Are Olive Garden Breadsticks Vegan

Looking for vegetarian
and vegan options?

Olive Garden is proud to offer a broad menu of vegetarian and vegan friendly meal options. Our chefs have carefully considered how we can please every appetite, including the most careful and food-conscious diners out there. From appetizer through dessert, every course offers a variety of choices for guests seeking a vegan or vegetarian restaurant.

We're committed to transparency around the options we offer, so guests have easy access to the nutritional and dietary information they need to make the right dining choices for themselves and their family. For more information about our vegetarian and vegan offerings, read on.

Below we answer the following questions...

Will Olive Garden's vegetarian and vegan friendly meals genuinely satisfy my appetite as well as my dietary needs?

What kinds of vegetarian and vegan friendly dishes can I expect?

What if I want something else?

Will my meals include "hidden" meat or dairy-based products?

Does Olive Garden define vegan and vegetarian the way I do?

Will Olive Garden's vegetarian and vegan friendly meals
genuinely satisfy my appetite as well as my dietary needs?

Vegetarian Pasta at Olive Garden

"Oh, I can find something to eat," you tell your meat-eating friends and family members with a sinking sensation, all too aware that "vegetarian friendly" usually means lettuce.

Thankfully, at Olive Garden, delicious meets conscientious. We offer hearty, hand-made, satisfying – and vegetarian or vegan! – dishes filled with the same bold, fresh flavors as our regular menu. At Olive Garden, you won't be forced to choose between a meal that fits your vegetarian/vegan lifestyle and one that's filling and substantial. Even our world-famous unlimited breadsticks and salad can be ordered to suit vegan and vegetarian diets.

What kinds of vegetarian and vegan
friendly dishes can I expect?

Breadsticks and salad are just the beginning. For example, you might want to try one of our vegetarian classic recipes, like Olive Garden's eggplant parmigiana: fresh and filling eggplant fried until its parmesan cheese breading is crispy and bubbling, served with your favorite house-made marinara or other sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella. Or order your pasta your way with our Cucina Mia menu, where you can select both your preferred pasta (vegan) with your favorite vegetarian or vegan sauce, which might include our savory, flavorful marinara sauce (vegan) or our rich and creamy alfredo sauce (vegetarian). For a full and up-to-date menu of our many vegetarian and vegan dishes, see this chart.

Olive Garden breadsticks are 100% vegan

What if I want something else?

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

You are in control of your meal; simply help us to personalize your experience. Most menu items can be modified upon request; just ask your server! For example, you can order almost any dish off the menu and simply request the meat and/or dairy portion be withheld or substituted with fresh vegetables or extra pasta. This is a great way to experience specials and promotional items that make your mouth water but typically come prepared with meat or dairy. In fact, you and your taste-buds might be pleasantly surprised by many of the changes that are possible.

Modifications may depend on the availability of fresh and sometimes seasonal ingredients, but given the right ingredients and resources, our chefs will work hard to satisfy your request.

Does Olive Garden define vegan and vegetarian the way I do?

Vegan Pasta at Olive Garden

We define vegetarian as not including meat, stock or gelatin from an animal. Vegan is defined as not including animal meat, stock, or gelatin from an animal, nor any animal by-products of any kind, including honey. Our regularly updated chart of vegetarian and vegan menu suggestions will note if the item contains egg, dairy or cheese. If a dish or item is not on this list, you can assume that it is not vegetarian or vegan. Ask your server for suggestions how to make other dishes vegetarian- or vegan-friendly.

But don't take our word on it, see what our guests are saying...