I Tasted Every Item on Applebee’s 2 for $25 Menu—This Is the Perfect Order

• What It Is: creamy spinach and artichoke dip, topped with Parmesan cheese and served with white corn tortilla chips and chipotle lime salsa

This is the only menu item that really fell short, IMO. The dip was runny and bland, sort of like an under-salted cream of spinach soup. I didn’t detect any brininess or tang from the artichoke. The chips were very pale, even for white corn, and could have been fried a bit longer. They were also stale. Although the salsa seemed out of place initially, its vibrancy and freshness improved both the dip and chips.

• What It Is: crispy breaded pieces of tender boneless chicken tossed in your choice of sauce, served with blue cheese or house-made ranch dressing and celery

These are a solid shareable on the Applebee’s 2 for $25 menu if you’re eating with a couple of friends. While they’re pretty standard in terms of quality, I love how easily you can customize these wings to suit your taste. There’s a laundry list of sauces to choose from, and you can make any order extra spicy with a cayenne-forward dry seasoning on the side. They were crispy, albeit a bit heavy on the breading. The buffalo sauce offered mild heat, buttery texture and vinegary tang, while the Asian chili sauce delivered gochujang energy and a swicy glaze that helped the chicken retain its crunch better than the former.

• What It Is: melty breaded mozzarella cheese, served with marinara sauce

These are basically the blueprint for mozzarella sticks. They’re nothing fancy, but exactly what you expect from a chain restaurant: a crispy, evenly coated exterior and a chewy, stretchy interior. I thought the salt level was perfect, and I liked that the inside wasn’t molten or watery (you’ve been burned by a spurt of cheese juice before, no?). The marinara was acidic and slightly chunky; I wouldn’t want it on pasta, but it was just right for dipping.

• What It Is: breaded, fried onion rings served with honey BBQ sauce

Speaking of blueprints, this is like the gold standard of onion rings—I have no notes. The breading was thick yet crispy. The onions were mostly tender with slight crunch, but easy to bite through (my villain origin story is chomping into an onion ring and pulling the entire slimy inside out because my teeth can’t break it). I also liked the mix of small and large rings, making for some visual and textural variety. They came with BBQ sauce, but I recommend asking for an additional side of honey mustard.

• What It Is: crispy chicken tenders on fresh Asian greens with crunchy noodles, almonds and Oriental vinaigrette

This salad wasn’t bad, but it was a touch underwhelming. With lots of crunchy bits, chopped chicken tenders, basic produce and a creamy, mayo-y dressing with what I’d call a fruity or citrusy undertone, it’s essentially a salad for people who don’t really like salad. I think another mix-in would’ve been nice (maybe a darker green, cucumbers or mandarin oranges?), and there were some very long leaves of lettuce that I would’ve preferred in smaller pieces for easier eating.

• What It Is: beef patty topped with two slices of American cheese and a sweet-and-spicy secret sauce made with jalapeños and bacon, served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on a brioche bun

This Applebee’s 2 for $25 essential was super juicy, and cooked perfectly to temp. The beef was thoroughly seasoned without being overpowered, the red onion offered a nice, sharp crunch, the pickles were sour and the bun was toasted, which kept it from getting soggy in two seconds. The secret sauce wasn’t my favorite (it was very sweet for my taste, and the nuance of the jalapeños and bacon was lost unless I tasted the sauce by itself). But the only low point here was the fries, which seemed old, excessively crisp and oversalted.

• What It Is: crispy chicken breast filet in marinara sauce over fettuccine in Parmesan cream sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese and served with a breadstick in garlic-parsley butter

I really enjoyed the noodles here. They were thick, toothsome and a touch doughy, which is how I like long pasta. The sauce had a buttery, cheesy flavor that kept me going back for more, although I wouldn’t call it a “cream sauce” as the menu does, due to its broken appearance and thinner consistency. The chicken was fried hard and had an indulgent breading and tender interior. Again, the marinara on its own wasn’t my favorite, but I felt it really complemented the buttery flavor of the pasta here.