Baby boomers crown beloved restaurant chain as their favorite — but Gen Z doesn’t quite agree

Olive Garden is good for more than just unlimited breadsticks, and a recent survey found the Italian restaurant chain is a top choice among baby boomers.

YouGov’s U.S. restaurant brand rankings asked 7,500 adults ages 65 and older which casual dining chain they would consider visiting next.

Of those 7,500 adults, 33.8% responded that they would choose Olive Garden, which beat out other major casual dining chains, including Texas Roadhouse, Applebee’s, Cracker Barrel and Outback Steakhouse.

Olive Garden was the top answer among adults 65 and older when asked which casual dining chain they would consider purchasing food and drinks.

The Florida-based chain, which first opened in 1982, was also the top-ranked brand for service (12.8%) and dining experience (12.1%) among all Americans surveyed.

Fox News Digital reached out to Olive Garden for comment.

“In an environment where consumers are increasingly selective about how they spend their hard-earned dollars, quality, hospitality and the overall dining experience play a critical role in where they choose to eat,” Chad Moutray, chief economist for the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association, told Fox News Digital.

Olive Garden’s appeal extends beyond older diners, with the chain ranking highly as an option for family outings, avoiding cooking, and satisfying a specific food craving, according to an analysis by Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Brands report of 2026.

It also has the broadest emotional resonance of any brand, per the report.

“More people think of Olive Garden — and feel good about it — than any competitor,” according to Morning Consult.

Olive Garden leads the casual dining category for going out with family (40%), not wanting to cook (37%), and generous portions (32%), per the report.

The YouGov study showed that Olive Garden rose to the top of the ranks not just for baby boomers, but for Gen X and millennials as well.

Olive Garden was the most considered casual dining brand for ages 30–44 and 45–64.

In fact, the only age group where a casual dining restaurant other than Olive Garden took the No. 1 spot was Gen Z, who crowned Chili’s as the favorite.

Chili’s narrowly edged Olive Garden with 29.6% of all those surveyed in the 18–29 age group. Olive Garden was second with 28.7%.

Other top casual dining brands favored by baby boomers are Texas Roadhouse (28.2%), Applebee’s (24.7%), Cracker Barrel (24%) and Outback Steakhouse (22.1%).