Olive Garden Specials Menu (January 2026): Lunch Duos, $6 Take Home & 2 for $25 Alternatives

Olive Garden’s January 2026 specials feature the new Lighter Portions menu with entrées starting at $13, the popular $6 Take Home deal, and weekday lunch specials beginning around $9.99. The older 2 for $25 offer is gone, but the menu now includes more flexible ways to save, from smaller-portioned classics to family-style bundles under $50. This guide covers every current Olive Garden special and shows you how to get the best value whether you’re eating alone, feeding a family, or planning a budget-friendly lunch.

Olive Garden Specials Price List (Jan 2026)

Olive Garden Lighter Portions Menu Prices

Olive Garden launched its new Lighter Portions menu nationwide in January 2026. These smaller entrées keep the same flavor as the dinner plates but cost less and work better for lunch or lighter evening meals. Prices range from $13 to $15, depending on the dish and location.

These lighter plates stretch your dollar and keep calories in check without switching to a full dinner entrée. Prices can be a little higher in metro areas.

Best Value Items on the Olive Garden Lunch-Sized Favorites Menu

Olive Garden’s Lunch-Sized Favorites give you classic entrées in smaller, lunch-ready portions for less. You can order them Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM only.

Best value picks:

• Chicken Parmigiana (Lunch Portion): You get a crispy cutlet with spaghetti on the side. It feels like the full plate for less.
• Fettuccine Alfredo (Lunch Portion): Creamy pasta in a lighter portion. Pair it with salad for a more complete meal.
• Shrimp Scampi (Lunch Portion): A lighter pasta with shrimp, asparagus, and garlic sauce.
• Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (Lunch Portion): A filling classic that’s often one of the cheapest lunch choices.

Quick Lunch Duo tip: If you want soup or salad included, look for Lunch Duos during lunch hours. They bundle an entrée with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks, which can save money versus ordering sides on their own.

Dinner entrées often cost around $19–$24, while Lunch-Sized Favorites usually run about $10.99–$12.99. You get the same flavors, just in a smaller portion and at a lower lunch price.

Olive Garden 2 for $25 Deal 2026: Is It Still Available?

The 2 for $25 deal isn’t a standard Olive Garden promotion in 2026. It’s been discontinued as an everyday offer and doesn’t appear on the current specials menu. If it returns, it usually comes back as a limited-time promo and may vary by location.

What Replaced the 2 for $25 Deal?

Olive Garden now focuses on value through other specials:

• Lunch-Sized Favorites (Mon–Fri before 3 PM) with cheaper lunch pricing
• $6 Take Home Entrée with any dine-in entrée purchase
• Never-Ending Soup, Salad & Breadsticks (Lunch) for a set weekday price
• Buy One, Take One (Seasonal) when available

Best Option for Couples

If you want a “dinner for two” feel, Buy One, Take One offers the closest value since you get food for now and later. For the lowest cost overall, weekday lunch specials usually beat dinner prices.

Olive Garden Lunch Specials Prices Monday-Friday

Olive Garden serves lunch specials Monday through Friday before 3 PM. Lunch pricing is cheaper than dinner and gives you options based on appetite and budget.

Weekday Lunch Specials Price

How the Lunch Deals Compare

• Soup + Salad is the cheapest and fastest option.
• Lunch Favorites give you entrée portions at a lower lunch price.
• Lunch Duos give the most food since they bundle an entrée with unlimited soup or salad.

Soup Options at Lunch

• Zuppa Toscana
• Pasta e Fagioli
• Minestrone
• Chicken & Gnocchi

All soups pair well with the warm garlic breadsticks that keep coming during lunch.

Olive Garden $6 Take Home Entrée Deal

Olive Garden’s $6 Take Home deal lets you add a chilled pasta entrée for $6 when you buy any regular-priced adult entrée. The Take Home meal is packed cold and meant to be reheated later, which makes it great for leftovers or next-day lunch.

How it works:

• Buy a dine-in entrée at full price
• Add a $6 Take Home pasta
• Take Home entrées come chilled only
• No soup, salad, or breadsticks are included
• No substitutions on Take Home items
• Reheat at home in a few minutes

The deal increased from $5 to $6 in 2026, but it still offers strong value if you like getting a second meal without cooking.

Popular $6 Take Home Entrées

If you’re looking to stretch your budget, the $6 Take Home deal is one of the easiest ways to turn one Olive Garden visit into two meals.

Olive Garden Family Bundle Prices (Serves 4–6 People)

Olive Garden’s Family-Style Lasagna Bundle feeds 4–6 people and costs about $64 in 2026. It’s a smart way to order for a group without buying separate dinner plates. A single entrée now averages $18–$22, so the bundle brings the cost down to roughly $11–$16 per person, depending on how many are eating.

The bundle includes a full pan of Lasagna Classico, a jumbo house salad, and 12 warm breadsticks. Breadsticks aren’t unlimited for takeout, but you get enough for a small group. It works well for family dinners, small gatherings, or next-day leftovers.

Price Comparison (Per-Person Savings)

The bundle usually saves $10–$12 compared to buying a pan and sides separately.

Bundle vs $6 Take Home (2026 Value)

Both deals save money, but they help different needs:

• Feeding a group now? Pick the Family Bundle
• Want tomorrow’s lunch? Add a $6 Take Home entrée

The bundle offers the best per-person value when serving five or six people. The $6 Take Home is the cheapest choice for individuals.

Bundle vs Catering Pans

Catering pans look cheaper, but they don’t include the jumbo salad. Breadsticks usually come with the pans, so you don’t need to order them separately. The bundle is better if you want everything in one meal without adding sides.

Best Choice by Party Size

• 2 people: $6 Take Home deal
• 3–4 people: Pasta or catering pan
• 5–6 people: Lasagna Family Bundle
• 7–10 people: Two pans or a Large Lasagna Bundle
• 10+ people: Mix catering pans and bundles

Olive Garden Drink Specials & Happy Hour Prices

Olive Garden doesn’t run a nationwide happy hour. Drink discounts depend on the store and state alcohol laws. Some locations lower beer, wine, or cocktail prices during slower afternoon or early evening hours.

Drink Prices (2026)

*Rules change by state and store.

Wine-To-Go & Takeout Alcohol Rules

Many Olive Garden locations let you order wine-to-go or beer bottles for takeout. Some states require sealed packaging, and a few don’t allow alcohol to leave the restaurant at all. Discounts are rare, but bottled wine usually gives you the best deal per serving.

Popular Drinks People Ask For

Most locations offer:

• Italian Margarita
• Peach Bellini
• Frozen Strawberry Margarita
• Pink Moscato Blend
• Chianti (red)
• Moscato (sweet)

Beer options often include:

• Bud Light
• Peroni
• Stella Artois
• Seasonal bottles

Olive Garden Lunch vs Dinner Prices Which Saves More Money?

If you’re trying to save money at Olive Garden, lunch is almost always cheaper than dinner. Lunch pricing runs Monday through Friday until 3 PM. After 3 PM, the menu switches to dinner prices. Weekends use dinner prices all day.

Lunch meals average around $9–$13 depending on the deal. Dinner plates often cost $16–$23+, especially for pasta and chicken entrées.

Lunch vs Dinner Price Check

Savings

Most people save about $4–$12 per person by eating at lunch instead of dinner. The gap grows if you order a Lunch Duo or Soup + Salad.

Quick tip: Arrive by 2:45 PM to lock in lunch pricing before the switch.

Olive Garden Specials Menu FAQ