14 Restaurant Chains With Iconic Appetizer Platters

When you go out for a meal, it's only natural to want your order to be worthwhile. What's unfortunate, though, is that some appetizers at America's favorite chain restaurants aren't worth the price. In our ranking of Texas Roadhouse appetizers, for instance, our reviewer found the fried pickles too soggy and unbalanced to be worth ordering. One way to avoid spending money on an appetizer that just doesn't meet expectations is to stick to restaurant chains with starter platters that are well-received by customers.

From Chili's, Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Texas Roadhouse to Dave & Buster's, The Cheesecake Factory, Joe's Crab Shack, and even Denny's, Daily Meal has discovered more than a dozen iconic appetizer platters that diners love far and wide. These platters allow groups to enjoy more than one starter, while some include so much food that they can be standalone meals if you want some flavor variety (or simply don't want to share). And if you need party planning to be a breeze, like for a big Super Bowl or Friendsgiving bash, a few of these chains offer even larger catering platters of appetizers to please your guests. Bear in mind, though, that restaurant menus can change and vary by location, so not all of the platters mentioned in this list may be available near you.

Thanks to a big push on social media, the Triple Dipper at Chili's Grill & Bar has become a viral hit and possibly the most iconic appetizer platter currently offered at a restaurant chain. More than half of the orders Chili's receives for this starter include the Big Mouth Bites and Fried Mozzarella (via Nation's Restaurant News), and for good reason. A video on the restaurant's Instagram depicts someone putting the mozzarella planks in the sliders — a popular Chili's hack that turns the Triple Dipper into the ultimate burger.

As the name suggests, though, the Triple Dipper comes with your choice of three appetizers. The other options to choose from include boneless or bone-in chicken wings, Southwestern Eggrolls, and either original, Nashville hot, or honey-chipotle chicken tenders. Also, you get to choose from more than a handful of sauces.

The Classic Combo has been on the menu at Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar for several years now, but its popularity picked up a little on social media in 2025. Of the four appetizers that come with this sampler platter, the spinach and artichoke dip is such a crowd favorite that there are tons of copycat recipes out there, but none quite hit the mark for fans. It includes white corn tortilla chips and chipotle lime salsa as an alternative dipping option.

The Classic Combo also comes with boneless wings in your choice of six flavors, and it's accompanied by celery and dipping sauce. You also get a chipotle lime chicken quesadilla made with a cheddar blend and pico de gallo, as well as mozzarella sticks paired with marinara.

Buffalo Wild Wings' chicken tastes so good because it fries its wings (and some other items) in beef tallow, which gives the food an umami boost. You can take advantage of that satiating richness in the Ultimate Sampler, which the chain launched in October 2025 with an advertisement featuring the Jonas Brothers. From a list of 12 options (some in select markets only), the new offering allows you to mix and match your four favorites. All of them, except the Everything Pretzel Knots and Cheeseburger Sliders, are fried in beef shortening for extra flavor. Additionally, you get to choose four of eight possible dipping sauces (some in select markets only).

The Ultimate Sampler replaced the House Sampler, which started disappearing from the menu as early as August 2025. This iconic platter included beer-battered onion rings, boneless wings, mozzarella sticks, nachos with chicken, and dipping sauces. Worth noting, however, is that while the new appetizer lets you choose the starters, the nachos are missing from those options.

According to customer ravings and our taste test, the best appetizer at Texas Roadhouse is the Cactus Blossom, which the chain serves with Cajun horseradish. However, the Combo Appetizer is an iconic platter that allows you to choose three starters for the table to share.

The Fried Pickles, Rattlesnake Bites, and Tater Skins (with sour cream) are a few of the fans' top picks, but some people like to get the Boneless Buffalo Wings and Twisted Mozzarella. Alongside these options, you get to choose two sauces to dip them in, including the Cajun horseradish that pairs well with the Fried Pickles and is such a favorite that people have created copycat recipes.

The Classic Fridays Combo has been around for more than a handful of years, featuring boneless wings, potato skins, and mozzarella sticks with dips and celery. Periodically, though, TGI Fridays revamps its menu with new or updated items, and that's just what happened with this iconic platter during a 2025 menu overhaul.

Now, you get to choose three of the following options for this starter: crispy green bean fries, three loaded potato skins, four mozzarella sticks, five pan-seared pot stickers, six traditional wings, eight boneless wings, or eight pretzel bites. What makes the Classic Fridays Combo stand out so much from other platters, though, is that the mozzarella sticks are available in various flavors, just like the boneless and traditional wings.

As an entertainment venue, Dave & Buster's is one of the chain restaurants with go-to Super Bowl deals to enjoy while you watch the game on its myriad of TV screens, some of which are 40 feet large. You don't have to wait, though, to dive into The Triple Play (formerly called Game Day Grub), a starter platter widely loved by the restaurant's patrons.

Available all year, it comes with juicy bar burgers, bone-in wings tossed in your choice of several sauces (such as spicy Korean and Nashville hot), and pigs-in-a-blanket-like pretzel dogs, the latter of which make this appetizer stand out from others. These are accompanied by celery sticks, honey habanero sauce (a game changer on the pretzel dogs), and either bleu cheese or ranch for dipping.

The Cheesecake Factory is an iconic chain restaurant known for its more than 20-page menu with 250-plus items, and the Eggroll Sampler has been around since at least 2015, becoming a popular and highly rated appetizer. It comes with four different rolls, each cut in half and served alongside a complementary sauce.

