11 Dishes You Should Avoid Ordering At Olive Garden

Olive Garden is a household name in Italian-American cuisine here in the U.S. The chain has been around since the '80s and is known for all-you-can-eat pasta deals that fill you up without forcing you to drop some serious coin. But the restaurant is also famous for its polarizing nature. Some customers swear by the eatery, while others despise it and claim it's an insult to Italian food. But whether you're a fanatic or a hater, one thing about Olive Garden stands as a penultimate truth: The unlimited breadsticks are to die for. Dip those warm, fluffy bread logs into some housemade alfredo sauce, and you'll be in creamy, garlicky heaven (although the unlimited deal isn't as limitless as one might hope). Along with its nationally acclaimed breadsticks, Olive Garden is famous for its soups and sauces, all made in-house — a step that most chain restaurants forgo for the more convenient from-frozen option.

Olive Garden has its attributes, but where there are heavenly appetizers, there's always a dastardly entrée lurking in the shadows of the menu to oppose them. I've had my fair share of Olive Garden experiences, and I know which menu items to avoid and which can hold up to the celebrated trio. So, when you step into the Olive Garden battleground, arm yourself with this guide; for amidst the tempting soup, salad, and breadsticks lie treacherous foes.

When it comes to starters at Italian eateries, there are few as universally adored as mozzarella sticks. There's something irresistible about gooey, melted cheese coated in breadcrumbs and fried to a perfect golden brown, served with a side of tangy marinara sauce. Despite not being a traditional Italian dish — it's believed to have originated in France — mozzarella sticks are a staple on the menus of Italian-American eateries. Olive Garden is no exception, although it put its own twist on the classic recipe. Instead of serving cheese in stick form, Olive Garden cuts mozzarella into rectangular patties before breading and frying them. We applaud the restaurant for attempting to make this classic, fried pub food a little more artisanal, but truthfully, it should have skipped out on this dish altogether.

Ideally, mozzarella sticks should be incredibly gooey, easily pulling apart to reveal a string of melted cheese. However, Olive Garden's fried mozzarella tends to snap rather than stretch when pulled apart. In addition to the lack of stretch, the cheese patties are barely lukewarm and excessively greasy. We expect a certain degree of oiliness in our fried food, but come on Olive Garden; this is obscene.

Initially, the name Chocolate Lasagna likely strikes fear into the hearts of Italian chefs. But fear not, pasta lovers; this dish doesn't involve marinara, noodles, and chocolate sauce (although, at this point, we wouldn't put it past Olive Garden). Rather, this dessert option courtesy of the O.G. is simply a chocolate layer cake. It isn't nearly as intriguing as its title makes it out to be. We're pretty disappointed with this dessert for a myriad of reasons. Not only is it a disgrace to all lasagnas out there, but it comes previously frozen, and it shows.

The abomination that is Olive Garden's Chocolate Lasagna consists of layers of chocolate cake with whipped mousse in between, topped with a thin, crispy wafer, and drizzled with chocolate sauce — which is really the same thin syrup that one would use to make chocolate milk. This dessert is the permanent replacement for a previous limited-time-only Olive Garden treat called the Chocolate Brownie Lasagna. This dessert was a fan favorite, complete with moist brownies and whipped cream. And while this option was also nothing like a lasagna, we didn't mind, because we were in love. The replacement dessert lasagna couldn't hold a candle to Olive Garden's previous masterpiece.

Those of us who frequent Olive Garden during lunchtime are likely aware of the acclaimed soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch for only $10.99. But Olive Garden has a few other lunch options to keep things fresh once you've tried every soup at least a dozen times and are sick of breadsticks (hard to fathom, we know). Among these other lunch choices is the chicken and cheese piadina. A piadina is an Italian flatbread-style sandwich, not unlike a Mexican quesadilla. Like many sandwiches, it's filled with a variety of meats, veggies, and cheeses and served toasted and warm. We're proud of our favorite Italian-American chain for encouraging its customers to try something they may have never heard of. But all we can say about this choice made by Olive Garden is that it's a great idea, but the execution needs some work.

Those looking for a light but filling lunch option to enjoy alongside a fresh salad or comforting soup will be disappointed to find that Olive Garden's piadina is nothing short of a greasy mess. Along with its greasiness, the cheese isn't melted properly, leaving chunks of cold cheese floating among mouth-scorching, melted globs. The vegetables that the menu promises exist within this Italian-style sandwich and are few and far between. You're better off avoiding this Olive Garden item at all costs and sticking to the classic trio.

Fritto misto is an summertime Italian street food consisting of fried mixed seafood and vegetables served alongside a lemon wedge and dipping sauces. Olive Garden attempts to recreate this Italian classic with shrimp acting as the star of the crispy, fried show. Bell peppers and onions are the accompanying veggies, and house-made marinara and spicy ranch join the party for your dipping pleasure. Although this dish is exactly what Olive Garden advertises, it still manages to be one of the most disappointing menu items at the chain.

What makes the traditional dish delicious is its use of a variety of different seafood items, all fresh caught from the Mediterranean. Olive Garden's shrimp is hardly a substitute. Additionally, the breading that the chain uses is overly greasy and salty, thus masking any flavor from the shrimp or vegetables. Instead of an appetizer with multiple flavors and textures, you're left with an overly beige, greasy mess that tastes like nothing but breading and salt.

Seafood Alfredo is a classic; no Italian restaurant menu would be complete without it. Olive Garden showcases its take on the beloved fishy dish with house-made Alfredo sauce, shrimp, and scallops. On paper, this dish has it all: unctuousness from Parmesan and cream, juicy chunks of seafood to add texture, flavor, and heartiness, and thick fettuccine noodles to soak up the sauce and add some extra heartiness. But behind the appealing photo on the menu lies the truth — and it's a little hard to swallow.

Former employees have reported that Olive Garden's meats and seafood come previously frozen. While it doesn't come as a shock, considering the O.G. is famous for it's relatively low prices and subpar but still tasty fare, any seafood lover will tell you that freezing seafood seriously alters its taste and texture — especially when it comes to delicate scallops. While the shrimp is passable, the scallops in this dish are chewy and overcooked — which is just another serious scallop faux pas. Fresh, seared scallops are meant to be cooked thoroughly, but lightly, to avoid compromising their texture (the most beloved aspect of these tender medallions). To add to this texture mishap, we suspect that the seafood is not properly drained, like other Olive Garden menu items on this list, before being added to the pasta, resulting in excess water that thins the sauce and gives it a bland taste.

While this list has pointed out the issues I've encountered with Olive Garden, in the end, I still consider myself a fan of the restaurant. I've dined at my local Olive Garden on numerous occasions and have found more dishes that I enjoy than those I don't. Most of the items on this list I've personally sampled, while a few were included based on feedback gleaned from articles and social media reviews.

While personal preferences certainly play a role in my opinions of specific menu items, in compiling this list, I set aside individual taste biases. I assessed the dishes based on universal meal qualities — such as tender pasta, succulent meat and fish, and fresh vegetables — all of which were nowhere to be found in the items listed.