6 Items You Should Never Order at Olive Garden

If you're looking for consistent Italian food, you can do a lot worse than Olive Garden. While there are reports of their food being frozen and reheated, their soups are made by hand every day. The same goes for their sauces.

Yet, there are some items you may want to avoid on Olive Garden's Menu. Let's look at six menu items you should steer clear of. And then, as a bonus, we're including 6 of the best orders at Olive Garden that consistently are enjoyed by customers.

• Calories: 910
• Price: $9.29
• Why You Shouldn't Order: While many of Olive Garden's menu items are created from scratch each day, their desserts are not. That doesn't mean they're bad, but they are made by vendors and kept in refrigeration. In a Mashed survey, the least favorite dessert was the Chocolate Brownie Lasagna. The biggest complaint with this dish is that it's just a bit too much. Layers of cream cheese, chocolate, and chocolate syrup create a very rich dessert.

• Calories: 340
• Price: $6.99
• Why You Shouldn't Order: Olive Garden is a wonderful restaurant to take a family to, as kids and adults alike enjoy pasta. However, not all kids' items are equally healthy. The Kids Cheese Ravioli has 980 mg of sodium in it, which is about 50% more than the Kids' Alfredo Sauce with Pasta option or the Kids Chicken Fingers.

• Calories: 1,020
• Price: $19.49
• Why You Shouldn't Order: As one reviewer on TripAdvisor put it, "At $19.49 for the chicken parmigiana, I would have thought I would have been served a nice piece of chicken. Instead, I got two skinny pieces of chicken with more breading than meat." Other diners have compared the quality to "mystery meat" or "Tyson's chicken patties." While the Chicken Parmigiana does have its fans, it's a divisive menu item.

• Calories: 1,130
• Price: $10.99
• Why You Shouldn't Order: For starters, the appetizer clocks in at 1,130 calories. That's the size of a meal and much higher than other options like Fried Mozzarella, Toasted Ravioli, Calamari, or Stuffed Ziti Fritta. While the appetizer has its fans, many complain about the low ratio of ricotta inside.

• Calories: 1,470
• Price: $20.49
• Why You Shouldn't Order: The Mashed Olive Garden survey had this dish ranked as the second worst, with about 21% of diners saying it was their least favorite. Online criticism of the dish centers on its lack of value, with many diners noting that adding shrimp to a create-your-own pasta is cheaper.

• Calories: 1,170
• Price: $17.49
• Why You Shouldn't Order: 23% of Olive Garden diners in a Mashed survey ranked this as the restaurant's worst dish. Diners have complained about the item being particularly bad when ordered as takeout.

• Calories: 1,550
• Price: $20.49
• Why You Should Order: The Tour of Italy is an old Olive Garden classic that gives you a sampler of popular dishes. You get Fettuccine Alfredo, Lasagna Classico, and Chicken Parmigiana. Each portion is smaller, so if you're not a big fan of the Chicken Parmigiana, its not your main course.

• Calories: 940
• Price: $17.79
• Why You Should Order: If you don't want the trio of foods that come with the Tour of Italy, the Lasagna Classico is an excellent choice. It is lighter on calories with 940 calories total (remember, you'll also get breadsticks and a soup or salad in addition), and one of Olive Garden's best-selling entrees.

• Calories: 1,390
• Price: $17.79
• Why You Should Order: While Olive Garden is often criticized for lacking seasoning on its food, its sauces are beloved. The Ravioli Carbonara gives you the option of a creamy sauce that's mixed with bacon and cheese. Yes, it's extremely rich and high in calories. However, you can always take this dish home as it reheats better than many other menu items.

• Calories: 700
• Price: $8.99
• Why You Should Order: While the Chocolate Brownie Lasagna dessert was ranked last in Mashed's poll of Olive Garden diners, their favorite was the Sicilian Cheesecake with Strawberry topping. At the end of the day, this dessert is simply a well-executed cheesecake. If you're visiting during other seasons, Olive Garden will often include other cheesecake items like Pumpkin Cheesecake during the fall.

• Calories: 250
• Price: $7.99
• Why You Should Order: As we noted at the start of this article, Olive Garden soups are made from scratch every day, and the attention to quality shows. The Chicken & Gnocchi soup provides some heartiness that balances very well when you combine it with the Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks combo ($10.99).

• Calories: 140
• Price: $4.49 (two free with most entrees)
• Why You Should Order: Olive Garden is famous for its breadsticks, and they're delicious. The breadsticks are soft, they're excellent to dip in sauces, and they're coated with delicious butter and garlic salt. If there's one item to treat yourself to at Olive Garden, it's a basket of breadsticks.