Olive Garden Lunch Menu 2026: Current Prices & Midday Deals
You came to Olive Garden restaurant at 3:15 PM on Tuesday for lunch, but the server informed you that their lunch specials have already expired fifteen minutes ago. Thus, now you’re dining at dinner rates despite ordering the same pasta that you could enjoy at lunch rates. This is very disappointing, since this happens quite often because many people are not aware of the exact time, contents, or benefits of this special menu.
This guide provides all information about this subject before you come to the restaurant. The complete lunch menu, prices, working hours, and some secret tips about the best dishes to eat will definitely make your experience unforgettable. For more details, read our Olive Garden menu guide.
Does Olive Garden Have a Lunch Menu?
Yes, but this is not the same as dinner. The lunches are usually served during week days only. Each item will be served with unlimited soup or salad together with breadsticks free of charge. This offers a great value of a meal during the lunch time.
There is basically a difference of portions and price when it comes to the lunch and dinners offered at Olive Garden. First, lunch items are smaller compared to those served during dinners. For instance, during the lunch service, the Chicken Parmigiana is served with one breast of chicken. This means that the customer pays about $5-$8 cheaper than the dinner meal price. The smaller portions may suit individual customers who want to save more.
Nevertheless, in the case of Olive Garden restaurants, most of them offer the same dinner menu throughout the day on weekends, hence no lunch menu. During holidays, business hours might be different; thus, it is advisable to check their website or ask beforehand.
Treat yourself after a light midday soup and salad by browsing the dessert menu.
Day | Lunch Hours |
Monday | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM |
Tuesday | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM |
Wednesday | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM |
Thursday | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM |
Friday | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM |
Saturday | Dinner menu all day (most locations) |
Sunday | Dinner menu all day (most locations) |
If you have little ones joining you during the day, they can always order from the kids menu.
Olive Garden Lunch Menu Hours and Times
The Olive Garden lunch menu hours follow a consistent weekday schedule at most locations across the United States.
The lunch menu timing at Olive Garden, which ends at 3:00 PM, should not be compromised. If, for example, you reach the restaurant at 2:55 PM and make your order two minutes past 3:00 PM, you are charged the price according to the lunch menu. But, if you arrive at the restaurant past 3:00 PM, the kitchen staff begins charging the dinner menu price, and they no longer offer any dish from the lunch menu.
It should be noted that during holiday periods, most of their restaurants treat the timing of the Olive Garden lunch menu like a weekend, except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, during which the restaurants remain closed.
Olive Garden Lunch Menu With Prices 2026
Every item below is part of the Olive Garden Lunch-Sized Favorites section, which is only available Monday through Friday before 3:00 PM. Each entrée includes unlimited soup or salad and unlimited breadsticks.
Lasagna Classico
500 cal
$15.49
Chicken Parmigiana
630 cal
$15.49
Fettuccine Alfredo (V)
650 cal
$14.49
Shrimp Scampi
460 cal
$15.49
Spaghetti
360 cal
$14.49
Eggplant Parmigiana (V)
660 cal
$14.49
Spaghetti & Meatballs
680 cal
$15.49
Cheese Ravioli
500 cal
$14.49
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
630 cal
$14.49
Soup, Salad & Breadsticks
520 cal
$13.49
Items marked (V) are vegetarian. Prices reflect the standard lunch menu and may vary slightly by location, particularly in larger cities. Calorie ranges apply when the dish can be prepared with minor variations.
The Olive Garden Alfredo menu has more Alfredo-based options if the Fettuccine Alfredo at lunch makes you want something richer on your next visit.
Olive Garden Lunch Menu Specials
The olive garden lunch menu specials are what separate a decent lunch from a genuinely good deal. Here’s what’s currently running and what to know about each one.
Soup, Salad & Breadsticks Combo
At $13.49, this is the lowest-priced item on the olive garden lunch menu and it’s also the most flexible. You get unlimited refills on everything, including the soup, and you can switch soup flavors between refills. Most people don’t realize that part. You’re not locked into the first bowl you choose.
The four soup options are Chicken & Gnocchi, Zuppa Toscana, Pasta e Fagioli, and Minestrone. All four are made fresh daily. If you’re going through a busy week and want something light but satisfying, this combo gets food on your table quickly and keeps refills going without touching your budget.
Buy One, Take One
This one comes and goes. When Olive Garden runs its Buy One, Take One promotion, typically in spring, you can add a full take-home entrée when you purchase any qualifying lunch item. Take-home options usually include Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. It’s not a permanent deal, but it’s worth checking when you visit since it adds serious value to an already affordable lunch.
eClub Membership
Olive Garden’s eClub is free to join and it gets you a free dessert on your birthday along with occasional promotions tied to lunch and dinner. If you eat at Olive Garden more than twice a year, it makes sense to sign up. Promotional lunch deals get sent by email to members when they’re available. Browse Olive Garden desserts menu to see what that birthday reward could look like.
