Here's How To Order Vegan-Friendly Meals At Applebee's

If you're vegan and looking to dine out at Applebee's soon, don't worry, we've got you covered. Eating out as someone who avoids animal products is far from impossible, but it does take a little careful planning, which is better to do in advance if only to avoid holding up the rest of your party by asking a load of questions. The good news is that many of the tastiest sides and appetizers at Applebee's are quite adaptable, they may just need a small swap to get them to full vegan status. Pretzel sticks, for example, are good to go, you'll just need to ask your server to hold the cheese dip (or leave it for the rest of your table).

Obviously chips and guacamole are a no-brainer for vegans, and they also have a fully plant-based chipotle-lime salsa. You can order sides like the steamed broccoli if you just ask for it without butter, and you could also ask for salads made without dairy-filled dressings or added cheese, as your server will definitely be able to help you out with more basic vinaigrettes instead. 

It really only takes a few little changes to pull together a pretty full meal from just the "sides" alone. Think of it like having an Applebee's tapas selection. And if you're curious what else could be tweaked, don't miss our list of every Applebee's appetizer, ranked — it's a great way to see what else might be vegan-friendly (or easily modified).

While Applebee's doesn't have a giant vegan section, there are certainly some entrees that just need a little tweak to get them there, and the bowls are a great place to start. Both the Southwest Chicken Bowl and the Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl are loaded with delicious plant-based ingredients like rice and black bean corn salsa, so just ask them to omit the meat. If you're wondering if black beans have more protein than pinto beans, the answer is yes, which makes that black bean salsa an even better reason to veganize some delicious rice bowls. 

But if you're looking for even more protein, Applebee's has an Impossible Cheeseburger which you can enjoy on a fully vegan brioche bun (just skip the cheese), or you could ask to swap it into one of the bowls. And thankfully, the regular and waffle fries are both vegan, so they can become the perfect side to your burger.

Applebee's offers quite a lot of flexibility when it comes to making special requests, which is what separates fast food from fast casual restaurants. If something on the menu stands out but you're unsure, ask your server, as very often it takes simply removing one little thing to turn it fully plant-based. But of course, as with anything, the best advice is to check Applebee's allergen and ingredient lists online before you get there to make sure you're armed with as much knowledge of the menu as possible.