You open DoorDash. You see Olive Garden. You start adding items to your cart. Fettuccine Alfredo. Breadsticks. A salad. Then you look at the total and your heart stops.
Twenty two dollars for the pasta. Four dollars for delivery. Three dollars for a service fee. Five dollars for the driver tip. Your thirty dollar meal just became forty five dollars.
This is happening to millions of Americans every single night.
But here is the truth that delivery apps do not want you to know. There is a better way to get Olive Garden at home. And it saves you up to forty percent on every order.
This guide breaks down every Olive Garden price for takeout and delivery. You will learn exactly how to order, when to order, and which items travel well. Plus the secret code that gives you free breadsticks with every takeout order.
The Real Cost of Delivery vs Takeout vs Dine In
Let me show you the exact math on a typical Olive Garden order.
A family of four wants Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, Spaghetti with meatballs, Lasagna Classico, and a kids meal. Plus a side of breadsticks and a salad.
Dine in price. Fifty two dollars for the food. Add tax to fifty seven dollars. Add a fifteen percent tip to sixty five dollars. Total sixty five dollars.
Takeout price. Same fifty two dollars for the food. Add tax to fifty seven dollars. No tip required. Total fifty seven dollars.
Delivery through DoorDash or Uber Eats. The app marks up each item by about fifteen percent. That fifty two dollar meal becomes sixty dollars before you even check out. Add a four dollar delivery fee. Add a three dollar service fee. Add a five dollar driver tip. Total seventy two dollars.
You are paying fifteen dollars more for delivery than takeout. And your food arrives thirty minutes later, slightly cold.
The winner is always takeout. Always.
Complete Takeout Price List (No Tables)
Here is every price you will pay when ordering Olive Garden for takeout. These are the same as dine in prices. No markup if you order directly from Olive Garden.
Appetizers for Takeout
Six breadsticks cost five dollars. Twelve breadsticks cost nine dollars. A bowl of Zuppa Toscana soup is six fifty. Chicken and Gnocchi soup is six fifty. Pasta e Fagioli soup is six fifty. Shrimp Scampi Fritta is thirteen dollars. Stuffed Ziti Fritta is ten fifty. Five meatballs are nine dollars.
Salads for Takeout
The famous Olive Garden salad comes in three sizes. Individual side salad is five dollars. Small family salad (feeds two to three people) is nine dollars. Large family salad (feeds four to six people) is fourteen dollars. Each comes with dressing and croutons on the side.
Soups for Takeout
Soup is sold by the quart. One quart feeds two to three people as a starter or one person as a meal. Zuppa Toscana quart is nine dollars. Chicken and Gnocchi quart is nine dollars. Pasta e Fagioli quart is nine dollars. Minestrone quart is eight dollars.
Classic Pasta Entrees for Takeout
Spaghetti with marinara is fourteen fifty. Spaghetti with meat sauce is sixteen dollars. Spaghetti with meatballs is seventeen fifty.
Fettuccine Alfredo is eighteen fifty. With chicken is twenty dollars. With shrimp is twenty one fifty.
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno is seventeen fifty. Lasagna Classico is eighteen dollars. Chicken Parmigiana is twenty dollars. Eggplant Parmigiana is seventeen dollars.
Lighter Portions for Takeout
Chicken Parmigiana Lighter is fourteen fifty. Fettuccine Alfredo Lighter is fourteen dollars. Lasagna Classico Lighter is fourteen thirty. Ziti al Forno Lighter is thirteen eighty.
Seafood and Specialties for Takeout
Shrimp Scampi is twenty dollars. Shrimp Alfredo is twenty one fifty. Chicken Marsala is nineteen fifty. Chicken Giardino is nineteen dollars. Tour of Italy is twenty three dollars. Six ounce sirloin with fettuccine is twenty one dollars.
Kids Meals for Takeout
Kids spaghetti with marinara is six dollars. Kids fettuccine alfredo is six fifty. Kids chicken fingers are six fifty. Kids cheese ravioli is six fifty. Each kids meal comes with a drink and a side. Most locations let you order kids meals for adults on takeout. No one checks.
Desserts for Takeout
Black Tie Mousse Cake is nine fifty. Tiramisu is nine dollars. Lemon Cream Cake is nine dollars. Zeppoli doughnuts are six fifty. Each dessert comes in a sealed container.
Family Style Meals for Takeout
This is the best value for large groups. The Create Your Own Pasta Family Meal feeds four to five people for forty dollars. You choose two pastas and two sauces. It comes with a large salad and twelve breadsticks.
The Chicken Parm Family Meal feeds four to five people for forty five dollars. Includes two chicken parm entrees, one pasta, a large salad, and twelve breadsticks.
The Five Best Takeout Items (And Three to Avoid)
Not every Olive Garden dish travels well. Here is what to order and what to skip.
