Olive Garden Deals & Specials: Every Way to Save in 2026
Olive Garden is one of the most generous casual dining chains in the United States when it comes to deals, specials, and value driven promotions. From unlimited pasta events to $6 take home entrees, the brand focuses on delivering high volume meals at accessible price points. Unlike competitors that rely on deep discounting, Olive Garden builds its deals around abundance, giving you more food for every dollar spent.
This page breaks down every active Olive Garden deal, seasonal promotion, loyalty perk, and smart ordering strategy available right now. Use these to get the most out of every visit.
$6 Take Home Entree: Two Meals for the Price of One
The $6 Take Home Entree is the single best everyday deal at Olive Garden. When you purchase any full priced adult entree, you are able to add a classic pasta dish to take home for just $6.00. The take home meal is prepared fresh, packaged chilled in a microwave safe container, and comes with reheating instructions. It is not leftovers. It is a complete second meal.
Buy any adult entree at full price, either dine in or to go. Then add one or more $6 take home entrees to your order. Dine in guests are allowed to purchase up to five take home entrees per adult entree ordered. Online and to go orders are limited to one take home entree per full priced entree.
$6 Take Home Menu Options
| Take Home Entree | Regular Menu Price | Take Home Price | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fettuccine Alfredo | $16.49 | $6.00 | $10.49 (63%) |
| Five Cheese Ziti al Forno | $17.99 | $6.00 | $11.99 (66%) |
| Spaghetti with Meat Sauce | $14.99 | $6.00 | $8.99 (60%) |
The take home entrees do not include soup, salad, or breadsticks. The deal is strictly for the pasta entree.
Real World Value Example: A guest orders Chicken Alfredo at $20.49 and adds one $6 Take Home Fettuccine Alfredo. Total food cost: $26.49 for two full meals. That brings the average cost per meal down to $13.25, which directly competes with a premium frozen meal from the grocery store.
Never Ending Pasta Bowl: Unlimited Pasta Starting at $13.99
The Never Ending Pasta Bowl is Olive Garden’s biggest seasonal event. It runs every fall and gives guests unlimited servings of pasta, sauce, soup or salad, and breadsticks for one fixed price. The 2026 promotion is scheduled to run from August 25 through November 16, with Olive Garden eClub members getting early access starting August 18.
| Component | Price |
|---|---|
| Base (Unlimited Pasta, Sauce, Soup/Salad, Breadsticks) | $13.99 |
| Add Unlimited Toppings (Meatballs, Sausage, Chicken Fritta) | +$4.99 |
| Total with Toppings | $18.98 |
What You Get to Choose From
| Category | Options |
|---|---|
| Pasta | Fettuccine, Spaghetti, Angel Hair, Rigatoni, Gluten Free Rotini (on request) |
| Sauce | Alfredo, Traditional Marinara, Five Cheese Marinara, Meat Sauce, Creamy Mushroom, Spicy Three Meat Sauce (New for 2026) |
| Toppings (+$4.99) | Meatballs, Italian Sausage, Crispy Chicken Fritta |
| Included | Unlimited Soup or Salad, Unlimited Breadsticks |
The Spicy Three Meat Sauce is a new addition for 2026, featuring chili flakes, cherry peppers, and pepperoni. It reflects the growing demand for bolder, heat forward flavors in casual dining.
Unlimited Soup, Salad & Breadsticks
This is the deal that defines Olive Garden. Available every single day at every location, the Unlimited Soup, Salad & Breadsticks combo gives guests endless refills on all three items for one price. It is the permanent anchor of the Olive Garden value proposition and the reason many guests choose the restaurant over competitors.
| Time | Price |
|---|---|
| Lunch (Monday to Friday, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM) | $7.99 to $9.99 |
| Dinner & Weekends | $11.99 to $12.99 |
Soup Options
| Soup | Description | Dietary Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zuppa Toscana | Spicy Italian sausage, kale, russet potatoes in a creamy broth | Most popular soup on the menu |
| Pasta e Fagioli | Ground beef, white and red beans, tomatoes, tubetti pasta | Dairy free |
| Chicken & Gnocchi | Roasted chicken, potato dumplings, spinach in a creamy broth | Contains wheat and dairy |
| Minestrone | Tomato based vegetable soup with beans and pasta | Vegan |
Olive Garden Lunch Specials
Olive Garden’s lunch menu runs Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The portions are smaller than dinner servings, roughly 50 to 60 percent of the dinner size, but the prices drop significantly. Every lunch entree comes with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks.
