This Is The Best No-Pasta Entree At Olive Garden, Hands Down

Olive Garden has many great things, including an unlimited supply of soup, salad, and breadsticks; delicious pastas, and tasty desserts. While you might make the trip to the chain restaurant for a filling bowl of pasta, this isn't the only entree that Olive Garden does well. In fact, Chowhound took the time to sample and rank four non-pasta dishes at Olive Garden, and the No. 1 spot may just be tasty enough to replace the pastas altogether. If you're looking for a less carb-heavy meal at Olive Garden, the Herb-Grilled Salmon is the dish to order. 

Olive Garden's salmon is slathered with a garlic herb butter mixture that gives the filet a perfectly seasoned finish. It's served alongside garlic Parmesan broccoli, but our reviewer felt that the fish was truly the star of the show. We even found that this salmon was so flavorful that it didn't need a squeeze of lemon, which is often necessary to neutralize the fishy taste of seafood. The salmon also flaked apart easily and offered a pleasant texture overall. Olive Garden may not be the first place you'd think to consider for high-quality salmon, but we'd say it's worth a try. 

Olive Garden's other entree options don't usually get as much attention as the pastas, and there might be a reason why. Both the Grilled Chicken Margherita and the Stuffed Chicken Marsala — other non-pasta entrees in our ranking — were completely ruined by chicken that was too rubbery and unpleasant. The salmon, on the other hand, was cooked just right — and many Olive Garden diners agree.

One Reddit user said this about the salmon: "It always comes out so perfectly moist and flaky and crispy." Whether you're trying to stay aware of portion sizes or simply to save room for all the breadsticks, the salmon will keep you satisfied without the tired feeling that sometimes comes with a meal of pasta and cheese. We're happy to know we aren't the only ones who enjoyed Olive Garden's salmon, and some customers even claim it's the best item on the menu. As one TikTok commenter wrote, "I work here and it's all I eat."

There are plenty of tasty dishes to order at Olive Garden, and the Herb-Grilled Salmon should certainly be added to the list. While it makes a delicious alternative to pasta, some customers even add the salmon to the pasta dishes, like the Seafood Alfredo, for the best of both worlds. Olive Garden's pastas may be delectable, but the salmon deserves just as much praise.