Best for takeout. Lasagna Classico. It is baked in a dish and stays hot for thirty minutes. The layers hold together during transport. Reheats perfectly in the microwave.
Best for takeout. Chicken Parmigiana. The breading stays crispy if you keep the container slightly open. Sauce on the side is even better.
Best for takeout. Zuppa Toscana soup. Travels beautifully in a sealed quart container. Stays hot for forty five minutes. Tastes exactly the same at home as in the restaurant.
Best for takeout. Five Cheese Ziti al Forno. Like lasagna, this baked pasta holds its heat and structure. The cheese gets slightly crispy on top. Delicious.
Worst for takeout. Fettuccine Alfredo. The sauce separates during transport. By the time you get home, it looks oily and weird. Still tastes fine but looks unappetizing.
Worst for takeout. Shrimp Scampi. Shrimp continues cooking in the hot container. It can become rubbery and tough. Eat shrimp dishes at the restaurant, not at home.
Worst for takeout. Any salad with hot ingredients. The hot items steam the lettuce. You end up with wilted greens. Order salad only if it comes completely cold.
The Secret Free Breadsticks Hack
Olive Garden gives unlimited breadsticks when you dine in. For takeout, they give one breadstick per entree. That is the official rule.
But here is the hack. When you order online, go to the special instructions box. Type these exact words.
“Please add a few extra breadsticks. I am a regular customer. Thank you.”
Nine times out of ten, the kitchen will add two to four extra breadsticks at no charge. They want you to come back. A few breadsticks cost them almost nothing.
For even better results, call your order in instead of using the app. Talk to a human. Be friendly. Say please and thank you. Ask nicely for extra breadsticks. Most managers will say yes.
The absolute best hack. Order a catering side of breadsticks. Twelve breadsticks cost nine dollars. That is seventy five cents per breadstick. Add that to any takeout order and you have breadsticks for days.
Olive Garden Catering for Takeout. The Ultimate Family Value.
If you are feeding more than three people, stop ordering individual entrees. Switch to the catering menu. The savings are enormous.
Small Pasta Bar. Forty five dollars. Feeds five to six people. Includes two pastas, one sauce, a large salad, and breadsticks. Per person cost is seven fifty to nine dollars.
Large Pasta Bar. Seventy five dollars. Feeds eight to ten people. Includes three pastas, two sauces, a large salad, and breadsticks. Per person cost is seven fifty to nine fifty.
Lasagna Tray. Sixty five dollars. Feeds eight to ten people. A full tray of Lasagna Classico. Add a large salad for fourteen dollars. Add twelve breadsticks for nine dollars. Total eighty eight dollars. Feed ten people for eight eighty each.
Chicken Parm Tray. Seventy dollars. Feeds eight to ten people. Twelve pieces of Chicken Parmigiana. Add pasta on the side for ten dollars. Total eighty dollars. Feed ten people for eight dollars each.
These catering trays are available for takeout with no minimum order. You do not need a party or an event. Order them for regular family dinner. Eat one tray for three days. It is cheaper than grocery shopping.
Reheating Guide. How to Make Takeout Taste Fresh Again
Olive Garden takeout never tastes as good as dine in. Unless you reheat it correctly. Here is how.
For pasta dishes. Do not use the microwave. It makes pasta mushy. Use a skillet on medium heat. Add a splash of water or milk. Heat for three to four minutes while stirring. The sauce comes back to life. The pasta stays firm.
For Chicken Parm. Use an air fryer if you have one. Three hundred seventy five degrees for four minutes. The breading gets crispy again. No air fryer? Use a regular oven at four hundred degrees for six to eight minutes.
For soup. Microwave is fine. Heat in thirty second bursts. Stir between each burst. Zuppa Toscana takes about two minutes total.
For breadsticks. Wrap in aluminum foil. Heat in a three hundred fifty degree oven for five minutes. They come out soft and warm. Never microwave breadsticks. They turn into rubber.
For salad. You cannot reheat salad. But you can refresh it. Add a few drops of water to the lettuce. Toss it. The water crisps up the leaves.
Delivery Apps. How to Lose Less Money
Sometimes you cannot do takeout. Maybe you do not have a car. Maybe it is raining. Maybe you are sick. Delivery becomes the only option.
If you must use delivery apps, here is how to minimize the damage.
Never order drinks through apps. A three fifty soda becomes five dollars. Then it gets warm during delivery. Just drink water from your fridge.
Never order dessert through apps. A nine dollar cake becomes eleven fifty. Then the driver drops it. Then it melts. Skip dessert and buy a pint of ice cream at the grocery store for four dollars.
Check all three apps before ordering. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub all have different prices for the same Olive Garden location. One might have a five dollar delivery fee. Another might have a three dollar fee. Another might offer free delivery over twenty five dollars. Spend two minutes checking all three.
