Remember the last time you went to Olive Garden and your favorite dish was mysteriously gone from the menu? It happens to the best of us. You get your heart set on that special pasta or that amazing chicken dish, only to find out it’s been discontinued. While some lucky dishes like the Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo and Stuffed Chicken Marsala are making a comeback this year, many other fan favorites have sadly been retired for good. So what exactly are we missing out on? Here’s a look at some amazing Olive Garden dishes that have disappeared forever.
Spicy Calabrian chicken breadstick sandwich vanished
Picture this: Olive Garden’s famous breadsticks turned into a sandwich bun with crispy chicken tossed in spicy Calabrian sauce inside. This was the Spicy Calabrian Chicken Breadstick Sandwich that appeared briefly on menus as a lunchtime special. The sandwich combined the familiar comfort of those warm, soft breadsticks with the surprising kick of spicy chicken. It was the perfect mashup of two Olive Garden favorites in one handheld meal that had people coming back for lunch again and again.
Unfortunately, this sandwich was only ever meant to be a limited-time offering. Many customers didn’t even get the chance to try it before it disappeared from the menu for good. Since Olive Garden has shifted its focus to more traditional Italian dishes, it’s unlikely we’ll see this creative sandwich make a return. Unlike some items that can be recreated with modifications to current menu items, the unique nature of this breadstick sandwich makes it impossible to replicate with today’s options.
Spaghetti pie was a short-lived comfort food
Spaghetti Pie was one of those dishes that made you feel like you were getting two comfort foods in one. Imagine a pie made of spaghetti noodles mixed with cheeses and eggs, baked until the edges got crispy, then topped with your choice of chicken alfredo or Italian sausage and meatballs. It had that amazing contrast of textures – crispy edges and soft center – that made every bite interesting. Kids loved it because it was fun to eat, and adults appreciated the rich, satisfying flavors that reminded them of both pasta night and homemade casseroles.
This unique dish appeared on Olive Garden menus around 2016 as part of their “Tastes of the Mediterranean” promotion but didn’t stick around long. The preparation was likely too complex for high-volume kitchen operations, making it difficult to maintain consistency across all restaurant locations. Unlike basic pasta dishes that can be quickly assembled, the Spaghetti Pie required precise baking times and special handling. Though gone from menus, some fans have attempted to recreate this dish at home using online copycat recipes – but nothing quite matches the original.
Ravioli di portobello had mushroom lovers hooked
If you were a mushroom fan, the Ravioli di Portobello was probably your go-to dish at Olive Garden. These weren’t your average mushroom ravioli – they were stuffed with rich, earthy portobello mushrooms and topped with a creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce that made the whole dish feel special. The combination of the smoky sauce with the deep mushroom flavor created a truly comforting meal. Each ravioli pillow was perfectly sized for a satisfying bite, and the sauce was so good you’d likely use bread to get every last drop.
Sadly, this beloved dish disappeared from Olive Garden menus years ago and hasn’t been seen since. While the restaurant still offers cheese ravioli, the unique portobello filling and that incredible smoked cheese sauce are memories of the past. According to menu historians, this dish was likely a victim of Olive Garden’s menu streamlining efforts. With specialty ingredients required just for this dish, it probably didn’t make economic sense to keep it around. While you might try asking for cheese ravioli with mushrooms added, the distinctive sauce that made this dish special remains impossible to replicate from current menu items.
Chicken giardino was a lighter pasta option
When you wanted pasta without feeling weighed down, Chicken Giardino was the perfect middle ground. This refreshing dish featured grilled chicken and fresh vegetables like carrots, zucchini, and broccoli tossed with pappardelle pasta in a light, lemony herb sauce. It stood out from the heavier cream-based pastas that Olive Garden is known for. People loved it because it felt like a healthier choice while still delivering those satisfying pasta vibes. The wide pappardelle noodles were perfect for soaking up the bright sauce.
Chicken Giardino disappeared from menus during one of the restaurant’s menu overhauls. It was likely removed because it didn’t fit with Olive Garden’s shift toward more traditional Italian offerings. Though the dish was popular with certain customers, it may not have sold enough compared to the restaurant’s bestselling items to keep its spot on the menu. Now, if you’re looking for something similar, your best bet is to order the Grilled Chicken Margherita and ask for a lighter sauce. It’s not the same, but it’s the closest you’ll get to that fresh, vegetable-forward pasta dish that many still miss.
