Jump to content

  • You are not alone. Join Celiac.com for trusted gluten-free answers and forum support.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

Olive Garden gluten-free Menu

GracieO

By GracieO
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

GracieO Newbie
GracieO
Posted

Hi, I just wanted to post because it seems Olive Gardens gets a really bad rap on here. Okay, yes it is not the best Italian food, but for gluten-free there isn't a lot of options that are generally safe! And I have found Olive Garden's gluten-free pasta to be okay! I would not order a grilled meal anywhere I go, I just don't trust CC.

But Olive Garden is always wiling to make the gluten-free pasta as specific as I would like. I order the gluten-free pasta with marinara sauce, and they add cheeses and cheese on top and bake for me!! Basically I get baked-zitti! I'm sure they would alter the pasta in any way, adding chicken, veggies, ect!! No complaints here!!

Pasta is cooked separately, and they have 2 sauces that are gluten-free. Staff and manager always friendly and accommodating! Hope it helps for someone looking for gluten-free eat-out italian. Oh, also, I have never once gotten sick from Olive Garden when ordering the pasta! :)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

It's my understanding that the pasta is precooked and packaged, so no cooking in the kitchen. They microwave it and serve with sauce. It sounds pretty safe as long as you have an informed server.

I do love the salads.

hexon Rookie
hexon
Posted

Myself and my cousin have both eaten the gluten-free pasta there on separate occasions. Both times the pasta was undercooked (...or microwaved). I left feeling underwhelmed after spending $9 on a very tiny plate of tasteless pasta with marinara sauce. I'd probably have been fine with it if they at least gave me a normal dinner portion size. I guess it's a good thing the salad is bottomless

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Myself and my cousin have both eaten the gluten-free pasta there on separate occasions. Both times the pasta was undercooked (...or microwaved). I left feeling underwhelmed after spending $9 on a very tiny plate of tasteless pasta with marinara sauce. I'd probably have been fine with it if they at least gave me a normal dinner portion size. I guess it's a good thing the salad is bottomless

Yes, I agree, endless salad. :D

lmvrbaby Newbie
lmvrbaby
Posted

I am not sure where you are from but here in NY state, I have eaten ate two different Olive Gardens and ordered the pasta, once without grilled chicken the second time with and I have gone home both times with a box. I am a pasta eater and can easily eat quite a bit of it. Yes, I eat the salad as well. I have not tried another restaurant that does gluten free pasta as there are not many or I seem not to find them around where I live. Hope this helps.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I believe someone posted here a while back that it is no longer frozen pasta. They cook it from scratch. I have no issues with the pasta except that the carb count is far too high for most diabetics (like me) to eat.

My complaint is with the salad. They keep putting croutons on it even when you say that you don't want them. Once the salad came out with a lone crouton on it. The waiter said he would pick it off. Then looked all miffed when I said we needed a new salad with no croutons whatever.

Granted we have only dined at one location but they just don't seem to get it.

  • 2 years later...
doumite Newbie
doumite
Posted

If there’s one thing I truly like about the Olive Garden gluten free menu, it’s the fact that they offer gluten-free pasta.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


mateo2099 Rookie
mateo2099
Posted

Johnny Carino's gluten-free menu is so much better.  They have several pasta options with a variety of plates, and even gluten-free pizza for the kids.  They are light-years ahead of the abysmal taste and selection of Olive Garden.  

LauraTX Rising Star
LauraTX
Posted

That sounds good, may need to try johnny carinos!  I think I had read they had a gluten-free menu but never heard any opinions on it.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to CC90's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Coeliac or not coeliac

      Hi @CC90 Ah... that is very interesting. Although it is very annoying for you to have to go through it all again, I would say that almost sounds like an admission that they didn't look far enough last time? I could be wrong, but I would not be at all surprised if they find something on the next attempt. Coeliac damage can be very patchy, as I understand...
    2. CC90
      - CC90 replied to CC90's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Coeliac or not coeliac

      Hi Cristiana Yes I've had the biopsy results showing normal villi and intestinal mucosa. The repeat endoscopy (requested by the gastro doc) would be to take samples from further into the intestine than the previous endoscopy reached.
    3. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to CC90's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Coeliac or not coeliac

