Applebee’s Big Easy Menu Is Here for a Limited Time—But Is It Any Good? Here’s a Food Editor’s Review of Every Dish

• What Is It: grilled eight-ounce top sirloin with Cajun spices in buttery garlic and parsley, served with sautéed mushrooms and onions and garlic mashed potatoes
• Price: $23

There’s no sugarcoating it: The steak was overcooked (that’s one of the downsides of serving it on a blazing hot skillet, I guess) but still tender. As a result, the garlic butter topping was doing a lot of heavy lifting in the flavor department, yet it wasn’t always in the steak’s favor—some parts tasted bland and others very salty. The mashed potatoes were light, creamy and rustic. It wasn’t bad, but for $23, you’re better off getting ribs.

• What Is It: beef patty with Cajun spices on a brioche bun, topped with two slices of Swiss cheese, sautéed onions and mushrooms, black pepper sauce and house-made garlic mayo; served with fries
• Price: $15

I loved the soft, pillowy bun that came lightly toasted. But I wished that there was more nuance to the burger and its toppings. The burger itself was also overcooked, but very juicy and savory. The onions and mushrooms could have been a touch more acidic or tangy to make the handheld less one-note. (Most bites were just plain beefy.)

• What Is It: Cajun-seasoned chicken and blackened shrimp in buttery garlic and parsley, served with sautéed mushrooms and onions and garlic mashed potatoes
• Price: $20

The chicken had a nice char on the exterior, which provided a crisp foil for the very moist interior. The mushrooms were tender, the onions were jammy and caramelized, and the shrimp were cooked just right. However, the garlic butter was intensely salty in some spots. Luckily, the mild mashed potatoes offered some respite.

• What Is It: sautéed blackened shrimp, seared Andouille sausage, seasoned bell peppers, onions and creamy Cajun Alfredo sauce over penne pasta; served with a breadstick brushed with garlic-parsley butter
• Price: $13.99

IMO, this is the dish to order from the Big Easy menu. It’s an indulgent pasta dish, yet the peppers and onions brought a fresh feel to the dish, since they retained some of their crispness. Admittedly, the sauce wasn’t as saucy or creamy as you’d expect (it was more thick and solid and stiffened on the overdone pasta), and it could have been more flavorful. But I really enjoyed the sweet-and-savory sausage, as well as the smoky, crispy-on-the-outside shrimp. The breadstick was also garlicky and impeccably soft. (P.S.: You can get the same pasta with chicken instead of shrimp for $2 less, if you’d prefer.)