Never-ending soup, salad, and breadsticks are kind of a dream. Budget-friendly and pretty tasty, Olive Garden’s signature sides can be a solid meal themselves. So what does it mean, if on a Tinder date, you’re introduced to an even better way to consume two of the three dishes?
For one romantic hopeful, a date turned into a breadsticks-maxxing lesson. Madi B (@xomadibandana) filmed her date as they prepare their appetizer. But instead of dipping the breadstick in the soup, her date is loading it up hoagie-style with all the veggies from the salad. And, real talk: It looks pretty good.
A Little Of This, A Little Of That
In the eight-second TikTok that’s been watched 2.6 million times, Madi B is narrating her date’s selections: “OK, a tomato. Little crouton. And some onion.” This last one is delivered in her best imitation of Cajun Chef Justin Wilson’s own “on-yon” pronunciation.
That is the sum total of the video—except for the in-screen caption. She writes, “POV: at Olive Garden, and my tinder date started doing this.” Really, it’s just enough context to let the internet do the rest. And since the internet stays ready, about 8,200 people weighed in.
‘Bottomless Sammies?’
If this is dating realness, then “bottomless sammies,” as noted by”A,” (@tattoedxmood) basically equals eternal love.
Some viewers are irked they didn’t think of it first. “As a fat, I’m surprised and disappointed in myself I didn’t think of this first,” quipped Nettie (@nettie_g_s).
So, the results are in: This is green-flag dating behavior all the way. As @dumpyfr0g said, “They 100% gardened the correct way.”
How Many Bowls Of Unlimited Soup, Salad, And Breadsticks Will Olive Garden Let You Order?
Apparently, as long as you’re actively eating and behaving in a respectful manner, you really can eat as much soup, salad, and bread as your tummy will hold. An article that did a deep dive into the unlimited Olive Garden promotion cited insider information gleaned from a BuzzFeed Community Forum.
Among the takeaways that actually lend credibility to the fast-casual Italian restaurant: Each salad is made fresh. And every time a table re-ups their breadstick order, one for each person at the table is sent out.
Is There A Downside?
It seems that the only downside is the same one that comes with being a high-maintenance, low-spending table. That is the possibility of slow to terrible service. For servers, the never-ending part of the promotion is a losing proposition because they can do more work for the table than the tip ends up being worth.
For example, at the Altamonte Springs, Florida, Olive Garden, the most inexpensive entree is $13.99, and that comes with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks—because it comes with every adult dine-in meal. Add on running back and forth, and that time-to-tip ratio gets whittled away. Meanwhile, the soup, salad, and breadstick combo that’s a $10.49 lunch and a (currently unavailable) $12.99 dinner is less so for a busy server.
So how to enjoy the legitimately satisfying, lighter Olive Garden meal? “Tip your server extra,” advises one anonymous former employee.
BroBible reached out to Madi B via TikTok direct message and with a comment on her post. We also reached out to Olive Garden via the press contact. We will update this if either gets back to us.