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.

My first stop was at Olive Garden.

With 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.

Every 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.

My 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, the fact that it was never-ending made it feel like a great value.

My calamari appetizer arrived quickly, but it wasn't particularly memorable.

As an appetizer, I ordered the fried calamari ($12.49), which was served with marinara sauce, spicy ranch, and a lemon wedge.

The portion size was decent, but there weren't many tentacle pieces, which are my favorite.

The calamari itself was definitely crispy, but I thought there was a bit too much breading and not enough actual seafood. The marinara was flavorful, and although I liked the spicy ranch, I didn't think it was necessary.

The chicken Parmesan exceeded my expectations.

The chicken Parmesan ($20.79) came with two cutlets and a side of spaghetti topped with marinara sauce.

I was pleasantly surprised by the chicken cutlets. They were flavorful with lightly crispy edges, and the broiled cheese on top added a rich, savory flavor that really tied everything together.

The side of spaghetti was decent, too. The marinara had thick chunks of tomatoes and leaned a little on the sweeter side. I thought it could've used more salt, but it paired well with the chicken.

It wasn't the best chicken Parmesan I've ever had, but it was definitely a solid version of the classic.

I had enough room in my budget for dessert, so I ordered tiramisu.

I had some money left in my budget, so I ordered the tiramisu ($8.99), which had a bold coffee flavor, a generous layer of mascarpone cream, and a perfectly moist ladyfinger base. Every bite was rich without being too heavy.

Overall, I thought my meal at Olive Garden was solid. At $42.27 before tax and tip, the amount of food I received made it feel like a great value. I knew this was going to be a tough meal to beat.

My second stop was Carrabba's Italian Grill.

With 203 locations across the US, Carrabba's Italian Grill is a smaller chain than Olive Garden.

It's owned by Bloomin' Brands, which is the parent company of chains like Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse.

I'd never dined here before, so I went in with no expectations.

The complimentary bread was my favorite of the three.

The bread for the table arrived as a warm, sliced loaf.

I was excited to see it came with a small plate of herbs and a side of olive oil to make your own dip. This combination was salty, herby, and full of flavor.

When I think of classic Italian restaurant bread, this is exactly what comes to mind.

The house salad was pretty good, too.

My entrée came with a house salad — lettuce, carrots, shredded red cabbage, pepperoncini, and olives — which came out tossed in a creamy Parmesan dressing. I really enjoyed it, especially when paired with the freshly grated cheese my server offered me.

The portion was decent, and I actually liked this salad the best in terms of taste.

I wasn't blown away by the fried calamari from Carrabba's.

The calamari ($16.49) came out with a lemon wedge, marinara sauce, and Ricardo sauce — a lemon-butter mixture.

The first thing I noticed was how light the breading looked in color. I thought it might have needed a little more time in the fryer, but surprisingly, it was still nice and crispy. However, it was fairly greasy.

That said, I liked that this version of the classic appetizer had more tentacle pieces, was well-seasoned with a peppery flavor, and seemed to have a better ratio of seafood to breading.

The Ricardo sauce was unique, but paired with the already greasy calamari, it was a bit too rich for me.

I was a bit disappointed by the chicken Parmesan.

When the chicken Parmesan ($24.99) hit the table, my first impression was that the cheese looked pale and was missing the golden, broiled finish I usually look for. I also thought there was too much of it, which caused the dish to feel greasy.

The chicken itself was flavorful, though, and I liked that the cutlet was thin with lightly crispy edges.

In terms of the spaghetti, the pomodoro sauce was too sharp and tangy for my liking, and I thought it needed a little sweetness to balance the acidity.

Because I spent $41.48 without tax and tip, I couldn't order dessert without going over budget.

Although I enjoyed parts of this meal, my favorite items ended up being the bread and salad, which made it hard for this option to stand out.

My last stop was Maggiano's Little Italy.

Finally, I visited my local Maggiano's Little Italy for the first time, which is owned by Brinker International, the parent company of Chili's.

With only 48 locations nationwide, Maggiano's is by far the smallest chain I visited. But from the moment I walked in, it felt like the most upscale restaurant of the three.

The white tablecloths and jazz playing in the dining room immediately made the restaurant feel more like a special-occasion spot than a casual chain.

At Maggiano's, I got complimentary rolls.

Instead of traditional Italian bread, Maggiano's served warm, sweet buns topped with flaky sea salt and whipped butter that melted instantly into the fluffy center.

They weren't what I typically expect to receive at an Italian restaurant, but they were delicious nonetheless.

The calamari was pricey but worth it.

The calamari ($20) from Maggiano's was on the pricier side, but the portion was so large that it felt justified.

It was served with a lemon wedge and marinara sauce — no second dipping sauce like I received at the other two chains. There were plenty of tentacle pieces, which I loved, along with a good mix of rings.

The calamari was perfectly golden brown, tasted fresh, and was super crispy without being overly greasy. It had just the right amount of breading and was seasoned well with a nice salty finish. Taste-wise, this was my clear winner.

My entrée didn't come with a salad, but the quality of the meal made up for it.

Unlike the other two restaurants, my entrée didn't come with a side salad, which was a bit disappointing. So, I got right into the chicken Parmesan ($28.50).

Like the others, it came with two cutlets, but these were by far the thickest. Despite their size, they were incredibly fresh, juicy, and not tough at all.

The cheese had a nice broiled finish, and there was just the right amount of it. It wasn't overwhelming, allowing the crispy coating and flavorful chicken to shine through. I also noticed fresh basil on top, which was a nice touch.

The spaghetti portion was easily the largest I received at any of the three restaurants. The marinara sauce was also my favorite — smooth and fresh-tasting, with just the right amount of sweet and tangy flavors.

In the end, this was an excellent chicken Parmesan. Although I personally prefer a thinner cutlet, this one completely won me over with how juicy it was and how crispy the edges stayed.

Before tax and tip, I spent $48.50 at Maggiano's, so I didn't have room in my budget for dessert.

This ended up being the most expensive meal of the three and offered the least variety since it didn't include any extras. However, the portion sizes were generous, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

Overall, Olive Garden offered the best value, but Maggiano's food was my favorite.

In total, I spent $42.27 at Olive Garden (with dessert), $41.48 at Carrabba's (without dessert), and $48.50 at Maggiano's (without dessert or a salad).

If we're talking strictly about value, Olive Garden is hard to beat. Between the unlimited breadsticks, never-ending soup or salad, generous portions, and enough room in the budget for dessert, this chain gave me the most food for my money.

If you're dining with a large group, feeding a family, or trying to stay on budget, Olive Garden is an easy recommendation.

That said, the food from Maggiano's was my favorite. The quality was noticeably higher, and the experience felt more elevated. Personally, I'd happily spend the extra few dollars to dine here again.

Business Insider reached out to Olive Garden, Carrabba's, and Maggiano's for comment.