Why Applebee's Gluten-Free Menu Options Are Misleading

Applebee's has been the "neighborhood grill" since its creation in 1980, tempting hungry customers with popular menu items like sauce-loaded riblets, affordable boneless wings, and those signature Dollaritas. Fighting mass closures and returning from the brink of disaster, Applebee's is no stranger to a catchy commercial and a hearty menu update — but everything is not what it seems. Applebee's may unintentionally mislead customers with the "gluten sensitive" label on particular menu items since the chain itself admits that it's "unable to guarantee" that food items are "completely free of allergens."

According to Applebee's website, the chain restaurants use "shared cooking and prep areas, including common fryer oil," so even though certain foods are tagged with the tiny, black and white "GS" label, there is no guarantee that it's entirely gluten-free. For people with serious gluten intolerances or celiac disease, even small traces of gluten can lead to serious health issues or medical emergencies. Customers at Applebee's may think they're safe ordering the Neighborhood Nachos as an appetizer, since Applebee's claims it's part of the "gluten sensitive" category, but in reality, those nachos may have been fried in the same oil as the Crunchy Onion Rings.

Classic Bone-In Wings, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Double-Glazed Baby Back Ribs are a few of the menu options that Applebee's claims are "gluten-sensitive." Ordering a fully gluten-free meal at Applebee's may be harder than it seems, since some social media users suggest that the food comes prepackaged, possibly contaminated with gluten particles even before altering. Despite the "gluten sensitive" labeling, there are plenty of accounts from Reddit users who say that the food has given them reactions. One user, a former employee, commented that the food is "not safe for anyone with allergens," while another said that they "learned the hard way" that "gluten-sensitive" foods don't necessarily mean gluten-free.

Applebee's foods don't meet the Food and Drug Administration's definition of "gluten-free," which means the product contains less than 20 milligrams of gluten, so it can only label foods as "gluten sensitive" instead. Someone even reported getting sick from eating the nachos at Applebees, not realizing that the illness was a gluten reaction until they felt ill, since the nachos were listed as a "gluten sensitive" food. While this particular chain may be out of the picture for our gluten-free friends, much to the recommendation of other gluten-free dieters on social media, Outback Steakhouse has got your back with a truly gluten-free menu.