The Olive Garden Hack You Need For A Way Cheaper Lunch

When you're looking for an inexpensive lunch option, Olive Garden has quite a few filling options on its lunch specials menu. If the soup, salad, and those warm, garlic buttery breadsticks are what you crave when dining at the restaurant, you can order unlimited quantities of all three for $9 during your lunchtime visit.

However, there may be a way to order that exact meal for even less. One Reddit user noted that a smaller side order of soup also comes with the salad and breadsticks, but the whole meal will only cost you $5.49 — a few dollars less than the lunch special option. 

Of course, prices could fluctuate depending on the location, and this pricing is only for dine-in customers. But if you're only planning on having a bowl or two of soup along with your sides, it may be worth it to opt for the slightly cheaper option.

The Reddit user wrote that the cheaper price tag allowed them to pay around $8 including a tip for the wait staff, which still left them spending less than they would have for the lunch special. Plenty of commenters were excited at the prospect of saving a few dollars while still enjoying a full meal.

Still, not everyone was happy about the idea. Another user warned that servers may not be happy with a smaller tip. While the money may be an appropriate percentage of the bill, it could wind up being disproportionate to the amount of work they do.

In fact, some servers have spoken out about their dislike of Olive Garden's "unlimited" menu items, as they often wind up working harder for less money. Even if your total bill ends up costing a bit less, make sure to compensate your server appropriately.

If you take advantage of this hack for a cheaper lunch, there are a few different soups you can indulge in. The chicken and gnocchi soup combines roasted chicken, Italian dumplings, and spinach in a creamy broth. The Zuppa Toscana also has a creamy broth but uses spicy Italian sausage, kale, and potatoes for its components.

Pasta e fagioli packs in the protein with red and white beans, as well as ground beef. Pasta and tomatoes are also added into the broth. If you're craving something plant-based, the vegan minestrone soup mixes vegetables, beans, and pasta in a tomato broth. And, of course, every soup is paired with the restaurant's freshly made in-house salad and warm breadsticks.

If you want something a little heartier, the Italian restaurant chain offers lunch specials for a few different pasta dishes, including spaghetti, fettuccine Alfredo, cheese ravioli, and more for around $10. For extra protein, you can order chicken parmigiana, shrimp scampi, or spaghetti and meatballs for a dollar more.