Olive Garden Cheese Graters Are Only Worth It For The Bragging Rights
Part of the fun of going to Olive Garden is the ceremony of it all, from the endless salad and breadsticks to the vaguely Italian decor. And though you probably don't exactly associate the place with tableside service, there is one element that qualifies, and that's when your server asks if you'd like freshly grated cheese on any of your food. You can get the cheese grated onto anything, from your soup or salad to pasta (though I haven't tried asking for it on dessert yet), and when you request it, your server will whip out a handy rotary-style grater and make it rain finely grated cheese onto your food.
@bo_gjerness literally obsessed with it @Olive Garden #olivegarden #olivegardencheesegrater #olivegardenpasta #neverendingpastabowl
Late last year, TikTok users learned that you could purchase the cheese graters straight from Olive Garden, thanks to a video from user @bo_gjerness. She asked if she could purchase one on her birthday and got an affirmative answer. A stitch response from popular user @jordan_the_stallion9 (which has over 15 million views now) made the story go viral. Olive Garden customers were asking for cheese graters to the point that the company caved in and sold them for a limited time on its website.
The brand of the cheese grater was identified as Zyliss, which means you can get it online for yourself. But if you're looking to save money, there are now cheaper options available that can save you a few bucks.
Rotary cheese graters are sold at various prices
Because the Olive Garden graters can be purchased online, snagging one in person won't do you any favors other than the bragging rights. I visited an Olive Garden a few months ago, and my server told me that their location had put a moratorium on selling them since so many people were asking for them. Currently, you can get a Zyliss for around $20 on Amazon, but since that rotary style of cheese grater is fairly common, you can get different brands that serve the same function for cheaper. If you want to save a few dollars, OXO's is currently going for $17.99.
I have plenty of OXO hardware in my kitchen, and I'm a big fan of that brand, so I have a feeling it's a great grater for the price. Then, of course, there are bargain bin rotary cheese graters with prices in the single digits, but reviews on those are generally low to mixed. We recommend you stick to anything between $15 to $20 with solid reviews, like another customer favorite that comes from IKEA for around $17. It's nice to go to dinner and come away with a little souvenir and a fun story, but we all know the real fun is when someone else is making the cheese rain for you at a restaurant. If you're doing it yourself, you might as well save a few bucks while you're at it.