31 Popular Applebee’s Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best

31 Popular Applebee’s Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best

Applebee’s is a well-known group of casual dining restaurants with a large menu that has something for everyone. Because there are so many choices, it can be hard to decide what to order.

In this piece, we’ll look into Applebee’s and rank their 31 most popular menu items from worst to best.

Whether you eat at Applebee’s often or are going there for the first time, this list will help you make good decisions and have a great time.

Comparing fast-food chains, Applebee’s menu prices stand out for their affordability and deliciousness.

Buffalo chicken wedge salad

This chunky wedge salad is a standard, but you’ll have to work hard to eat it.

Instead of being full of healthy dark green leaves, this salad has big chunks of boneless Buffalo chicken wings on top of chunks of a head of lettuce.

It doesn’t work out very well. This salad is so bad that not even the breadstick that comes with it can save it. It’s definitely a menu item at Applebee’s that you should pass up.

Even though we like the little pieces of tomato, celery, and red onion, this salad is just a strange mix of different foods thrown together on one dish.

Four Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders

The Four Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders is another food combination that probably shouldn’t be tried.

The four-cheese mac and cheese tastes great on its own, even with chunks of applewood-smoked bacon mixed in.

However, the honey pepper chicken tenders, which are hotter than they are sweet, change the whole flavor profile in a way that is not better.

Honey pepper doesn’t go well with a four-cheese sauce, but these meals would taste great if they were served separately. Let’s hope that Applebee’s improves this menu choice.

Double-glazed baby back ribs

We didn’t like the Double-glazed baby back ribs, which came with fries and a full or half rack of ribs.

Even though the ribs are slow-cooked to the point where the meat falls off the bone, the sauces used to cover them aren’t very good, making this dish not very good.

If you want ribs, you should go to a rib shack or grill place where the ribs are cooked right. But if you really want ribs and you go to Applebee’s, choose the double-glazed baby back ribs instead of the riblets.

Tex Mex Shrimp Bowl

Applebee’s Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl has grilled chipotle lime shrimp, but it is a bit too strong for the dish.

On a bed of mixed greens, with servings of cilantro rice, homemade pico de gallo, black bean corn salsa, and guacamole, there are a lot of different tastes going on, and not all of them are good.

Some parts of this food, like the lime wedge and the crispy strips on top, taste great, but when you mix them all together in an Irresist-A-Bowl, it just doesn’t taste good.

The salsa is great on its own, the rice is tasty, and the pico de gallo is great, but when they are all mixed together, there are too many flavors and not enough good ones.

Double Crunch Shrimp

We just don’t like the Double Crunch Shrimp at Applebee’s. There is way too much breading, which is why this food has a double crunch.

Even though the breading is similar to that of the tasty onion rings served as a starter, it’s too much for this dish. It takes away from the shrimp’s fresh fish taste and makes it taste pretty bland.

The fries that come with this dish aren’t anything special, but the cup of coleslaw that comes with it is always a hit. Maybe this menu item would taste better if it didn’t have “double crunch,” but instead had a light coating.

Garlicky green beans

Most of the time, there is only one word to describe this side dish: yum! But the truth is that it rests on who’s making it in the kitchen.

If you don’t put enough spicy butter sauce on green beans that are crisp but still soft, they taste like a garden.

Blech. If you get too much of the spicy butter sauce in one bite, you’ll have to drink a lot of water to get rid of the strong taste.

Most of the time, they’re a great side dish, but you might not get a good batch, so it’s a bit of a risk to order them.

Quesadilla burger

Applebee’s says this quesadilla burger is part burger and part quesadilla, but we just think it looks gross.

With melted pepper jack cheese on top of burger patties and flour tortilla pieces instead of buns, this burger is a double-decker that doesn’t even sound good, let alone look good.

The Mexi-ranch dressing and the pieces of cabbage and tomatoes don’t do much to improve the taste. We can’t eat this thing on the menu.

It’s too creative to try at a place like Applebee’s, which serves simple food. You should just get the quesadilla or the burger instead of this strange combination.

Brew pub pretzels with beer cheese dip

These soft Bavarian-style pretzel sticks, which are sprinkled with salt flakes and baked with butter, taste great, but they’re too heavy to hold.