      Transglutaminase IgA is the gold-standard blood test for celiac disease. Sensitivity of over 90% and specificity of 95–99%. It rarely produces false positives. An elevated level means your immune system is reacting to gluten. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) does not typically cause high levels of tTG-IgA. Unfortunately the protocols for a diagnosis o...
    4. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked commented on Scott Adams's article in Origins of Celiac Disease
      19

      Do Antibiotics in Babies Increase Celiac Disease Risk Later in Life? (+Video)

      In Addison’s disease, autoimmmune adrenal cortex disease adrenal glands don't make enough cortisol. At 12, it is usually caused by an autoimmune attack. It has a strong genetic link to the HLA-DQ8 gene. After 12 gluten free and 14 years on prednisone for adrenal insufficiency (symptoms like you describe from 1984 until 2014) I recently removed all c...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to CC90's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Coeliac or not coeliac

      Cristiana asks a very relevant question. What looks normal to the naked eye may not look normal under the microscope.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      134,189
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      10,442
    Lhughes327
    Newest Member
    Lhughes327
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.7k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @CC90 Ah... that is very interesting.  Although it is very annoying for you to have to go through it all again, I would say that almost sounds like an admission that they didn't look far enough last time?   I could be wrong, but I would not be at all surprised if they find something on the next attempt.  Coeliac damage can be very patchy, as I understand it, so that's why my own gastroenterologist always likes to point out that he's taken lots of samples!  In the kindest possible way (you don't want to upset the person doing the procedure!) I'd be inclined to tell them what happened last time and to ask them in person to take samples lower down, as  if your health system is anything like the one in my country, communication between GPs, consultants and hospitals isn't always very good.  You don't want the same mistake to be made again. You say that your first endoscopy was traumatic?  May I ask, looking at your spelling of coeliac, was this done at an NHS hospital in England?  The reason for the question is that one of my NHS diagnosed friends was not automatically offered a sedative and managed without one.  Inspired by her, I tried to have an endoscopy one time, in a private setting, without one, so that I could recover quicker, but I had to request sedative in the end it was so uncomfortable.    I am sorry that you will have to go through a gluten challenge again but to make things easier, ensure you eat things containing gluten that you will miss should you have to go gluten free one day. 😂 I was told to eat 2 slices of normal wholemeal bread or the equivalent every day in the weeks before , but I also opted for Weetabix and dozens of Penguin chocolate biscuits.  (I had a very tight headache across my temple for days before the procedure, which I thought was interesting as I had that frequently growing up. - must have been a coeliac symptom!)  Anyway, I do hope you soon get the answers you are looking for and do keep us posted. Cristiana  
    • CC90
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By CC90 · Posted

      Hi Cristiana   Yes I've had the biopsy results showing normal villi and intestinal mucosa.  The repeat endoscopy (requested by the gastro doc) would be to take samples from further into the intestine than the previous endoscopy reached.      
    • Wheatwacked
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Transglutaminase IgA is the gold-standard blood test for celiac disease. Sensitivity of over 90% and specificity of 95–99%. It rarely produces false positives.  An elevated level means your immune system is reacting to gluten.  Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) does not typically cause high levels of tTG-IgA. Unfortunately the protocols for a diagnosis of Celiac Disease are aimed at proving you don't have it, leaving you twisting in the wind. Genetic testing and improvement on a trial gluten free diet, also avoiding milk protein, will likely show improvement in short order if it is Celiac; but will that satisfy the medical system for a diagnosis? If you do end up scheduling a repeat endoscopy, be sure to eat up to 10 grams of gluten for 8 - 12 weeks.  You want  to create maximum damage. Not a medical opinion, but my vote is yes.
    • trents
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By trents · Posted

      Cristiana asks a very relevant question. What looks normal to the naked eye may not look normal under the microscope.
    • cristiana
      Coeliac or not coeliac

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hello @CC90 Can I just ask a question: have you actually been told that your biopsy were normal, or just that your stomach, duodenum and small intestine looked normal? The reason I ask is that when I had my endoscopy, I was told everything looked normal.  My TTG score was completely through the roof at the time, greater than 100 which was then the cut off max. for my local lab.  Yet when my biopsy results came back, I was told I was stage 3 on the Marsh scale.  I've come across the same thing with at least one other person on this forum who was told everything looked normal, but the report was not talking about the actual biopsy samples, which had to be looked at through a microscope and came back abnormal.
×
×
  • Create New...