Olive Garden is known for its unlimited breadsticks, which have been a restaurant special since the very beginning — in 1982. That deal still holds up, but the Tour of Italy is another special that has been on the menu for more than 25 years. In the late ’90s, the Olive Garden promotion was marketed as the ultimate way to get a taste of all the Italian-American classics: baked lasagna, chicken Parmesan, and fettuccine Alfredo. A 1997 commercial advertises the trio with unlimited salads and breadsticks, all for just $9.95.
Nearly three decades later, the Tour of Italy is still one of Olive Garden’s biggest sellers, only now it’s tripled in price. As of 2025, the dish costs about $25, depending on the location in NYC. This era’s version still includes the same triad of cheesy favorites; however, eating your body weight in breadsticks is no longer part of the charm. The once bottomless salad and breadsticks portion of the deal has been scaled back to a mere two breadsticks, and customers now have to choose between salad or soup. There are plenty of other comforting Olive Garden dishes to choose from, but it’s hard to say no to what is essentially the Pu Pu Platter of Italian-American food.
There’s nothing unlimited about the Tour of Italy today
These days, the so-called deal is a smaller portion for more money. The all-you-can-eat breadsticks and salad were a huge selling point, but the price tag doesn’t seem to scare any potential customers off. Olive Garden offers a huge variety of pastas, so choosing just one is no small task. Thankfully, the Tour of Italy smorgasbord makes it a bit easier. All these years later and Olive Garden has somewhat of a cult following, with the deal still going strong.
The ’90s were a different time, in more ways than one, but particularly the dining scene. Unfortunately, there’s inflation to worry about, and ingredients aren’t even close to the price they once were. What was once a $10 hearty Italian feast now costs nearly three times as much. With inflation, $9.95 would hover around $20 in 2025, so not only does Olive Garden’s Tour of Italy offer less value, but it’s also jumped up several dollars. Even so, getting three generous portions of Italian dishes with breadsticks and a salad is a pretty solid deal.
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