What Kind Of Steak Does Olive Garden Have On Its Menu?
When most people go to Olive Garden, it's usually because they're in the mood for some type of pasta, or the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks. Though Olive Garden does serve Italian-inspired food, Florentine steak — perhaps the most well-known Italian steak dish — is not one of them. While you may not be able to get Florentine steak, also known as Bistecca Alla Fiorentina, at Olive Garden, there's one other steak option available at the restaurant: a 6-ounce sirloin.
Referred to as "Steak Alfredo" on the dine-in menu and simply "6 oz. Sirloin" on the online menu, this entree consists of a single 6-ounce steak that's grilled and then slathered in melted garlic and herb butter. It also comes with fettuccine alfredo, your choice of soup or salad, and two breadsticks. Some sources claim that Olive Garden also has other cuts of steak such as ribeye and filet mignon, however, these options were only available at Olive Garden in Guam back in 2020 and are no longer on the menu.
What happened to Olive Garden's Steak Gorgonzola?
If you could've sworn that Olive Garden used to have more than just a 6-ounce sirloin on the menu, you'd be correct. At one point Olive Garden also offered a Steak Gorgonzola, and it was so popular that when it was discontinued, disappointed customers started campaigning for its return on social media, even circulating a petition at one point. In a since-deleted series of TikToks, self-identified Olive Garden employee @medievalfilthcauldrons2 explained that it was pulled because the company wanted to make room for cheaper alternatives. The Steak Gorgonzola was temporarily brought back due to popular demand, but only for a limited time.
Ordering discontinued Olive Garden items is possible if the restaurant still has the ingredients available, but since gorgonzola isn't a featured ingredient in any dishes, currently the only way to enjoy the Steak Gorgonzola is to make one of the many copycat recipes. So unless Olive Garden decides to bring back the fan-favorite menu item, you'll have to settle for the 6-ounce sirloin if you're craving steak.
Is Olive Garden's steak worth ordering?
Olive Garden's specialty is pasta, so it's generally expected that you won't be getting steakhouse-quality steak there. But even if you don't have high standards when it comes to steak, you may be disappointed because the 6-ounce sirloin doesn't have the best reputation. One Yelp review described it as "ridiculously salty ... to the point that taking a bite made me wince," while a different Tripadvisor review referred to it as "chewy." The latter description closely aligns with a TikTok from an actual Olive Garden server, who called it "grilled, steak-flavored bubblegum." Comments under an Olive Garden Facebook post aren't much better, with many people complaining about it being tough or improperly cooked, so it seems Olive Garden cooks aren't always well-versed in proper steak cooking practices.
Depending on the location you dine at, Olive Garden's 6-ounce sirloin costs between $17.29 and $19.99. This price is relatively comparable to Olive Garden's other entrees, and sirloin isn't by any means a bad cut of steak. But considering the negative-leaning reviews, you may still want to think twice before you order it from Olive Garden.