Despite bearing the brunt of criticism for offering some of the lowest-quality seafood and being found among the restaurants offering patrons a low-quality steak, no one can deny that Applebee’s offers a casual dining experience at an affordable price. With this in mind, Chowhound accepted the mission of ranking all of Applebee’s appetizers. After evaluating its expansive selection, we found that the white queso dip was one to steer clear from.
For diners on a budget, the melty white queso and freshly made white corn tortilla chips are undeniably a steal at $10, but we left wanting more from the taste. Objectively, if this was served as a side dip or a part of another dish, the white queso’s lack of flavor could be overlooked since other seasonings and ingredients would help to carry the weight. However, it failed to stand on its own when served with only tortilla chips, which only emphasized how bland and overwhelmingly salty it was. Fans of the melty white queso enjoy its mild spice and large size for sharing, but not even that fancy Walker Hayes song could make this dish anything more than disappointing.
Make your own white queso dip and order this instead
A good queso is the creamy, at times tantilizingly spicy heart of the dish it’s paired with. However, Applebee’s white queso dip is criticized for being bland and a bit watery. Perhaps the better choice here would be to make it at home; there are a ton of copycat recipes to pull from. For cheeses, many ask for white American, Monterey Jack, and pepper jack for their meltiness. While they may be the popular choices, the better move would be to switch the white American for Oaxaca. This is the other favorite choice for white queso at many restaurants, and it also incorporates a bit of butteriness to the flavor.
For anyone who chooses to dine at Applebee’s, at the top of our appetizer rankings is the chicken wonton tacos that combine two popular culinary styles. The taco shells are made from crunchy wontons with a savory filling of seasoned grilled chicken and refreshing coleslaw. While Applebee’s white queso dip may be the better bang in terms of quantity and affordability, it doesn’t offer much of a return in terms of flavor. On the other hand, the $12 chicken wonton tacos have a complex balance of zesty and savory notes in every bite from the sweet chile marinade teaming with the chicken and coleslaw.
