I Tried Every App & Sauce on the Applebee’s Ultimate Trio Menu—This Is the Perfect Order

• What Is It: slow-cooked small riblets, slathered in your choice of sauce
• Best Sauce Pairing: Sweet Asian Chile, Honey BBQ

The riblets were much bigger than I expected (bones and all!), but their texture was inconsistent, being dry and tough in some parts and tender in others. Overall, I thought they could have been more generously sauced. These traditionally come with your choice of Honey BBQ, Sweet Asian Chile or Hot Honey Glaze. I felt the hot honey got lost (in the sauce…sorry). The other two options were tasty, but I’m partial to the heat and complexity of the Sweet Asian Chile.

• What Is It: crispy fried potatoes
• Best Sauce Pairing: House-Made Ranch, Honey Dijon Mustard

The last time I went to Applebee’s for a review, the fries were old, excessively crispy and oversalted. They’d improved greatly this time around, striking a perfect 50/50 balance of soggy (my favorite) and crispy. They were well-seasoned and are a crowd-pleasing addition to the Ultimate Trio, since they’re so easy to share and impossible not to like. However, choosing this as one of my three apps would feel like a missed opportunity.

• What Is It: melty, breaded mozzarella cheese sticks
• Best Sauce Pairing: Marinara Sauce, House-Made Ranch

If you were to ask AI to dream up the quintessential basic mozzarella stick, this is what you’d get. They’re nothing fancy, but exactly what you expect from a chain restaurant: a crisp exterior and a chewy, stretchy interior. I thought the salt level was just right, and I liked that the inside wasn’t molten or watery. The impressive cheese pull was all I needed to know this gem was faithful to its reputation.

• What Is It: battered, fried shrimp with lemon
• Best Sauce Pairing: Cocktail Sauce, Mexiranch

These morsels disappeared from the plate in record time. The batter was flavorful, thickly applied and well-seasoned, but the juicy shrimp still held its own under the fried coating. While either of the aforementioned sauces will pair seamlessly here, a simple spritz of lemon will amp up the shellfish’s flavor, too.

• What Is It: crispy waffle-cut fried potatoes
• Best Sauce Pairing: Blue Moon White Cheddar Beer Cheese, Bleu Cheese

If you’re into mostly soggy fries, these will win you over at first bite (yes, more than the classic fries). They’re more indulgent with a greasiness that I can only describe as delectable. They’re also more robustly seasoned than the alternative, and the fluffy, almost mashed potato-ey inside pairs like a dream with the golden-brown exterior.

• What Is It: crispy breaded pieces of tender boneless chicken tossed in your choice of sauce
• Best Sauce Pairing: ClassicBuffalo, Garlic Parmesan

Tender and juicy on the inside, these morsels boast a thick, crunchy breading that serves as a delicious foil. They’re pretty standard as far as bar boneless wings go; what makes them extra special is how easily you can tweak them to your palate. There’s a laundry list of sauces to choose from (Classic Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Sweet Asian Chile, Garlic Parmesan, Extra Hot Buffalo and Hot Honey Glaze, although you can ask for any other dip or sauce instead or in addition), and you can make any order extra spicy with a cayenne-forward dry seasoning on the side.

• What Is It: grilled tortilla stuffed with chipotle-lime chicken, house-made pico de gallo and melted cheddar cheeses
• Best Sauce Pairing: Chipotle Lime Salsa, Mexiranch

Amidst the alternatives, I was grateful to have a non-fried option that was still satiating and indulgent. (Leave it to cheese, no?) The pico was really refreshing, and I greatly appreciated the sharpness of the red onion. While I’m a sour cream loyalist, I’d be remiss not to fill you in on the Mexiranch for dipping. You won’t see it on the Ultimate Trio menu, but it’s an herbaceous, slightly spicy, creamy sauce that pairs stunningly with this appetizer.

• What Is It: breaded, fried onion rings
• Best Sauce Pairing: Honey Dijon Mustard, Honey BBQ

Consider this the gold standard of bar onion rings. The breading was thick yet crispy, and it clung well to the interior without overpowering the onion’s crunch or flavor. The onions were mostly tender, but they were still easy to bite through without falling apart. These typically come with Honey BBQ sauce for dunking, but the tangy Honey Dijon Mustard was a better fit for me.

