Olive Garden’s most popular lunch deal gives you unlimited soup, unlimited salad, and unlimited breadsticks for one flat price. You can mix and match — try a different soup with each refill, and your server will keep the breadsticks and salad coming for as long as you’re seated. There’s no time limit and no cap on refills.
This deal has been a cornerstone of Olive Garden’s lunch menu for decades and is single-handedly responsible for bringing millions of diners through the doors during weekday afternoons. It’s consistently rated as one of the best values in all of casual dining, and for good reason — where else can you eat unlimited food at a sit-down restaurant for under $12?
The unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch combo is $11.99 as of February 2026. This price has increased gradually over the years (it was $6.99 a decade ago), but even at $11.99 it remains one of the best lunch deals at any chain restaurant in America. When you factor in that everything is truly unlimited with no restrictions, the value is hard to beat.
For context, a single bowl of soup ordered à la carte is $8.79, and the house salad alone is $8.29. So if you eat just one bowl of soup and one salad with the combo, you’re already getting more food than if you ordered each separately at nearly double the price.
The deal is typically available Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM. Some Olive Garden locations may offer it on weekends or extend the hours — it’s worth calling your nearest restaurant to check. Arrive before noon for the best experience, as the lunch rush between 12 PM and 1 PM can mean longer waits for refills.
A key tip: even if you arrive at 2:45 PM and sit down before 3 PM, you’ll typically still be served the unlimited combo. The cutoff applies to when you’re seated, not when you finish eating.
Olive Garden typically offers four rotating soups, and you can try a different one with each refill during your unlimited lunch:
The runaway fan favorite. A creamy broth loaded with spicy Italian sausage, sliced russet potatoes, and fresh kale. The spice from the sausage balanced with the creamy broth creates a flavor that’s addictively good. If you only try one soup, make it this one. It’s the most requested soup and is rarely out of stock at any location.
The second most popular option. Roasted chicken and soft Italian potato dumplings (gnocchi) in a thick, creamy broth with fresh spinach. It’s heartier than the Zuppa Toscana and feels more like a full meal in soup form. The gnocchi are pillowy and melt-in-your-mouth tender. This is the best soup for cold weather visits.
A traditional Italian bean and pasta soup with ground beef, white and red beans, ditalini pasta, tomatoes, and herbs. It’s the most filling option per calorie and has a tomato-based broth rather than cream. If you’re looking for protein and fiber, this is your best bet. The flavor is rustic and homestyle — like something an Italian grandmother would make.
Classic Italian vegetable soup and the lightest option by a wide margin at just 120 calories. Made with a variety of vegetables in a tomato-based broth. It’s the best choice for calorie-conscious diners or anyone looking for a lighter start to their meal. It’s also the most vegan-friendly soup on the menu.
Not every soup is available every day at every location. Zuppa Toscana and Chicken & Gnocchi tend to be the most consistently available. If you have a strong preference, call ahead to confirm.
Olive Garden’s house salad is a simple but addictive mix of fresh iceberg and romaine lettuce, ripe tomatoes, red onion rings, black olives, pepperoncini peppers, and seasoned croutons, tossed in their signature Italian dressing. The dressing is genuinely the star — it’s a proprietary blend that’s tangy, slightly sweet, and herb-forward. You can buy bottles of it at most grocery stores (look for the Olive Garden brand), but the restaurant version always tastes a little better because it’s freshly tossed.
Olive Garden serves approximately 700 million breadsticks per year across all their locations. They’re baked fresh throughout the day and brushed with a garlic butter mixture that gives them their signature soft interior and slightly crispy exterior. Each breadstick is about 140 calories.
A few things to know about the breadsticks:
The $11.99 soup, salad, and breadsticks combo is the cheapest lunch option at Olive Garden, but it’s not the only one. The Lunch Duo ($13.99-$15.99) lets you pair a half-size entree with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks — a good option if you want something more substantial. The lunch-size Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and lunch-size Lasagna Classico are popular Lunch Duo picks.
This deal is available at all 900+ Olive Garden locations. Use our location finder tool to find the nearest Olive Garden restaurant and view it on the map. For the full menu with all prices, see our complete 2026 price guide.