Applebee's Ultimate Trio Vs Chili's Triple Dipper: Which Appetizer Comes Out On Top?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it feels like there's a distinct rivalry between Chili's and Applebee's. Both fast casual chains lure patrons with mouthwatering dishes at a fair price. From appetizers to desserts, both eateries offer tempting delights that quell a range of cravings, whether it's a hankering for Mexican, Italian, or Southwest fusion.

When it comes to appetizers, Chili's is no stranger to the notion of combining a few on one plate. Chili's appetizer platter, aka the Triple Dipper, features a customizable medley of three starters in one order. Choices range from burgers to wings, and from fried mozzarella to crispy chicken, so one can enjoy a variety of flavors and textures at once. Seemingly craving a piece of the trinity pie, Applebee's launched its Ultimate Trio in August 2025. Diners can pick three items from a long list of appetizers — from pickle fries and pretzels with beer cheese, to onion rings, waffle fries, quesadillas, wings, mozzarella sticks, shrimp, and ribs — so there are numerous ways to build a trio. 

To determine which chain has the better triad, I went to both popular restaurants and ordered the appetizer threesome. Even though the Applebee's menu features a lengthy list of items, I chose comparable options to those offered at Chili's. I ordered boneless wings, fried mozzarella, and something unique — which was the Southwest egg rolls at Chili's and chicken wonton tacos at Applebee's. How did it go? Read on to find out.

I'm a fan of Applebee's mozzarella sticks, so I wasn't surprised when I enjoyed them in my trio. The cheese reminded me of good-quality cheese sticks (the ones you toss in your lunch box), which are then battered and fried. The cheese was melty and undeniably stretchy, so I was thrilled. The breading had great flavor and was exceedingly crisp. For me, that's the ultimate goal — gooey cheese surrounded by a crunchy coating.

I assume the cheese sticks were lightly fried, because the breading wasn't overly greasy. It was perfectly light and crispy. I also enjoyed the flavor of the herbs in the breading. I'm not sure what exactly they were, but I would guess it's a medley of Italian herbs and spices, such as oregano, parsley, and basil. The aromatic quality of the herbs partnered perfectly with the creamy mozzarella. 

Admittedly, I wasn't quite as enamored with Applebee's marinara sauce. It was warm, which was nice, but I didn't like the flavor. It was tangy and a bit bitter. My grandmother would add a pinch of sugar to her marinara sauce, and I think that would have worked here, too. My trio came with five mozzarella sticks, which I thought was a respectable amount of fried cheese for the order. I just wish it had a better dipping sauce.

Chili's fried mozzarella is unlike conventional mozzarella sticks in many ways. My appetizer trio came with two meaty slabs of breaded and fried mozzarella cheese with a side of marinara sauce. The cheese was thick and rectangular, not long and thin. I got the impression that each piece was sliced off a block of fresh mozzarella cheese, and I appreciated that. The cheese was spongy and gooey, with a rich, milky flavor. I was instantly impressed by both the flavor and texture of the cheese.

Sadly, I wasn't as thrilled with the breading. In my opinion, there just wasn't enough coating for the thickness of the cheese, and the breading was too greasy. I detected the flavor of the deep fryer more than any herbs or spices in the outer layer, especially when compared to the breading on Applebee's mozzarella sticks. I was hoping for a definitive snap of breading as I broke into the melted cheese, but that didn't really happen. 

As for the dip, I adored the marinara sauce. It was warm and savory, and I'm confident that it would taste excellent over tender pasta. The perfect scenario would be Applebee's mozzarella sticks with Chili's marinara sauce. Thankfully, I was able to do that here, but most people won't be that fortunate. Overall, I preferred Applebee's mozzarella cheese sticks — the cheese was soft and stretchy, and the breading was better. But I'll take the Chili's marinara sauce over Applebee's any day.

I was excited by the appearance of my Applebee's boneless wings with classic buffalo sauce. The order came with five pieces of extra-saucy, breaded and fried, boneless chicken. I loved the sauce on this chicken — it had great flavor and was perfectly spicy. I'm not a fan of sauces that deliver heat without flavor, so I was thrilled that this sauce had both. I had the option of ordering extra hot buffalo sauce, but chose classic for an equal comparison to Chili's. After tasting both, the heat level was equivalent, so it was a fair contest.

The breading on this chicken was extra-crisp and had a wonderful, toasted flavor. That said, there was too much breading for the size of the chicken pieces. Each boneless wing was more coating than actual poultry. It didn't help that the small amount of chicken meat was also a bit dry and tough.

