Every Applebee’s Appetizer, Ranked Worst To Best
Applebee’s has been a topic of both internet fame and notoriety over the years. People used to love to hate it, but in the privacy of their leather seats, they hated to love it.
Applebee’s now has a deal where you can get two entrees for $24 (when did that happen? ), which makes it feel like a casual place to go on a weeknight with a date. It’s not great, but it brings back good memories.
CNN says that Walker Hayes’ song “Fancy Like” helped sales go up 10.5% in 2019 despite a drop in casual eating restaurants caused by a pandemic.
The song is now stuck in our heads and we can’t stop listening to it.
People say that Applebee’s is the worst restaurant, even though it isn’t officially the worst. This is because Reddit posts are full of people’s terrible restaurant stories.
But there are small wins in every place, like Complex’s story about how Kid Cudi started out as a server at Applebee’s. This is what makes Applebee’s the restaurant we love to hate.
Chicken Quesadilla
If it were possible, people would give the quesadilla starter 0 stars on Yelp because they are so angry about it.
The fact that people don’t like it is shocking, given how tasty it looks in the picture: house-made pico de gallo, melted cheese, and chipotle salsa wrapped in warm tortillas like a hug and served in perfectly symmetrical pieces that can be shared.
The most disappointing thing about this is how different it is from the picture-perfect appetizer that was promoted.
One Yelp review said that when they asked for no pico de gallo, the quesadilla they got was “simply cheese and tortilla,” which would be fine if it was free and after midnight.
In an Applebee’s Ask Me Anything Reddit thread, a line cook said that the money wasn’t worth the little work that went into it.
One former worker said in an Ask Me Anything Reddit thread that the only good thing about the place is that the pico de gallo is made in-house, so at least that is fresh.
Also, the best quesadillas are the ones you make at home.
Neighborhood Nachos
Like the famous quesadilla, the Neighborhood Nachos are a letdown because they don’t taste as good as they could.
Nachos are like quesadillas that have been taken apart, but they are fried and piled high with toppings that a quesadilla could never hold.
This one is no different: “freshly made” tortillas with chicken or beef, cheese, homemade pico de gallo, jalapeos, cilantro, guacamole, and sour cream.
Even with this mouth-watering copy, Applebee’s nachos can’t beat this joke about expectations vs. reality.
The reviews keep being just as bad as the food. One review in a worst restaurant experiences Reddit thread said that when they asked for cheese on their nachos,
“they were given two melted cheese slices” (Applebee’s, this is where you could have shined with your Queso dip.) One review on TripAdvisor said
that their nachos were “less than lukewarm,” and another said that they were tasteless, while shouting into the void of the internet, “How do you mess up nachos?!” Maybe no one will ever know, but let Applebee’s find out.
White Queso Dip & Chips
Even the worst cheese dip and chips are hard not to like. This throw-away starter is less about being creative and more about giving vegetarians at Applebee’s more cheese to fill a small void.
Even the other cheese-based snacks seemed more creative than the queso dip, which one Yelp reviewer called “uninspired.
“In the same Applebee’s employee Ask Me Anything Reddit thread, the line cook said that the tortilla chips weren’t exactly freshly made.
Instead, they were described as the kind of expensive tortilla chips that aren’t worth the value compared to how much the appetizer costs.
On top of that, Redbook magazine wrote about an Applebee’s incident in which the restaurant was accused of microwaving their dips and desserts, making customers feel cold and icy about their next choice of appetizer.
Try Moe’s queso instead if you want queso that won’t leave you with a bowl of cheesy sorrow.
Brewpub Pretzels & Beer Cheese Dip
The pretzel sticks and Blue Moon white cheddar cheese dip are creative twists on a standard pub dish. Instead of breadsticks, they use Alfredo sauce.
Even though finding new ways to drink alcohol is good for the soul, it can cause cholesterol levels to rise in ways that aren’t good.
The previous breadsticks with alfredo sauce had a huge 48 grams of fat and were on the list of things you should never order at Applebee’s.
