Updated in 2021! Applebee’s has made some improvements for dairy-free diners over the years. Their burger buns are now made without milk, they have several dairy-free salad dressings, and they even boast a few regular mains with no substitutions needed. But we dug deeper to uncover those special order options too. Our dairy-free menu guide includes appetizers, salads, main dishes, and sides available at Applebee’s.
Applebee’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Custom Order Options
The vegan options at Applebee’s are still limited. A few years back, they began testing an Impossible Burger on their menu in New York locations. It hasn’t really taken hold. But Applebee’s does have a mostly meaty selection for dairy-free diners. In many cases, you need to custom order slightly. We’ve included those notes to make the process easier for you.
Appetizers
- Chips & Salsa (not on the appetizer menu separately, but available)
- Chips & Guacamole (not on the appetizer menu, but available)
- Boneless Wings with Plain, Classic Hot Buffalo, Honey BBQ, or Sweet Asian Chile Sauce (no dressing)
- Double Crunch Bone-In Wings with Plain, Classic Hot Buffalo, Honey BBQ, or Sweet Asian Chile Sauce (no dressing)
- Brew Pub Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dip (no beer cheese dip)
Heads Up! The slaw on the Grilled Chicken Wonton Tacos at Applebee’s contains milk.
Salads
- Tuscan Garden Chicken Salad
- Grilled Chicken Salad (no cheese, no breadstick)
- Grilled Oriental Chicken Salad (no breadstick, sub dairy-free dressing)
- House Salad (no cheese; see crouton note below)
- Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad (no breadstick)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Dijon Honey Mustard, Fat Free Italian, Honey French, Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette, Thousand Island
Heads Up! The croutons at Applebee’s appear to be dairy-free, but verify before ordering. The Oriental Dressing and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette surprisingly contain dairy.
Steaks & Ribs
- 6 oz. Top Sirloin
- 8 oz. Top Sirloin
- 12 oz. Ribeye
- Applebee’s Riblets Plate with Honey BBQ
- Double-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Honey BBQ
Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Breast
Heads Up! The Chicken Tenders and Bourbon Street Chicken at Applebee’s do contain milk. The Fiesta Lime Chicken meal might be dairy-free without cheese and ranch sauce, check with your server.
Seafood
- Blackened Cajun Salmon
- Grilled Salmon
Heads Up! The Fish & Chips at Applebee’sdo contain dairy in the batter.
Bowls
- Southwest Chicken Bowl
- Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl
Burgers & Sandwiches
- Classic Burger
- Clubhouse Grille (no cheese)
- Impossible Burger (no cheese; select locations)
Substitutions and Add-Ons: You can substitute a lettuce wrap for the bun, their Chicken Breast Patty for the Burger, or add Bacon or another Burger Patty to your burger. The
Sides
- Classic Fries
- Baked Potato (plain, no toppings)
- Steamed Broccoli (no butter)
- Cilantro Rice (not on the menu separately, but available)
- Spanish Rice (not on the menu separately, but available)
Heads Up! The Fire Grilled Veggies at Applebee’s are cooked in a butter sauce, and the Garlicky Green Beans, Cole Slaw, and Onion Rings do contain milk.
Additional Sauces
- Black Bean Corn Salsa
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Guacamole
- Honey BBQ Sauce
- Honey Dijon Mustard
- House-Made Pico De Gallo
- Marinara Sauce
Kids Menu
- Kids Corn Dog
- Kids Chicken Taco (no cheese)
- Kids Burger (no cheese)
- Kids Grilled Chicken Pasta (sub marinara sauce, no cheese)
- Applesauce
- Broccoli
- Fries
Fruit Smoothies (also in Kids Sizes)
- Mango Smoothie
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Wildberry Smoothie
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, and restaurants are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure that they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Where to Find Applebee’s Restaurants
Applebee’s has over 2000 locations, mostly in the United States, but a smattering of restaurants in 15 other countries. See the website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.applebees.com
13 Comments
Mind telling me what you ordered? I’m also ovo-vegetarian and I need to go to applebees for a family dinner. I have no idea what to order.
The impossible burgers have coconut oil in them as one of the top ingredients. Being dairy free and allergic to coconut can be tough since it’s not typically listed as it’s not a top 8 allergen and coconut is a common dairy substitute. Just adding info for others like me!
That is tough, and thanks for sharing this Elizabeth!
Hi,
I ate at Applebee’s yesterday for lunch, and I chose a gluten free entrée, the Cedar Grilled Salmon.
Applebees needs to get up with the times when Chic fil A even has a Kale superfood salad their VEGAN options are non existent. Is just one vegan meal option too much to ask for?
We ate at an Applebee’s yesterday and I chose dairy free options. My son (breaatfed infant) had a reaction last night throughout today, so there must have been cross contamination 🙁
Oh no! Did you mention cross-contamination concerns to the staff before ordering? If so, you should definitely let that location and corporate know. I’m not sure if they have allergen protocols in place.
I don’t trust applebees at all. They list a dish, like ribs, on the menu twice. One says it containes dairy. The other does not. I haven’t looked for awhile but it seems like there were a few other things on the menu that were listed twice and different each time.
I ate at Applebee’s yesterday for lunch, and I chose a gluten free entrée, the Cedar Grilled Salmon. I ordered the artichoke spread on the side because I assumed that was the dairy portion of the entrée, and I cannot have dairy. I had a reaction yesterday so I believe there was cross contamination. So be careful if the allergen menu entrée item is marked gluten-free because it doesn’t mean that it is gluten-free.
I Attended Applebee now and fortuitously I looked on the website before leaving our local restaurant did not have a copy of the list of free dairy products. They were really helpful, but I was disappointed. In addition, the number of tickets free milk is limited. I had the jalapeno lime shrimp was very good.
I recently went to an Applebee’s north of Orlando. I had a simple gf pasta and had a reaction. I am not sure if I just ate too fast or if there was some cross contamination. I just went to the Applebee’s in Pelzer, SC. The hostess brought a wonderful binder with just about EVERY type of allergy and the allowed menu items for each allergy on the menu. As I am GF/CF, I just cross referenced and had a lovely meal that only left me with happy memories.
I went to Applebee’s today and fortunately looked at the website before I went as our local restaurant did not have a copy of the dairy free items list. They were helpful, but I was disappointed. Also, the number of dairy free entrees is quite limited. I had the jalapeño lime shrimp which was very good. The other options were steak and the riblet basket (which our local Applebee’s did not even have on the menu).
I am an ovo vegetarian and recently visited an applebees. They were very accommodating and totally went out of their way for me. I highly recommend!