Not all appetizer samplers are created equal. Some arrive at the table as soggy, uninspired piles that barely pass for finger food. Others surprise you with crispy textures, bold flavors, and just the right mix to start a meal off strong.
These 10 combo starters left us wishing we’d picked anything else, while 6 delivered the kind of satisfaction worth every bite.
1. Applebee’s Classic Combo
What looks like a flavor fiesta in the menu photos transforms into a lukewarm letdown on your table. The mozzarella sticks inevitably arrive with congealed cheese that stretches about as far as your patience after waiting 40 minutes for this mediocre platter.
The spinach artichoke dip, while passable, comes with chips that seem to have been sitting under heat lamps since breakfast. Meanwhile, those boneless wings? Suspiciously uniform chunks of something vaguely chicken-adjacent swimming in sauce that’s either cloyingly sweet or surprisingly flavorless.
2. Chili’s Triple Dipper With Chicken Crispers
Honestly, who thought combining three mediocre appetizers would somehow elevate them? The Chicken Crispers portion of this unholy trinity arrives suspiciously pale, like they took a quick glance at the fryer before deciding they’d rather not commit to being properly cooked.
Ranch dressing can’t save everything, folks. The accompanying egg rolls taste like they were frozen sometime during the Bush administration. Not George W. – we’re talking Herbert Walker.
3. TGI Fridays Classic Fridays Combo
Remember that scene in Men in Black with the memory-erasing device? TGI Fridays must have installed one at every table because I can never recall a single distinctive flavor from their Classic Combo after eating it. The potato skins arrive with cheese that’s simultaneously burned and cold – a culinary achievement of the worst kind.
Buffalo wings that taste like they were merely shown a picture of hot sauce rather than actually tossed in it. And those mozzarella sticks? Somehow both rubbery and crumbly, defying the basic physics of cheese.
4. Buffalo Wild Wings Appetizer Combo
Want to feel like you’ve been wandering the desert for 40 days? Order this sodium-packed disaster and prepare for your body to beg for mercy. The mozzarella sticks shatter like glass when bitten, revealing cheese that’s somehow both molten hot and completely flavorless.
Their signature onion rings arrive glistening with enough oil to make OPEC nervous. The mini corn dogs – why are there mini corn dogs at a wing place? – taste like they were fried in the same oil used for the past week’s worth of wings.
5. Red Robin Towering Onion Rings Platter
Architectural marvel or digestive nightmare? This teetering stack of onion rings arrives at your table looking like a science experiment gone wrong. The bottom rings have invariably collapsed under the weight, creating a soggy foundation that’s absorbed enough oil to lubricate a motorcycle.
The middle section offers a brief moment of crispy hope before betraying you with onions that slide out completely on the first bite, leaving you with empty batter shells. As for the top rings? Mysteriously overcooked while somehow remaining raw inside.
6. BJ’s Restaurant Appetizer Combo
Apparently designed by a committee that couldn’t agree on anything, this platter feels like the culinary equivalent of a bad playlist – random tracks that don’t flow together. The spinach artichoke dip arrives with a thick skin on top that requires archaeological tools to penetrate.
Their avocado egg rolls manage the impressive feat of making both avocados and egg rolls taste like absolutely nothing. The mozzarella sticks (why are these on EVERY combo platter?) have the texture of rubber bands that were briefly introduced to cheese at some point in their factory processing.
7. Outback Aussie Cheese Fries
G’day, mate! Ready for a heart attack on a plate that has absolutely nothing to do with authentic Australian cuisine? These cheese fries arrive as a geological formation rather than a proper appetizer – layers of soggy potatoes buried under a landslide of congealed cheese and bacon bits that taste suspiciously artificial.
The ranch dressing on the side has usually begun separating into concerning layers by the time it reaches your table. Dig through the dairy avalanche and you’ll discover that most fries have gone limp from the weight of their cheesy burden.
8. Cheesecake Factory Appetizer Sampler
The Cheesecake Factory’s entire business model seems to be “overwhelm customers with portion size so they don’t notice the mediocrity,” and nowhere is this more evident than their appetizer sampler. This enormous platter arrives with egg rolls that taste like they were made by someone who’s only had egg rolls described to them over a bad phone connection.
The avocado toast portion somehow manages to make avocado – nature’s perfect food – taste like slightly green paste. Those buffalo blasts? Spicy balls of confusion that leave your mouth burning while your brain tries to identify what exactly you just ate.