This appetizer is harder to eat than breadsticks because they are bigger, harder, and chewier. The white cheddar beer cheese might sound interesting, but this secret dip is best not looked into.

The honey-Dijon mustard sauce makes the pretzel sticks taste a little strange, too. If you don’t mind eating pretty hard on your appetizers, you might like this dish.

If you don’t like that, you might want to try something else.

Chicken tenders

Even though the chicken tenders at Applebees are much tastier than those at McDonald’s or anywhere else, they aren’t the best thing to order unless you’re a child.

It’s strange that they’re a choice for adults, but the only thing that makes them stand out from other places’ tenders is that they’re bigger and have more white meat than the bite-sized options at fast food places.

Applebee’s has a lot of other meals on the menu that are much tastier than this one, so we suggest you skip this one and try something else.

Hand-battered fish & chips

If you want seafood, you should not order the hand-battered fish and chips at Applebee’s.

They are too greasy and a poor copy of what you’d get at a real seafood restaurant or even if you made fish and chips at home.

Even though the fish is thin and light, it doesn’t taste right. If you want fish, try the Shrimp n’ Parmesan Sirloin or the Classic Blackened Shrimp Alfredo bowl.

But the tiny black cup of coleslaw that comes with the bland “chips” or French fries gets two thumbs up. It’s not too bad.

Quesadilla chicken salad

If you like salads and love quesadillas, you might like the quesadilla chicken salad. But we don’t think it tastes very good.

Fresh yard greens sit on a bed of crispy quesadillas that are oozing with cheese and chopped tomatoes.

The salad also has cubes of grilled chicken, spicy black bean-corn salsa, and crispy tortilla strips. The fresh cilantro ranch dressing made at home has an interesting taste, but we wouldn’t suggest it.

We think that this is one of the things that shouldn’t be mixed together. There are just too many things going on for our taste.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne

The three cheese chicken penne dish at Applebee’s is a rich and creamy mix of asiago, Parmesan, and white cheddar cheeses that cover a bowl of penne noodles.

This dish is one of our top picks on the menu. This tasty dish has grilled chicken strips on top of a bed of penne noodles and tomatoes on top of bruschetta.

This gives the meal texture and nutrition. This pasta dish, which we think is pretty good, goes great with a golden-brown breadstick brushed with garlicky butter and parsley. We think it’s great.

White queso dip & chips

Applebee’s is known for its nacho chips and salsa, but if you switch out the salsa for white queso dip, your taste buds will go on a whole new adventure.

Queso is a dip made of cheese and salsa, but the cheese is usually yellow.

When you switch the yellow cheese for white cheese and add onions and green chile, it turns into a spicy and creamy cheese dip that tastes great before your main dish.

White queso dip can be made with white American cheese, pepper jack, Monterey jack, and jalapenos to give it a little kick.

Whisky Bacon Burger

The Whisky Bacon Burger’s rich taste, which comes from Fireball whisky, is a surprise.

When looking at the menu at Applebee’s, this all-beef patty topped with two slices of pepper jack cheese, crispy onions, and two strips of applewood-smoked bacon, plus lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, is so tempting.

The bigger, buttery Brioche bun on this burger gives this flavorful dish an extra dimension.

The basic fries that come with it could use a bit more seasoning, but this burger is great on its own and will quickly become a favorite.

Classic bacon cheeseburger

If you like cheeseburgers, you’ll love the classic cheeseburger and its friend, the standard bacon cheeseburger, both from Applebee’s.

They’re so thick and juicy that you’ll have to mush them down with your hands or be ready to take huge bites.

For the standard cheeseburger, two slices of melted American cheese are placed on top of an all-beef patty, which is then served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles on a deliciously buttery and thick Brioche bun.

This burger is clearly different from what other restaurants have to offer.

Both the classic cheeseburger and the standard bacon cheeseburger topped with two strips of applewood-smoked bacon taste great when served with seasoned classic fries. Can you say yum?!

Applebee’s Onion rings

Applebee’s Onion rings is one of the best ways to start a meal. They have a good amount of breading and flavor, but not too much, and come with a few different sauces to dip them in.

This great starter is made up of thick rings of onion that are full of flavor.

