If you’re tuned into FoodTok, you’ve likely come across videos of people trying the Endless Pasta Challenge at Olive Garden.
The deal starts at $13.99. Customers can choose from four pasta types and six different sauces. Most people who order the never-ending pasta get through two to three of these customized pasta bowls. It doesn’t seem like much. But, after all, they aren’t professionals.
That may make you wonder, how much pasta could a professional eater take on?
Competitive eater Cameron Meade (@cam_eatz) sought out to answer that question. He left viewers speechless by consuming 22 bowls in just one hour.
While sitting inside an Olive Garden, Meade unveiled a tower of 22 plates on a table with a pamphlet promoting the never-ending pasta in front of it. As the clip progresses, he shows all the pasta he ate: rigatoni with meat sauce, spaghetti with meat sauce, spaghetti with marinara, and then Alfredo. “All right. I challenge everyone to beat one hour, Olive Garden Endless Pasta, 22 bowls,” he says from behind his mountain of plates.
Even Olive Garden Servers Are Shook
Meade’s video amassed 1.5 million views. Many customers who visited the Italian chain can’t fathom making it through that much pasta—they have personal anecdotes to back that up.
“I ate like 5 bites of my second and was done,” one viewer said.
“Dude I had it yesterday and didn’t even finish the first one,” a second wrote.
Olive Garden employees were similarly in disbelief.
“As an olive garden worker, WHAT THE f—?????” one employee stated.
“As an og server you BETTER have tipped at least 30%,” a second remarked.
Even Olive Garden itself couldn’t believe it.
“This is us gasping,” the official Olive Garden TikTok account wrote in a comment with more than 88,000 likes.
@cam_eatz Eating 22 bowls of @Olive Garden never ending pasta in 1 hour🍝 #olivegarden #rigatoni #endlesspasta #unlimitedpasta #foodie
Who Has Consumed The Most Endless Pasta In One Sitting?
There isn’t an official Olive Garden record of who has eaten the most endless pasta. However, it seems Meade may top the list. Customers have gone viral for consuming double-digit refills.
16 Plates
In 2022, California competitive eater Erik “Erik the Electric” Lamkin posted on TikTok of himself consuming 16 plates of pasta in 57 minutes.
11 Plates
In 2024, Newsweek reported that Hawaii-based customer Darryl Kau consumed 11 plates, two bowls of soup, and breadsticks within a two-hour period.
21 Plates
That same year, a Canadian man known as Scott Eats recorded a YouTube video demolishing a whopping 21 plates of pasta.
@eriktheelectric Pro Eater Vs. Endless Pasta at Olive Garden! 🍝 #pasta #olivegarden #eating #fyp #foryoupage #viral #manvsfood #food #carb
Is Olive Garden’s Endless Pasta Really Endless?
Yes, Olive Garden’s endless pasta is actually endless. The only stipulation for this deal and its refills is that they are available for dine-in only.
BroBible reached out to Meade via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. BroBible also reached out to Olive Garden via press email.