The Absolute Best Olive Garden Appetizer On The Menu Is No Surprise

Olive Garden serves as a staple in the rotation of fast-casual dining. Are there better places to get Italian food? Sure. But when you're craving Olive Garden, nothing else hits. To us, one of the most iconic foods you can get at Olive Garden is its breadsticks, so it's probably no shocker that these tasty little garlic sticks made it to the top of our list of every Olive Garden appetizer, ranked.

These breadsticks have it all. They have the right amount of chew, a bouncy yet fluffy softness on the inside, and the perfect smooth texture to soak in olive oil and garlic salt. They're vegan, containing no dairy, no egg, and no cheese rennet. In a land of super cheesy dishes and pastas that traditionally use at least a few eggs, this is a welcome relief for any vegans (or people with food allergies) that might be meeting their friends out for a nice lunch or dinner. The fact that they're brought out to the table hot makes them all the more delectable — and you can get them with dipping sauces as an appetizer. You'll get the marinara, five cheese marinara, Alfredo, and meat sauces, so you can really customize each and every bite.

If you're planning on enjoying the free breadsticks, you need to know about the sneaky Olive Garden breadstick rule you probably never noticed. First, you have to order an adult entree in order to keep those breadsticks coming. Second, you don't get free breadsticks with to-go orders; you have to be dining in. So if you want to max this appetizer, plan to eat at the restaurant itself and order at least one entree to get 'em. Fortunately, with the amount of variety on the menu, that shouldn't be too tall an ask.

If you end up with more breadsticks than you can eat, don't worry: you can take any leftovers to go. These are easily reheated with a wet paper towel in the microwave, but you can also turn Olive Garden's famous breadsticks into a crunchy new treat by cutting them into cubes and baking them in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown. You'll create some delicious Olive Garden breadstick croutons, and you can use them in salads, soups, or just eat 'em by the handful like a snack. Now that's really getting some mileage out of this delicious, never-ending appetizer.