12 Best Applebee’s Secret Menu Items To Try in 2025

As one of the most successful fast casual restaurants in the country, it's probably not surprising to learn that there's an Applebee’s secret menu. This hidden menu features a world of customization opportunities that add a splash of secrecy to the Applebee’s experience. 

From bacon and mac and cheese-filled burgers to drink specials and even a vegetarian menu hack, there's sure to be more than a few things you want to order from Applebee's secret menu. 

Ready to dive into the depths of this hidden menu? Then read on for our 12 favorite Applebee’s secret menu items!  

 Jump to Section

• Does Applebee’s Have a Secret Menu?
• 12 Must-Try Applebee’s Secret Menu Items
• How We Created This Applebee’s Secret Menu Guide

Does Applebee’s Have a Secret Menu? 

Applebee’s does have a secret menu. However, this is not an official hidden menu, so you may need to explain the Applebee’s secret menu dish you'd like in full to the staff when ordering.

What's great is that all dishes combine regular menu items, with some simply adding an extra ingredient (like bacon or a sauce) to an existing dish.

While getting your hands on these items shouldn't be overly challenging, remember to be polite and patient with staff when ordering and be accepting if the hidden menu dish can't be prepared.

12 Must-Try Applebee’s Secret Menu Items 

1. Unlimited Boneless Wings

If you love boneless wings, you need to experience the unlimited boneless wings from Applebee’s secret menu. While this may not be available at every location, if you request unlimited boneless wings, you should be able to get the deal for around $15 to $20, again, with prices varying by location. 

Your endless serving of wings from the Applebee’s secret menu also comes with up to six dipping sauces, and you may even get unlimited fries as well. This is undoubtedly one of the best secret menu deals out there for those looking for cheap fast food. Even if you can't get this Applebee’s menu special, it doesn't hurt to ask!

How To Order: Simply ask if the unlimited boneless wings deal is available and then order the wings and sauces you'd like. 

2. Grilled Chicken Breast

While Applebee’s isn't considered the healthiest fast food chain, there are some healthier options on the menu, like grilled chicken. While only a few regular menu dishes include this lean protein, you can add it to almost any dish thanks to the Applebee’s secret menu. 

You can either order a regular menu dish and switch out the existing protein with grilled chicken, or create a meal of your own by pairing grilled chicken breast with two sides. To boost the flavor of this Applebee’s hidden menu dish, ask for a dipping sauce alongside the chicken or request extra seasoning.

How To Order

• Entrée of Your Choice
• Remove: Meat
• Add: Grilled Chicken

or

• Grilled Chicken
• 2 Side Dishes
• Extra Side Dishes (optional)

3. Bacondown Epic Bacon Burger

If you love bacon, you can't pass up this Applebee’s off-menu item! This dish was previously on the regular menu, so employees should know what you're after when you order it. If not, request a bacon cheeseburger (or any other burger of your choice) with five extra strips of bacon added.

You can go all out with more or ask for a little less if you only want a hit of saltiness from the bacon. You could even pair this hack with the Bacon Mac 'N Cheese Cheeseburger (an Applebee’s secret menu item we cover below) for an over-the-top sandwich packed with salty bacon and comforting mac and cheese.

How To Order

• Bacon Cheeseburger
• 5 Extra Strips of Bacon

4. Side Caesar Salad With Grilled Chicken

Sometimes, the best Applebee’s secret menu items are also the simplest! If you’re looking for a healthier option or some low-calorie fast food, this is the Applebee’s hack you need. 

While there is a regular menu main grilled chicken Caesar salad, it is quite large. For those who want a smaller serving of low-carb fast food or want a chicken Caesar salad as a side for another dish, just order the side Caesar salad (which doesn't come with a protein) and ask for a serving of grilled chicken to be added; it's as easy as that!

How To Order

• Side Caesar Salad
• Grilled Chicken

5. Taco Meltdown

One of our favorite Applebee’s secret menu items, this dish takes the delicious chicken wonton tacos and makes them a little more Tex-Mex with a generous drizzle of nacho cheese.

While it may sound a little odd, as the regular menu tacos are Asian-inspired, we found that the cheese actually works well in this moreish Applebee’s secret menu dish. It blends perfectly with the chicken, sauce and vegetables in the base tacos. 

How To Order

• Chicken Wonton Tacos
• Nacho Cheese

6. Lemon Butter Parmesan Mashed Potatoes 

Lovers of indulgent side dishes won't want to pass up ordering this Applebee’s secret menu item. This Applebee’s hack involves combining the standard menu mashed potatoes with the creamy lemon butter Parmesan sauce that's served with the Shrimp ‘N Parmesan Sirloin.

And, you don't have to order that specific dish to get this Applebee’s secret menu item. Just request a side of the sauce and add it to your potatoes, whether they're ordered as a side or part of a main dish. To make them even cheesier, we recommend asking for a side of grated Parmesan to stir in alongside the sauce. 

