Applebee’s Accommodates Dairy-Free Guests with Various Dishes

Updated January 2023! Applebee’s has made some improvements for dairy-free diners over the years. 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 Vegan, Allergen & Custom Order Options

Please note that the menu below is based on Applebee’s full menu. What’s available has been fluctuating, so you might not find all of these options at your location. Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks. Please note that this guide is for the U.S. locations. Options may vary in other countries.

Butter Note: Applebee’s allergen menu has flip-flopped a bit due to the “butter” they use. The margarine they sourced did contain dairy, but then they changed it for a dairy-free brand. But they do still use a garlic “butter” that contains milk. Before placing your order, confirm if any “butter” is used and if it’s safe for your needs.

Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All of the dairy-free items listed below are made without egg, nuts, and peanut, unless otherwise noted. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.

Appetizers

• Boneless Wings, Plain or with Honey BBQ, Honey Pepper, or Sweet Asian Chile Sauce (no dressing)
• Double Crunch Bone-In Wings, Plain or with Honey BBQ, Honey Pepper, or Sweet Asian Chile Sauce (no dressing)
• Brew Pub Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dip (no beer cheese dip) (contains egg)
• Chips & Salsa (not on the appetizer menu, but available)
• Chips & Guacamole (not on the appetizer menu, but available)

Heads Up! Applebee’s Hot Buffalo Sauces now state that they contain milk. The slaw on the Grilled Chicken Wonton Tacos at Applebee’s contains milk. The Breadsticks themselves are dairy-free, but they do use a garlic butter sauce on them that contains a small amount of milk. Sorry, the Onion Rings contain whey! All of the dressings they typically serve with the wings contain milk, but you can request a dressing from the options below, or simply an extra side of the dairy-free wing sauce.

Salads

• Grilled Chicken Salad (no cheese, no breadstick)
• Grilled Oriental Chicken Salad (no breadstick, sub dairy-free dressing) (contains nuts)
• Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad (no breadstick) (contains nuts)

Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Dijon Honey Mustard (contains egg), Fat Free Italian, Honey French, Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette, Thousand Island (contains egg)

Heads Up! The croutons at Applebee’s appear to be dairy-free, but verify before ordering. The Oriental Dressing surprisingly contains dairy.

Steaks & Ribs

• Applebee’s Riblets Plate with Honey BBQ or Sweet Asian Chile (order dairy-free sides)
• Double-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Honey BBQ or Sweet Asian Chile (order dairy-free sides)
• 6 oz. Top Sirloin (no butter, order dairy-free sides)
• 8 oz. Top Sirloin (no butter, order dairy-free sides)
• 12 oz. Ribeye (no butter, order dairy-free sides)

Heads Up! Be sure that no dairy butter is used for grilling the meat. This isn’t standard practice with Applebee’s, but individual locations can take liberties. They have used a dairy-free butter alternative in the past, which they might still use for grilling.

Chicken

• Grilled Chicken Breast (order dairy-free sides)

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

• Double Crunch Shrimp (order dairy-free sides)
• Grilled Salmon (custom order)
• Blackened Cajun Salmon (no butter, order dairy-free sides)
• Blackened Shrimp (no butter; this is available as an add-on, not an entrée)

Heads Up! The batter for the Fish & Chips at Applebee’s varies by location. Check at your restaurant to find out if it is made with dairy.

Bowls

• Southwest Chicken Bowl
• Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl

Burgers, Sandwiches & Wraps

• Classic Burger (see Bread & Bun Note below)
• Impossible Burger (no cheese; see Bread & Bun Note below)
• Clubhouse Grille Sandwich Wrap (no cheese; see Bread & Bun Note below) (contains egg)
• Oriental Grilled Chicken Salad Wrap (sub dairy-free dressing) (contains nuts)

Bread & Bun Note: According to the specific ingredients and staff, the burgers and sandwiches as listed above are made without dairy. But their allergen chart states that they contain dairy. A representative confirmed that the butter alternative for toasting is still made without dairy. But check at your location to confirm how to order the burgers and sandwich listed above without dairy. You can always order them in a Lettuce Cup instead of bread if concerned.

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.

Heads Up! The Whiskey Sauce on the Whiskey Bacon Burger does contain real butter.

Sides & Extras

• Classic Fries
• Baked Potato (plain, no toppings)
• Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons, dairy-free dressing)
• Steamed Broccoli (no butter)
• Spanish Rice (not on the menu separately, but available)
• Waffle Fries

Heads Up! The Garlicky Green Beans, Cole Slaw, and Onion Rings do contain milk. All of the Applebee’s Soups also contain dairy. The Breadsticks themselves are dairy-free, but they do use a garlic butter sauce that contains a small amount of milk. You might be able to order them without the butter sauce.

Additional Sauces

• Guacamole
• Honey BBQ Sauce
• Honey Dijon Mustard
• Honey Pepper SAuce
• House-Made Pico De Gallo
• Marinara Sauce
• Sweet Asian Chile Sauce

Kids Menu

• Kids Corn Dog (contains egg)
• Kids Chicken Taco (no cheese)
• Kids Burger (no cheese; see Bread & Bun Note in Burger section above)
• Kids Grilled Chicken Pasta (sub marinara sauce, no cheese)
• Applesauce
• Broccoli
• Fries

Heads Up! The Chicken Tenders do contain milk in the batter.

Fruit Smoothies (also in Kids Sizes)

• Mango Smoothie
• Pina Colada
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Strawberry Colada
• Wildberry Smoothie

Applebee’s Vegan Menu Guide

Vegan Appetizers

• Brew Pub Pretzels (no beer cheese or honey mustard)
• Chips & Salsa (not on the appetizer menu, but available)
• Chips & Guacamole (not on the appetizer menu, but available)

Vegan Salads

• House Salad (no cheese)
• Oriental Salad (no breadstick, no chicken, sub vegan dressing)
• Strawberry Balsamic Salad (no breadstick, no chicken)
• Fat Free Italian Dressing
• Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette

Other Vegan Entrees

• Impossible Burger (no cheese)
• Oriental Salad Wrap (no chicken, sub vegan dressing)
• Kids’ Pasta Marinara (custom order)

Vegan Sides

• Applesauce
• Baked Potato (plain, no toppings)
• Classic Fries
• Spanish Rice (not on the menu separately, but available)
• Steamed Broccoli (no butter)
• Waffle Fries

Vegan Smoothies

• Mango Smoothie
• Pina Colada
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Strawberry Colada
• Wildberry Smoothie

This Post is for Informational Purposes Only

Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure 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.

Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.

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

Couldn't order much

Rated 2 out of 5

February 25, 2023

I am severely allergic to all things dairy and really hate going to any restaurants. This one had some I could have but the list was very small. Experience for the rest of my group was good but for me I just can’t have much anywhere.

Bj

Unable to order much

Rated 1 out of 5

December 1, 2022

Several of the things I tried to order I was told include dairy. I was told all sides have dairy and cannot be removed except for the fries. I tried to even just order broccoli but they said they butter is already on it. So I had a steak and fries

Mariah

Response from Go Dairy Free

That sounds like a terrible location! We’ve had the opposite experience. The broccoli can be ordered no butter – it sounds like the staff was just lazy. They even have a prolific official vegan menu, with these items above and beyond that. I would contact management or go online and contact customer service about that location.

Lifesaver

Rated 5 out of 5

June 24, 2022

I have a severe dairy allergy. I’m very grateful for this website.

Juliana

Thanks for the helpful update!

Rated 5 out of 5

June 3, 2022

I appreciate all helpful updates. it’s really helpful when we want to eat out with her son.These keep them coming

Anthony

For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!