There's A Reason Those Complimentary Mints Taste Better At Olive Garden

There's lots to love at Olive Garden. From the tasty, free breadsticks doled out in staggering amounts to the heaps of Romano (not parmesan) cheese the workers generously grate onto your food, the complimentary items at Olive Garden are favorites for those who eat there. Another popular freebie at the Italian-inspired chain is the Andes chocolate mints given out at the end of each meal, a tradition at the restaurants for more than three decades. While Andes Mints can be purchased in stores, Olive Garden fans swear there's something different about the ones at the chain — and they're right. "The ratio of mint to chocolate is actually slightly different at OG than the ones you can buy in store! That's why they're so d*mn good!" a Reddit user revealed.

The version of Andes Mints available in retail stores has two wider layers of chocolate, with a much thinner ribbon of green mint sandwiched between them. The mints at Olive Garden have just one layer of chocolate and one layer of mint, equally sized, delivering more minty flavor and an exact balance to the chocolate. It may seem like a minor detail, but it's a big, minty deal to those who love these after-dinner treats. "Literally the best part of Olive Garden," another Redditor proclaimed, adding, "they hit different compared to the normal ones."

The restaurant mints are specially made for Olive Garden, through a partnership with Andes that dates back to the 1980s. In addition to the unique flavor ratios, the OG mints are distinguished by their wrappers. They have silver wrapping printed with the Olive Garden logo, while Andes Mints found in retail stores have green wrappers bearing the Andes logo.

If you're among the many who can't get enough of those shiny Olive Garden mints, fans and insiders share tips for scoring more (a whole lot more). One approach is simply asking if you can purchase a container of them at Olive Garden. The restaurants keep huge boxes on hand, and there reportedly isn't much the chain isn't willing to sell to customers in the spirit of Italian hospitality. For instance, you can also buy Olive Garden cheese graters (the same ones they pile up your plates with) — all you have to do is ask. "They'll sell you anything that isn't nailed down. And even then[,] they'd probably pry out the nails," a Reddit user joked.

If you ask to buy mints, Redditors say odds are good that a restaurant will just give you some for free. One of Olive Garden's core values is treating guests like family, and various online posters report being laden with mints to take home. "I've given people handfuls before because they asked," a self-identified Olive Garden worker shared. Some will go further than that. "As a server, I will hand an entire to-go box full for the right bribe," another self-ID'd employee quipped. "I remember this one server gave about 40-50 just because we asked if we can have a lot," a Reddit poster recalled. "And we [didn't] need to bribe him[,] lol."

Another pathway to making it rain mints is placing an Olive Garden catering order, which includes a catering-sized supply of the after-dinner treats. "If you order the catering[,] you get a s*** ton of mints," another Reddit poster advised. "Maybe have a party and keep those."