Applebee's Secret Menu (2026): Orders That Actually Work
How to Ask
Describe the change, not a name. "Sauce on the side" gets rung in. "The Volcano Burger" doesn't. Keep complicated requests for quieter times, not 7 PM on a Friday, and expect add-ons like extra cheese or bacon to cost extra. What they charge is up to your restaurant.
Take Two Side Salads on the 2 for $25
The 2 for $25 lets you swap the shared appetizer for two side salads at the same price. A House Side Salad is 160 calories. The shared appetizers run 590 to 1,170. If you both want your own starter, or want a lighter meal, this is the best-hidden option on the menu. 2 for $25 details.
Make Any Soda Dirty for $1
You don't have to order one of the preset Dirty Fountain Sodas. Any fountain drink can be topped with whipped cream and a cherry for $1. A dirty Diet Pepsi or a dirty Starry are both fair game. Dirty soda flavors.
Order the Oriental Chicken Salad Grilled
It comes crispy unless you say otherwise, and crispy it's 1,560 calories. Grilled, it's 900. Same salad, same price, 660 fewer calories. No other single request changes one dish that much. Salads.
Swap the Fries for Steamed Broccoli
Classic Fries are 400 calories. Steamed Broccoli is 100. Any entrée that comes with fries gets 300 lighter. For takeout it's a double win, because fries are the first thing to go soggy in a box. Sides.
Get Boneless Wings Sauce on the Side
For dine-in it's a preference. For To Go it matters: wings tossed in sauce steam soft on the drive home. Sauce on the side, toss at home, and they're still crisp. It also lets you try two sauces with one order of Boneless Wings.
Don't Spend an Ultimate Trio Pick on Fries
The Ultimate Trio lets you pick three appetizers from a list that includes Classic Fries and Waffle Fries. Skip both. Fries come with most entrées anyway, so use your three picks on things like Boneless Wings, Brew Pub Pretzels and Chicken Wonton Tacos. Ultimate Trio choices.
Eat Between 3 and 6
Half price appetizers run 3:00 to 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM to close at participating restaurants, dine-in only. It's the biggest discount Applebee's offers. Ordering the same appetizers through a delivery app at full price, or higher, is the opposite. Happy hour times and prices.
Eating Alone? Get the $9.99 Deal
The Really BIG Meal Deal is $9.99 for a sandwich or burger entrée with fries and a fountain drink. For one person who doesn't want a starter, it beats half of a 2 for $25 by $2.51 and includes the drink. Really BIG Meal Deal.
Ask for Dressing and Crunchy Toppings on the Side
For any salad going home, ask for the dressing and the crispy toppings separately. Dressed greens wilt within minutes in a closed box. It's the salad version of sauce on the side.
Order Your Steak One Step Rarer
Applebee's steaks have a habit of arriving a little more done than you asked for, and a lean sirloin turns tough fast once it drifts past medium. Ask for it one step rarer than you usually would, cut into it as soon as it lands, and send it back if it's overcooked. It's a completely normal request. Steaks and ribs.
Ask for Your Fries Fresh
Fries are great for about five minutes and ordinary after that. If a basket shows up lukewarm or limp, it's fair to ask for a fresh one, and on the Really BIG Meal Deal, ask for the refill to come out hot rather than from a batch that's been sitting.
Check the To Go Bag Before You Pull Away
Missing sauces, dressings, soups and sides are the most common To Go letdown. Open the bag in the parking lot and check it against your receipt. Thirty seconds there beats a drive back.
Ask Where Happy Hour Counts
Some restaurants only honor happy hour prices in the bar area, and weekend afternoons vary. If you're seated in the dining room, ask your server before you order so the bill doesn't surprise you.
What Doesn't Work
- Internet nicknames. The register doesn't have them.
- Assuming happy hour applies to delivery. It doesn't.
- Adults ordering from the kids menu. Some restaurants allow it and some don't. Ask, don't assume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Applebee's have a secret menu?
No. There's no official secret menu. You can ask for changes to menu items, and most kitchens will make simple ones.
Can you customize orders in the Applebee's app?
Yes. Most items have options for sides, sauces and add-ons when you order through the app or website.
Can you get side salads instead of an appetizer on the 2 for $25?
Yes. Two side salads can replace the shared appetizer at the same price.
How much does it cost to make a soda dirty at Applebee's?
$1 for whipped cream and a cherry on any fountain drink.
Does Applebee's charge for modifications?
Removing something or putting a sauce on the side is normally free. Adding cheese, bacon or extra protein usually costs more, and each restaurant sets the price.
