Chili's Vs Applebee's: Who Has The Best Appetizers?

Most of us can agree that a good appetizer can sometimes be more exciting than the main course. Chili's and Applebee's are two popular restaurants that feature a variety of delicious-sounding appetizers. As such, I thought it might be a good idea to sample appetizers from each to see which chain featured the best-tasting starter meals.

In the following post, I'll walk you through my experience with the appetizers sold at Chili's and Applebee's. Though I didn't get a chance to taste every appetizer on Chili's and Applebee's menus, I tasted most of them and will give a description of each, along with what I thought of its overall taste and value.

Please note that I don't frequent either restaurant often, and as such, am reviewing each appetizer sold at Chili's and Applebee's from an unbiased lens. With that out of the way, join me as I seek to discover which of the two restaurants truly has the best appetizers.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to hot wings, especially the boneless sort. I'm a traditional wing kind of girl, and I love a Buffalo sauce that achieves the perfect balance of spice and tang.

Surprisingly, I was blown away by Applebee's Boneless Wings. Each piece contained plenty of thick, juicy white meat, and the texture was perfect. The sauce was the star of the show –- I ordered Classic Buffalo and packed plenty of heat and zingy vinegar flavor. For $12.59 at the time of publication, they're definitely worth the buy.

Though I enjoyed Applebee's Boneless Wings, I loathed the dipping sauce it came with. I ordered Bleu cheese, but there's no way that was what I received. What I got looked like ranch, but it was way waterier. It was so watery, in fact, that I was afraid to eat it. I gave it a taste anyway and the flavor was disgustingly sour. My best guess is that I got a rancid cup of the ranch, but who knows? Hopefully, this isn't the norm and won't be a part of your Applebee's experience.

I didn't grow up eating spinach and artichokes, and despite my best efforts to include these healthier ingredients in my adult diet, I could never get into the taste. Needless to say, I wasn't excited to sample Applebee's Spinach & Artichoke Dip.

After a hesitant bite, I must say I was pleased. The dip was thick, smooth, and best of all, absolutely delicious. Even my 4-year-old daughter, who shares my disdain for spinach, agreed that this dip was really good. She and I had chip after chip and were delighted with its texture and taste. Whether or not you're willing to spend 10 bucks on it is up to you, but I can assure you that you won't be disappointed if you do.

Speaking of chips, the tortilla chips themselves were thick and pretty average in terms of flavor. There was also a small cup of salsa that came with the chips, and if I'm honest, I wasn't a fan. The salsa wasn't gross, but it was a tad extra. The spices and flavorings used were so potent that they overshadowed the simplicity of the salsa's traditional tomato flavor.

I have one word for Applebee's Mozzarella Sticks: wow. I've always been a sucker for mozzarella sticks, and these were next-level. There was nothing particularly different about them; no interesting flavors, odd shapes, or unique characteristics. Just straightforward mozzarella sticks done very well. The breading was perfect and allowed the flavor of the cheese to come through. The cheese itself was thick and seemed high quality, with just the right amount of cheese pull.

Not gonna lie; the sauce that came with these Applebee's Mozzarella Sticks looked strange. It was dark red and resembled overcooked tomato paste. And though I know its use in marinara sauce is only one of the many legit ways to use tomato paste, I can't say I was too excited to dip my cheese sticks in it. Surprisingly, the sauce was just as amazing as the mozzarella sticks. It was full of flavor and complemented the flavor of the cheese sticks beautifully. For only $8.99, I'd order these again in a heartbeat.

Applebee's Brew Pub Loaded Waffle Fries comes with waffle-cut fries, a cheddar cheese blend, "beer cheese," and chopped bacon. And while all of that sounds good, I was hesitant. As a creature of habit, I'm not a person who likes trying new things. The "beer cheese" and non-traditional fry cut were throwing me off, so I can't say I was looking forward to the sample.

Upon receiving the fries, I was underwhelmed, as expected. Applebee's Brew Pub Loaded Fries looked messy; I couldn't see the fries for all the soupy cheese. On top of that, Applebee's burned the bacon — and I despise burnt bacon. Imagine my surprise when I took a bite and realized that this appetizer was actually amazing. Every fry was coated with cheese, the flavor was great, and I couldn't even tell the bacon was burnt. All of the ingredients came together harmoniously to yield one heck of a delicious appetizer dish. I'd imagine they'd taste great dunked in ketchup or ranch, but they honestly didn't need either. Applebee's Brew Pub Loaded Fries are totally worth their $8.99 price point.