Olive Garden Weekday Lunch Menu vs. Dinner
The people looking for information on the Olive Garden weekday lunch menu want to find out whether their visit will be worthwhile, as far as dining on their food. And the answer is that yes, it is, but only on weekdays and no later than 3:00 p.m.
Firstly, there will be one portion of protein, while dinner time is when you can choose from two. Secondly, everything else remains the same – pasta base, sauce and quality of the meal. All of that varies depending on the amount of food and its price. As much as $5-$8 can be saved per meal, and that really works wonders when it comes to inviting a colleague or having lunch alone and not spending a fortune.
The Lighter Portions menu was launched by Olive Garden in 2026, with this being offered during lunch and dinner times. Their calorie content never exceeds 600 calories per most dishes. Moreover, the Lighter Portions menu provides an opportunity to choose among reduced-calorie options instead of trying to guess the number of calories in the regular dishes.
One more thing worth noting: the Olive Garden family menu runs on dinner pricing, so if you’re coming in as a group for a family-style meal, that’s a dinner-hour decision. Lunch is better suited to one or two people on a weekday break.
Best Items to Order on the Olive Garden Lunch Menu
Not every item on the lunch menu hits the same. Here’s a straightforward breakdown of what’s worth ordering, depending on what you’re after.
Best value: Soup, Salad & Breadsticks
With an unlimited refills deal of only $13.49, no item on the menu can give you more quantity at a cheaper price. Moreover, speed service will be provided for this combination as there is not much cooking required apart from the soup itself.
Best pasta: Fettuccine Alfredo
The Olive Garden alfredo menu exists because this dish carries serious loyalty. At lunch, the Fettuccine Alfredo comes in at $14.49 and 650 calories. It’s rich, filling, and consistent across locations. If you’ve never had it, start here.
Lightest option: Shrimp Scampi
The Shrimp Scampi has a caloric content of 460, which makes it the protein with the least number of calories among all the lunch meals. It comes with bottomless soup and salad, hence no risk of feeling overstuffed. Perfectly suited for those with lunch plans.
Best comfort dish: Lasagna Classico
Lasagna Classico costs $15.49 and has 500 calories. Lasagna is surely not a dish to get things wrong about because it is made from alternating layers of meat sauce, cheese, and sufficient fillings to satisfy your lunch appetite. So predictable – but being predictable isn’t bad either.
For vegetarians: Eggplant Parmigiana or Cheese Ravioli
Vegetarian dishes include Eggplant Parmigiana (660 calories) or Cheese Ravioli ($2.75 cheaper). Both dishes are labeled as (V) vegetarian dishes and they are both below $15. Both can make a great vegetarian dish to order without compromising too much on taste.
If you have children with you on weekdays, they have a separate menu designed for them which is not included in the main lunch menu. If you would like to accompany your order with any drinks, there’s the olive garden drink menu which features various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to complement your meal. Don’t forget to grab a midday pick-me-up from the drink menu.
How to Order the Olive Garden Lunch Menu
Keep this simple:
- Arrive before 3:00 PM on a weekday or order ahead through the app for takeout
- Tell your server about any dietary restrictions before ordering; gluten-sensitive options are available
- Pick your soup when you order your entrée, not after it arrives
- Ask for refills before your bowl gets fully empty, service moves faster that way
- For to-go orders, you get two breadsticks per entrée included
- If the Buy One, Take One is running, confirm it with your server before ordering
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Olive Garden lunch menu available?
The Olive Garden lunch menu operates daily from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays only. After 3:00 PM, the dinner menu price list starts operating regardless of whether you started eating during lunch hours.
Does the Olive Garden restaurant serve lunch on Saturdays and Sundays?
Not many locations do, and the full dinner menu is served on both days. As such, the lunch menu price list cannot be accessed at these times.
What do all lunch meals include?
Every meal on the Olive Garden lunch menu includes unlimited soup or salad and unlimited breadsticks, which are complimentary with each meal.
How expensive is the Olive Garden lunch menu?
It costs between $13.49 for the Soup, Salad & Breadsticks Combo and $15.49 for entrees such as Lasagna Classico, Chicken Parmigiana, and Shrimp Scampi.
Can the olive garden lunch menu be ordered as takeaway?
Yes. You can order using the Olive Garden app or website, and breadsticks are complimentary in your order, two per entrée.
Is there a vegetarian dish on the lunch menu?
Yes. Fettuccine Alfredo, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Cheese Ravioli are all vegetarian. They are marked with (V) on the menu.
