Applebee's Secret Menu — Quick Facts
- Official Secret Menu
- None — fan builds only
- Best Build
- Steak Topper Burger ~$17.98
- Cheapest Build
- Dirty Soda ~$4.49
- Free Asks
- Sauce on side, grilled swap
- Extra Sauce
- $0.50 a cup
- Steak Toppers
- $1.99–$4.99
- Grilled Chicken Add-On
- $5.99
- All You Can Eat
- $15.99–$16.99
- How to Order
- By parts, not nickname
- Menu
- Full menu in our guide
- Nutrition
- Figures in our guide
- Coupons
- Deals in our guide
Applebee’s has no official secret menu — the chain has never published one, and there is no hidden board behind the counter. What regulars do have is a set of order-by-recipe builds: combinations of real menu components that the kitchen will make if you ask for them by their parts. Every build below is priced as a component sum, marked ~, from November 2026 tracker prices. If a build does not work at your store, the parts are all on the menu anyway.
About the prices: Applebee’s publishes no national price list, so secret-build prices are component sums from the November 2026 price ranges in the Applebee’s menu guide. A “~” means the total is our addition of the parts, not a price Applebee’s lists. Your store may charge more or less, and delivery apps add roughly 20–30%.
Secret Builds
Ten builds, ordered by recipe. Say the parts, not the nickname — the nicknames are ours, the components are Applebee’s.
| Build | How to Order It | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Steak Topper Burger | Classic Cheeseburger + shrimp & Parmesan topper | ~$17.98–$22.98 |
| Garlic Butter Steak | 8 oz Top Sirloin + garlic butter | ~$19.49–$22.99 |
| Double-Sauce Boneless Wings | Boneless Wings + an extra sauce cup | ~$13.49–$14.49 |
| Buffalo Mac & Cheese | Four-Cheese Mac + buffalo sauce | ~$17.49 |
| Grilled Oriental Chicken Salad | Oriental Chicken Salad, grilled swap | $13.99 |
| Bun-less Burger | Classic Burger, lettuce wrap | $11.99–$14.39 |
| Protein Side Salad | House Side Salad + grilled chicken add-on | ~$10.98 |
| Dirty Soda | Fountain drink + $1 Dirty upgrade | ~$4.49 |
| Shrimp ‘N Parmesan Mashed Potatoes | Garlic Mashed Potatoes + shrimp topping | ~$8.98 |
| Ultimate Trio | Pick any 3 appetizers | Varies |
The Steak Topper Burger (~$17.98–$22.98): a Classic Cheeseburger ($12.99–$14.99) with the shrimp and Parmesan topper from the Shrimp ‘N Parmesan Sirloin — steak toppers run $1.99–$4.99, and the shrimp topper is the priciest one. It is the most expensive build on this list and the most likely to be refused, because the topper is a steak item; ask politely and accept a no. The Garlic Butter Steak (~$19.49–$22.99): an 8 oz Top Sirloin ($18.99–$22.49) with a side of garlic butter, about $0.50 — the Cedar Grilled Lemon Chicken’s garlic butter, moved onto a steak. The Double-Sauce Boneless Wings (~$13.49–$14.49): boneless wings ($12.99–$13.99) with an extra sauce cup ($0.50) in a second flavor — half the wings in one sauce, half in another. The Buffalo Mac & Cheese (~$17.49): the Four-Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders ($16.99) plus a buffalo sauce cup ($0.50) stirred through — the closest Applebee’s gets to a Nashville-style mac. The Grilled Oriental Chicken Salad ($13.99): the Oriental Chicken Salad ordered grilled instead of crispy — same price, about 130 fewer calories, and the dressing on the side saves more. The Bun-less Burger ($11.99–$14.39): a Classic Burger served as a lettuce wrap — same price, no bun, and the only build on this list that cuts carbs. The Protein Side Salad (~$10.98): a House Side Salad ($4.99) with the grilled chicken add-on ($5.99) — a full lunch for under $11. The Dirty Soda (~$4.49): any fountain drink ($3.49) with the $1 Dirty upgrade — whipped cream and a cherry — the cheapest build on the list. The Shrimp ‘N Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (~$8.98): Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($3.99) with the shrimp topping ($4.99) — a steakhouse side for under nine dollars. The Ultimate Trio (Varies): pick any three appetizers and the price is the sum of your picks — the trick is to pick the three cheapest, which beats ordering them separately.
