Olive Garden Customer Thought The Restaurant Was Giving Her A Recommendation, And Then She Realized What Was Going On
by Ben Auxier
Alright, cards on the table, and this isn’t an ad or anything, but I actually love Olive Garden.
I know it’s not healthy, and I know it’s about as authentically Italian as Super Mario Bros, but pasta is my comfort food I take unlimited breadsticks as a personal challenge.
You gotta know what you’re getting though, as TikTok user @marnie.perez8a discovered:
“I thought the icon was showing the Olive Garden recommended dishes,” reads the top caption.
She indicated a small triangular icon next to some of the menu options.
“Like, sometimes, like, ignorance is bliss,” she says, perusing the Tour of Italy.
“But,” says the bottom caption, “it was actually an alert that it’s a high sodium dish.”
Sure enough, the fine print at the bottom of the menu reads:
“Warning: ▲ indicates that the sodium (salt) content of this item is higher than the total daily recommended limit (2300 mg).
High sodium intake can increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke.”
@marnie.perez8a I didn’t need to know that @Olive Garden 🥲 #og #olivegarden
Apparently some people WANT high sodium?
But this is not super well known:
Worth it!
Eat smarter, not harder.
Dang it, now I really want some alfredo.
If you liked that story, check out this video from a former Chipotle employee who reveals how the company cheats customers out of food.

Sign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox.