Olive Garden Appetizers, Ranked Worst To Best

Many Olive Garden meals start off the exact same way. Soon after settling in and putting in your order, you're met with a basket of steaming hot, garlicky breadsticks. Not long after that, a family-sized salad–drenched in Italian dressing and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese until you say when, or cups of the restaurant's Tuscany-inspired soups, fill the table. If you happened to take advantage of its never-ending deal, these starters just keep coming. Or they lead to a hearty pasta meal.

There's no denying that this is a great way to begin the dining experience. But the popularity of this combo of soup, salad, and breadsticks means that some of the restaurant's other antipasto dishes often get overlooked. Well, not today. I'm finally giving all of Olive Garden's classic Italian-inspired appetizers a chance to shine (or not shine, depending on how they fare).

I recently visited my nearest location to give every starter a taste, aside from the breadstick and sauce trio. I ended up with plates of fried pastas, fried seafood, and a few meat-based offerings as well, which I ranked from worst to best based on their taste, quality, textures, and sauce pairings. Let's find out which ones are worthy of a spot next to your soup or salad, or which ones are good enough to replace them altogether.

Calamari is a classic Tuscan ingredient. Italians have plenty of access to fresh squid along the country's coastline, which can be battered and fried. Olive Garden attempts to recreate this straight-from-Italy delicacy, yet fails to capture its briny yet simple seaside charm.

My own shoal of calamari offered all rings (very teeny rings, at that) and no tentacles. Personally, I was disappointed by this. The wild tentacle pieces reaching in every direction may be off-putting to some people, but I love the intense crunch they always seem to provide. Without them, I was left only with a helping of rubbery calamari rings. They tasted as though they had been slightly overcooked. Whereas good calamari is mild with a touch of natural sweetness, these bites tasted extra salty and fishy. The breading doesn't exactly make up for it either. The appetizer is supposed to come "lightly breaded," though in most bites, there's more breading than squid. What's worse is that there were hardly any seasonings covering the surface.

The only thing keeping this seafood platter afloat was the fresh lemon wedge I squeezed over every ring, and, of course, the accompanying sauces. One was simply the chain's classic marinara, which you'll find paired with nearly every single appetizer on the menu. The other was a spicy ranch that's an absolute game-changer, thanks to its creaminess, zippy tang, and subtle heat.

Mozzarella sticks are a must-have at any chain restaurant, Italian-themed or not. I've ordered my fair share, and after experiencing the jaw-dropping cheese pull at Chili's or the unbelievable gooeyness and audible crunch of The Cheesecake Factory's cheesy app, Olive Garden's take is a letdown.

It's called fried mozzarella rather than mozzarella sticks, since you'll find blocky rectangular pieces on your plate rather than elongated logs. The cheese hiding inside is not the problem. The restaurant only mentions mozzarella included in the recipe, though I swear I could taste tangs of something else — perhaps Parmesan. The mozzarella tastes fresh, and you get sharp, even nutty, flavors lingering in each bite. The disappointing part is the outer breaded layer. Its pale coloring is a clue that it's not overly crispy, and despite specks of green on the surface, I could hardly taste any kind of flavoring at all. My taste buds were waiting for bursts of garlic, oregano, and basil that never came to fruition.

I did get some enjoyment out of dipping each cheesy slab into the side of marinara. The sweet yet acidic, tomato-forward recipe fares better set against a cheese-and-bread starter than it does with the questionable calamari. However, even in its complete state with marinara sauce and all, this appetizer still didn't speak to my palate the same way other Olive Garden dishes did, so it landed at the back end of the ranking.

Olive Garden has a habit of taking one of its mainstay entrees, frying it up, and calling it a shareable starter. The chain does it with the Lasagna Fritta – a very Americanized Italian dish, if you couldn't tell. It's based around six pieces of fried, Parmesan-breaded lasagna and comes with even more Parmesan cheese on top, plus a double whammy of Alfredo sauce and meat sauce that incorporates both beef and Italian sausage. I'm telling you now: You're going to need those sauces.

