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Olive Garden Buy One, Take One Home: The Ultimate 2025 Guide To Doubling Your Italian Feast

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Olive Garden's Buy One, Take One Home promotion has returned for 2025, solidifying its status as one of the most beloved and value-packed dining deals in the casual restaurant industry. This is more than just a dinner; it's a strategic dining move that allows you to enjoy a complete, hot, and satisfying meal in the restaurant today, and walk away with a second, freshly prepared, chilled entrée to enjoy at home later.

The deal, which frequently cycles back onto the menu, is a favorite for budget-conscious diners, busy families, and anyone who appreciates a high-quality, ready-made lunch or dinner for the following day. As of late 2025, we've compiled the definitive guide to the current offer, including the full menu of eligible entrees, the starting price, and insider tips for maximizing your Italian value.

The Olive Garden Buy One, Take One Home Menu and Pricing (2025)

The core appeal of the Buy One, Take One Home deal lies in its simplicity: you purchase one qualifying entrée at the restaurant, and you receive a second, select entrée to take home for free. The entire package also includes Olive Garden’s signature unlimited offerings, making it a true feast for two meals.

What You Get: The Two-Meal Breakdown

  • Meal One (Dine-In): One hot, ready-to-eat entrée from the special menu, plus unlimited breadsticks and your choice of never-ending homemade soup or garden-fresh salad.
  • Meal Two (Take-Home): One freshly prepared, chilled entrée from a select menu, packaged separately for you to reheat at your convenience.

Current Starting Price

The starting price for the Buy One, Take One Home offer typically begins at $12.99 to $14.99, depending on the specific entrée you choose for your dine-in meal and your geographical location. While prices may vary, the value proposition of getting two full meals, plus unlimited soup/salad and breadsticks, remains exceptional. Always confirm the exact price with your local Olive Garden server or the official website.

Eligible Entrées for the Buy One, Take One Promotion

The menu for this popular deal focuses on Olive Garden's most classic and comforting pasta dishes. When you order your dine-in entrée, you select a take-home entrée from a list of classics. The take-home portion is usually a generous, single-serving size of a pasta dish.

Dine-In & Take-Home Entrée Options (Select from this list for both meals):

  • Fettuccine Alfredo: A creamy, decadent classic made with Parmesan cheese and heavy cream.
  • Spaghetti with Meat Sauce: The quintessential Italian-American dish, featuring a rich, savory meat sauce.
  • Five Cheese Ziti al Forno: A baked pasta favorite with a blend of Italian cheeses and a hearty marinara sauce.
  • Four-Cheese Manicotti: Pasta tubes filled with a blend of four Italian cheeses and baked with marinara.
  • Spaghetti & Meatballs: The classic spaghetti dish served with two large, seasoned meatballs.
  • Angel Hair with Marinara: A lighter pasta option served with Olive Garden's traditional marinara sauce.
  • Lasagna Classico: Layers of pasta, Italian cheese, and meat sauce (availability may vary).

Maximize Your Value: Insider Tips for the BOGO Deal

To truly unlock the potential of the Buy One, Take One Home deal, you need a strategy. This promotion is designed to give you two meals, but with a few simple tricks, you can stretch it even further, making it one of the best value-for-money offers in casual dining.

1. Strategic Entrée Selection

Choose your dine-in entrée based on what you want to eat *now*, but choose your take-home entrée based on what reheats best. Baked pasta dishes like the Five Cheese Ziti al Forno or Four-Cheese Manicotti tend to hold up remarkably well after being chilled and reheated. Cream-based sauces like Fettuccine Alfredo can be trickier, but still excellent if reheated properly (see the next section).

2. The Never-Ending Advantage

Remember that the dine-in meal includes unlimited breadsticks and your choice of unlimited soup or salad. This is a massive value-add. If you are dining with a partner, you can both fill up on the unlimited items, ensuring you take a significant portion of your main entrée home, essentially giving you three or even four meals from a single purchase.

3. Consider the $5 or $6 Take Home Entrée Alternative

While the "Buy One, Take One Home" (BOGO) is the fan-favorite, Olive Garden sometimes runs a similar promotion where you can purchase a take-home entrée for a flat, low price, often $5 or $6, with the purchase of any regular entrée. If your preferred entrée is not on the BOGO menu, check to see if the discounted $5 or $6 Take Home Entrée offer is available, as it may allow for more menu flexibility.

Expert Reheating Instructions for Your Chilled Entrée

The take-home entrée is packaged chilled, which is key for food safety and flavor preservation. It is not a hot leftover. To ensure your second meal tastes as good as the first, follow these expert reheating guidelines.

Reheating Pasta Dishes (Ziti, Manicotti, Lasagna)

Baked pasta dishes are the easiest to reheat and are best done in the oven to maintain texture.

  • Oven Method (Recommended): Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Transfer the pasta to an oven-safe dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil to trap moisture. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the center is hot. Removing the foil for the last 5 minutes can help achieve a nice, bubbly cheese crust.

Reheating Cream-Based Pastas (Fettuccine Alfredo)

Cream sauces can separate or dry out when reheated. The key is low heat and adding moisture.

  • Stovetop Method (Best): Transfer the pasta to a skillet or saucepan. Add a splash of milk, water, or chicken broth (about 1-2 tablespoons per serving). Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce becomes creamy and the pasta is heated through. This prevents the sauce from breaking.
  • Microwave Method: Place the pasta in a microwave-safe dish. Add a small amount of liquid (milk or water). Cover it with a damp paper towel and heat in 30-second intervals at 50% power, stirring in between. This gentle, moist heat prevents the sauce from separating.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the BOGO Deal

The Olive Garden Buy One, Take One Home promotion generates a lot of questions every time it returns. Here are the most common inquiries to ensure you have a seamless dining experience.

Is the Buy One, Take One Home deal available for To Go orders?

Generally, the main Buy One, Take One Home promotion requires a dine-in purchase of a qualifying entrée. The purpose is to encourage in-restaurant dining. However, Olive Garden occasionally offers a separate, discounted Take Home Entrée deal for online or To Go orders, though it may not be the free BOGO offer. Always check the current details on the official Olive Garden website or app.

Do I get unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks with the take-home meal?

No. The unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks are included only with the first, dine-in entrée. The take-home entrée is a standalone, chilled pasta dish and does not include the sides. This is why maximizing your soup and salad consumption during your dine-in experience is crucial for value.

Can I freeze the take-home entrée?

Yes. The take-home entrée is packaged chilled and is suitable for freezing. For best quality, it is recommended to consume the take-home meal within 3-4 days if refrigerated, or within 1-2 months if frozen. Always thaw frozen pasta completely in the refrigerator before reheating.

What are other popular Olive Garden deals to look out for?

Olive Garden frequently runs other high-value promotions, including the 2 for $25 Deal, which offers two entrées and two appetizers or a dessert to share, and the seasonal return of the Never Ending Pasta Bowl, which offers unlimited pasta, sauce, and toppings for a fixed price.

The Buy One, Take One Home deal remains a powerhouse of value in 2025. By understanding the menu, strategic selection, and proper reheating techniques, you can turn one restaurant visit into two fantastic Italian meals, complete with the famous unlimited breadsticks and salad.

Olive Garden Buy One, Take One Home: The Ultimate 2025 Guide to Doubling Your Italian Feast
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