Is the Olive Garden 2 for $25 deal still available in 2026?

The 2 for $25 deal is periodically available at participating Olive Garden locations in 2026. It is not always running year-round. Always confirm with your local restaurant before visiting.

What entrees are included in the Olive Garden 2 for $25 deal?

Eligible entrees typically include Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Lasagna Classico, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Alfredo, Seafood Alfredo, Shrimp Scampi, and Smoked Mozzarella Chicken.

Does the Olive Garden 2 for $25 deal include drinks?

No. Beverages including soft drinks, iced tea, wine, and cocktails are charged separately. Budget an additional $4-$12 per person for drinks.

Can I use the 2 for $25 deal for takeout or delivery?

Some locations allow takeout with the 2 for $25 bundle, but unlimited soup, salad, and breadstick refills typically only apply for dine-in. Check with your specific location before ordering.

How much should I tip on the Olive Garden 2 for $25 deal?

Tip based on the full value of the meal (approximately $55-$75), not the $25 promotional price. A standard 18-20% tip works out to roughly $10-$15.

Is the 2 for $25 the same as the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl?

No. The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl offers unlimited pasta for one person at approximately $13.99. The 2 for $25 is a set three-course meal for two people at a fixed $25 price.

Never-Ending Pasta Bowl 2026: Price, Dates & Menu

What Is the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl?

Olive Garden’s most famous promotion is back. The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl runs nationwide from August 31 through November 22, 2026, and it’s available right now at participating locations for dine-in only.

If you’re wondering whether the deal is actually worth it this year — or how the new Spicy Alfredo sauce and Crispy Shrimp Fritta stack up — here’s everything you need to know, with prices verified from official Olive Garden menu materials and current promotional coverage.

Olive Garden pasta sauces: marinara, alfredo and mushroom

Never-Ending Pasta Bowl 2026: Key Details at a Glance

Detail	What We Know
Dates	August 31 – November 22, 2026
Starting price	$14.99 (varies by location)
What’s included	Unlimited pasta, sauce & topping combos, plus never-ending soup or salad and breadsticks
Where	Participating Olive Garden locations, dine-in only
Early access	eClub members got early access Aug 24–30, 2026

Sources: promotional coverage from multiple outlets (Mile High on the Cheap, Living on the Cheap, The Krazy Coupon Lady, Hip2Save), all reporting the same dates and starting price; price/participation varies by location.

How Much Does the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Cost in 2026?

The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl starts at $14.99 at most locations. That covers unlimited bowls of pasta from the promotional menu plus unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks.

A few pricing notes worth knowing before you go:

Toppings cost extra. Endless protein toppings carry an additional charge — promotional listings put it at $4.99 for endless toppings. Olive Garden’s official menu PDF lists per-topping prices from +$3.79 (meatballs or Italian sausage) to +$3.99 (Crispy Chicken Fritta), +$4.29 (grilled chicken), and +$4.99 (sautéed shrimp). Your location’s upcharge may follow either structure — ask your server.
Expect location variance. The Times Square flagship in New York charges $20.99 for the bowl plus $5.99 for unlimited protein, reflecting the premium tourist-corridor pricing (reported by Business Insider).
Drinks aren’t included, so factor in beverages when you’re budgeting the visit.

Realistically, most diners end up in the $18–$25 per person range after toppings, drinks, tax, and tip.

2 for $25 deal — if the pasta bowl isn’t running when you visit, Olive Garden’s standing value deal is worth comparing.

How the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Works

The format is simple. You build your first bowl, eat it, and reorder as many times as you like during your visit:

Step 1: Pick a Pasta

Fettuccine
Spaghetti
Angel Hair
Rigatoni

Step 2: Choose a Sauce

Spicy Alfredo (NEW for 2026)
Alfredo
Traditional Marinara
Meat Sauce
Creamy Mushroom
Five Cheese Marinara

Step 3: Add a Topping (Additional Charge)

Crispy Shrimp Fritta (NEW for 2026)
Crispy Chicken Fritta
Meatballs
Italian Sausage

That works out to 120 possible combinations, and you can switch your pasta, sauce, and topping with every reorder. Every bowl comes with unlimited soup or salad and Olive Garden’s famous breadsticks.

The rules: the promotion is dine-in only — no to-go boxes, no delivery orders. Each bowl is for one person and may not be shared; reports indicate locations will charge each person sharing the pasta the full $14.99.

