the food at Olive Garden isn't what it used to be.

Despite Olive Garden raising its prices, the quality of the food has not improved. Some customers have even complained that the food is no longer what it used to be. A lot of that comes down to personal opinion, and the chain says there are other reasons why sales growth has slowed compared to previous years.

Olive Garden is one of many American-Italian chains that you should skip over if you're looking for authentic Italian food. Just because it has Italian in the title doesn't mean it's authentic.

While some may enjoy the pasta and other Italian-inspired dishes at Olive Garden, I know I can get better food at a family-owned or independent Italian restaurant. In the same way that I wouldn't go to Chipotle to get authentic Mexican food, I don't go to Olive Garden for authentic Italian.

Considering how infrequently our family of five goes to a sit-down restaurant, we have to be picky about our choices. There are some chains that you wouldn't ever catch me eating at, mainly because the food isn't that great, and I don't want to spend $50-$100 on mediocre food.

Olive Garden has many redeeming qualities, don't get me wrong. But on the rare occasion that we eat at a sit-down restaurant, the truth is, I'd rather be somewhere other than Olive Garden. Carrabba's is always one of my favorites, and I can get a much better meal for about the same price.