Is Olive Garden's Italian Dressing Gluten-Free?

Eating gluten-free at a restaurant can be a challenge, and at an establishment like Olive Garden, which places such a strong focus on pasta and other grain-heavy dishes, finding gluten-free options can be doubly difficult. Thankfully, many major chains offer gluten-free options to accommodate common dietary restrictions, and Olive Garden is no exception.

Naturally, you might reach for the salad at a place like Olive Garden as a safe alternative to pasta and breaded dishes like toasted ravioli or calamari. Is Olive Garden's classic salad truly gluten-free, though? The short answer is yes — as long as you remove the croutons, according to Olive Garden. 

The longer answer is a bit more complicated. The chain's Italian dressing has no gluten in its ingredients list; however, depending on how sensitive you are, be aware that the dressing is processed in a facility that does handle other products with gluten. Olive Garden further notes on its nutritional page that many of its glutenless offerings are described as "gluten-sensitive" rather than gluten-free; this is because, while the food itself is free of ingredients that contain gluten, the chain hasn't gone through the proper scientific analysis to ensure their foods meet FDA gluten-free standards. Keep this in mind if your allergy or intolerance is particularly strong.

Though Olive Garden's salad dressing may be safe, dining at the Italian chain with this dietary restriction doesn't mean that greens are all you can chow down on. There's a gluten-sensitive menu with plenty of options for those who need special accommodations. If you're still craving carbs, Olive Garden does offer a pasta option that won't trigger allergies or sensitivities: A gluten-free rotini. This pasta does meet the FDA standards for the term, rather than just gluten-sensitive. This comes with either marinara or meat sauce on top and can even be ordered in kids' sizes.

Looking for something a little heftier? Three meat entree options also fit the gluten-sensitive bill: The herb-grilled salmon, the 6-ounce sirloin, and the grilled chicken parmigiana. Don't forget the soup: The chain's popular Zuppa Toscana has no gluten in its ingredient list, so you can still partake of that soup and salad — just hold the breadsticks.

Olive Garden doesn't just stop at offering a special menu to their gluten-sensitive diners. They also take measures to ensure that things are safe behind the scenes so cross-contamination doesn't occur. If you order a plate of Olive Garden's gluten-free pasta, for example, the chain reassures guests on its nutrition page that it cooks and prepares these dishes separately to keep any gluten from the classic pasta dishes.

The chain doesn't, however, have a separate fryer for cooking dishes with allergens in them; this is important to note, not just for those with gluten intolerances but also for those with dairy, shellfish, or any other common food allergies. Be sure to notify your waitstaff when dining at Olive Garden and let them know of any allergies ahead of time so they can properly accommodate — and steer you towards the right menu choices if necessary.