I appreciated the three pieces of celery accompanying the Applebee's boneless wings. When eating spicy food, I enjoy the cooling effect of crunchy celery dipped in creamy ranch. Speaking of the ranch, it was both creamy and tangy, with subtle herby notes. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the Chili's ranch described below.

My Chili's Triple Dipper came with six boneless wings and a side of house-made ranch. I had the option to choose two different sauces, including Nashville hot, sweet chili zing, and honey-chipotle, but I stuck with buffalo to be fair to Applebee's. The sauce on the wings was great; it was tangy from the vinegar and left a lingering fiery kick on my palate. It was reminiscent of Frank's RedHot, so I enjoyed it very much. In fact, I would have preferred more sauce on my wings, so I'll ask for extra next time.

The meat was juicy, and there was plenty of it. I also thought the ratio of coating to meat was idyllic. Each piece wasn't excessively coated with breading; for me, it was the right amount for the quantity of meat. I also really enjoyed the ranch. It was creamy, tangy, and herby, and reminded me of the homemade ranch dip my mom used to make. My only complaint is that the Chili's ranch was a tad watery. The flavor was excellent, but the consistency was too thin. It dripped right off the wings before it made it to my mouth.

Applebee's wings came with three pieces of celery, and the Chili's wings did not. Since the ranch was runny, I wasn't that upset. Overall, I preferred Chili's boneless wings to Applebee's. The meat was juicy, the coating was flavorful, and the ranch was delicious.

Applebee's chicken wonton tacos were a nice addition to my trio of appetizers. The dish features three crisp wonton shells stuffed with saucy, grilled chicken, coleslaw, and cilantro. The presentation was colorful and fun, and I appreciated how the flavors were unlike the other two items in the trio.

The wonton shells were puffed-up and crisp, not to mention the perfect size for mini, three-bite tacos. The flavor of the shell was mild, but that's exactly what I expected from a fried wonton. The chicken filling was nicely flavored, but I just wished it had more oomph. The sweet Asian chile sauce was reminiscent of duck sauce, so it was mostly sweet with nuances of apricots and plums.

While the coleslaw added crunch, it was also sweet. I was hoping the slaw would be extra vinegary; the tang would have balanced the sweetness of the sauce on the chicken. The varying textures — moist chicken in a crunchy wonton with crunchy slaw — were nice, but the tastes were essentially all sweet. I liked Applebee's chicken wonton tacos, but I likely wouldn't order them again. Ultimately, I prefer dishes with a bigger flavor punch.

In my opinion, Chili's Southwest egg rolls were the best part of the appetizer trio. In fact, they were my favorite menu item of them all, from both restaurants. The egg rolls feature a crispy flour tortilla shell stuffed with chicken, black beans, corn, jalapeño pepper jack cheese, red peppers, and spinach. I also detected plenty of America's favorite seasoning herb, cilantro, which I loved.

The chicken was moist and flavorful, the beans and corn were plump and sweet, and the spinach and cheese held everything together in a delightfully creamy way. I also detected nuances of chili and cumin, which added warmth and complexity to every bite. I also cherished the tortilla wrap — it was thin and flaky, not thick like a traditional flour tortilla. For this reason, I believe it absorbed less oil, so the experience wasn't greasy at all.

Chili's egg rolls were served with a side of avocado-ranch, which was delicious. The tangy, cilantro-infused dip partnered perfectly with the Southwest flavors of the egg rolls. I wholeheartedly preferred these egg rolls over Applebee's chicken wonton tacos, making them the clear winner for the third appetizer choice.

Truth be told, this was a very fun comparison. Most of the appetizers were delicious, and items that I would order again. When it comes to the affordability of Applebee's and Chili's appetizer platters, I found both restaurants on par. My Chili's Triple Dipper was $16.89, plus tax and tip. There was a bounty of food in my order, so I considered it a great value. My Applebee's Ultimate Trio was $14.99, plus tax and tip, which, in my opinion, is an exceptionally affordable option for the quantity of food I got. I found both trios reasonably priced, especially because there was enough food to share with friends and family.

I liked the selection of appetizers at both chains, but appreciated that Applebee's offered a more extensive list of options (this certainly helps when dining with groups with varying cravings). I preferred Chili's boneless wings, Southwest egg rolls, the fried cheese, and the marinara over the Applebee's boneless wings, chicken wonton tacos, and marinara sauce. But, as stated, I liked Applebee's breading on the cheese sticks much more than Chili's.

Since both chains offer a sizable trio of great-tasting appetizers, I firmly believe you can't go wrong at either restaurant. I simply enjoyed the food from Chili's more this time around.