Walking into Applebee's with kidney stones on your mind can feel like navigating a booby-trapped menu. Between the crispy coatings, mystery dressings, and dishes that sound safe but aren't, the anxiety of ordering wrong is real.
But Applebee's actually has more safe options than you'd think. The key is knowing which dishes are genuinely low-risk and which ones are hiding high-oxalate ingredients behind innocent-sounding names.
We've analyzed the most popular Applebee's dishes using our database of 2,400+ foods with oxalate values from peer-reviewed research. Here's your complete guide.
The Safe Bets (Under 25 mg Oxalate)
Riblets Platter
Applebee's signature riblets are one of the safest things on the menu. Pork is naturally oxalate-free, and the barbecue glaze is primarily sugar, vinegar, and tomato — all low-oxalate or used in small enough amounts to be negligible. Pair with mashed potatoes (made from white potatoes with butter and cream) and you're in great shape.
Estimated oxalate: 8-15 mg per serving
Top Sirloin Steak
Any cut of beef at Applebee's is a safe anchor for your meal. The 8 oz. Top Sirloin is straightforward grilled protein with essentially zero oxalate in the meat itself. The garlic herb butter they serve with it is also clean. Just be mindful of what you choose on the side.
Any cut of beef at Applebee's is a safe anchor for your meal.
Estimated oxalate: 5-15 mg per serving (depending on sides)
Grilled Chicken Breast
The plain grilled chicken breast, when ordered as an entree, is about as safe as it gets. Chicken is oxalate-free. Ask for it with steamed broccoli in a small portion (broccoli is actually quite low in oxalates despite what many people assume) or with a side of rice.
Estimated oxalate: 8-18 mg per serving
Classic Bacon Cheeseburger (White Bun)
A beef patty, bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato on a white flour bun. Every single component here is low-oxalate. The white bun keeps it safe where a whole wheat bun would add unnecessary oxalate. This is comfort food you can actually enjoy.
Estimated oxalate: 12-22 mg per serving
Proceed with Caution (25-50 mg Oxalate)
Chicken Tenders Platter
The breaded coating adds some oxalate from the flour mixture, and the portions at Applebee's are generous. If you dip in ranch or honey mustard, you stay low. Just avoid the barbecue dipping sauce in large quantities (some contain soy) and the honey Dijon (mustard seeds are moderate).
Estimated oxalate: 25-35 mg per serving
The white flour breading is actually the bigger contributor than the chicken itself. If you can, peel some of the coating off — though we know that defeats the purpose.
Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp
Chicken and shrimp are oxalate-free, but the Cajun seasoning blend and the sauteed onions and mushrooms add some. Mushrooms are moderate in oxalate, and some Cajun spice blends include paprika and cumin which contribute. It's still a reasonable choice — just not as clean as plain grilled protein.
Chicken and shrimp are oxalate-free, but the Cajun seasoning blend and the sauteed onions and mushrooms add some.
Estimated oxalate: 25-40 mg per serving
Classic French Onion Soup
The onions themselves are low-oxalate, and the melted cheese on top adds protective calcium. However, the beef broth base can vary, and the bread component adds some. A cup is fine; a bowl pushes the numbers up.
Estimated oxalate: 20-35 mg per cup
Skip These (50+ mg Oxalate)
Oriental Chicken Salad
This is the biggest trap on the Applebee's menu. It sounds healthy. It sounds like "just a salad." But look at what's actually in it: crispy fried noodles (wheat-based, fried), almonds (extremely high oxalate at 400+ mg per 100g), Asian dressing with soy sauce (soy is high-oxalate), and mixed greens that likely include spinach. This single salad can deliver 100+ mg of oxalate without you realizing what happened.
Estimated oxalate: 100-180 mg per serving
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
You'll see this appetizer on the table at almost every Applebee's visit when dining with friends. A single serving of cooked spinach can contain 750+ mg of oxalate. Even though it's mixed with cheese and cream, the spinach content makes this one of the highest-oxalate items at any chain restaurant. Period.
Estimated oxalate: 150-250+ mg per serving
Southwest Steak Bowl
This one hides the oxalate in layers: black beans (high), brown rice (moderate to high), corn salsa (moderate), and the chipotle sauce that often contains cocoa or soy. What looks like a wholesome protein bowl is actually an oxalate accumulator.
Estimated oxalate: 60-90 mg per serving
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Potatoes are moderate in oxalate (about 20 mg per medium potato), and when you're eating a soup that's primarily potato-based, the volume adds up fast. Factor in the likely inclusion of flour as a thickener and you're looking at a heavy oxalate load for what most people consider a harmless side.
Estimated oxalate: 50-75 mg per bowl
Smart Strategies at Applebee's
1. The Protein-First Rule
Applebee's is at its safest when you build your meal around grilled meat or seafood. Steak, chicken, ribs, shrimp — these are all essentially zero-oxalate. Start with protein, then carefully add sides.
Applebee's is at its safest when you build your meal around grilled meat or seafood.
2. Sides That Work
Mashed potatoes (made with cream and butter, which dilute the oxalate), steamed broccoli (surprisingly low), corn on the cob (low), coleslaw (cabbage is low — just watch for soy-based dressings), and white rice. These are your safe side options.
3. Sides to Avoid
French fries in large portions (potato + frying oil), the house salad if it contains spinach or beets, and any side described as "loaded" (usually means added beans, soy, or high-oxalate toppings).
4. Dressings and Sauces Matter
Ranch and blue cheese are your safest dressing options — dairy-based, low-oxalate. Caesar is also fine. Avoid Asian-style dressings (soy), vinaigrettes with mustard, and anything described as "chipotle" or "Southwest" (often contain cocoa or soy).
5. Desserts: Keep It Simple
The vanilla ice cream or the Triple Chocolate Meltdown are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Vanilla ice cream is safe. Anything with chocolate — the meltdown, the brownie, the chocolate cake — is loaded with cocoa-based oxalate. If you want dessert, stick to vanilla or caramel flavors.
The Bottom Line
Applebee's is a solid choice for kidney stone formers if you follow three rules:
- Build around grilled protein — ribs, steak, chicken, shrimp
- Stay away from the Oriental Chicken Salad and Spinach Artichoke Dip — the two biggest traps on the menu
- Choose white-flour items over whole wheat, and dairy-based dressings over soy-based
Want to check any specific Applebee's dish? Use our Menu Check feature to photograph the menu and get instant oxalate estimates, or browse our pre-analyzed Applebee's menu. You can also search any ingredient in our food database with 2,400+ items.
New to tracking oxalate? Get started with OxalateGuard and take the guesswork out of every meal.