The Olive Garden Cheese Grater is a unique retail item priced at $19.99, featuring the restaurant's signature tabletop cheese grater paired with a full block of Romano cheese — the same Pecorino Romano block that servers use tableside at the restaurant to grate fresh cheese over pasta and salad. At 180 calories per serving, the Romano cheese itself is a concentrated, aged, high-flavor ingredient that guests use tableside at home the same way it is used at the restaurant. This is the item for guests who want to replicate the authentic Olive Garden fresh-grated cheese experience at home.
The tabletop cheese grater at Olive Garden is part of the restaurant's service ritual — servers bring it to the table and grate cheese directly over pasta and salad at the guest's request. Purchasing the grater and Romano block allows guests to recreate this ritual in their own kitchen. The Romano block is harder and more intense than Parmesan, with a sharper, more peppery finish that holds up to pasta and hearty sauces better than milder cheeses.
The Cheese Grater item is priced at $19.99 and includes both the grater and a block of Romano cheese. It is listed under Sides, Sauces and Extras on the online menu and is available for pickup or delivery.
The kit includes Pecorino Romano cheese — the same aged Italian sheep's milk cheese that servers grate tableside at the restaurant. Romano is sharper and saltier than Parmesan and is Olive Garden's traditional finishing cheese for pasta dishes.
Yes. Pecorino Romano pairs well with virtually any pasta preparation, including marinara, meat sauce, carbonara, and Alfredo. It is particularly effective on tomato-based sauces where its sharpness complements the acidity, and on carbonara where its saltiness balances the richness.
The Cheese Grater and Romano block are available through Olive Garden's online ordering system for both pickup and delivery. It may also be available through third-party delivery services at locations that partner with those platforms.
Both are hard Italian aged cheeses used as finishing cheese on pasta, but they differ significantly in flavor. Romano (Pecorino Romano) is made from sheep's milk and has a sharper, saltier, more assertive flavor. Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) is made from cow's milk and has a nuttier, milder flavor. Olive Garden uses Romano for the stronger flavor contrast on their pasta dishes.
