‘They cut me off’: Man says Applebee’s dollar margaritas are a ‘scam.’ Here’s why—and what to expect next time they’re back
A man is going viral on TikTok after slamming Applebee’s for limiting the amount of Dollaritas he could order at once.
User @drinklikecut said there was a time when a number of content creators visited Applebee’s to take advantage of the $1 margarita deal. When @drinklikecut tried to go himself, however, he said he got cut off.
As a result, he asked whether any of his followers had gotten “sauced” off the margaritas. But he expressed doubt that was the case.
“I went to an Applebee’s just to see what the deal was and see if I could get bombed on the low,” @drinklikecut said. That didn’t happen, though. @drinklikecut said he was limited to two drinks and was told that getting a double shot in one margarita counted for two drinks.
“The bartender there told us that they water it down because it’s a dollar,” @drinklikecut shared.
@drinklikecut said that other TikTok users had him “hyped up” to try Dollaritas. In the end, however, @drinklikecut said he felt like he got “scammed.”
“I will never forget that,” he said. As of Thursday, his video slamming the chain and those who promoted the deal had amassed more than 112,500 views.
What are Applebee’s Dollaritas?
In May, the restaurant chain reintroduced its Dollaritas—the moniker for Applebee’s $1 margarita. The drinks contain an unspecified amount of tequila, triple sec, and lime. And, earlier this year, guests could add an additional flavor (including strawberry or mango) for an extra 50 cents.
Applebee’s said in a news release promoting the drink that it’s limited to guests older than 21 and only available to those who dine-in.
According to Applebee’s website, patrons can still take advantage of the margarita special, which is known to bring in lots of guests. During the Dollaritas menu stint last fall, 93% of purchases included an additional menu item. The Applebee’s CEO also said that the promotion expanded Applebee’s demographic to reach younger customers.
@drinklikecut You guys remember applebees dollar margarits? #applebees #dollarmargaritas ♬ original sound - drinklikecut
Are there limits to how many you can buy?
How many drinks one patron can order at a time appears to vary by state and store. In a Reddit thread from 2023, one user asked in the r/Applebees subreddit how many Dollaritas viewers thought they could order before getting cut off.
The consensus seemed to be that workers were limiting the amount of drinks per person.
“My store has a hard limit of 3 unless you are also eating,” one redditor said.
“They cut me off at 5,” another added.
“Mine told me from the jump that the limit was 3 per person,” a third viewer wrote. “Kinda sad since i was eating so i didn’t feel anything. It all got soaked up.”
Others, however, reported that they didn’t experience this problem at their local Applebee’s. In the comments of @drinklikecut’s video, some viewers said that they were able to order as many drinks as they liked. In fact, one user admitted to getting drunk on Dollaritas “during COVID.”
“I had 13,” another commenter admitted, noting they got “sauced.”
“I think I had 13 the last time I went in 2019,” one viewer shared. “Bartender was so chill I let him have all the candy garnishes lmao.”
When is Applebee's bringing back Dollaritas?
It's unclear. Its most recent iterations of the special occured in October 2023 and May 2024. So, fingers crossed that 2025 brings back the deal. We've reached out to Applebee's/
Limits are put in place for good reason
Applebee’s noted on its website that it wants patrons who order the margarita special to drink and drive responsibly. So it’s likely that they put limitations on how many Dollaritas customers can order so help ensure that.
Already, some content creators admitted to getting wasted off the drinks.
In one video, from October 2023, a TikTok user said that the drinks left him and his friends passed out on the floor. They said that the Dollaritas were “so strong.”
In another Facebook video, a man recorded himself ordering 12 Dollartias before he got kicked out of the restaurant. It’s possible, then, that tales like these led Applebee’s to impose new restrictions. But more recently, viewers reported receiving watered-down drinks, similar to the ones @drinklikecut had.
“I drank 6 of them barely felt anything,” one viewer said. “They were definitely watered down.”
“The Applebee’s I went to was basically just a mix there was hardly ever any alcohol in it,” another added.
“It was just juice for reals,” a third commenter wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @drinklikecut via TikTok comment.
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