How To Order

• Side of Mashed Potatoes
• or Entrée with Mashed Potatoes 
• Creamy Lemon Butter Parmesan Sauce
• Grated Parmesan (optional)

7. Garlic Steak

Want to take your steak to the next level? Then opt for this Applebee’s secret menu hack during your next visit.

To turn the steak dish of your choice into garlic steak, ask the server to add a drizzle of the garlic sauce (which is usually used for the garlic fries) to the meat before it's removed from the grill.

While all Applebee’s off-menu items are hit or miss on whether they can be fulfilled, this may be more challenging to get than some of the dishes featured in this guide. As a second option, you could ask for a side of the garlic sauce to pour over the steak if it can't be added on the grill. 

How To Order

• Steak Dish of Your Choice
• Garlic Sauce

Ask for the sauce to be added to the steak on the grill near the end of cooking. If this can't be done, request a side of garlic sauce to pour over the cooked steak.

8. Daiquiri With a Piña Colada Swirl 

This fun Applebee’s secret drink menu option takes a daiquiri of your choice (we recommend strawberry if you can't decide) and adds some frozen piña colada on top.

Once this tasty Applebee’s secret menu rum cocktail arrives at your table, swirl the piña colada into the daiquiri a little to blend the flavors. You can also ask for the two to be fully mixed, but we think the layered variety with a hint of piña colada tastes best. 

How To Order

• Daiquiri of Your Choice
• Swirl of Frozen Piña Colada

9. Beer Cheese Chicken Wings

What's great about the secret menu at Applebee’s is that the dishes aren't overly complicated. This Applebee’s hidden menu item is another example of that. 

All it involves is ordering the wings of your choice and asking for a side of white cheddar beer cheese that's usually served with pretzels.

You could also order wings and pretzels and use the sauce for the wings, but the Applebee’s hack comes in handy when you don't feel like carbs but want the creamy and flavorful beer cheese sauce. You may also want to order some extra sauce if you really want to coat the wings in cheesy deliciousness.

How To Order

• Wings of Your Choice
• White Cheddar Beer Cheese Sauce

10. Vegan Burger

While Applebee’s isn't the best place for non-meat eaters, the chain has launched an Impossible burger in recent years. The regular menu dish sees the Impossible patty paired with cheese and standard burger fixings. However, you don't have to stop there!

With the Applebee's secret menu, you can order any burger and ask for the meat patty to be replaced with the Impossible one. Remember to remove other meat ingredients as well, such and bacon. From the Bourbon Street Mushroom Swiss to the spicy Big Bangin' Burger, there are lots of options. 

Vegans will also want to note that many of the other burger fillings contain dairy, so double-check the full ingredients list before committing to this Applebee's secret menu hack. 

How To Order

• Burger of Your Choice
• Remove: Meat Patty
• Remove: Other Meat Ingredients
• Add: Impossible Patty 

11. Bacon Mac 'N Cheese Cheeseburger

There's no shortage of indulgent food on the regular menu, but this Applebee’s secret menu item is truly a comfort food lover's dream. Plus, like most Applebee’s secret menu dishes, it's pretty straightforward to get your hands on.

As the name suggests, this burger combines two popular dishes: a bacon cheeseburger — you can go for the Classic Bacon Cheeseburger, Whole Lotta Bacon Burger or the off-menu Bacondown Epic Bacon Burger — and mac and cheese. 

Order both items and combine them yourself. Having tried this Applebee’s off-menu item, trust us when we say it's as delicious as it sounds!

How To Order

• Bacon Cheeseburger of Your Choice
• Mac and Cheese

12. Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

Applebee’s spinach and artichoke dip is an iconic order, and thanks to Applebee’s secret menu, you can enjoy it as a pizza. This Applebee's hack requires a little DIY at the table, but basically involves adding spinach and artichoke dip to a kids' menu Cheesy Pizza. 

There is occasionally a flatbread pizza on the main menu as well, which will work when available if the toppings are minimal. You could even skip adding the dip as a topping and simply scoop it up with slices of the pizza.

No matter how you recreate this Applebee’s hidden menu item, just know it will likely become one of your favorite orders!

How To Order

• Kids' Menu Cheesy Pizza
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip

How We Created This Applebee’s Secret Menu Guide

The team at Cozymeal has over a decade of experience in the culinary industry. During this time, we have become very familiar with the best fast food and fast casual restaurants, and have discovered that many of them have secret menus.

In order to share these unique hidden orders with you, we’ve created a library of secret menu guides, including this one for Applebee’s Grill + Bar. To find the best Applebee’s items on the secret menu, we first rounded up our own favorite custom orders at the restaurant. 

Next, we undertook research to uncover more off-menu items, scouring the likes of Reddit, Instagram and TikTok. The result is an article that highlights the 12 most popular custom drinks and dishes at Applebee’s, complete with tips on how to get them for yourself.

Although the Applebee’s secret menu isn’t as well-known as those at other chains, it has a host of interesting dishes to try and is well worth consulting next time you head to the grill and bar. 

Whether you’re looking for a healthier option for dinner, an over-the-top indulgent dish, or even unlimited wings, the secret menu at Applebee’s has you covered!

For even more ways to explore your favorite foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.