Before you go to Olive Garden for nothing but endless breadsticks and soup, you should know: There’s an extensive menu to explore. It’d been years since I last visited (I was a middle schooler trying to be a vegetarian and my parents ordered the fried beef ravioli—devastating), so when I heard about four new dishes joining the ranks, I figured it was a good time to return. I went to the Bala Cynwyd, P.A. location to find out which items were worth the spend (after demolishing an order of shrimp fritto misto, obvi). Read on for my honest review.
4 New Olive Garden Menu Items, Ranked by a Cheese-Loving Food Editor
So. Much. Pasta.
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Published Jan 13, 2025
Taryn Pire
- What It Is: grilled chicken breast stuffed with Italian cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with creamy marsala mushroom sauce and served with mashed potatoes
- Price: $20
This fan favorite just made a permanent comeback. It was comforting, filling and rustic, but I found the cheesy filling a bit too salty. The cremini mushrooms were ever so slightly rubbery but had nice snap. The chicken was super moist for a breast, but something about its texture was off-putting to me (it was almost too juicy and tender; it reminded me of frozen, mechanically tenderized chicken strips). That said, I loved the rich, savory, silky sauce that was like gravy in texture. The mashed potatoes were also fluffy, light and a tasty reprieve from the rest of the more intense components of the dish.
- What It Is: four-cheese manicotti, topped with a hearty meat sauce of chopped meatballs, Italian sausage and pepperoni and melted mozzarella
- Price: $16
An all-new item available through February 16, this meaty manicotti was peak cozy. The meatball was tender and well-seasoned. The sausage was deeply fennel-y, but I wouldn’t have minded if it was crumbled instead of sliced to make it more distinguishable from the meatball. The pepperoni felt unconventional, but I liked it for a touch of heat. However, the sauce seemed waterier than that on the meatless manicotti.
- What It Is: manicotti pasta filled with a blend of Italian cheeses, topped with homemade marinara and melted mozzarella
- Price: $13
Also on the menu through February 16, the four-cheese manicotti was my preferred of the two. The filling was super fluffy and mild, creamy from ricotta yet stable and not runny due to unnamed melting cheeses in the mix. The salty mozzarella on top was a great foil for the sweet, modestly herbaceous sauce. The ratio between sauce, pasta and cheese was flawless, and I went gaga for the crispy edges of the noodles.
- What It Is: grilled sirloin tips over fettuccine Alfredo, tossed with gorgonzola blue cheese and spinach and topped with sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic
- Price: $21
If you like funky cheeses, acidic ingredients or creamy pastas, this permanently revived fan-favorite will be right up your alley. The pasta was al dente and slicked in a very buttery (yet not excessively decadent) Alfredo sauce. But the gorgonzola and sun-dried tomatoes were the true stars, even against the impressively tender, well-seared steak. When eaten alone, they were super punchy and tart. But once mixed into the pasta, they imparted a complex earthiness to every bite that I adored.
