Soup and breadsticks have certainly become the hallmark of Italianate chain restaurant Olive Garden since its first location opened in 1982, bringing quick, affordable Italian meals to communities that may not have had a similar restaurant to start with.
There’s just one catch—to gain access to unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks, customers have to order an entree to take advantage of the advertised special.
This was news to a pair who recently dined at their local Olive Garden, where they attempted to only order soup, salad, and breadsticks, but were unfortunately met with disappointment when their server informed them that they could not order the special without satisfying the key requirement of picking a main plate.
Posted to TikTok by family content creators known as the Rains family (@chasenlake on TikTok) the video shows a table full of soup, salad, and breadsticks with a text overlay that reads: “Olive Garden server: We can’t bring u salad & breadsticks until u order an entree.”
The five-second video is also captioned simply with one word: RUDE.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @chasenlake via email and comment on the video, as well as to Olive Garden via email regarding the video.
It is unclear whether the creator intended to take advantage of the unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks offer from the restaurant, or whether they are simply attempting to order single servings of breadsticks, soup, and salad, which are available on the menu separately for about $11.50.
It is also worth noting that generally, a bread basket is provided to customers as a complimentary item when they are seated at their table and will have about one breadstick per person.
Viewers weigh in
Some viewers, implying or outright stating that they have worked for the restaurant chain, commented on the video that their limited experience has always reflected the poster’s experience: Breadsticks and salad always come with an entree, unless ordered otherwise.
“Salad and bread come WITH an entrée when ordered,” one commenter wrote. “Not free salad and bread first so you can fill up on it. Then decide you’re not hungry.”
“My boss told me I’m only allowed to give one basket for the dipping sauce anything more has to be bought in the packs we sell them in under the Togo file,” another wrote.
“Listen I’ve been going to og since I was able to walk and they never great a table with salad or breadsticks lmao,” another echoed. “For one they don’t know if the table is gonna order a salad or soup so why would.”
The original poster responded to some of these commenters, letting them know that her experience prior to this visit had been very different, and she had come to expect to be provided with breadsticks and a salad or soup on arrival.
“This was the first time they didn’t,” the poster responded to one such commenter.
However, some viewers wrote that they were more of the mind that expecting something for free from a business was the wrong mindset to have.
“Yeah I don’t see a problem with that policy,” one commenter wrote. “why are you expecting something for free?” The creator then replied, “Who said I said it was free??”
“I totally agree with Olive Garden!” a commenter wrote. “No freeloading. They usually don’t tip either!”
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