We really like that the onion rings in this starter aren’t greasy. When there are thinly sliced onions, there is sometimes too much breading, if you ask us.

But these onion rings are the right combination of crunchy breading and thick slices of onion that don’t drip grease.

Tuscan garden chicken salad

The Tuscan garden chicken salad is a popular choice for a light lunch or a healthy dinner. This salad tastes great and is easy on the stomach, too.

It has a mix of sweet and savory greens, cucumber cubes, bruschetta tomatoes, and red onions, and chunks of tasty grilled chicken on top.

The delicious tang of this Applebee’s dish comes from the light lemon olive oil dressing that is served on the side. This big bowl of salad is sure to make you feel full.

At this casual dining place, the fact that it only has 590 calories makes it even more appealing.

Sirloin steak

Even though Applebee’s isn’t a restaurant and isn’t known for its sirloin steaks, they are delicious. The USDA Select top sirloins come in two sizes: 6 ounces and 8 ounces.

They are lightly seasoned before being put on the grill, where they cook until each bite is juicy and full of deliciousness.

This item on the menu is also served with healthy steamed veggies and delicious garlic mashed potatoes with bits of bacon.

This is a very filling meal, so make sure you’re really hungry before you order it.

Clubhouse Grille

Applebee’s Clubhouse Grille sandwich is a great choice if you want something lighter than a burger or steak but don’t feel like eating a salad.

On warm potato bread, there are thin slices of ham and turkey, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, two strips of applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and honey barbecue sauce.

The tastes of the meats and cheeses go well together in each bite. When you add the rich flavor of applewood-smoked bacon and the mayo-honey barbecue sauce, this food becomes a popular alternative to the heavier meals on the menu.

Grilled chicken breast

If you’re trying hard to eat healthy but find it hard or even impossible to eat well when you’re out, the grilled chicken breast at Applebee’s is just what you need.

This big, juicy piece of white meat is grilled over an open flame to perfection so the spices can soak in. It comes with a side of steamed veggies so you can get your greens for the day.

It also comes with a pile of garlic mashed potatoes with bits of skin and bacon that aren’t as healthy but are still pretty tasty.

If you don’t want potatoes, you could have spicy green beans or a side salad instead.

Classic broccoli chicken alfredo

The Classic broccoli chicken alfredo is one of the most popular meals at Applebee’s. The company calls it a “neighborhood favorite” because it is so popular in the area.

This dish has it all, from the seasoned chicken chunks on top of a bed of noodles to the rich, creamy white alfredo sauce with just a hint of spice.

The steamed broccoli has just the right amount of crunch and bite to go with the soft fettuccine noodles.

It also makes this food healthier. It also comes with a breadstick, and Applebee’s breadsticks are so good that no one can say no to them.

Prime Rib Dipper

You probably wouldn’t expect to find this kind of dish on the menu at Applebee’s, but the Prime Rib Dipper sandwich is one of the best things you can get there.

The prime rib is thinly sliced and topped with grilled onions and melted American cheese. It’s served on a warm cheddar roll that makes every bite taste great.

The herb-flavored mayo made in-house and the French onion au jus for dipping give every bite a taste you’ve never had before.

The prime rib sandwich, which comes with seasoned standard fries, is a must-try the next time you go to Applebee’s.

Neighborhood nachos beef

The Neighborhood Nachos Beef is listed as a starter on Applebee’s menu, but it comes on a long plate with so much food that it’s too much for one or even two people.

White corn tortilla chips are topped with taco-seasoned ground beef, queso blanco, melted cheddar cheeses, homemade pico de gallo, sliced jalapenos, cilantro, a big dollop of sour cream, and a small dollop of guacamole.

This entree is more than filling and tastes great. When you get a plate of nachos, the bottom is usually just chips, but that’s not usually the case with Applebee’s Neighborhood Nachos Beef dish.

Shrimp ‘n Parmesan Sirloin

With Applebee’s Shrimp n’ Parmesan Sirloin, you don’t have to choose between seafood and meat if you can’t decide.

The restaurant’s version of surf and turf is an 8-ounce USDA Select top sirloin that has been seasoned and cooked, then topped with sauteed blackened shrimp and a creamy lemon butter Parmesan sauce.

