The One Dessert To Avoid Ordering At Olive Garden

Known for its large portions, heavenly breadsticks, and Italian-American classics, Olive Garden might not be the most authentic Italian restaurant, but it's certainly chock full of comfort foods. But beyond the restaurant's absolute best savory dishes lies its dessert menu. Between such offerings as the elaborate chocolate lasagna and the classic tiramisu, you might find it difficult to make a decision. However, if there's one dessert you should avoid ordering, it's the Sicilian Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping.

While the fruit-topped dessert might sound appealing, especially for those without a big chocolate sweet tooth, we ranked it as the worst dessert at Olive Garden for a few reasons. Its flavor wasn't bad, but its texture was reminiscent of a frozen cheesecake. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but when you're paying around $10 for a slice, it shouldn't taste frozen. Along with the cheesecake's lackluster texture, the strawberries on top were a bit too soft and didn't taste very fresh. The shortbread crust didn't possess much of a crunch, either, and the strawberry sauce made it even more soggy and unimpressive.

While the Sicilian Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping is our least-favorite pick off of Olive Garden's dessert menu, you should know that none of the chain's desserts are super fresh anyway. That's right: All of the desserts — even the Warm Italian Doughnuts, which are our favorite — arrive at the restaurant frozen. Perhaps this doesn't come as much of a surprise. After all, Olive Garden is a chain, so freezing desserts and other menu items helps prevent waste. Nevertheless, it might be a bit disappointing to hear, especially for the die-hard Olive Garden fans out there, that their desserts aren't made fresh in-house.

It's also worth acknowledging that while the Sicilian Cheesecake had a frozen texture, our reviewer's experience might be different from your own. It's entirely possible that the quality depends on the particular order. For example, when a Redditor shared a photo of their sad-looking Black Tie Mousse Cake, commenters suggested that some frozen slices don't turn out as well as others. One person remarked, "It's always a crap shoot with thawing our frozen desserts at restaurants." When it comes to Olive Garden's desserts, your mileage may vary.