Learn more about unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks included with every bowl.

Spaghetti with meatballs and iced tea at Olive Garden

The $100 Never-Ending Pasta Pass: What Happened

Olive Garden brought back its legendary Never-Ending Pasta Pass for 2026 after a six-year hiatus (it was last offered in 2019). Here’s how it worked:

Price: $100 plus tax
Quantity: Only 10,000 passes available
On sale: Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET, exclusively at PastaPass.com
What it covered: 13 weeks of unlimited Never-Ending Pasta Bowl meals (pasta, sauce, protein toppings, soup or salad, and breadsticks), from August 24 through November 22, 2026
Perks: Passholders got early access starting August 24, a week before the general public

Since the pass debuted in 2014, it has historically sold out within minutes each year it was offered — and with only 10,000 passes against the 24,000 offered in 2019, the 2026 sale was expected to go fast. Whether the 2026 passes sold out, and in what timeframe, has not yet been confirmed by post-sale reporting.

Sources: Sumner County Source, Parade, Living on the Cheap, CW7 Arizona, Miles to Memories (all July 2026).

What’s New in 2026

Two additions joined the lineup this year:

Spicy Alfredo sauce — a new sauce option alongside the classic Alfredo, Traditional Marinara, Meat Sauce, Creamy Mushroom, and Five Cheese Marinara.
Crispy Shrimp Fritta topping — a new protein topping alongside Crispy Chicken Fritta, Meatballs, and Italian Sausage.

Both expand the 120-combination matrix that makes the promotion fun to work through across multiple visits.

Is the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Worth It?

For most diners, yes — with a couple of caveats:

It’s genuinely cheaper than a regular entrée. A standard Olive Garden pasta dish runs $13.99–$23.79, so the $14.99 starting price for unlimited pasta, soup or salad, and breadsticks is up to ~37% cheaper than ordering a single pasta dish (per The Krazy Coupon Lady’s comparison).
The topping upcharge is where the math changes. If you add a protein topping at ~$5, your bowl costs about the same as a regular menu entrée — but you still get unlimited refills, which a single entrée doesn’t offer.
Be realistic about refills. Most people get full after the first bowl plus breadsticks and salad. The “unlimited” part is great value if you pace yourself and actually reorder; if you only eat one bowl, you’re paying regular-menu money for a promotional portion.
Go on weekdays if you can. Weekday lunch visits tend to have shorter waits than Friday and Saturday dinner rushes.

If you’re hunting for more ways to save, check our coupons, promo codes and discounts page for current offers that can stack with your visit.

Never-Ending Pasta Bowl 2026 FAQ

When does the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl end in 2026?

The promotion runs from August 31 through November 22, 2026 at participating Olive Garden locations nationwide. After November 22, the promotional menu goes away until (presumably) next year’s run.

How much is the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl in 2026?

It starts at $14.99 at most locations, with price and participation varying by location. Endless protein toppings cost extra (listed at $4.99 in promotional materials; Olive Garden’s official menu PDF shows per-topping prices from +$3.79 to +$4.99). The Times Square flagship charges $20.99 plus $5.99 for unlimited protein.

Is the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl unlimited?

Yes — you can reorder new pasta, sauce, and topping combinations as many times as you like during your dine-in visit, along with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks. The promotion is for one person per bowl and sharing isn’t allowed.

Can you get the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl to go?

No. The promotion is dine-in only and is not valid for online orders, to-go orders, or delivery.

What is the Never-Ending Pasta Pass?

The Pasta Pass was a $100 (plus tax) VIP card that gave holders 13 weeks of unlimited Never-Ending Pasta Bowl meals from August 24 through November 22, 2026. Only 10,000 passes were sold, exclusively at PastaPass.com starting July 16, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET. It was the first Pasta Pass offered since 2019.

What are the new menu items for 2026?

Spicy Alfredo sauce and Crispy Shrimp Fritta (a protein topping) are the two new additions to the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl lineup for 2026.

Prices verified September 30, 2026, from official Olive Garden menu PDFs (media.olivegarden.com) and current promotional coverage. Prices and participation vary by location — confirm with your local restaurant before visiting.

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Maria Conti

Maria Conti is a food writer and casual dining enthusiast who tracks restaurant deals, menu changes, prices and value offers across the U.S. She covers Italian-American restaurant chains for readers who want clear, up-to-date menu information and practical comparisons.