What Time Is Happy Hour At Applebee's?

"Happy hour" is many things — a promotion offering half-price on drinks and appetizers at certain times of the day, a canny business decision to boost sales after peak time, and an underrated gem of a film by the Japanese auteur Ryûsuke Hamaguchi. But, above all, it's a promise. "Come here and be happy," it beckons, "For you will be able to belt margaritas and nosh on mozzarella sticks at a reasonable price." If you're Gen-Z's favorite restaurant chain, Applebee's, which emphasizes good vibes and modest prices, happy hour is a no-brainer. When country star, Walker Hayes, bragged about taking his girlfriend to Applebee's on a date night, it's not out of the question that he went at that magical time of the day. (With Applebee's newly-reintroduced Date Night Pass, you too can eat good in the neighborhood — maybe even at the combination Applebee's and IHOP.)

But what time of the day is Applebee's happy hour, specifically? In short, it depends on the location. Applebee's does not list a set time on its website, and while there are third-party sources devoted to the subject, experience has found that these sources are not necessarily reliable. So we called dozens of Applebee's locations across the country, inquiring about their happy hour policies. By far, the most common Applebee's happy hour windows were from 3 to 6 p.m., and then from 9 p.m. to the restaurant's closing. But this was nowhere close to being a company-wide policy.

The most common Applebee's happy hour times come immediately before and after dinner time (6 to 9 p.m.), staying true to the promotion's purpose in keeping business brisk during quieter times of the day. During these happy hour windows, Applebee's will usually offer a limited half-price appetizer menu, including boneless chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, and chicken quesadillas. Depending on the location, some Applebee's will also offer drink specials, including a dollar off on beer and two-for-one deals on drinks like margaritas and Long Island iced teas. (If you're drinking Long Island iced teas, though, you might want to stick to just one unless you want to wake up the next morning with the kind of hangover that feels like you've been cursed by a wizard.)

While most Applebee's offer happy hour at these times, some locations do things a little different. Some have their evening happy hours start at 10 p.m. rather than 9 p.m., and others have their afternoon happy hours from 2 to 5 p.m. rather than from 3 to 6 p.m. Some locations only offer happy hour on weekdays, although most offer it seven days a week. A few, particularly in the South, only offer afternoon happy hours, and even then it's strictly for dine-in only. If you want to be sure that you arrive at the right time, you can do what we did and call your local Applebee's.