When you’re a parent on a budget, the magic words are “kids eat free” at restaurants, and while finding restaurants that offer this deal has become more elusive over the years, it’s not impossible to find Applebee’s kids-eat-free promotions from time to time.
Now, the last Applebee’s Kids-Eat-Free 2022 promotion ended on Oct. 31, 2022, and they haven’t released any new information on when it will be returning. But we’ll let you know all the details for that deal so you can be ready when it comes back — plus we’ll share some ways to basically get the cost of a kids’ meal comped any time of the year.
Here’s what you need to know about the Applebee’s Kids-Eat-Free promotion:
NOTE: Because Applebee’s locations are franchises, meaning they are individually owned, not every location is going to offer a kids-eat-free meal or they might have a slight variation to this deal.
Free kids’ meals are available about four times per year.
Although Applebee’s doesn’t have a set schedule for their Kids-Eat-Free promotion, you can count on it happening several times per year.
In the past, we’ve seen this deal come up during holidays and to celebrate small events throughout the year. Here’s when we saw them in 2022:
- Easter Weekend: April 16 – 17, 2022
- Independence Day: July 4, 2022
- Back to School: Aug. 22 – 28, 2022
- Halloween: Oct. 31, 2022
NOTE: Some individual Applebee’s locations offer kids-eat-free meals on a weekday, but these deals are mainly in person, limited to two per visit, and are dependent on the owners of that Applebee’s franchise. It’s rare, but it’s worth checking with your neighborhood location.
Purchase an adult entree to be eligible for the Applebee’s kids-eat-free meal.
When the Applebee’s kids-eat-free promotion is running, you only have to order an adult entree to qualify for a free kids’ meal. The deal has only been available online through the Applebee’s app (iOS / Android) or website, and you couldn’t get this deal through any third-party delivery service.
With this deal, you could only get four free kids’ meals per purchase, and any bundle deals or “2 for $20” deals aren’t eligible.
The Chicken Tenders Plate is the cheapest meal to get you the free Applebee’s kids’ meal.
The Chicken Tenders Plate is the cheapest item on the Applebee’s menu. It’s a small plate of chicken tenders with fries and your choice of dipping sauce for only $11.99. So if you’re on a budget, this meal will maximize your savings with the Applebee’s kids-eat-free deal. For reference, the most expensive adult entree that you can get from Applebee’s is the 12-ounce Ribeye.
Every kids’ meal at Applebee’s costs $5.99, so if you go with the Chicken Tenders Plate, you’ll be spending $11.99 for $17.98 worth of food — that’s a 33% discount.
Here are all the kids’ meals you choose from:
- Cheesy Pizza
- Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Quesadilla
- Chicken Corn Dog
- Grilled Chicken Alfredo
- Chicken Taco
- Mac & Cheese
- Cheeseburger
All kids’ meals come with a drink and side of your choice.
Use a discounted gift card to save even more on your Applebee’s kids-eat-free meal.
Before you head into your local Applebee’s, you should always order a discounted gift card from Raise.com.
In the past, we’ve seen Applebee’s gift cards sold for a 14% discount. That means if you get the cheapest entree and pay for it with this gift card, your maximum discount bumps up to 42.7%!
But even if there’s no kids-eat-free promotion, you can use one of these discounted gift cards along with other promos to get a free kids’ meal.
Place a to-go order for pickup via the Applebee’s app or website. When you use the promo code 5OFF25 — usable one time per account — you’ll get $5 off an order of $25 or more. Pay with the 14% off discounted gift card and you’ve saved more than the $5.95 on a kids’ meal.
NOTE: If there aren’t any gift cards available on Raise.com, you can always use your Target RedCard to get a 5% discount on all your gift card purchases, including Applebee’s gift cards.
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