11 Menu Items You Should Never Order At Applebee’s
Ever found yourself staring at Applebee’s massive menu, wondering what to pick?
While this popular chain offers plenty of tasty options, not everything deserves a spot on your plate.
As someone who’s worked in restaurant kitchens for years, I’ve got the inside scoop on what to skip.
Here’s my rundown of Applebee’s items that might leave your taste buds disappointed and your wallet feeling lighter.
1. Double Crunch Shrimp: The Deceptive Seafood Trap
Last summer, I ordered the Double Crunch Shrimp expecting a seafood delight. What arrived was mostly breading with tiny shrimp hiding inside – like playing a disappointing game of ‘find the actual seafood.’ The excessive breading soaks up oil during frying, making each bite greasier than necessary.
You’re essentially paying premium prices for what amounts to fancy fried batter with a hint of shrimp. Nutritionally speaking, this dish packs a whopping amount of sodium and calories with minimal protein payoff. If seafood’s what you’re craving, there are better options that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve eaten a salt-soaked sponge masquerading as dinner.
2. Oriental Chicken Salad: Not As Healthy As You Think
The name ‘salad’ tricks many health-conscious diners into thinking they’re making a smart choice. I nearly fell for it myself during a lunch meeting last month! The crispy chicken pieces topping this dish are deep-fried and coated in sugary dressing, practically negating any nutritional benefits from the vegetables underneath.
The Oriental Chicken Salad packs more calories than some burgers on the menu. That sweet honey BBQ dressing? It’s loaded with sugar and sodium that’ll spike your blood sugar faster than a milkshake. For those genuinely seeking a healthy option, this salad is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. You’d be better off ordering a grilled chicken dish with a side of fresh veggies if you’re watching your waistline.
3. White Queso Dip & Chips: The Congealed Disappointment
Nothing ruins a night out faster than subpar cheese dip. My friends and I ordered this starter during happy hour last week, and boy was it a letdown! The queso arrives piping hot but quickly transforms into a thick, congealed mess before you’re halfway through the basket of chips.
The texture becomes increasingly unappetizing – developing that dreaded “skin” on top while the bottom portion remains oddly separated. Flavor-wise, it’s surprisingly bland despite the jalapeños supposedly mixed in. Most concerning is how the dip contains numerous preservatives and artificial ingredients. For roughly the same price, you could get freshly made guacamole that tastes infinitely better and doesn’t turn into cheese cement before you finish your first margarita.
4. Quesadilla Burger: The Heartburn Highway
My adventurous stomach met its match when I tried this monstrosity during a birthday celebration. Imagine a perfectly good burger squashed between two greasy quesadillas instead of a bun – it’s excess for the sake of excess. The Quesadilla Burger combines two separate dishes that work fine on their own but create chaos together.
The tortillas quickly become soggy from burger juices, creating a structurally unsound mess that’s nearly impossible to eat without wearing half of it. At nearly 1,500 calories, this fusion nightmare delivers more than half your daily caloric needs in one sitting. Your digestive system will be working overtime processing this combination of multiple cheeses, beef patty, bacon, and sauces – I’m getting heartburn just thinking about my experience with it!
5. Spinach & Artichoke Dip: The Veggie Illusion
The name sounds virtuous – spinach and artichokes must be healthy, right? Wrong! I ordered this during a girls’ night out thinking I was making a somewhat responsible choice. The reality is a tiny amount of vegetables drowning in a sea of cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. What little spinach exists has been cooked until any nutritional value has waved goodbye. The artichoke pieces are so scarce you’ll find yourself on a treasure hunt with each bite.
Meanwhile, the chips served alongside add another layer of empty calories. For the same price, you could order a side salad and an appetizer with actual vegetable content. Don’t let the green specks fool you – this dip is essentially melted cream cheese with a spinach garnish that’ll leave you feeling heavy rather than satisfied.
6. Fiesta Lime Chicken: A Sodium Overload
My taste buds were initially fooled by the zesty flavors of this dish when I ordered it during a work lunch. The colorful presentation with its lime wedges and festive toppings masks a serious health concern – it’s one of the highest sodium items on the entire menu! A single serving contains more salt than you should consume in an entire day.
