All the Vegan Options at Applebee’s in 2025

Published January 7, 2025 by Ryan Hajek.

Casual dining has made a comeback in recent years, and I would argue that Applebee’s is the crown jewel of them all. With over 1,500 locations across 11 countries, it feels like its everywhere and everyone knows it so it’s a great spot to get together. What’s not to love about a kicked-back, “neighborhood” vibe? I also think that Applebee’s is proof that even the most classic casual dining spots have vegan options. I’ll show you all the vegan options at Applebee’s in 2025 along with a few really easy hacks.

Vegan Appetizers at Applebee’s

Lucky for those of us who enjoy catching up with friends and family over appetizers and drinks, Applebee’s has a number of vegan appetizers and sides to choose from.

Brew Pub Pretzels

These giant soft pretzel sticks are vegan! Just hold the beer cheese dip and honey mustard sauce. Pro tip: The Applebee’s pretzel sticks are amazing with the vegan marinara sauce!

Chips and Guacamole or Salsa

The chips on the appetizer menu are vegan. Instead of the white queso dip which contains milk stolen from cows, order the guacamole or chipotle lime salsa.

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Applebee’s Vegan Sides

Fries

There’s nothing better than the basics: the basket fries and the waffle fries at Applebee’s are vegan.

Baked Potato

Ask for it without butter or sour cream and the baked potato is vegan.

Steamed Broccoli

The side of broccoli is vegan if you ask for no butter.

House Salad

The house salad at Applebee’s can be made vegan if you order it without cheese. Applebee’s offers two vegan salad dressings: Italian and Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette.

If you’re looking for a bigger salad, the Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad can be made vegan simply by asking for it without the balsamic and chicken. The salad, which features greens, tomatoes, onions, almonds, and strawberries, comes with a vegan lemon olive oil vinaigrette on the side.

Bread Sticks and Marinara Sauce

Applebee’s bread sticks can be made vegan if you order them without the alfredo sauce or garlic butter. Request marinara sauce to dip the breadsticks in—it’s vegan!

ultimate List of vegan options at restaurants →

Vegan Entreés at Applebee’s

Bowls

Applebee’s offers two bowls that are vegan if you order them without the meat.

Hold the chicken from the Southwest Chicken Bowl or the shrimp from the Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl and you get a big bowl of fresh greens, cilantro rice, pico de gallo, black bean corn salsa, guacamole topped with chimichurri and tortilla strips.

Tip: You can also ask your server if you can have the meat-free patty in the bowl instead of the chicken or shrimp.

Did you know that shrimp, like all other animals, share a universal desire to live? Studies have shown that crustaceans like shrimp have central nervous systems that can generate pain sensations and release stress hormones that help alert them to certain dangers.

Burger

Order a burger with the meat-free patty, no cheese, and the Brioche bun.

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