The brewery pretzels have 46 grams of fat and 1,170 calories, according to Applebee’s nutrition page.
Compared to some other cheese dips (cough, cough), this version of a standard stands out, and the lack of specific bad reviews helps, for now.
Even though this is a downside, fans seem to love the appetizer on Twitter.
It even came in third place in a Twitter poll by Applebee’s for the best cuffing season appetizer, because who wouldn’t want to cuddle up next to something warm and gooey?
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Fans of Applebee’s who say they hate spinach and artichoke dip don’t want to accept that they love a comfort food that seems to be 70% vegetables, even if the other 30% is just butter.
It’s great for vegetarians because it can be an entree or a side dish, and you can still say, “Yes, I did eat my vegetables for dinner.”
The Spinach and Artichoke dip did better than the Brewpub Pretzels and the Quesadilla in the same Applebee’s Twitter poll that ranked snacks for cuffing season.
It still came in second place, behind chicken strips, but who can beat that? Also, Applebee’s menu doesn’t list chicken tenders as a starter, so a count should be done.
The biggest problem is still the argument about how much the chips are worth, which was brought up by a former line cook in an Ask Me Anything Reddit post, and the claims that Applebee’s heats its dips in the microwave.
But the staff says it’s a good and safe choice from the starter menu.
Boneless and Bone-in Wings
Nothing says “happy hour” like a busy Applebee’s bar with chicken wings, cold beer, and $1 Margaritas.
Most customers go for the boneless or bone-in wings when they want to satisfy their hunger quickly without eating too much of their food.
There are a lot of flavors to choose from, like Buffalo, extra hot Buffalo, garlic parmesan, honey BBQ, honey pepper, and sweet Asian chili.
A former employee of Applebee’s said in an Ask Me Anything Reddit thread that the only major downside to happy hour is finding out that the chicken wings are frozen and not made fresh to order.
Still, the $1 wings special that you can get with any burger makes the mystery worth the money, especially when you look at bang for your buck.
Plus, with their new Cosmic Cheetos-crusted wings, which are available for delivery at some places, you can’t help but be intrigued.
Mozzarella Sticks
This salty and sticky snack is the “little black dress” of appetizers. It has been a part of many happy memories at ballparks, amusement parks, and pools.
It’s a favorite comfort food that many places have changed and improved over and over again.
Thrillist says that it was one of the first starters on Applebee’s menu, alongside onion rings and french fries.
It’s hard not to love a food that has been a staple of American bar food and, more generally, American appetizer culture for so long.
Yes, they are “factory cooked,” as Michael Chaney put it on Quora. This is how a lot of things at Applebee’s are made.
“They come frozen in blocks, and all we have to do to cook them is put them in the deep fryer for a few minutes.
One unnamed line cook told Thrillist, “It’s crazy-easy. If I had to guess, I’d say we get more orders for mozzarella sticks than any other starter. Which I don’t mind at all.”
Can’t blame someone for liking an old book.
Crispy Cheese Bites
The crispy cheese bites are one of the newer appetizers on Applebee’s menu. They are a new take on the classic mozzarella sticks that we all know, love, and eat late at night.
The form isn’t as revolutionary as the wheel, but you shouldn’t ignore anything that comes with firecracker mayo on the side.
But making fried Cheetos cheese bites reinvented the reinvention (reinvention-inception) and broke vegetarians’ and carnivores’ assumptions of Applebee’s power.
In a YouTube review of the Cheetos cheese bites by Timmy’s Takeout, Alvarez says that they taste very salty and chewy, with a very weak Cheetos taste.
Overall, Alvarez gives them a 6.5 out of 10. He says that even though they have some flaws, they are still tasty and “delectable with ranch.”
Even though cheese bites are salty and don’t taste like Cheetos, they seem like a good choice for a snack when you want something different and dangerously cheesy, because who doesn’t like fried cheese?
The Classic Combo
Play “Hannah Montana,” because the Classic Combo is “the best of both worlds”—meat and vegetables, crunchy and gooey, saucy and savory, dippable and shared.