The Avocado Eggrolls are filled with sun-dried tomato, cilantro, and red onion with a tamarind-cashew sauce, and the grilled Chicken Taquitos feature corn, cheese, green chile, and cilantro with salsa verde. Additionally, the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls are made with Angus beef, grilled onions, and melted cheese with a mayo-based special sauce, while the spicy chicken Tex Mex Eggrolls include black beans, corn, melted cheese, onions, and peppers with an avocado cream sauce.

When you're dining at Red Robin, it's no surprise that the burgers will stand out the most. It's a burger joint, after all. In our ranking of Red Robin's burgers, the Lava Queso Burger, for which we highly recommend using a fork and knife, was the star. However, the restaurant is known for some of its appetizers, too, and a few of them have become particularly iconic among diners, such as the onion rings and crispy fried pickles, both of which come with a campfire mayo sauce.

As of late 2025, you don't have to choose between your favorite starters. Red Robin added the Triple Yummm Platter to its menu, and it's been making a splash across social media thanks to advertisements. The platter lets you choose three appetizers from a select list, including the popular onion rings and fried pickles. Other options to choose from include cheesy mozzarella twists, pretzel bites, boneless chicken bites, and zucchini fries — all of which come with dipping sauces.

It may have seen tough times through the 2010s, but Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is one classic seafood chain poised to make a comeback with new locations opening in the 2020s. Since at least 2018, patrons have been enjoying its Run Across America Sampler at the "Forrest Gump"-themed restaurant that serves Southern, scratch-made cuisine. The platter features fried shrimp, chicken tenders, seafood hush puppies, tortilla chips, and queso dip with a few different dipping sauces.

What makes this starter extra fun, though, is how much attention to detail is in the serving platter. Specifically, the newspaper used to line the dish features stories about Forest Gump, such as his run across America. Now, you have something entertaining to read with your meal, too.

Once operating more than 140 locations across the country, Joe's Crab Shack has faced more than a decade of ownership changes and had just 15 locations by the end of 2025. Things might be looking up, though, with its location in Daytona Beach, Florida reporting record gross sales in the year between July 2023 and June 2024. Through it all, it has remained one chain restaurant that still offers senior discounts — 10% off with an AARP membership — while its Classic Sampler has been a popular appetizer option since at least 2013.

This platter features a tasting of three Joe's Crab Shack snacks. First is the Crab and Shrimp Dip, which is made with shrimp and crab meat, parmesan, and cream cheese, accompanied by tortilla chips. Second, there's the Great Balls of Fire — fried balls of cream cheese, jalapeños, crab, and other seafood — served with ranch. Third, the crispy, tender Captain's Calamari, which is a common favorite.

Ruby Tuesday may be a once-beloved restaurant chain that's no longer among America's favorites, but it has continued to revamp its menu to accommodate shifts in its target demographic. One of the most popular changes as of late has been the Mix & Match Trio Appetizer, which the restaurant added to its menu in spring 2025.

Originally, you could choose three of seven starters for the platter: boneless or traditional wings, cheeseburger sliders, chicken tenders, fried mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, and potato skins. As of January 2026, though, you can choose from eight options with the addition of onion rings. While some people have praised the loaded potato skins and boneless wings on social, others can't get enough of the mozzarella sticks, noting the impressive cheese pull and how they taste better than patrons remember.

Despite continued closures and some dissatisfied customers serving as signs that Friendly's is still struggling after multiple bankruptcies, the iconic chain still holds a special place in many people's hearts. An appetizer platter that's been on the menu since at least 2011 and remained a fan-favorite choice is Munchie Mania. As one Friendly's fan wrote on Reddit, "Their food is also way better than they get credit for. I know they're dying but I still go to my local one on occasion. Munchie mania goes hard."

This starter gives you three choices between cheeseburger sliders, crispy chicken sliders, chicken tenders, golden fries, waffle fries (plain or loaded), fried pickles, mini mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and a quesadilla. Plus, you have the standout option of fried ravioli — a cheese ravioli with a crunchy outer shell and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

The Classic Sampler might be one of the unhealthiest things you can order at Denny's (especially once you add the dipping sauces), but that's not surprising considering what's included. Iconic appetizer platters are more about the satisfying comfort you experience while eating them, and this one comes with beer-battered onion rings, wavy-cut fries, boneless Buffalo wings, and mozzarella sticks — cue the never-ending cheese pull. Then, you get to choose up to four sauces from a selection of nine options.

Although Denny's closed about 150 locations in 2024 and 2025, it still has over 1,300 stores across the country. However, there's also a buyout on the horizon, so you might want to visit your local restaurant to sink your teeth into the Classic Sampler before anything changes. There's no telling if this item will keep its spot the menu.

IHOP clearly has a hold on the breakfast market, serving over 700 million pancakes, 214 million eggs, and 100 million cups of coffee every year (via Sharp Holding Inc.). In our ranking of the restaurant's 13 flapjack options, the original flavor came out on top. All that said, you might expect an iconic appetizer platter at the chain to feature various breakfast items. Instead, IHOP's Appetizer Sampler gives you a taste of three non-breakfast menu items.

The four chicken strips are made with all-natural chicken and a buttermilk breading, while the four mozzarella cheese sticks are made with a decent amount of melty cheese. Finally, you have the onion rings, which feature slices of sweet, juicy onion coated in a panko-style breading. You also get marinara sauce and your choice of IHOP sauce, honey mustard, or ranch. It's the perfect amount of food to be a meal on its own.