This dish is full of flavors that go well together and will fill your cravings for both steak and seafood.

It comes with healthy steamed veggies and a mountain of bacon-filled garlic mashed potatoes. Simply put, this dish can’t go wrong.

Bourbon Street Steak

If you want to be fancy like the country music singer Walker Hayes, order the Bourbon Street Steak.

This 8-ounce USDA Select top sirloin steak is thrown on the grill and dressed up with Cajun spices, garlic butter, and mushrooms and onions that have been cooked in butter.

On the side of the steak dish are garlic mashed potatoes. The Bourbon Street steak is named after a popular street in New Orleans.

It is full of adventure and tastes great. If you haven’t already, you should try this one for sure.

Chicken Fajita Rollup

Applebee’s has rollups, which are a tasty and healthy choice to salads that are too heavy. Two of the items on the menu look like salads, and the Chicken Fajita Rollup is exactly what it sounds like.

A white flour shell is filled with juicy chipotle chicken, crisp lettuce strips, a mix of cheddar cheeses, and house-made pico de gallo.

It is served with Mexi-ranch dipping sauce and classic fries. Rolling up chicken quesadillas and chicken fajitas is a fun way to eat them together.

It has a kick to it, so be sure to have a drink on hand to quench your thirst.

Sizzlin’ Caramel Apple Blondie

Applebee’s has delicious brownies, cake, and a Sizzlin’ Caramel Apple Blondie for dessert. The warm and gooey butter pecan blondie is cut into bars and served as a treat.

It is layered with buttery, cinnamon-sweetened apple slices and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The delicious dessert is topped with candied nuts and drizzled with warm, rich caramel sauce.

It will blow your mind how good it is. If you still have room for cake after your main dish, this is the one to get. You won’t be sorry, because it tastes incredibly good!

Bacon cheddar grilled chicken sandwich

As the bacon cheddar grilled chicken sandwich, the main dish’s grilled chicken breast is put between two tasty Brioche buns and covered with hearty melted cheddar cheese.

This delicious sandwich is topped with pieces of smoky bacon, crisp lettuce, tangy onion, sour pickles, tart tomatoes, and barbecue bacon ranch sauce.

It will fill you up and is a little bit healthier than the beef burger version. This sandwich is high on our list of things you have to eat. It comes with seasoned fries on the side.

Strawberry balsamic chicken salad

Strawberries are a great way to add a burst of fresh, springtime flavor to a salad, and Applebee’s has made good use of that in this salad.

Applebee’s strawberry balsamic chicken salad is a great and healthy choice. Fresh mixed greens are topped with garden tomatoes, red onions, chunks of grilled chicken, and sliced almonds.

A balsamic glaze and a sweet lemon olive dressing are served on the side. Again, a great golden brown breadstick will be served on the side.

This salad has a lot of strong tastes that go well together to make a burst of sweet fruit and sour balsamic dressing.

If you’re thinking about getting a salad when you go to Applebee’s, this is the one you should get.

Mozzarella sticks

When you go to Applebee’s, you have to order the tried-and-true mozzarella sticks from the appetizers area.

Don’t be shocked if your table fights over who gets the last one. The outside is golden brown and crispy, and the inside is full of melted strings of warm, gooey mozzarella cheese.

To be honest, the eight sticks that come with marina sauce or homemade ranch dressing aren’t enough. You might even need to order twice as many because they are so good.

When you go to Applebee’s next, make sure to order a lot and enjoy every bite, but only after you’ve taken your share off the plate and before anyone else does.

Fiesta lime chicken

The best thing on Applebee’s menu, in our opinion, is the Fiesta lime chicken. It has a lot of different colors and textures, and it’s full of taste. In yet another meal, the grilled chicken is the star.

It is glazed with a tangy lime sauce and drizzled with a slightly sour but still tasty Mexi-ranch sauce. On top of the chicken breast, which has crispy tortilla strips on it, a mix of cheddar cheeses melts.

On the side, you get a cup of pico de gallo and a little bit of hot Spanish rice.

Mixing the homemade pico de gallo with the rice and putting the tortilla strips all over the plate is a great way to eat this food.

This food has a lot of different tastes and won’t let you down.

FAQs About Popular Applebee’s Menu Items