| Price Tier | Menu Items |
|---|---|
| $7.99 | Unlimited Soup, Salad & Breadsticks (standalone) |
| $8.99 to $10.99 | Spaghetti with Marinara, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Eggplant Parmigiana, Cheese Ravioli, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno |
| $11.99 and up | Lasagna Classico, Chicken Parmigiana, Shrimp Scampi, Spaghetti & Meatballs |
Lunch vs. Dinner Portion Comparison
| Menu Item | Lunch Calories | Dinner Calories | Lunch Price | Dinner Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasagna Classico | 500 | 940 | ~$11.99 | ~$19.00+ |
| Fettuccine Alfredo | 650 | 1,310 | ~$10.99 | ~$18.00+ |
The lunch hour is the best time to visit Olive Garden if you want to eat well and spend less. The food is the same quality and recipe as dinner, just served in a smaller portion.
Olive Garden eClub: Free Appetizer, Birthday Dessert & More
The Olive Garden eClub is a free email loyalty program that delivers exclusive offers directly to your inbox. It is not a points based rewards system. There are no tiers, no gamification, and no balance to track. Instead, the eClub sends high value coupons tied to specific actions like signing up and celebrating your birthday.
eClub Benefits
| Benefit | What You Get | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Offer | Free Appetizer or Dessert | Valid with the purchase of two adult entrees. Choose from Fried Mozzarella, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Lasagna Fritta, Toasted Ravioli, Tiramisu, Black Tie Mousse Cake, or Sicilian Cheesecake. |
| Birthday Reward | Free Dessert | Valued at $8.50 to $10.00. Valid for 21 days during your birthday month. Dine in required at most locations. |
| Early Access | Never Ending Pasta Bowl | eClub members get one week of early access before the general public. |
| Targeted Offers | Periodic Coupons | Occasional $5 off or buy one get one offers sent via email. |
Sign up at OliveGarden.com/eclub with your name, email, zip code, and birthdate. The Olive Garden text club is also available by texting JOIN to 29002 for flash deals and limited time offers.
Gift Card Hack: Save 15 to 20% Before You Walk In
The most reliable way to save at Olive Garden has nothing to do with coupons or promo codes. It is the Darden Restaurants gift card sold at warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club.
| Source | Face Value | You Pay | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costco / Sam’s Club | $100 in Darden Gift Cards | $79.98 to $85.00 | 15% to 20% |
Every dollar on a Darden gift card works at Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, and other Darden brands. The discount applies to everything on your bill, including tax, alcohol, and tips if you choose to load the full amount.
Olive Garden Family Bundles & Catering Deals
Olive Garden’s family bundles and catering menu are built for large groups, parties, and weeknight dinners at home. Each bundle feeds four to six people and arrives in large aluminum pans ready to serve.
| Bundle | What Is Included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lasagna Bundle | Large pan of Lasagna Classico (6 dinner servings), Jumbo House Salad, 12 Breadsticks | $66.99 |
| Chicken Alfredo Bundle | Large pan of Chicken Alfredo, Jumbo House Salad, 12 Breadsticks | $67.99 to $70.00 |
At $66.99, the Lasagna Bundle breaks down to roughly $11.16 per person for a full dinner sized serving. Sauce is often packaged separately to prevent the pasta from getting soggy during transport.
Delivery Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Minimum Order | $100 |
| Delivery Fee | 10% of order total (for orders up to $500) |
| Alcohol To Go | Available in select states. Sweet Pink Moscato Blend Confetti is $24.75. |
The 10% delivery fee is significantly lower than the 20 to 30% service fees charged by apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Retired Deals You Should Stop Looking For
Several Olive Garden promotions that dominated the internet for years are no longer active. Searching for these deals leads to outdated pages and expired codes.
- Early Dinner Duos: Olive Garden previously offered an Early Dinner Duo deal for $8.99 to $10.99, available Monday through Thursday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. In 2026, this deal is no longer featured on the national Olive Garden website.
- 2 for $25 Dinner: The classic “2 for $25” deal, which included two entrees and one shared appetizer, was a staple of Olive Garden’s promotional calendar for over a decade. Inflation has made this price point unsustainable at the national level.
- Never Ending Pasta Pass: From 2014 to 2019, Olive Garden sold a physical card for approximately $100 that granted nine weeks of unlimited pasta. The program also included a Lifetime Pasta Pass for $500, purchased by 50 people in 2019. The standard Pasta Pass has not returned since the pandemic. The 50 Lifetime Pasta Pass holders still have active, valid passes.
- Buy One, Take One (Free): The original Buy One, Take One deal gave guests a free full entree to take home with no additional charge. This has been replaced by the permanent $6 Take Home Entree, which generates revenue for the restaurant instead of giving away a free meal.