Olive Garden for $7? What You Need to Know About the Viral Hack

Things are expensive these days, and while everyone is looking to save a buck where they can, no one knows how to stretch a budget like parents. That's why it came as no surprise to me that the newest trending "hack" on social media to get lots of food from a fast-casual favorite for less than $10 started with parents.

If you're not familiar, it's a workaround going viral on social media wherein people are ordering a veritable feast of food from Olive Garden (including favorites like Fettuccine Alfredo) for just $7. So what is the trick and how do you get in on the fun?

What Is the $7 Olive Garden Hack?

First things first, although it's been marketed as a hack on social media, that's really a misnomer because, simply put, this is not a hack so much as it is gaming the system. The hack in question is just ordering takeout from the Olive Garden kids menu...even if you're perhaps a little over the required "Under 12" age requirement.

By ordering it for takeout people have figured out how to skirt the requirement, while simultaneously discovering just how much food is included in a kids' meal from the chain. For $6.99, kids (or "kids,") have 11 options for a pasta, pizza, or chicken, each with a side of broccoli or grapes, plus a drink of their choice. The most important part? That the kids' meal includes Olive Garden's famous breadsticks, of course.

The hack originally went viral back in 2021, but has resurfaced lately as a budget-friendly way for parents to feed their families (and themselves) on the cheap.

The Problem With the Olive Garden Kids Meal Hack

It reminds me of another viral Chipotle hack where customers were ordering a kid's quesadilla and sides and then building their own makeshift burrito from the combo. Similar to the $3 burrito hack, it games the system to get more food by ordering off the kids' menu.

I always worry that these hacks will be blocked by the chains once they go viral, as Chipotle did with the $3 burrito. This one is particularly hard to police in takeout scenarios but regardless, I figured out how to work the system without any guilt or rule-breaking. When you order any meal—including the kids' meal—you are prompted with the option to order another entrée for just $6.

The Better $6 Olive Garden Menu Hack

Yes, for just $6, Olive Garden has the option for a "Take Home Entrée" where you can order one of the three most popular entrée options for just six bucks. The three options include Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti, and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. The only caveat? Since they're meant to be taken home for later, they're pre-chilled, so you'll have to re-heat at home.

It also does not include breadsticks, however, if you get the kids' meal (for your kids or yourself), that'll give you all the breadsticks your heart desires.

For just $13 you're looking at two pasta dishes, a side of broccoli, breadsticks, and a drink. Compared to the typical entrées, which average about $16-20, that's a pretty dang good deal, if you ask me.