Can You Bring Your Own Bottle Of Wine Into Olive Garden?

Olive Garden has many drinks patrons can have with their meals, including cocktails, beer, and nonalcoholic options like fruit lemonades, iced teas, and off-menu Italian sodas. Wine is also a natural choice for the eatery's Italian-inspired fare. However, restaurant wine markups can be steep, and even if you're willing to cover the cost, you may prefer to drink your own bottle instead. The good news is that Olive Garden generally allows you to bring your own wine, though you will probably have to pay extra for the privilege.

While the casual dining chain is usually accommodating, you shouldn't assume BYOB is guaranteed. Most U.S. states legally allow it, but some don't, and managers at individual locations may ban the practice. Always call before going to ask if it's permitted, and, if so, expect to pay a corkage fee. It's common for any restaurant that allows patrons to bring in wine to charge anywhere from $7 to $15 for opening the bottle, serving it, and covering other costs, such as the use of its glasses.

There are some general guidelines you should follow when you bring wine with you to Olive Garden (or any restaurant). The bottle should be unopened, which is not only good practice, it's usually legally required. Make sure it's the right temperature for drinking, so the restaurant doesn't have to be involved in chilling it, for example. Don't bring a bottle that's on the wine list or one that's really cheap. While this one may apply more to fancier places, it's polite to offer a sample to your server (and to the sommelier, too, if there is one).

Even though you may want to enjoy your own bottle of vino, the chain actually has a pretty good selection. It offers more than 20 options across different varieties, with choices meant to appeal to any kind of wine drinker. What's more, customers can get a small taste of any of them for free, or for 25 cents where complimentary samples aren't allowed. Olive Garden also has a kind of reverse BYOB policy at some of its restaurants, where you can get alcohol to go as long as it's legal under local law.