Is Olive Garden Open On Thanksgiving 2023?
On Thanksgiving, most Americans tuck into turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Not you. You're a rebel. You want unlimited soup and breadsticks at Olive Garden. Unfortunately for you, that's not happening. Every single Olive Garden restaurant is closed on Thanksgiving so that employees can spend the day with their loved ones.
Not only that, but some Olive Gardens will close early the day before Thanksgiving, too. The timing of that particular closure is up to the manager of each location. If you want your fettuccine alfredo fix, you had better show up on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving or wait until Black Friday.
Or go almost any other day of the year. The corporate overlords at Olive Garden only close it two days a year — Thanksgiving and Christmas Day — so that leaves 363 other days you can eat there. That said, you can always call ahead to make sure a pasta shortage hasn't shut down the restaurant unexpectedly.
How to make copycat Olive Garden at home
If you really want some Olive Garden on Thanksgiving, all is not lost. In addition to ordering ahead and reheating, you can make your own version of Italian-American chain restaurant food at home — starting with the salad. Fans say Aldi's Tuscan Garden Italian Dressing tastes exactly like Olive Garden's. Add some lettuce and pepperoncini and you're halfway to the real thing.
As great as unlimited salad can be, you might want something a little heartier. Olive Garden's famous chicken parm recipe is also totally doable at home. If you're more of a white sauce person, try blending milk, cream, butter, flour, garlic, and parmesan. Yep — Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce is practically that simple. Just add some al dente pasta and you're good to go.
A word of warning before you get cooking: Olive Garden isn't the only business that closes for the holidays. Grocery stores like Costco and Trader Joe's are closed on Thanksgiving, too, so make sure you get your ingredients before turkey day.