Olive Garden Appetizers Menu

Appetizers at Olive Garden occupy an odd spot on the menu: they’re priced like a light meal but built to be split three or four ways, and almost every dish on the list is fried, breaded, or baked in cheese — which changes the calorie math more than people expect once a table shares two or three of them.
This page breaks down the current starter lineup by price and calories, describes what each dish actually is (not every name is self-explanatory), and gives some guidance on which ones make sense depending on group size, budget, or dietary needs. If you’re planning the rest of the meal too, the full menu and meal cost estimator cover entrées, soups, and desserts.

Appetizers Menu

Here’s what’s actually on the plate.

Breadsticks

Warm garlic breadsticks — the unlimited basket everyone remembers.

$4.49

140 cal

Dipping Sauces with Breadsticks

Breadsticks with warm marinara, alfredo, or five-cheese marinara for dipping.

$4.49

90–870 cal

Stuffed Ziti Fritta

Crispy fried ziti stuffed with five cheeses, served with two sauces.

$9.49

500 cal

Calamari

Lightly breaded fried calamari with marinara and spicy ranch.

$12.49

670 cal

Meatballs Parmigiana

Five meatballs baked in marinara under melted Italian cheese.

$11.49

1,040 cal

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Warm spinach and artichoke dip with flatbread crisps for scooping.

$11.29

1,160 cal

Lasagna Fritta

Fried breaded lasagna wedges finished with alfredo and meat sauce.

$11.49

1,130 cal

Shrimp Fritto Misto

Fried shrimp, onion, and bell pepper mix with two dipping sauces.

$13.49

1,280 cal

Toasted Ravioli

Fried beef-stuffed ravioli served with warm marinara.

$10.29

650 cal

Fried Mozzarella

Breaded fried mozzarella sticks paired with marinara for dipping.

$9.29

800 cal

Every appetizer, priced and counted

Prices and calorie counts below are gathered from published Olive Garden pricing and menu
data. Both vary by location and change without much notice, so treat this as a planning
reference and confirm exact numbers in the app or on your check before ordering.

Dish	Price	Calories	Good for
Calamari	$12.49	670	Seafood fans, table of 2–3
Fried Mozzarella	$9.49	800	Crowd-pleaser, kids too
Lasagna Fritta	$10.99	1,070	Splitting one plate, big appetite
Toasted Ravioli	$9.99	650	Lower-calorie of the fried options
Spinach-Artichoke Dip	$10.29	1,160	Sharing 3–4 ways, vegetarian
Stuffed Mushrooms	$9.99*	~450*	Lighter shared starter
Bruschetta	$8.49*	~380*	Lightest option on the list

Which starter to order, by situation

Sharing across a full table

Go bigger and more neutral in flavor so nobody's stuck with a dish they didn't want.

Try: Sampler Italiano or Fried Mozzarella

Watching the calorie total

Skip anything fried or cream-based and lean toward the baked or fresh options instead.

Try: Bruschetta or Stuffed Mushrooms

Ordering soup or salad too

With unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks already on the table, a heavy starter is easy to over-order.

Try: Toasted Ravioli, split two ways

Craving seafood

Calamari is the safer, milder pick; Shrimp Fritto Misto leans richer and more indulgent.

Try: Calamari or Shrimp Fritto Misto

Vegetarian at the table

Most fried starters use beef or seafood — cheese and vegetable-based options are more limited.

Try: Spinach-Artichoke Dip or Stuffed Mushrooms

On a tighter budget

Bruschetta and Stuffed Mushrooms sit at the lower end of the price range without feeling like an afterthought.

Try: Bruschetta, around $8.49

Gluten, vegetarian & allergen notes

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Gluten

Almost every appetizer is breaded, battered, or built on a pasta or bread base, so this section of the menu doesn't overlap much with Olive Garden's gluten-sensitive offerings. If gluten is a concern, this is one of the harder menu sections to work around.

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Vegetarian

Fried Mozzarella, Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Bruschetta don't require substitutions. Everything else on this list includes beef or seafood as the main ingredient.

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Allergens

Shared fryers mean cross-contact between seafood, dairy, and gluten items is common. Ask for the allergen guide in-restaurant if you're managing a specific allergy rather than a general preference.

Frequently asked questions

Bruschetta typically comes in lowest, around $8.49, followed by Stuffed Mushrooms and Fried Mozzarella in the $9–$10 range. Exact pricing varies by location.

The Sampler Italiano is built for this — it combines a few starters onto one platter so a table doesn't have to agree on a single dish. Fried Mozzarella is a cheaper alternative that also splits well.

Bruschetta is the lightest at an estimated 380 calories, with Stuffed Mushrooms close behind. The Spinach-Artichoke Dip is the heaviest, at roughly 1,160 calories for the shared portion.

Not really — this section of the menu leans heavily on breaded and fried preparations, and it doesn't overlap much with the gluten-sensitive menu. If gluten is a strict requirement, you may want to skip appetizers and go straight to a gluten-sensitive entrée.

Yes — items like Italian Nachos or Parmesan Zucchini Bites show up periodically as limited-time additions. Availability depends on the season and location, so check the app before planning around one.

Yes, the full starter lineup is available through takeout and delivery. Fried items like Calamari and Lasagna Fritta hold up best when eaten soon after pickup, since the coating softens as they cool.

Fried Mozzarella, Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Bruschetta are all vegetarian without modification. Sauces are typically marinara-based rather than meat-based on these dishes.

Buy One, Take One applies to select entrées, not appetizers — starters are ordered and priced separately. Full terms depend on whichever promotion is currently running.