The chicken itself isn’t the problem; it’s the heavy-handed seasoning, multiple sauces, and cheese toppings that create this sodium tsunami. The rice pilaf side adds even more salt to the equation. After finishing this meal, I felt bloated and thirsty for hours – telltale signs of sodium overload. If you have any concerns about blood pressure or water retention, this festive-looking dish should be the last thing on your order list.
7. Mozzarella Sticks: The Frozen Food Fail
Remember those boxed mozzarella sticks from the grocery store freezer section? Congratulations – you’ve just found their slightly more expensive restaurant cousin! I ordered these during a late-night craving and immediately recognized the telltale signs of pre-packaged appetizers. The cheese inside lacks that stretchy, gooey quality of fresh mozzarella. Instead, it has that peculiar texture that comes from being frozen and reheated multiple times.
The marinara sauce served alongside tastes suspiciously similar to jarred pasta sauce with added sugar. For the price of Applebee’s mozzarella sticks, you could buy an entire box of the same quality at your local supermarket. Or better yet, visit a local Italian restaurant where they make them fresh. Your taste buds and wallet will thank you for skipping this phoned-in appetizer that’s likely just microwaved before reaching your table.
8. Triple Chocolate Meltdown: The Dessert Letdown
Chocolate lovers beware! This dessert’s menu photo had me drooling, but reality hit hard when it arrived at our anniversary dinner. The cake itself is often overcooked, resulting in dry edges rather than the moist, rich texture promised in those tantalizing menu images. The ‘meltdown’ part refers to the chocolate center that should ooze out when you cut into it. Too often, this center is either completely solid (overcooked) or suspiciously liquid (undercooked).
The ice cream served alongside is typically rock-hard, suggesting it’s been sitting in a deep freeze for quite some time. For the premium dessert price, you’d expect something made in-house with quality ingredients. Instead, this appears to be a mass-produced dessert that’s simply heated up before serving. Skip this disappointment and satisfy your chocolate craving elsewhere or with one of their simpler dessert options.
9. Nachos Chipotle Lime Chicken: The Soggy Mess
Picture this: I’m hosting friends for a game night and order these nachos as our shared starter. Twenty minutes later, we’re poking at a pile of soggy chips drowning under a flood of toppings. The bottom layer had transformed into a sad, chip-flavored mush! The structural integrity problem is just the beginning. The toppings-to-chip ratio is completely out of whack, with excessive amounts of beans, cheese sauce, and sour cream overwhelming the foundation.
Finding a chip that can actually support the weight of the toppings becomes a frustrating treasure hunt. Portion size might seem generous, but consider this: most of what you’re getting is cheap filler ingredients like beans and sour cream rather than the promised chipotle lime chicken, which appears in surprisingly small quantities. You’re essentially paying premium prices for budget ingredients poorly assembled.
10. Four‑Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders: The Sugar Overload
The name alone requires a deep breath to say! During a comfort food craving last winter, I ordered this thinking it would be the ultimate satisfaction. Instead, I got a bowl of conflicting flavors fighting for attention. The honey pepper chicken tenders contain so much sugar they could practically qualify as dessert. This sweetness clashes horribly with the savory cheese sauce, creating a confusing palate experience. The mac and cheese itself is surprisingly bland despite boasting four types of cheese.
Nutritionally, this dish is a disaster – combining the carb-heavy pasta with fried chicken and multiple cheese sauces creates a calorie bomb with minimal nutritional value. The portion size encourages overeating of what’s essentially a kids’ meal with adult pricing. Your stomach will feel uncomfortably full while your taste buds remain unsatisfied by the competing sweet and savory elements.
11. Whole Lotta Bacon Burger: The Heart-Stopper Special
During a moment of hunger-induced madness, I decided to tackle this monstrosity. The Whole Lotta Bacon Burger isn’t just named for effect – it’s an accurate description of the heart-stopping amount of bacon piled on this sandwich. Beyond the obvious health concerns, there’s a practical issue: it’s physically difficult to eat. The tower of ingredients makes taking a proper bite nearly impossible without dislocating your jaw.
Most of the bacon ends up falling out with each attempt, leaving you with a plate full of fallen soldiers and a much less impressive burger than what was advertised. The bacon itself often arrives either too crispy (practically burnt) or undercooked and chewy. At over 1,600 calories, this burger alone exceeds most people’s daily caloric needs. Your arteries will be sending hate mail for days after consuming this excessive bacon showcase.