Although my husband and I found a few faults with the meal, my teenagers were thrilled with it.
Although $77 for the four of us to eat dinner at home felt a bit high, the cost would’ve been less had I not accidentally ordered more breadsticks.
Plus, Olive Garden’s family-style dinners included impressively large portions that could feed way more than the suggested four to six people.
Including leftovers, we got about six meals out of this, bringing the cost down to about $13 a serving. Meanwhile, one of Olive Garden’s chicken Parmigiana entrées typically costs about $22.
I could also see this being a good option for a larger gathering — if we used this meal to feed eight guests, the cost would be less than $10 per person.
Ultimately, based on my experience, I would order a family-style to-go meal from the chain restaurant again.
I learned a few important lessons on our first attempt, like making sure to triple-check the shopping cart for unwanted items, ordering proteins without breading so we aren’t stuck with soggy chicken.
I’d also order my breadsticks unbaked next time. The extra steps seem worth it to have fresh, hot Olive Garden breadsticks. And, as an added perk, my house would smell incredible while they baked.