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.

Olive Garden Lunch Menu 2026 | Prices, Hours & Specials

If you’ve ever pulled up to Olive Garden around noon on a weekday, you already know the lunch menu is a different animal from the dinner one. Smaller portions, lower prices, and a soup-salad-breadsticks deal that regulars plan their whole week around.

This guide breaks down the complete Olive Garden lunch menu with prices, tells you exactly when lunch hours start and end, and answers the questions people ask most like whether the famous $5.99 lunch deal from years past is still around, and what the cheapest option on the menu actually is.

Everything here reflects current 2026 pricing, so you’ll know what to expect before you sit down or place a takeout order.

What Time Does Olive Garden Serve Lunch?

Olive Garden’s lunch menu and lunch specials are typically available Monday through Friday, from 11:00 AM to 2:30 or 3:00 PM, depending on the location. Outside that window, the restaurant switches over to the standard dinner menu with full-size portions and dinner pricing.

A quick note on weekends: most locations do not run a separate lunch menu on Saturday and Sunday. Instead, the regular entrée menu is available all day, so weekend diners won’t find the lunch-sized portions or the discounted weekday special. If a lunch deal matters to your visit, weekdays are the way to go.

Because hours can vary slightly by location especially in malls, airports, or tourist-heavy areas it’s always worth a quick call to your local restaurant, or checking the Olive Garden happy hour times and menu page if you’re planning an early dinner instead.

Olive Garden Lunch Menu With Prices (2026)

Here’s the current lunch-sized favorites. These are smaller portions of Olive Garden’s most popular entrées, priced noticeably lower than their dinner-menu counterparts, and served with a choice of soup or salad plus breadsticks.

Lunch-Sized Favorite	Price	Calories
Lasagna Classico	$11.49	500 cal
Chicken Parmigiana	$11.49	630 cal
Spaghetti & Meatballs	$11.49	680 cal
Shrimp Scampi	$11.49	460 cal
Fettuccine Alfredo (V)	$10.49	650 cal
Spaghetti	$10.49	360 cal
Eggplant Parmigiana (V)	$10.49	660 cal
Cheese Ravioli	$10.49	450 cal
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno	$10.49	630 cal
Soup, Salad and Breadsticks	$9.49	~400 cal

Most lunch entrées land between $10.49 and $11.49, which is roughly $5 to $7 cheaper than the same dish at dinner.

If you’re comparing the Olive Garden classic entrées menu, you’ll notice the lunch versions are essentially the same recipes in a right-sized portion — a good option if you don’t need or want to pay for the full dinner plate.

Olive Garden Lunch Menu vs. Dinner Menu

The biggest differences between lunch and dinner at Olive Garden come down to three things: portion size, price, and availability window. Lunch portions run 300–700 calories smaller than their dinner equivalents, prices drop by several dollars per plate, and the whole menu disappears once the afternoon cutoff hits.

Dinner brings back full-size entrées, premium seafood options like Shrimp Carbonara and Herb-Grilled Salmon, and higher price points in the $17–$23 range.

If you’re feeding a group and want the bigger portions without the full dinner-plate calorie count, it’s worth browsing the Olive Garden family style meals page, since bundles there are built for sharing rather than individual servings.

Olive Garden Lunch Specials: The Soup, Salad & Breadsticks Deal

This is the deal most people are actually searching for. Olive Garden’s unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks combo is one of the best-known value offers in casual dining, and it comes in two versions:

Weekday Lunch Special: $9.49, available Monday through Friday, 11 AM–2:30 PM. Includes your choice of soup, the house salad, and warm breadsticks with refills on all three.
Regular Soup, Salad & Breadsticks: $11.99, available any time of day, including weekends and evenings.

Both versions are unlimited, meaning your server will keep the bowl, the salad, and the breadstick basket coming as long as you’re at the table. It’s consistently one of the most searched Olive Garden deals online, and for good reason it’s hard to beat for the price.

For the full rundown of available soups and toppings, the Olive Garden soups and salad menu page covers every combination with current pricing.

Is the Old $5.99 Lunch Deal Still Around?

Not anymore. Olive Garden’s lunch specials have crept up gradually over the past several years along with general restaurant pricing, and the current weekday soup, salad, and breadsticks special sits at $9.49. It’s still one of the more affordable sit-down lunch options out there, just not at the old price point some longtime fans remember.

Cheapest Lunch Options at Olive Garden

If budget is the priority, here’s how the lunch menu ranks from most to least affordable:

Soup, Salad & Breadsticks (weekday special): $9.49, unlimited refills
Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti, Eggplant Parmigiana, Cheese Ravioli, or Five Cheese Ziti al Forno: $10.49 each
Lasagna Classico, Chicken Parmigiana, Shrimp Scampi, or Spaghetti & Meatballs: $11.49 each

For solo diners, the $9.49 unlimited combo is genuinely the best value on the menu it’s filling, comes with free refills, and works for vegetarians since the salad and most soups (Minestrone, in particular) are meat-free.

