Wondering exactly when your local Olive Garden opens and closes? Planning your visit around the right time slot can make a huge difference in your dining experience. Whether you want to grab a quick, affordable weekday lunch, take advantage of the happy hour drink specials, or enjoy a relaxed family dinner on the weekend, knowing the exact operating schedule ensures you arrive at the perfect time.
In this complete guide, we cover the standard Olive Garden hours for every day of the week, break down the special lunch and happy hour time windows, list the full holiday schedule so you never drive to a closed restaurant, and share insider tips on the best times to go to avoid long waits. For the full dining experience with prices and calories across every category, explore the complete Olive Garden menu.
Olive Garden Operating Hours USA 2026
Regular Weekly Hours
| Day | Opening Time | Closing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 11:00 AM | 10:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 11:00 AM | 10:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:00 AM | 10:00 PM |
| Thursday | 11:00 AM | 10:00 PM |
| Friday | 11:00 AM | 11:00 PM |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM | 11:00 PM |
| Sunday | 11:00 AM | 10:00 PM |
⚠️ Hours may vary slightly by location. Always verify with your local restaurant, especially in smaller cities and rural areas where some locations may close 30 minutes to 1 hour earlier than the standard schedule.
Special Time Windows at Olive Garden
Olive Garden divides its operating day into distinct dining windows, each with its own menu pricing and special offerings:
☀️ Lunch Hours
This is when the special lunch-sized portions are available at significantly lower prices. The famous Unlimited Soup, Salad & Breadsticks combo is also at its cheapest during this window. If you are on a budget, weekday lunch is the absolute best time to visit Olive Garden. Every entrée still comes with unlimited fresh breadsticks and your choice of house salad or homemade soup.
🍸 Happy Hour
During this afternoon window, many locations offer discounted drinks and appetizers at the bar and throughout the restaurant. Expect $5 cocktails, $4 glasses of house wine, and $3 draft beers alongside heavily discounted bar bites like Fried Mozzarella and Spinach-Artichoke Dip. Visit the Happy Hour page for full details, as availability depends on local liquor laws.
🌙 Dinner Hours
The full dinner menu with standard pricing kicks in after 3:00 PM. This is when you will find the complete selection of entrées, appetizers, desserts, and the full wine and cocktail bar. Weekend dinner (Friday and Saturday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM) is the busiest time at any Olive Garden, so use the app to join the waitlist remotely before arriving.
🚗 Carside ToGo
Olive Garden's Carside ToGo service operates during all regular business hours. You place your order online or through the app, drive to the restaurant at your chosen time, park in a designated Carside space, and a team member brings the food directly to your car. This is especially useful during peak dinner hours when dine-in waits can exceed 45 minutes. You get the same premium food without any of the wait.
Olive Garden Holiday Hours 2026
Planning a holiday meal out? Here is the complete breakdown of when Olive Garden is open, closed, or operating on reduced hours during every major US holiday:
| Holiday | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Open | Regular hours |
| Valentine's Day | Open | Very busy — reserve ahead |
| Easter Sunday | Open | Popular for family brunch |
| Mother's Day | Open | Busiest day of the year |
| Memorial Day | Open | Regular hours |
| 4th of July | Open | May close early |
| Labor Day | Open | Regular hours |
| Halloween | Open | Regular hours |
| Veterans Day | Open | Free entrée for vets |
| Thanksgiving | Closed | Nationwide closure |
| Christmas Eve | Limited | Usually closes early (6-8 PM) |
| Christmas Day | Closed | Nationwide closure |
| New Year's Eve | Open | May close early |
Best Times to Visit (Beat the Crowds)
Strategic timing can mean the difference between a relaxing 5-minute seating and a frustrating 60-minute wait:
Monday to Thursday, 11 AM – 12 PM
The absolute quietest time at any Olive Garden. You will be seated immediately, get attentive service, and enjoy lunch-priced menu items. Perfect for retirees, remote workers, or anyone with a flexible schedule.
Weekday Afternoons, 2 PM – 4 PM
The post-lunch, pre-dinner lull. The restaurant is nearly empty, servers have time to chat, and you get the full dinner menu with zero wait. This is the true insider's window.
Friday & Saturday, 5 PM – 6 PM
Moderate crowds. If you want to dine on a weekend night, arriving right at 5:00 PM gives you the best shot at being seated quickly before the main dinner rush hits around 6:30 PM.
Friday & Saturday, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
This is absolute peak time. Expect waits of 30 to 60+ minutes without a reservation. If you must visit during this window, use the Olive Garden app to join the waitlist remotely at least 30 minutes before arriving.
Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter
The three busiest days of the entire year. Waits can exceed 90 minutes. We strongly recommend ordering Carside ToGo or visiting on a different day. If you insist on dining in, arrive right at 11:00 AM opening.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Olive Garden's operating hours, holiday schedule, and best times to visit.
What time does Olive Garden open?
What time does Olive Garden close?
Is Olive Garden open on Thanksgiving?
What are the Olive Garden lunch hours?
Does Olive Garden take reservations?
Does Olive Garden have a drive-thru?
When is the best time to go to Olive Garden to avoid waiting?
Conclusion
Understanding the complete Olive Garden hours schedule is the key to a stress-free, perfectly timed dining experience. Whether you are targeting the budget-friendly weekday lunch window between 11 AM and 3 PM, the relaxing happy hour specials from 3 PM to 6 PM, or a full family dinner on a Saturday night, knowing exactly when to arrive makes all the difference. Remember that Friday and Saturday evenings between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM are the absolute busiest hours, so always use the Olive Garden app's remote waitlist feature to save yourself valuable time.
We update this hours page regularly to reflect any seasonal changes and holiday closures. For the full dining experience with up-to-date menu items, prices, and calories across every category, explore the complete Olive Garden menu. Happy dining!