If you’re craving a cozy Italian meal but need to keep gluten in check, Olive Garden is the place to be. They offer a gluten-sensitive menu with a variety of dishes, so you can enjoy your meal and eat it too. Their website features a gluten-sensitive menu, detailed information on cross-contamination practices, and an Allergen Guide, so you can feel confident about your food choices when dining out. 

I really value Olive Garden’s transparency regarding gluten labeling. Olive Garden hasn’t conducted the required chemical analyses to meet the FDA’s gluten-free standard. Therefore, their food isn’t labeled gluten-free, and instead, they use the term ‘gluten-sensitive.’

As with many restaurants, there’s always a risk of gluten cross-contamination from shared work spaces, utensils, preparation methods, or accidental exposure. If you have celiac disease or another health condition requiring a strict gluten-free diet, it may be best to exercise caution when dining at Olive Garden.

Check out my complete guide to gluten-sensitive dining at Olive Garden below! 

Top Gluten-Sensitive Menu Items At Olive Garden

You can view all of the gluten-sensitive menu items on the Olive Garden website. Below are my top ten options to choose from, including:

• Zuppa Toscana
• Famous House Salad, without croutons
• Grilled Chicken Parmigiana
• Herb Grilled Salmon
• 6 oz Sirloin
• Rotini Pasta with Marinara
• Rotini Pasta with Meat Sauce 
• Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta with Marinara (kids)
• Rotini with Marinara (kids)
• Rotini with Meat Sauce (kids)

White these items are on the Gluten-Sensitive Menu, it’s still important to take precautions such as: asking the kitchen staff to be extra careful of cross-contamination, informing your server about your gluten-free needs, or calling ahead to ensure they have gluten-sensitive menu items available when you arrive. 

Gluten-Sensitive Pasta At Olive Garden

The only gluten-free pasta available at Olive Garden is the gluten-free rotini, made primarily from brown rice flour. According to the Olive Garden website, their gluten-free pasta is cooked and stored separately until it’s ordered. When a customer requests gluten-free pasta, it’s immediately transferred to a sauté pan to prevent cross-contamination with other gluten-containing pastas or pasta water.

If you’re not too strict about gluten exposure and can handle a small amount, ask your server if they can swap regular pasta for gluten-free rotini. Just remember, some sauces or ingredients in the dish might contain gluten. If you have celiac disease or strictly avoid gluten, your safest bet is to stick with the gluten-free rotini options from the gluten-sensitive menu.

Cross-Contamination At Olive Garden

Olive Garden takes measures to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen to make your dining experience worry-free and enjoyable. Inform your server about your gluten-free needs so they can note it on your order. When the kitchen staff sees this alert, they will change gloves and utensils to ensure your food is prepared safely.

We appreciate that Olive Garden managers have completed a food safety course that covers basic information about food allergies and safe food handling practices. However, it’s important to note that despite these measures, Olive Garden is not an allergen-free facility and cannot guarantee that food is free of contamination. Additioanlly, items cooked on the grill or in the fryer are particularly susceptible to cross-contamination.

Olive Garden Allergen Guide

The Olive Garden Allergen Guide indicates whether a menu item contains wheat based on information from their suppliers. However, just because an item is wheat-free doesn’t mean it’s gluten-free, as there are other ingredients besides wheat that contain gluten. Keeping this in mind, here Olive Garden menu items that are wheat-free:

• Zuppa Toscana
• Gluten-Free Rotini
• Marinara
• Meat Sauce
• Tomato Sauce
• Grilled Chicken
• Italian Sausage 
• Sauteed Shrimp
• Broccoli 
• Herb-Grilled Salmon
• Pepperoni
• Parmesan Garlic Broccoli
• French Fries
• Grapes
• Chocolate Sauce
• Raspberry Sauce
• Mint Candy

Olive Garden Gluten-Free Official Statement

We value Olive Garden’s commitment to transparency regarding allergen information, efforts to prevent cross-contamination, and the distinction between gluten-free and gluten-sensitive labeling. Olive Garden’s official statement on gluten states:

“The menu items we call “gluten sensitive” are our menu items that are made without gluten-containing ingredients. We do not claim these items are “gluten free” because we have not chemically analyzed them to confirm if they meet the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) definition of “gluten free” (20 parts per million of gluten). While we do have processes and procedures in place to minimize cross-contact with other gluten-containing foods, these items may not be suitable for our guests who are highly sensitive to gluten. Please know that our “gluten free” pasta does meet FDA’s formal definition of gluten-free.”

Their Allergen Guide also mentions:

“Our menu items are freshly prepared in our kitchens, which are not free of gluten. Cross-contact with other food items that contain gluten is possible. While we aim to accommodate the dietary needs of our guests, we cannot ensure that these items meet the definition of “gluten-free.” Please let your server know you are avoiding gluten.”

While Olive Garden is upfront about allergen information and gluten labeling, they do not provide specific ingredient lists for each item. Upon contacting Olive Garden customer service, they mentioned that customers can request ingredient information for up to three menu items only. This can be disappointing for guests, whether they have gluten sensitivities or other dietary restrictions, as having clear ingredient information is crucial for making informed dining choices.

Special Requests 

To minimize the risk of cross-contamination, you can ask Olive Garden kitchen staff to clean appliances, utensils, and preparation spaces before preparing your order. There’s no guarantee they will comply or prevent cross-contamination, but the worst they can do is say no—so it’s always worth asking!

What To Avoid At Olive Garden

To avoid gluten and wheat at Olive Garden, be sure to choose items exclusively from the gluten-sensitive menu. Be cautious with sauces, dressings, and other additions, since ingredient information isn’t readily available.

FAQ’s 

Is the Olive Garden Italian salad dressing gluten-free?

The dressing doesn’t have gluten ingredients, but it’s made in a facility that also processes gluten. When you order a salad, make sure to ask your server to leave out the croutons. 

Does Olive Garden provide information on allergens other than wheat?

The Allergen Guide provides information on: dairy, egg, fish, crustacea, mollusk, tree nut, peanut, wheat, gluten, soy, sesame, and sulfites. 

Does Olive Garden have a vegetarian menu?

Yes, there are vegetarian and vegan options on the menu.

Other Gluten Free Menu Guides

We are on a mission to analyze all the popular restaurants near you for what is and isn’t gluten-free. If you have a restaurant you want us to visit, please let us know! You can contact us or send us a DM on Instagram. Here are other guides we have written so far:

• Wendy’s Gluten Free Menu Items
• McDonald’s Gluten Free Menu Items
• Panera Gluten Free Menu Items
• Starbucks Gluten Free Menu Items
• Chipotle Gluten Free Menu Items
• Jersey Mike’s Gluten Free Menu Items
• Taco Bell’s Gluten Free Menu Items
• Chick-fil-A Gluten Free Menu Items

Photos: Julianne Tripp Hillian