Breadsticks

Olive Garden's famous breadsticks are baked fresh throughout the day and brushed with a garlic butter spread. Soft, warm, and lightly seasoned, they are the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Unlimited with all dine-in entrees.

The breadsticks are the reason a lot of people pick Olive Garden over another Italian chain, and they are genuinely the thing the kitchen is most consistent at. They arrive hot, brushed with garlic butter and salt, soft through the middle with just enough resistance at the crust. When they are right they are noticeably better than the bread most casual chains put on the table.

The important detail is the unlimited policy: when you dine in, breadsticks keep coming as long as you are eating, and they come with entrees and with the Soup, Salad and Breadsticks deal. That policy does not extend to takeout or delivery, where you pay per quantity.

The one thing worth managing is timing. Breadsticks that have been sitting go noticeably stiff and the garlic butter congeals. Asking your server for a fresh batch rather than working through a cooling basket makes a real difference, and staff expect the request.

What does Breadsticks taste like?

Soft and slightly sweet through the crumb, with a salty, garlicky butter finish on the outside. They are closer to a soft dinner roll shaped into a stick than to a crisp Italian grissini. Warm, they are pillowy. Cold, they turn dense and the salt becomes the dominant note.

Who should order Breadsticks?

Everyone at the table, realistically. They are also the practical answer for a fussy child who will not eat the rest of the menu, and for anyone stretching a budget through the Soup, Salad and Breadsticks deal.

Is Breadsticks worth $4.29?

As part of a dine-in meal they are free with an entree, which makes them the best value item in the building. Ordered as a takeaway extra you are paying for what is essentially soft bread, so the value is much more ordinary. The Soup, Salad and Breadsticks deal is where they do the heaviest lifting on price.

How to order Breadsticks at Olive Garden

• Unlimited only applies to dine-in orders alongside an entree or the Soup, Salad and Breadsticks deal.
• Takeout and delivery breadsticks are charged by quantity and arrive without the unlimited policy.
• Ask for them to arrive with your meal rather than before it if you do not want to fill up early.
• For takeaway, reheat in an oven for a few minutes rather than a microwave, which makes them chewy.

Olive Garden Breadsticks price in 2026

The Breadsticks is listed at $4.29 on the Olive Garden menu we track. That figure is a guide rather than a guarantee: most italian chains let individual franchises set their own prices, so the same dish can cost noticeably more in high-rent city centres than in smaller markets, and airport or stadium locations sit higher again. Menu boards and the official app are always the final word for your specific restaurant. We re-check the full Olive Garden menu and refresh this page when prices move.