8 Mistakes To Avoid When Eating At Olive Garden

If you grew up in the suburban U.S., Olive Garden may have been your first introduction to Italian food — or, at least, Italian food filtered through an American lens. No matter where you come from, though, you have to admit that Olive Garden has its appeal, even if it may not have the best Italian food you've ever eaten. The family-friendly atmosphere, the vibe that falls somewhere between ultra-casual and fancy depending on your perspective, the truly incredible breadsticks ... it's obvious why it's one of America's favorite chain Italian restaurants.

But even if you've eaten at Olive Garden since you were a kid, there's a chance that you're making some mistakes every time you visit. Whether you're leaving good deals on the table or just unsure of what time to visit the chain, understanding the mistakes you're making at Olive Garden can help you change your way so you have an even better (and more affordable) meal the next time you're there. These are the mistakes you're making at Olive Garden — and how to avoid them.

One of the best parts about dining at Olive Garden is the fact that you get breadsticks and salad every time you sit down to a meal there. Your server will bring out a big bowl of greens and veggies and will top it with as much cheese as you could ever want. The breadsticks come next, nestled in a napkin, warm and cozy and waiting to be devoured. These two components represent a huge part of the appeal of going to Olive Garden. The breadsticks are delicious, but they're also unlimited, so you can always keep asking for more if you're super hungry. And as long as you order an entree, you'll get a salad as well.

Since these dishes come out before everything else hits your table, it's easy to want to fill up on just salad and breadsticks. If that's all you're craving, you can always opt for the never-ending soup or salad and breadsticks meal, which gives you plenty of bang for your buck. Otherwise, though, filling up on salad and breadsticks too early in the meal only means that you're not going to have room for your entree. Take it easy on the salad and breadsticks — you can always add more to your plate once you've tackled your entree.

These days, just about every chain restaurant has an app. And even though it may feel like you're adding just another useless app to your phone by snagging Olive Garden's app, it may actually come in handy. Of course, it can help you with simple tasks, like finding the closest Olive Garden to your current location and helping you figure out what you want to eat off the menu. But you can also add your name to a waitlist, which means that you have to spend less of your valuable time waiting for a table. Plus, it'll help you place to-go orders when you're craving the flavor of your favorite Olive Garden meal but don't actually feel like eating in the restaurant. You can even load Olive Garden gift cards onto your app to make the payment process a bit easier when you're ready to leave.

Not every chain restaurant app out there is worth the space it'll take up on your phone. But if you're the kind of person who finds themselves at Olive Garden somewhat regularly, then it's definitely an app worth seeking out.

Want to order takeout but don't feel like spending too much money in the process? These days, takeout can be expensive, even if you're ordering from a chain restaurant like Olive Garden. That's why it can be a good idea to find ways to hack your favorite chain restaurants' menus to get a better deal on dinner. One of our favorite ways to save money while ordering takeout at Olive Garden is by opting for a family meal.

Some family-style meal bundles at Olive Garden serve up to 12 people, which is ideal if you're planning a party or are trying to feed a group. But there are even more options that feature just an entree on its own, which tend to serve four to six people. In most cases, it's going to be way cheaper to order one of these family meals than it would be to snag four to six different entrees. Choose from favorites like shrimp scampi, chicken Alfredo, and five-cheese ziti al forno. And don't worry — you can still order salad and breadsticks on the side.

You may think of Olive Garden as the kind of place you would only go for dinner, whether it's your casual choice after a long day of work or for a special celebration. But if you're only going to Olive Garden in the evening, you're missing out on some of the best the chain has to offer — when it comes to prices, at least. Head to the restaurant on weekdays before 3 p.m., and you can take advantage of the lunch-sized portion of the menu, which features smaller (and arguably more manageable) portion sizes of your favorite OG dishes.

Chicken Parmigiana, cheese ravioli, and lasagna all have a place on this menu, which means you don't have to skip your favorite flavors just to get a smaller version of the dish you already know you love. Of course, you can't skip the Olive Garden soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch, which might just be the best option on the menu if you're not super hungry at lunchtime.

There are a ton of delicious pasta dishes on Olive Garden's menu, but if you're picky about your pasta, you may have found that they're not exactly what you're looking for. Instead of ordering one of the set menu options, you can always take advantage of the "create your own pasta" option, which is available for both lunch and dinner.

Basically, all you have to do is decide what pasta shape you want, followed by a sauce, and then your toppings. You can choose from five different pasta shapes — one of which is gluten-free — opting for a longer, thinner type of pasta or a shorter, squatter one. Choose between marinara, five-cheese marinara, meat sauce, creamy mushroom, and spicy three-meat sauces to get the flavor just right. And whether you decide to add meatballs, crispy chicken fritta, or sauteed shrimp, you're in for a treat. You can even add some broccoli to the mix to make your pasta taste fresher. There's no better option for picky eaters on Olive Garden's menu. Who doesn't love a customizable option?

Olive Garden boasts no lack of cheese in most of its dishes. But when it comes to Italian food, you can almost always add more cheese. Perhaps that's why Olive Garden has become known for its famous cheese grater. When your server brings your salad or pasta entree to the table, they'll ask if you want some Parmesan cheese on top. If you say yes, then they'll keep grating that cheese on top of your dish until you tell them to stop. Of course, it's possible to go overboard here, asking for too much cheese on your salad or main dish, but it's also a mistake to turn it down completely.

Even if your dish features a lot of other cheese already, adding some extra Parmesan on top can take it to a whole new level. That salty, umami flavor only makes every bite more interesting, and it provides the whole dish with an extra layer of both depth and texture. Make sure not to skip the cheese grater when your server delivers the dish to your table.

One thing you've probably realized about Olive Garden if you've gone even once: The portion sizes are not small. We're not complaining — in reality, it's a good thing if you're trying to get more than one meal out of your order. But if you do happen to fill up on your entree, then you might realize that there's not room for much else in your stomach. But who doesn't want to end their meal with something sweet? If you ask us, it's worth getting the dessert from Olive Garden, whether you end up ordering the tiramisu, chocolate lasagna, or Sicilian cheesecake with strawberry topping(even though it might be frozen). It could be a mistake, though, not to share said dessert.

Since the portion sizes of both the entrees and desserts are huge, you'll probably find that you don't actually need a whole dessert to yourself. Instead, you can just choose one and share it with whoever is with you at the table. That way, you still get to sate your sweet tooth without sending yourself into a full-on Olive Garden-induced food coma.

Talking about Olive Garden's massive portion sizes, what are you supposed to do if you can't finish your whole meal in one sitting? We've discussed opting for the lunch portions if you're dining during the day, but in the evening, all you really have to choose from are those massive pasta dishes (and non-pasta dishes) on the menu. But just because you're ordering the dish for dinner doesn't mean you can't save some for a later meal.

In fact, one of the reasons we love going to Olive Garden is that you can almost always leave with leftovers. If you can heat them up during the day, Olive Garden leftovers make for a great lunch. Alternatively, you can enjoy them for dinner the next night to avoid having to cook. Either way, it's not worth stuffing yourself full of pasta to the point you feel like you're going to burst, and you definitely don't want to let all that food you already paid for go to waste. The next time you go to Olive Garden, prepare to bring those leftovers home with you.