Venetian apricot chicken had sweet and savory fans
The Venetian Apricot Chicken was unlike anything else on the Olive Garden menu. It combined grilled chicken breast with a sweet and savory apricot citrus sauce that created a totally different flavor experience. The dish came with broccoli and potatoes instead of pasta, making it stand out even more from the restaurant’s usual offerings. People were split on this one – those who loved the sweet-savory combination were completely devoted to it, while others preferred to stick with more traditional Italian flavors. What made it special was how the fruity sauce balanced with the savory chicken.
This distinctive dish disappeared during a menu revamp that focused on more classical Italian dishes. According to former employees, the apricot sauce required special ingredients that weren’t used in any other dishes, making it costly to maintain on the menu. The unique flavor profile also meant it wasn’t as universally popular as some of the restaurant’s pasta dishes. For those who miss this sweet-savory combination, no current menu item comes close to replacing it – it truly was one of a kind, and its fans still hope for its return despite the slim chances.
Smoked mozzarella fonduta was the perfect appetizer
Before there was spinach-artichoke dip at every restaurant, there was Olive Garden’s Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta. This rich appetizer featured melted smoked mozzarella and provolone cheeses mixed with sun-dried tomatoes, all baked until bubbly and served with Tuscan bread for dipping. The smokiness of the cheese created a depth of flavor that regular cheese dips just couldn’t match. It was the perfect shareable starter that wasn’t too filling but still felt special. The contrast between the warm, gooey cheese and the chewy bread made each bite something to look forward to.
This appetizer was phased out as Olive Garden updated its menu over the years, likely replaced by more mainstream options like the still-available Five Cheese Ziti al Forno. The specialty smoked cheeses required just for this dish made it more expensive to maintain on the menu compared to appetizers that used ingredients found in multiple dishes. While you can still order cheese-based appetizers like the Lasagna Fritta, nothing currently available captures that distinctive smoky flavor profile that made the fonduta so memorable. Some fans have attempted homemade versions, but the exact recipe remains a restaurant secret.
Parmesan-crusted tilapia offered a seafood alternative
Not everyone wants pasta when they go to Olive Garden, which is why the Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia was such a hit with certain customers. This lighter option featured a delicate tilapia fillet coated in a crispy parmesan crust, served alongside angel hair pasta with a garlic butter sauce. The fish was mild enough to appeal to people who weren’t big seafood fans, while the parmesan crust added just the right amount of flavor and texture. It was the perfect choice for someone wanting something different but not too adventurous.
This seafood option disappeared from menus years ago as Olive Garden narrowed its focus more towards pasta-centric dishes. Fish dishes can be tricky for restaurants to maintain consistently across all locations, especially when they’re not a core part of the menu. Quality control and freshness standards for seafood require extra attention, which may have factored into the decision to discontinue the dish. Today, if you’re looking for a non-pasta option at Olive Garden, your choices are more limited to chicken and beef dishes, with seafood appearing primarily in pasta combinations rather than as standalone entrées.
Giant stuffed shells were a cheese lover’s dream
The Giant Stuffed Shells at Olive Garden were exactly what they sound like – but even better than you might imagine. These weren’t your average stuffed shells; they were massive pasta shells filled with a four-cheese mixture including ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and romano. The shells were then covered in marinara sauce and even more melted cheese. What made them special was their size – each shell was a satisfying portion on its own – and the perfect balance of cheese filling to pasta to sauce ratio in every bite.
These oversized comfort food favorites were discontinued several years ago, likely because they were labor-intensive to prepare consistently across all restaurant locations. The precise filling and cooking of these large pasta shells required careful attention that became challenging in busy kitchen environments. While standard cheese ravioli remains on the menu, the distinctive experience of cutting into those giant cheese-filled shells is now just a memory. For those missing this dish, the Five Cheese Ziti offers similar flavors but can’t recreate the unique presentation and texture that made the Giant Stuffed Shells a standout menu item.
While Olive Garden has brought back a few fan favorites like the Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo and Stuffed Chicken Marsala this year, many beloved dishes remain firmly in the past. The restaurant continues to evolve its menu based on customer preferences and operational needs, but that doesn’t stop us from missing these discontinued gems. Maybe if enough of us ask, we’ll see more comebacks in the future – but until then, we’ll have to settle for memories of these past favorites.