I thought there would be more to the crusted lasagna itself. I assume that it's stuffed with the same cheeses as the chain's Lasagna Classico, which folds in Parmesan, mozzarella, and Romano. But it tastes more like a muted ricotta blended in with a small sprinkle of Italian seasonings. Then you have  the thick, crunchy breading and the flat lasagna noodles, which unfortunately turn chewy. The pieces appeared parched and even a bit burnt from the start, and the flavor confirmed this.

The reason this dish still jumps the calamari and fried mozzarella is that when you douse them in a hearty amount of meat sauce, the flavors start to come alive. The sausage gives everything a savory, fennel-spiked boost. I would have chosen to trade in the Alfredo for another helping of this meat sauce. Better yet, I would have liked to see it already tucked inside the lasagna before it was fried for a more cohesive dish.

There's nothing quite like priming your stomach for a big meal with a preliminary plate of meat and cheese. If you're looking for something with a bit more substance (that isn't deep-fried), go with the meatballs Parmigiana. While it may not be the most exciting, flashy, or even best-tasting antipasto dish on the menu, it's one that everyone can agree on and delivers a consistently passable flavor.

You'll find five total meatballs rolled onto the plate. This isn't one of those 1-pound meatball situations that some Italian chains treat you to. These, alternatively, seem to be the same standard-sized meatballs that top Olive Garden's spaghetti dinners. Each one is bouncy, and the beef inside is juicy and never dry. Plus, there are no signs of gristle or other unsavory patches. All five sit in a puddle of sweet marinara sauce and are coated in a blanket of baked-on shredded Italian cheeses. Finally, a handful of breadcrumbs is thrown on top of it all, giving the dish a touch of textural variance but doing very little for the taste.

To me, the meatballs are good but aren't anything special. It's the first appetizer that made me want to go back for seconds. At the same time, it could have been so much better with just a few minor changes to the beef itself. Adding more flavor to meatballs is easy with the addition of spicy sausage, bold spices, or extra cheese like Parmesan or even ricotta. Olive Garden, take note.

How do you get more people to eat their greens? Bury them in a dippable bowlful of cheese. It may not be the healthiest way to get the job done, but Mamma Mia, it sure tastes good. Olive Garden's spinach-artichoke dip is no exception. And even though it doesn't necessarily top my list of all-time favorite dips, it's a palatable option that outshines a fair amount of the chain's other apps — even the hearty meatballs.

Like many other spinach and artichoke dips I've encountered, this one leads with spinach first. The leafy green takes over the majority of the bowl, backed by the occasional piece of chopped artichoke heart. It's not quite as cheesy as other dips, yet it's still creamy, and hints of Parmesan give it some character. Adding a cap of bubbling baked cheese could have elevated the entire dish even more.

What I was really impressed with were the flatbread crisps served with it. These pita chip-like bites are dusted with Parmesan cheese. They're the lightest bit greasy and have a toasted taste, and their sturdiness makes them a significantly better match for a thick spinach and artichoke dip than flimsy tortilla chips. I could have munched on them all by themselves. And given the ratio of chips to dip, I had to do that with the last few strips anyway.

After the calamari catastrophe, I was apprehensive about trying another seafood-based starter from the chain. But this shrimp platter managed to turn the tide. Shrimp Fritto Misto directly translates to "shrimp fried mixed" in Italian, and what it translates to on your Olive Garden plate is over a ½ pound of shrimp tossed with onions and bell peppers that are hand-breaded and fried.

