FOOD NEWS
Ranking Olive Garden Entrees That Aren't Pasta
BY Samantha Maxwell
7. Eggplant Parmigiana
The eggplant Parmigiana is a great option if you're trying to avoid meat. It has breaded and fried eggplant topped with melted mozzarella and tomato sauce.
While enjoyable, it wasn't quite as delicious as other items. The main issue is the blandness and lack of acidity, which is made worse by the cheese and breadcrumbs on it.
6. Chicken Parmigiana
Similar to the previous dish, the chicken Parmigiana features an incredibly juicy chicken breast made even more delicious by the cheese and sauce.
Unfortunately, it lacked the acidity needed to balance the flavors. The juiciness counteracts some of the other ingredients' dryness, but it doesn't produce that pop of flavor.
5. Chicken Margherita
Olive Garden's grilled chicken Margherita comes with a grilled chicken breast topped with mozzarella, basil pesto, and fresh tomatoes.
This lighter entree is served with a side of Parmesan garlic broccoli for a simple side dish. Admittedly, the flavors in this dish are kind of basic, but they work together well.
4. Herb-Grilled Salmon
While salmon can either be delicious or done very poorly, Olive Garden delivers an impeccably cooked fish for its herb-grilled salmon.
The garlic herb butter gives the salmon a richness and a pop of flavor. The downside is it only comes with a side of the boring Parmesan garlic broccoli.
3. Never-Ending
The never-ending soup, salad, and breadsticks meal is an absolute must-try if you're the kind of person who's always ordering off the appetizer menu.
It comes with the chain's signature breadsticks and a garden-fresh salad. The chain offers four different soups for this deal, including a creamy chicken and gnocchi.