Surprise, surprise. Applebee's Chicken Quesadillas are another great appetizer. Initially, I thought the quesadillas tasted bland. However, as I kept eating, I noticed how nicely the veggies complemented the meat and cheese within. Applebee's Chicken Quesadillas come stuffed with red onions, green peppers, and, of course, lots of melted cheese. You can order them on their own or sample them as a part of The Classic Combo sampler, which is what I did. 

Though I thought these quesadillas were great overall, one thing I didn't love about them was the chicken. To me, the chicken tasted bland compared to the other ingredients. A little added seasoning like cumin, chili powder, or even a hint of spice would've help take the flavor of these quesadillas up and over the edge. Thankfully, the mundane flavor of the chicken didn't disrupt the overall taste of the dish, but instead allowed the savor of the veggies to truly shine. All in all, I really loved this pick. And though I wouldn't tote it as the best quesadilla I've ever eaten, for $9 at the time of publication, I think it's a solid Applebee's appetizer.

I had my doubts when it came to Applebee's Crunchy Onion Rings. For close to $8 per serving, they had better be worth the money. I recently tried the onion rings from TGI Fridays (one of the best side dishes at TGI Fridays, by the way), and I wasn't sure if Applebee's would live up to what I sampled there.

Applebee's Crunchy Onion Rings weren't as tasty as TGI Fridays, but they were close. The onion rings were enormous, packed plenty of crunch, and offered tons of flavor. Though tasty, one thing I didn't love about Applebee's Onion Rings was the lack of onion flavor. Sure, the onions were there and I could sort of taste them, but it was the breading that stood front and center. Personally, I prefer onion rings that are more onion-forward. And though the onion rings were very large, I'm still not convinced they're worth the $8 they cost, especially considering some of the other tastier and more substantial appetizers offered at Applebee's at around the same price. But that's just me. Overall, Applebee's Onion Rings are a decent appetizer option.

Chili's Boneless Wings were on par with what I'm used to –- they weren't gross, but they weren't great either. I ordered the boneless wings in classic Buffalo sauce, although several sauce options were available. The wings had a very drab taste to them with barely any spice at all. The amount of meat in each boneless nugget was average, and the breading decent. But what I disliked the most about Chili's Boneless Wings was the lack of zip. There was no vinegary tang or interesting flavor that made them stand out.

Chili's Boneless Wings go for $13.79 at the time of publication in my area, and I can't say they're worth it. Sure, if you're there already and have a hankering for them, go right ahead, but don't expect to be wowed by the flavor. Having said that, there are several other flavors available, including Mango Habanero, Nashville Hot, Sweet Chili Zing, and House BBQ. You might have better luck experimenting with these flavors rather than sticking to the classic Buffalo status quo.

Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls were interesting. I love southwestern-inspired food and eggrolls, making this the duet of my dreams. Still, there were things about the texture and flavor of these eggrolls that threw me off. 

First, the outer shell of the egg roll was soft and pillowy. And while it had a pleasant mouthfeel, it was odd given that egg rolls are traditionally crispy. The other issue I had with Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls is that though tasty, they lacked a certain punch I'd expect from something southwestern. It needed spice and maybe more cumin to amp things up. With all things considered, I still think this is a solid appetizer. Though a little confusing, the overall flavor was decent and its soft texture, though different, was still enjoyable, especially when coupled with the soft texture of the beans within. There were also flecks of corn and other ingredients packed inside, with the website's description disclosing that there's even a bit of spinach thrown in the mix, though you'd never know. If you plan to sample these, expect to pay around $12.29 as of the time of publication.

Chili's Fried Mozzarella comes in a "shareable" and "small" size for $13.49 and $9.99, respectively. These aren't traditional mozzarella sticks but are more like mozzarella rectangles. Their unexpected shape makes them larger than traditional cheese sticks, which isn't a bad thing. You'll eat fewer of them, making the minuscule portion sizes of only three for a small order and six for a large order make more sense.

