I went to Olive Garden, Carrabba's, and Maggiano's with a $50 budget. One chain had the best value, and another served the best food.

I compared $50 meals at three different Italian restaurant chains to find the best value.Amanda ShammasI dined at Olive Garden, Carrabba's, and Maggiano's with a $50 budget.I ordered the same menu items at each restaurant chain — fried calamari and chicken Parmesan.

Olive Garden definitely offered the most value, but I thought Maggiano's had the best food.Growing up in an Italian-American family, I rarely ordered Italian food at restaurants, since my mom's homemade versions set the bar pretty high.Still, I've always wondered whether the big Italian chain restaurants are actually worth the money.

So, within the same week, I visited Olive Garden, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and Maggiano's Little Italy in New Jersey, each with a $50 budget.I ordered the same meal at each restaurant — calamari and chicken Parmesan. If I had room left in my budget, I added dessert to round out the experience.

Here's how it went.My first stop was at Olive Garden.Amanda ShammasWith over 950 locations — many of which are located in the US — Olive Garden is one of the country's most popular Italian chains.

Today, it's owned by Darden Restaurants, which also owns chains like Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, and Yard House.I have fond memories of celebrating friends' birthdays here as a child, but I hadn't been back in years. So, I was excited to see if it still lived up to those memories.

My server brought over a complimentary basket of warm breadsticks.Amanda ShammasEvery adult entrée at Olive Garden comes with unlimited breadsticks, which were just as salty, buttery, and fluffy as I remembered.After I placed my order, another fresh basket was at the table within minutes.

The house salad came in a large serving bowl.Amanda ShammasMy meal also came with unlimited soup or salad. I went with the house salad, which contained lettuce, olives, onion, pepperoncini, tomatoes, croutons, and Parmesan cheese, and arrived tossed in a creamy Italian dressing.

It was simple, fresh, and delicious. Plus, t