9. Dave & Buster’s Take It Cheesy Platter
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to eat an entire dairy farm that’s been deep-fried, wonder no more! This monstrosity features mozzarella sticks that squirt scalding oil rather than actual cheese when bitten, paired with queso that has the consistency of slightly warmed plastic.
The pretzel bites arrive either rock-hard or mysteriously soggy – sometimes achieving both states simultaneously in the same piece. The loaded potato skins feature cheese that’s been broiled past the point of recognition, creating a bizarre crunchy layer that could chip a tooth.
10. Olive Garden Dipping Sauces & Breadsticks Combo
Those famous breadsticks? Vastly overrated tubes of air dusted with garlic-adjacent powder. When paired with their lineup of dipping sauces, the disappointment multiplies exponentially. The marinara sauce tastes like someone whispered the word “tomato” over a pot of warm water.
Their five-cheese sauce has the consistency of elementary school paste with a vaguely dairy aftertaste. The pesto option might actually be the highlight, which is saying something considering it resembles what you’d scrape off your lawnmower blades after cutting wet grass.
11. Dave & Buster’s Game Day Grub Platter
Finally, an appetizer platter that understands its purpose – fueling competitive gaming rage with genuinely delicious finger foods! Unlike its cheesy counterpart, this platter features wings that are actually crispy on the outside while remaining juicy inside – a textural miracle in chain restaurant cuisine.
The loaded potato skins arrive with perfectly melted cheese and bacon that tastes like it came from an actual pig rather than a laboratory. Even the pretzel bites show up with the perfect balance of chewy interior and crunchy exterior.
12. Chili’s Triple Dipper With Eggrolls & Burgers
Hold up – didn’t we just trash a Chili’s Triple Dipper? Yes, but this specific combination transforms the concept from sad to spectacular! The southwestern eggrolls arrive perfectly crispy with a filling that balances spice and cream cheese in harmony rather than conflict.
The burger bites portion features actually juicy mini-burgers with properly melted cheese and buns that haven’t been steamed into oblivion by sitting under a heat lamp. Even the ranch dipping sauce tastes like it was made by someone who’s encountered an actual herb before.
13. TGI Fridays Loaded Potato Skins & Mozzarella Combo
Forget everything I said about TGI Fridays earlier – this specific combo is the exception that proves the rule! These potato skins achieve the golden ratio of crispy exterior to fluffy interior, topped with cheese that’s actually been melted properly instead of just warmed.
The bacon bits taste like real bacon rather than red confetti, and the sour cream arrives cold and fresh instead of suspicious and warm. But the real star? Those mozzarella sticks have the perfect pull – that Instagram-worthy cheese stretch that makes your dining companions jealous.
14. Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits With Shrimp Combo
Those legendary Cheddar Bay Biscuits deserve every bit of their cult following – buttery, garlicky clouds of joy that make you question why all bread can’t taste this good. When paired with their actually decent shrimp cocktail, magic happens on your taste buds.
The shrimp arrive properly chilled and firm (not that suspicious rubbery texture that screams “previously frozen”), while the cocktail sauce balances sweetness with genuine horseradish kick. Together, they create the perfect surf-and-turf appetizer experience.
15. Buffalo Wild Wings Ultimate Nachos Platter
Wait, didn’t we just slam Buffalo Wild Wings? Yes, but their nacho platter is the phoenix rising from their otherwise mediocre appetizer ashes! These nachos solve the eternal nacho problem – uneven topping distribution – through architectural genius: layering chips and toppings in alternating strata like a delicious archaeological dig.
Each chip bears the perfect ratio of cheese, meat, beans, and jalapeños. The sour cream and guacamole come in center containers, preventing the dreaded soggy chip syndrome that plagues lesser nacho attempts.
16. Hard Rock Café Whiskey Bacon Jam Sliders
Forget about stadium-rock anthems – these sliders deserve their own power ballad! The whiskey bacon jam achieves that perfect sweet-savory-boozy trinity that makes your taste buds feel like they’re front row at a sold-out concert.
The mini burger patties remain juicy without turning the buns into soggy disasters, while the cheese melts just enough to bond everything together in harmonious flavor matrimony. Even the pickle garnish tastes like it was actually brined with purpose rather than afterthought.