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.

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.

Olive Garden is owned by Darden Restaurants.

Amanda Shammas

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.