Of course, I had to dig into the baby shrimp first and was met with a surprisingly pleasant texture. Each crustacean was juicy, tender, and never too chewy. Meanwhile, the breading leaned less crisp and more soft — even when it was hot and fresh — and offered a salty, comfort food kind of flavor. The onions and peppers offer textural and flavor diversity. Plus, I can't forget about the sauces. It comes with marinara, though I would have preferred classic cocktail sauce with my shrimp, but I digress. The spicy ranch makes an appearance yet again. I think just about anything would taste good dunked in that zesty, spicy sauce, but paired with the savory, salty shrimp, it's exceptionally delicious. With help from this saucy complement, this turns out to be one of the better apps at Olive Garden, beaten out only by two extra flavorful, Italian-style picks.

I didn't know what to think about this dish based on its description and picture on the menu. I was picturing ziti noodles that were just as hard as dry pasta and stuffed with minimal cheese. Luckily, that's not at all what turns up.

The noodles are, in fact, cooked. They're also fried to give them a light crunch around the edges. It's pleasant and not at all teeth-achingly hard — trust me. On the inside is where the magic happens. Each tube-shaped noodle is piped with five different kinds of white cheeses, which some claim includes ricotta, Parmesan, Romano, cream cheese, and mozzarella. That sounds about right to me. It turns into an ooey-gooey mixture, with the creaminess of ricotta or cream cheese, the freshness of mozzarella, and a bit of sharp pizzazz from the Parmesan and Romano. The cheese pouring out of each side of the noodle is slightly browned, which adds even more rich flavor. I could pop them like candy all by themselves. But they're also really good when dunked into the side of buttery Alfredo sauce — just throw some more cheesy goodness into the mix, why not? They pair perfectly with the marinara as well, especially if you're able to scoop up a big chunk of tomato.

I appreciate the overall taste of the Stuffed Ziti Fritta and the fact that they feel light, meaning you can still enjoy a completely different kind of pasta for dinner. It unexpectedly became one of my favorites. But there's one app on the menu that has a touch more to offer.

It doesn't get better than the Toasted Ravioli at Olive Garden. It's another fried creation from the chain that takes after one of its classic entrees, but with an interesting twist. You see, typically, the only ravioli dishes on the chain's menu are cheese ravioli or a Ravioli Carbonara — both of which take on a rounded shape. This appetizer, on the other hand, comes in a recognizable square or pillow shape, and inside, you'll find a hearty portion of seasoned ground beef.

It's the meat that really makes this app. It makes me wish meat-filled ravioli were also available as an entree. Each bite is laced with plenty of umami, and the beef is rich. The outside portion of the ravioli is not to be forgotten, either. The fried fringes remind me more of a chicken Parmesan crust than something like the breading on the mozzarella sticks or Lasagna Fritta. It's thick, crunchy, and clearly herb-covered for added flavor. I think they may have forgotten my dusting of Parmesan cheese on top, but that wasn't a problem. The starter was delicious regardless.

The final touch to this dish is an obligatory side cup of marinara sauce. It goes with nearly any kind of Italian plate (as we've seen), but it complements the crisp ravioli exceptionally well. If I had to pick just one Olive Garden app to order again, it would be this. Who knew finger-food ravioli could taste so good?

I picked up these Olive Garden appetizers at the same time from my nearest location in Columbus, Ohio. Once I got home, I tasted each dish while it was still fresh and warm. I evaluated them based on several different criteria, starting with texture. This is especially important in fried foods, which many of Olive Garden's starters happen to be. I looked for picks that maintained a nice crackle or crunch from the breading and didn't lean too dry. In addition, I wanted seafood that wasn't too tough, rubbery, or fishy, and meat that was juicy and flavorful.

Ingredients and overall balance were also important. I considered how well each component worked alongside the next — like the cheese stuffed inside a pasta noodle, or fried vegetables mixed in with fried shrimp. I also took note of seasonings, or lack thereof. I enjoyed the nice Italian seasoning blend found on many options, but thought that others could have used another shake or two of spices and herbs.

Lastly, I looked at accompaniments, aka the side sauces. Most dishes came with one or two dipping sauces, which were judged on how well they complemented and elevated each dish. Overall, the best appetizers were unique, cohesive, and flavorful.