Nutrition & Dietary Options for Lunch

Lunch-sized portions run lighter than dinner across the board, with most entrées falling between 360 and 680 calories a meaningful difference if you’re tracking intake.

The lightest options are the plain Spaghetti 360 cal and Cheese Ravioli 450 cal, while Chicken Parmigiana and Spaghetti & Meatballs sit at the higher end near 630–680 calories.

Vegetarian diners have several solid picks at lunch, including Fettuccine Alfredo, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Five Cheese Ziti al Forno, all marked (V) on the menu.
Gluten-sensitive diners won’t find a dedicated lunch-portion gluten-free menu, but Olive Garden’s broader gluten-sensitive lineup including rotini pasta with marinara or meat sauce, and proteins like grilled chicken or salmon is available throughout the day. The Olive Garden gluten sensitive menu page has the full list with prices and calorie counts if you need to plan ahead.

Can You Order Olive Garden Lunch for Takeout?

Yes. Lunch-sized entrées and the soup, salad, and breadsticks special are both available for takeout and, in most markets, delivery through Olive Garden’s website, app, or third-party delivery services.

Keep in mind that the unlimited refill aspect of the soup, salad, and breadsticks deal only applies to dine-in orders a to-go order gets you one portion of each rather than bottomless refills.

Olive Garden Lunch Hours by Day

Day	Lunch Menu Available	Standard Restaurant Hours
Monday	11:00 AM – 2:30/3:00 PM	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Tuesday	11:00 AM – 2:30/3:00 PM	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Wednesday	11:00 AM – 2:30/3:00 PM	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Thursday	11:00 AM – 2:30/3:00 PM	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday	11:00 AM – 2:30/3:00 PM	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday	Not typically offered	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday	Not typically offered	11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Hours can shift around major holidays Olive Garden is generally closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, with shortened hours the day before each. If you want to stack a lunch visit with a deal, it’s worth checking the Olive Garden coupons and promo codes page before you go, since eClub members often get access to seasonal offers that pair well with the weekday lunch special.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Olive Garden still have the $5 lunch special?

No. The weekday soup, salad, and breadsticks special is currently priced at $9.49, up from older price points closer to $5–6. It’s still one of the better lunch values in casual dining, just not at that historical price.

What time does Olive Garden stop serving lunch?

Most locations stop serving the lunch menu between 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM on weekdays. After that cutoff, the full dinner menu takes over for the rest of the day.

Is the Olive Garden lunch menu available on weekends?

Generally, no. The discounted lunch-sized entrées and weekday special are a Monday–Friday offer at most locations. On Saturday and Sunday, the standard all-day menu applies instead.

What is the cheapest lunch at Olive Garden?

The weekday Soup, Salad & Breadsticks special at $9.49 is the cheapest option, with unlimited refills on all three items. Among the entrées, Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti, Eggplant Parmigiana, Cheese Ravioli, and Five Cheese Ziti al Forno are tied as the most affordable at $10.49 each.

Does Olive Garden have a lunch menu with soup and salad?

Yes. Every lunch entrée comes with a choice of soup or salad, and the soup, salad, and breadsticks combo can also be ordered on its own as a standalone meal for $9.49 on weekdays or $11.99 any other time.

What comes with Olive Garden’s lunch entrées?

Lunch-sized entrées come with your choice of house salad or a cup of soup, plus warm breadsticks the same combo that headlines the standalone special, just paired with a smaller entrée portion.

Final Thoughts

Olive Garden’s lunch menu remains one of the better deals in casual sit-down dining for 2026 smaller portions at meaningfully lower prices, an unlimited soup and salad option under $10, and enough variety to satisfy both a quick solo lunch and a weekday team outing.

If you’re weighing dinner instead, or want to see how the smaller lunch portions compare to full entrée sizes, the Olive Garden classic entrées menu has the complete side-by-side pricing. Either way, showing up between 11 AM and 2:30 PM on a weekday is the move if the lunch pricing is what you’re after.

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Maria Conti

Maria Conti is a food writer and casual dining enthusiast who has spent over a decade tracking restaurant deals, menu changes, and value offers across the U.S. She has dined at Olive Garden locations in more than a dozen states and covers Italian-American restaurant chains for readers who want accurate, up-to-date menu information without the guesswork. Maria believes great food shouldn't require a big budget and the Olive Garden 2 for $25 deal is proof of that.