As for the taste, they were pretty good. As mentioned before, I prefer traditional flavors when it comes to mozzarella sticks, and don't tend like sampling anything I feel is too jazzed up. And while these weren't over the top by any means, the Parmesan flavor gracing the breadcrumb exterior is dominant. I can't say I love that.

If you're a big fan of Parmesan and love mozzarella, you'll love Chili's Fried Mozzarella. Despite its distinct Parmesan flavor, I still think they're worth sampling; just be sure to order the shareable size versus the small. It's more bang for your buck.

I had high hopes for Chili's Texas Cheese Fries. Like the other appetizers I've sampled from Chili's, these weren't bad, just not great. Gauging from the picture on the website, I thought these would be stupendous. The jalapeños and green onions seemed like the perfect addition to crispy straight-cut fries (the best fry cut, in my opinion), cheese, and bacon. Sadly, these fries just tasted like, well, fries — if you ask me. The cheese wasn't very flavorful, and I barely could taste the bacon. Because of this, the green onion and jalapeño served only as decoration; there was no harmony between flavors, leaving me sorely disappointed.

Another thing to note about Chili's Texas Cheese Fries is that once you get past the top layer of cheese and bacon, you are basically left with bare fries at the bottom. None of the toppings made it past the surface of the fry mound, which was annoying to say the least. Given its beautiful presentation and my high expectations, I was dissatisfied with the overall flavor and execution of Chili's Texas Cheese Fries appetizer.

Chili's Dip Trio tastes okay. The appetizer comes with your choice of three dips. Choose from white queso, skillet queso, fresh guacamole, salsa, and even house-made ranch. I love queso and salsa, so naturally I chose white queso, skilled queso, and salsa as my dip trio. Each dip was decent, with the white queso being my favorite out of the three. It was thick, creamy, and flavorful, just like a good white queso should be.

The "skillet" queso tasted almost identical to the white queso, though it had more southwestern flavor. It was also a deep brown color, which I assume is due to the spices used to flavor it. The salsa was average, but I liked it more than Applebee's rendition; at least I could taste the tomatoes. Still, Chili's salsa was too bland and watery for me to order again. I also want to note that none of the aforementioned dips were spicy, so if that's something you're for in a dip, these aren't for you.

The tortilla chips served with Chili's Dip Trio were tasty. They had a good balance of salt and flavor, but my favorite part was their texture. Chili's chips are extremely thin and crispy, which is just how I like them. Even so, I learned the hard way that these chips get soggy easily, so keep that in mind when dunking them in dip. Overall, this appetizer was decent, but for $9.69, I wouldn't purchase it again.

With all things considered, Applebee's wins the appetizer showdown for a variety of reasons. Applebee's appetizers were consistently better in terms of taste and texture, and at times, even seemed of better value. Applebee's also offers plenty of variety with even more tempting options available than what was mentioned here. Among the best appetizers were the boneless wings (sans the watery dressing) and the spinach artichoke dip, though every item on this list was surprisingly tasty, well-presented, and affordable. 

In most cases, the appetizers sold by Chili's were just okay. They weren't as flavorful as Applebee's offerings, yet they were often the same price, if not more. On top of that, there wasn't a single appetizer within Chili's lineup that I preferred over Applebee's. With that said, I wouldn't consider Chili's appetizers a complete waste of money; they certainly weren't gross. But when charged with the task of selecting only one restaurant with the best appetizer offerings, the choice is clear: it's Applebee's appetizers for the win.

To determine whether Chili's or Applebee's has the best appetizers, I thoroughly inspected both menus and selected a handful of options that I felt showed the most variety. I also chose appetizers that were mentioned on both Chili's and Applebee's menus to make comparisons fair.

All items were ordered carryout, and some appetizers were ordered as part of a sample platter when available. Items spent some time in carryout containers, which may have had an effect on their overall taste, texture, and presentation. The prices mentioned in the post reflect the price you'd pay for the standard meal, not sampler items. Each price represents what was reflected on the menu at the time of publication, though items, pricing, and availability are all subject to change.

Though I strongly defer to Applebee's in terms of taste, texture, and pricing, my review was unsponsored and unbiased. The thoughts expressed here were shared with the goal of providing you with an idea of what to expect when ordering appetizers from either establishment.