Applebees Adds Gluten-Free Menu
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Jan 22 2013

Applebees Adds Gluten-Free Menu

I have been gluten-free for over 7 years now and I have never eaten gluten-free at Applebee’s.  There have been a few times that I have considered it, but I never found any good information on their gluten-free menu offerings.  Celiac-Disease.com founder and author, Kyle Eslick, wrote a post in 2009 about Applebee’s gluten-free menu which has lots of activity in the comments section with all kinds of different experiences. 

ablogo thumb Applebees Adds Gluten Free Menu

(source)

It was just yesterday when I learned that Applebee’s now has a copy of gluten-free menu offerings on their website.  The listing is dated to be good through 2/17/2013 and has the standard warnings about cross contamination and not being able to guarantee the gluten-free status of the food. 

There are a decent number of gluten-free options on the menu in all categories except dessert, where there isn’t a single option:

  • Chips, salsa and queso in the appetizers (make sure to ask about a dedicated fryer and that the chips are made from corn and not flour tortillas)
  • Tuscan bean soup with chicken and sausage
  • Grilled shrimp & spinach salad with a choice of gluten-free dressings
  • Fiesta chicken salad with a choice of dressings
  • Steak
  • Chicken
  • Seafood
  • Multiple sides – potatoes, veggies, fruit, rice, coleslaw

To ensure safety when dining out gluten-free make sure to speak with the manager on duty and the staff that will be serving you.  I can usually get a good feeling on whether or not they are well-trained or are just flying by the seat of their pants hopping on the newest “trend” to offer customers.  Of course this won’t guarantee that your food will be 100% safe, but good practices can help prevent mistakes. 

Have you dined successfully gluten-free at Applebee’s?  If not in the past, will you now?

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Article Written by:

Kimberly Bouldin is a gluten-free wife, runner & blogger with two children in Columbus, Ohio. After her celiac diagnosis in 2006, she has made it her mission to embrace an entirely new approach to nutrition in a gluten-free world, exploring options that run the gamut from "made from scratch" homemade bread to sampling and reviewing the gluten-free prepared foods that are continuously being introduced to the market. While navigating the waters of becoming gluten-free, Kim shares her experiences and passes along valuable product reviews in addition to helping other moms of celiac kids develop healthy menus that are kid-friendly and palatable. Kimberly is a valuable resource for those who are newly diagnosed, as well as for the more seasoned gluten-free veterans. Follow @KBouldin on Twitter

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  • Anna

    Thanks for posting this! When I travel for work, Applebee’s is often the only restaurant in town. I usually just have to order a plain baked potato. Good to know I might actually have options now!

    • http://glutenfreeislife.com/ Kimberly Bouldin

      Anna,

      I am glad that I can help! Please let us know how it goes!

      Kim

  • http://www.eterno-lyyours.blogspot.com Linda E

    My teenage daughter just successfully dined in Applebee’s on an overnight trip with her track team. I was relieved that this was where the coaches decided to dine since they did have a dedicated gluten free menu.

    • http://glutenfreeislife.com/ Kimberly Bouldin

      Linda,

      This is great! :)

      Kim

  • Monica

    I run a trivia show at 2 Applebee’s in the Milwaukee, Wi. area. 1 show I have done for almost 4 years!
    The GF menu is great! I love the Fiesta Lime Chicken! The wait staff has always been super helpful in helping me try new items that are safe for me to eat!
    How wonderful to be able to eat out twice a week-every week-and still feel good!
    I was Dx w/ celiac’s after more than 10 years of feeling like I had the stomach flu on a daily basis!
    I now have my life back, my children have their Mom back & I’m no longer afraid to make plans! I will not be too sick & have to cancel! YAY!!

  • Lori Baird

    I have not dined successfully gluten free at Applebees. I have had some of the worst experiences of my life there. Yes, I went back after being burnt. The first time, I asked for a burger on a plate, sans the bun, w/lettuce and tomato and a green salad, no croutons. Asked the waiter to have the chef scrape the grill just in case. I got a burger on a bun served to me. I had the manager come over, explained the snafu and my needs and he assured me that things could be corrected and he would see to it that I got the right meal asap. 20 minutes later, I received a dried out burger and the salad on the same plate that the bun was on-the crumbs were obvious. I was out with a gentleman friend that I was hoping to have more of a relationship with and ended up embarrassed and he had eaten and I never did as he was done and my meal had yet to come properly. I left w/o eating a thing. The second trip, I was invited by my mother to go even though I was cagey about it, but I went. I ordered a plain GRILLED chicken breast and a salad, no croutons, scrape the grill. Sure enough, the croutons were on it and the chicken was breaded! Again, back to the manager, a different one by the way and this time it was corrected properly but again took forever and my mother was finished with her meal and waiting on me. I am not so sure I would ever want to go back to Applebees again as I don’t think that they are going to be any more trained than they were a few months ago when I went.

  • DonnaB

    Recently visited Applebee’s mid-afternoon and ordered an appetizer from the GF menu, specifying o my server that it must be G F. Halfway through I found a french fry…red flag! Manager stopped at our table and offered a feeble apology. I contacted corporate by way of their website and expressed my concern about proper training for their staff. Luckily I didn’t have obvious symptoms but I know he damage is done.