The newest items at Applebee's are the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger and O-M-Cheese Chicken Nachos, both launched August 31, 2026, both dine-in only and both served in a skillet of molten queso. The $6 Spooky Sips cocktails run through November 15. Earlier 2026 additions still on the menu include the Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger and Chicken Parmesan Fettuccine. The $1 Dollarita and Bacon Cheeseburger Wonton Tacos have ended.
New at Applebee's Right Now
O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger
Take the Quesadilla Burger, with its bacon and Pepper Jack, and set it in a sizzling skillet of molten queso and melted Cheddar. Add white corn tortilla chips topped with more queso, house-made pico and cilantro. That's the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger.
It launched August 31, 2026 as a limited-time item, and it's one of the entrées on the 2 for $25. It's dine-in only, which makes sense once you picture a skillet of queso in a to-go box.
My take: the base Quesadilla Burger is already the heaviest burger on the menu at 1,620 calories before the queso skillet. Applebee's hasn't published calories for the skillet version, but order it to share, not as a solo lunch.
O-M-Cheese Chicken Nachos
The appetizer version of the same idea. White corn tortilla chips topped with chipotle lime chicken, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeños and cilantro, served in a sizzling skillet of queso and melted Cheddar, with extra chips on the side.
Also launched August 31, 2026, also limited time, also dine-in only. If you're at happy hour, ask whether the nachos count as a half price app before you order. Applebee's hasn't said.
$6 Spooky Sips (through November 15, 2026)
The Halloween drink menu is back, and for the first time it has booze-free options.
- Tipsy Zombie, $6: Bacardí Superior rum with passion fruit, pineapple, cherry and lime, topped with gummy brains.
- Dracula's Juice, $6: Bacardí Superior rum, Cuervo Tradicional Blanco, prickly pear and lemon sour.
- Tropical Spell Mocktail, $4: pineapple, passion fruit, cherry, lime and dragon fruit, no alcohol.
- Graveyard Dirty Soda: Mountain Dew with blue raspberry, a creamy swirl, whipped cream, grenadine and OREO cookie crumbles.
You can add a Patrón Silver "Vibe Drop" to either cocktail. At $6, both cocktails cost $4 to $6 less than a regular signature cocktail.
National Cheeseburger Day: $8.99 on September 18
One day only. On Friday, September 18, 2026, a Classic Burger or Classic Cheeseburger with fries is $8.99, for dine-in or To Go through the Applebee's app or website. It's a dollar cheaper than the $9.99 Really BIG Meal Deal, though that deal includes a drink.
Added Earlier in 2026 and Still Available
Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger
A beef patty with four slices of American cheese and a sweet and savory jam on toasted potato bread, served with tomato basil soup for dipping. The soup is what makes it more than a gimmick. It's grilled cheese and tomato soup with a burger inside. 1,420 calories, and it's on the 2 for $25.
Chicken Parmesan Fettuccine
Breaded chicken, marinara and melted mozzarella over fettuccine, with a garlic breadstick. It's the most ordinary of the 2026 additions, and I'd bet on it outlasting the rest. Every casual chain has a chicken parm for a reason. On the 2 for $25 and the pasta menu.
California Grilled Chicken Salad
Grilled chicken with avocado cucumber salsa, tomatoes, bacon and Parmesan. At 920 calories it's the lightest entrée on the 2 for $25. See salads.
Crispy Pickle Fries
Fried pickle fries tossed in TAJÍN and chile lime seasoning, with Mexi-ranch for dipping. 590 calories. Fried pickles aren't new; the TAJÍN is, and it adds a dry, citrusy heat. They're one of the picks on the Ultimate Trio.
Premium cocktails
A $10 Mucho Margarita made with Don Julio Reposado and a $6 Bacardí cocktail both arrived over the summer. They're a step up from Applebee's usual price-first drink promotions.
2026 Items That Have Ended
$1 Dollarita (ended July 31, 2026)
The $1 house margarita came back for July 2026 and ended July 31. It has returned in past years through Applebee's drink-of-the-month promotions, and nothing says it won't again. For now, the cheapest featured cocktails are the $6 Spooky Sips.
Bacon Cheeseburger Wonton Tacos (ended August 16, 2026)
Seasoned beef, cheddar, Applewood-smoked bacon and pickles with a spicy honey mustard drizzle in a crispy wonton shell. They launched July 13, 2026 as a 2 for $25 starter and lasted about five weeks. A few restaurants may still have them. The regular Chicken Wonton Tacos use the same shell and are on the permanent menu.
All You Can Eat (summer 2026)
Applebee's brought back All You Can Eat on May 11, 2026: unlimited Boneless Wings, Riblets and Double Crunch Shrimp with endless fries for $15.99, dine-in only. It was billed as a summer deal. Call before you go.
How Applebee's Launches New Items
Look at 2026 and a pattern shows. Nearly every new food item arrived attached to the 2 for $25: the Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger, Chicken Parmesan Fettuccine, the wonton tacos and now the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger. A new item on a deal gets tried more, and the deal gets a reason to be ordered again.
The other pattern is the mashup. Grilled cheese plus cheeseburger. Bacon cheeseburger plus wonton taco. Quesadilla burger plus a queso skillet. Applebee's rarely invents a dish from scratch. It combines two things people already order.
Drinks move faster than food. There was a $1 margarita in July, premium cocktails over the summer, and Halloween drinks from September. Expect the holiday drinks to replace Spooky Sips once November 15 passes.
Is It Available at My Applebee's?
Not always. Franchisees run 1,439 of Applebee's 1,557 restaurants, and each decides whether to carry a promotion. Rollouts can also be staggered by a few weeks between markets, and a restaurant can run out before the national end date.
The Applebee's app is the quickest check. It shows the menu your chosen restaurant is actually serving. Or call through the location finder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's new at Applebee's right now?
The O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger and O-M-Cheese Chicken Nachos, both launched August 31, 2026 and dine-in only, plus $6 Spooky Sips cocktails through November 15, 2026.
What is the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger?
The Quesadilla Burger with bacon and Pepper Jack, served sizzling in a skillet of molten queso and melted Cheddar with tortilla chips, pico and cilantro. It's on the 2 for $25 and dine-in only.
What are the O-M-Cheese Chicken Nachos?
Tortilla chips topped with chipotle lime chicken, guacamole, sour cream, pico, jalapeños and cilantro, served in a sizzling skillet of queso and Cheddar with extra chips. Limited time and dine-in only.
What are Applebee's Halloween drinks in 2026?
The Spooky Sips: the $6 Tipsy Zombie and Dracula's Juice cocktails, the $4 Tropical Spell Mocktail and the Graveyard Dirty Soda, all through November 15, 2026.
Is the Dollarita back at Applebee's?
No. It ran in July 2026 and ended July 31. It has come back in past years, so watch for it.
Are the Bacon Cheeseburger Wonton Tacos still available?
They ended in mid-August 2026 at most restaurants. The Chicken Wonton Tacos, with the same shell, are still on the menu.
Does Applebee's have a National Cheeseburger Day deal in 2026?
Yes. On September 18, 2026 only, a Classic Burger or Classic Cheeseburger with fries costs $8.99, dine-in or To Go through the app or website.
How often does Applebee's add new menu items?
In 2026, new food arrived roughly every two to three months, usually on the 2 for $25, and drinks changed almost monthly.
Where These Items Live on the Menu
The deal most new items launch on is the 2 for $25. The permanent versions sit in burgers, pasta and the Ultimate Trio. Every current offer, with end dates, is on specials and deals.