• What Is It: sweet Asian chile marinated grilled chicken, coleslaw and cilantro in a crispy wonton shell
• Best Sauce Pairing: Sweet Asian Chile, House-Made Ranch

My server told me that this is by far the most popular appetizer at her Applebee’s. And I see why—the shell is shatteringly crisp, the chicken is tender and flavorful, and the slaw is refreshing and crunchy. The Sweet Asian Chile sauce seemed to be much tamer in terms of spice and sweeter overall when used as a marinade instead of a dip, making for a teriyaki-like taste. I thought the slaw could be a touch tangier, but a spritz of lime fixed it.

• What Is It: soft Bavarian-style pretzels
• Best Sauce Pairing: Blue Moon White Cheddar Beer Cheese, Honey Dijon Mustard, Garlic Parmesan

The malty smell of these handhelds alone had me swooning. Their pillowy, doughy interior was complemented by a crisp, tangy crust that brought oven-fresh crunch to every bite. The salt ratio was just right without being overpowering, and you might want to order seconds of the beer cheese for dipping. (P.S.: There’s also a spicy honey mustard you won’t see on the menu that’s certainly worth a taste.)

• 10. Bleu Cheese: Hear me out, I like bleu cheese! But this is bleu cheese for people who don’t like bleu cheese. The funk is very, very subtle, and if that’s what you’re seeking, it may fall short. However, I appreciated the creamy little morsels of cheese throughout.
• 9. Marinara Sauce: Zesty, tomatoey and pasta sauce-y, this staple has its place on the menu for sure. It’s acidic and slightly chunky. I wouldn’t want it on pasta necessarily, but it was just right for dipping mozz sticks.
• 8. Chipotle Lime Salsa: It’s nice having a fresh option on the menu that isn’t super creamy or overly processed. Vibrant tomato and biting onion dominate its flavor. Temper your expectations, though: Despite the name, the chipotle (and overall spice) is very mild.
• 7. Honey BBQ: This was a bit sweet for my taste, but not a bad choice by any means. I felt it could be more acidic in the vein of Carolina Gold sauce, but I still found it to be delightfully smoky and balanced.
• 6. House-Made Ranch: I confirmed with my server that yes, they really *do* make it in house! The ranch dressing was thinner than I remembered from my last visit, but somehow tasted…almost concentrated? Like ranch seasoning or ranch-flavored salty snacks rather than standard dressing.
• 5. Sweet Asian Chile: This swicy glaze is easy to love and delivers serious gochujang energy‚ although I’m not sure there’s any in the mix. I like that the sticky nature of the glaze coats food (namely the boneless wings) without detracting from its crispness in 30 seconds.
• 4. Cocktail Sauce: For someone who isn’t wild about cocktail sauce (PSA: Applebee’s has tartar sauce on hand that you won’t see on the menu), I had nothing bad to say about this one. It had nice horseradish-y heat, strong notes of black pepper and a balanced acidity that paired well with seafood.
• 3. Classic Buffalo: This isexactly what I want in a Buffalo sauce: a thick, creamy consistency, steady heat that builds as you eat and buttery notes that round out its signature vinegary tang. Think of this as the blueprint for the condiment.
• 2. Blue Moon White Cheddar Beer Cheese: I didn’t see this pick outranking hot sauce, but here we are. A film may develop on top that you’ll need to stir in or remove as the sauce cools, but the cheese dip boasts a bold, aged flavor and a silky, thick texture I adored. Yeah, it’s meant for pretzels, but I’m eager to smother fries (or even quesadillas) with it.
• 1. Honey Dijon Mustard: It may not be the most inventive or unconventional, but this Applebee’s Ultimate Trio dip is essentially flawless. It’s equal parts sweet and tangy with a mayo-like mouthfeel that generously coats whatever you dunk in it.

My Perfect Applebee’s Ultimate Trio Order

For the apps, I’d choose the Brew Pub Pretzels, Chicken Wonton Tacos and Crunchy Onion Rings. If folks at the table don’t eat meat, swap the tacos for Waffle Fries. If you want to make it as substantial and filling as possible, trade Onion Rings for the Chicken Quesadilla.

As far as sauces go, I’d choose the Beer Cheese for the pretzels, Ranch for the tacos (or Mexiranch, if you want something spicy!) and Honey Dijon Mustard for the Onion Rings.