Look for promo codes. Before you check out, search Google for “DoorDash promo code April 2026” or “Uber Eats coupon.” Copy paste every code you find. One might work. That is an instant five to ten dollars off.
Order at off peak times. Delivery fees go up between six and eight PM. Order at four thirty PM or eight thirty PM. Fees are often lower. Drivers are faster.
Tip fairly but not crazily. Twenty percent is standard for dine in. For delivery, fifteen percent is fine. The driver is just transporting food, not serving you for an hour.
The Best Time to Order Takeout
Timing matters more than you think.
Best time. Weekdays between eleven AM and one PM. The lunch rush means food is coming out of the kitchen constantly. Nothing sits under a heat lamp. Your food is fresh.
Second best time. Weekdays between four PM and five PM. You beat the dinner rush. The kitchen is fully staffed but not yet slammed. Your order comes out fast and hot.
Worst time. Friday and Saturday between six PM and eight PM. The restaurant is packed. The kitchen is overwhelmed. Your takeout order might sit for fifteen minutes waiting for a server to bag it. By the time you get home, everything is cold.
Second worst time. Sunday after church. Eleven thirty AM to one thirty PM. Every family in town is at Olive Garden. Wait times for takeout can exceed forty five minutes.
Loyalty Programs and Coupons for Takeout
Olive Garden does not have a traditional loyalty program. But they have something better.
The eClub. Sign up on their website. They send you a coupon for a free dessert or free appetizer within twenty four hours. Use it on takeout. Works perfectly.
Birthday reward. Enter your birth date when you join the eClub. They send a free dessert coupon during your birthday month. Use it on takeout.
Seasonal promotions. Olive Garden runs limited time offers throughout the year. Buy one entree get one half off. Free breadsticks with twenty five dollar purchase. These are almost always available for takeout. Check the website before you order.
Email signup at the restaurant. Next time you pick up a takeout order, ask the host for a paper eClub signup form. Sometimes they have in store only coupons that are not available online.
What to Do When Something Is Wrong
Your takeout order is missing an item. Or the food is cold. Or they gave you the wrong pasta.
Do not get angry. Here is what to do.
Call the restaurant directly. Not DoorDash. Not Uber Eats. Call the Olive Garden location where you picked up the food.
Speak calmly. Say this exactly. “Hi, I picked up a takeout order at [time]. My name is [name]. The order was missing the chicken parm. Can you help me?”
Ninety five percent of the time, they will apologize and offer a credit or a free replacement. Olive Garden cares about their reputation. They want to make it right.
If you ordered through a delivery app, the process is different. You must complain through the app. Take photos of the wrong food. Open a support ticket. You will probably get a credit for future orders. But it takes longer.
The best protection is checking your bag before you leave the parking lot. Open every container. Count every item. It takes sixty seconds. It saves hours of frustration.
Frequently Asked Questions About Takeout
Does Olive Garden charge more for takeout?
No. Takeout prices are the same as dine in prices. Only delivery apps add markups.
Can I get unlimited soup and salad for takeout?
No. Unlimited soup and salad is a dine in only offer. For takeout, you get one soup and one salad per order.
Does Olive Garden give breadsticks with takeout?
Yes. One breadstick per entree. Use the hack above to get extra.
How far in advance should I order takeout?
Order online twenty to thirty minutes before you want to pick up. For large catering orders, order one day in advance.
Does Olive Garden takeout include utensils?
Yes. Ask for them when you order. Some locations forget. Always check before you leave.
Can I use coupons for takeout?
Yes. Most Olive Garden coupons work for takeout. Read the fine print to be sure.
Does Olive Garden have curbside pickup?
Most locations do. Select curbside when you order online. Park in a designated spot. Call the number on the sign. An employee brings your food to the car.
What is the best way to reheat Olive Garden breadsticks?
Wrap in foil. Bake at three hundred fifty degrees for five minutes. Never microwave.
Your Takeout Action Plan
Step one. Visit the official Olive Garden website. Not DoorDash. Not Uber Eats. The real website.
Step two. Join the eClub. Get your free dessert coupon.
Step three. Browse the catering menu. If you are feeding three or more people, order a family meal or a pasta bar.
Step four. Add a side of twelve breadsticks for nine dollars. You will thank me later.
Step five. Select curbside pickup. Enter your car details.
Step six. Before you leave the parking lot, open every container. Check for missing items.
Step seven. Reheat properly using the guide above. Enjoy restaurant quality food at home for half the price of delivery.
Final Word
Olive Garden takeout is a fantastic value. But only if you order correctly. Skip the delivery apps. Use the catering menu for large groups. Reheat your food the right way. And always ask for extra breadsticks.
A family of four can eat Olive Garden at home for under fifty dollars. That is cheaper than pizza delivery. Cheaper than Chinese takeout. Cheaper than most fast food.
The food is hot. The portions are generous. And those breadsticks are waiting for you.