Free and Cheap Asks
Six things to ask for at the counter. The first two cost nothing; the rest cost less than six dollars.
| Ask | What Happens | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sauce / dressing on the side | Any sauce or dressing in a cup | Free |
| Grilled for crispy swap | Grilled chicken instead of crispy | Free |
| Extra sauce cup | Any of the 9 wing sauces | $0.50 |
| Steak toppers | Shrimp, Parmesan, mushrooms on any steak | $1.99–$4.99 |
| Grilled chicken add-on | Chicken breast on any salad or side | $5.99 |
| All You Can Eat mix-and-match | Rotate boneless wings and riblets | $15.99–$16.99 |
The grilled-for-crispy swap is the most useful ask on the whole menu: it is free, it works on the Oriental Chicken Salad and the chicken sandwiches, and it saves about 130 calories on the salad alone. Sauce and dressing on the side are free at most locations and are the only reliable way to control the sugar in the Oriental Chicken Salad, which carries 45g of sugar crispy. The All You Can Eat mix-and-match is the known hack for the $15.99–$16.99 deal: start with boneless wings, then rotate to riblets on the next round — the deal is one price for the table’s choice, not one item per visit.
How to Order Secret Builds Without a Fuss
Order by parts, not by nickname. The staff know the components; they do not know our names for the builds. Say “a Classic Cheeseburger with the shrimp and Parmesan topper from the sirloin” rather than “a Steak Topper Burger.” Order in the app when the build is complicated — you can set the grilled swap and the sauce on the side there without shouting it across a counter — and call the store ahead if you want a topper on a burger, because that is the one build the kitchen may refuse. If a build is refused, the parts are all on the menu: order them separately and assemble it yourself at the table.
What Applebee’s Does NOT Have
No official secret menu, and no hidden items beyond what is on the board. No breakfast menu at any location. No $1 Dollarita right now — it is seasonal, and its last national run was July 2026. No drive-thru at most locations. No gluten-free menu as a separate board — the chain publishes an allergen guide, but the kitchen is shared and the fryers are shared. No vegan entrée — the Impossible Cheeseburger is plant-based but cooked on shared equipment. If a social-media post promises a “hidden Applebee’s burger” or a “secret Dollarita menu,” it is not a real menu item.
Reviews
Applebee’s runs about 3.8 out of 5 across review sites, with the score swinging by location because the chain is franchised: TripAdvisor lists the Savannah store at 3.4 out of 5 from 211 reviews, the West Chester store at 3.8 from 59, the Austin store at 3.8 from about 2,490 Google reviews per Wanderlog, and the Montgomery store at 3.9 from 737. “I got the Bourbon Street chicken and shrimp which was delicious!” — Tom Hunsaker, TripAdvisor, Savannah, July 2021. “Food was great! I got a burger and fries… one of the best burgers I’ve ever had” — a TripAdvisor reviewer, Savannah, October 2026. The full menu behind every build here is in the Applebee’s menu guide, and the numbers are in the Applebee’s nutrition guide.
Applebee’s Secret Menu FAQs
Does Applebee’s have a secret menu?
No. Applebee’s has never published an official secret menu. The builds in this guide are fan orders made from real menu components, ordered by recipe.
What is the best secret build at Applebee’s?
The Buffalo Mac & Cheese — the Four-Cheese Mac with Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders plus a buffalo sauce cup, about $17.49 — is the most reliable build on the list, because both parts are standard items. The Dirty Soda at about $4.49 is the cheapest.
Can I get the $1 Dollarita as a secret item?
No. The Dollarita is a seasonal promotion, not a secret menu item, and it is not back nationally as of November 2026. The seasonal pour right now is the Spooky Sips line at $6, through November 15, 2026.
Can I swap grilled for crispy chicken?
Yes, and it is free. Ask for the Oriental Chicken Salad grilled instead of crispy and you save about 130 calories at the same $13.99 price.
How do I get free food at Applebee’s?
Through Club Applebee’s, the chain’s free loyalty program: a free appetizer on signup and a free dessert in your birthday month, plus app-exclusive deals. Details are in the Applebee’s coupons guide.
Does the All You Can Eat deal really let me mix items?
Yes — the $15.99–$16.99 All You Can Eat rotates between chicken tenders, boneless wings and riblets, dine-in only, and regulars rotate between them across rounds. It is a limited-time deal, so check that it is running before you go.
Conclusion
Applebee’s has no official secret menu, and that is fine — the menu is so long that the builds write themselves. The Buffalo Mac & Cheese and the Protein Side Salad are the two worth ordering: both use real components, both work at any store because the parts are on the board, and the salad is a full lunch for under $11. Order by parts, ask for the grilled swap, and bring the $0.50 sauce cup if you want a second flavor on your wings. The full board is in the Applebee’s menu guide, the numbers in the Applebee’s nutrition guide, and the savings in the Applebee’s coupons guide. For more casual-dining boards, see the IHOP menu, the Wendy’s menu and the secret menu category.
Sources: Applebee’s official menu and nutrition information (November 2026); tracker captures from getfoodmenus.com (November 7, 2026), usafoodjournal.com (November 2026), fullmenuprices.com (October 2026) and applebeesmenuprices.com (September 2026); TripAdvisor, Wanderlog and TrustReviewers location reviews. Build prices are component sums marked ~, not prices Applebee’s lists.