With options like boneless wings, mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip, and chicken quesadilla, everyone can get the taste, texture, and nutritional choice they want.
Even though it’s third on this list, it has (gasps in unison) 2,250 calories, making it the Applebee’s menu item with the most calories. But hey, we’re not here to judge.
But other restaurants offer better choices for a similar combination dish.In a Fast Food Face Off video on YouTube, regular guy Josh compared the appetizer samplers from TGI Fridays and Applebee’s.
TGI Fridays won in terms of overall texture and taste, right down to the marinara sauce.
He said that the chips at TGI Fridays were “homestyle” and the chips at Applebees were more like “Tostitos,” but this is just a matter of taste.
Even though TGI Fridays is more expensive, he thought it was a better deal. However, if you only look at the appetizers, Applebee’s is the best value and everyone will be happy.
Chicken Wonton Tacos
The chicken wonton tacos at Applebee’s are a cult classic in the world of fast casual eating, just like the bloomin’ onion at Outback Steakhouse or the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden.
Al Horford of the Boston Celtics loved the 2 for $20 (now $24-$25) special of egg rolls and tacos, which brought together Hispanic and Asian food in a way that changed the way Americans eat appetizers.
When the chicken wonton tacos were taken off the menu and then put back on in 2020, the demand went through the roof. This made people want to find similar recipes.
Even compared to other appetizers, the wonton taco nutrition facts are surprising.
It has only 590 calories, six grams of saturated fat, and less cholesterol and sodium than other appetizers. This makes it one of the healthier starters, along with some wings.
But in a poll by Mashed, about 22% of people said that the chicken wonton tacos were the worst appetizer on Applebee’s menu, even though they got great reviews and people asked for them to be brought back.
The only answer is that beauty is in the eye of the observer, and beauty looks like an open-faced wonton taco.
New Brew Pub Loaded Waffle Fries
If you’re reading this, congratulations on making it to the end to find the much-anticipated ending. The uNew Brew Pub Loaded Waffle Fries are Applebees’s newest starter.
They come hot and are topped with cheddar cheese, white cheddar beer cheese (the same cheese that comes with the brewpub pretzel), and Applewood-smoked bacon.
It is the best because it uses the best fry cut, like Chick-fil-A, which is probably the best fast food french fry (any other answer is unacceptable), and it has the beer cheese, which is one of the newest and most popular items on the menu.
In a Timmy Takeout YouTube video reviewing the loaded waffle fries and the new Applebee’s Impossible Burger, Alvarez stated the fries were seasoned well enough to mix with the melted cheese and bacon toppings, but the beer cheese was the best part.
He said that it tasted like beer and had a good texture. He also said that they were so good that they didn’t need ranch, so he gave it a score of 10 out of 10.
Just based on that, their loaded waffle fries could become the new classic at America’s favorite diner to hate.
FAQs
The worst-ranked appetizer at Applebee’s is the Spinach and Artichoke Dip.
The Chicken Quesadilla is ranked slightly better than the Spinach and Artichoke Dip.
The middle-ranked appetizer at Applebee’s is the Mozzarella Sticks.
The Classic Wings are considered one of the best appetizers at Applebee’s.
The highest-ranked non-wing appetizer at Applebee’s is the Boneless Wings.
Yes, the Brew Pub Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip is highly ranked among Applebee’s appetizers.
Yes, the Sriracha Shrimp are highly ranked among Applebee’s appetizers.
The lowest-ranked chicken appetizer at Applebee’s is the Chicken Wonton Tacos.
Yes, the Double Crunch Bone-In Wings are considered good and ranked high on Applebee’s menu.
The Chicken Wonton Tacos are ranked better than the Spinach and Artichoke Dip.
Yes, the Loaded Chicken Quesadillas are ranked higher than the Mozzarella Sticks.
Yes, the Classic Buffalo Wings are a popular choice and considered one of the best appetizers.
The Sweet Potato Fries are ranked moderately well on Applebee’s menu.