A Michigan man says Applebee’s $15.99 All You Can Eat deal comes with one frustrating catch after spending nearly an hour at a local restaurant and receiving only two plates of food. While the promotion promises unlimited refills of boneless wings, riblets, and other menu items, he claims the wait between each order made it difficult to take advantage of the offer.
TikTok creator Christopher Gambino documented his experience after trying the promotion at an Applebee’s. In the video detailing his dining experience, Gambino outlined one of the drawbacks of the popular $15.99 deal.
“The problem with the all you can eat right now is that you have to wait 15 to 20 minutes in between each one that you order,” Gambino explained. He noted that guests are strictly limited to ordering one serving at a time.
The unlimited deal turned into a waiting game
The one-at-a-time ordering system meant Gambino spent most of his visit waiting for the next plate to arrive. For anyone hoping to make the most of an unlimited meal, those 15-to-20-minute gaps can quickly stretch dinner into a much longer outing.
Gambino shared his frustration after sitting at his table for nearly an hour with very little food delivered. “I’m kind of getting a little frustrated because I’ve only ordered two times and I’ve been here almost an hour,” Gambino said in the video. “Crazy.”
@christophergambin46 The problem with All you can eat at Applebees for $15.99. They will only allow you to order 1 plate at a time so I’ve been here for an hour & only got 2 plates so far…🙄 #applebees #applebeeschallenge #applebeesonadatenight
♬ original sound – christopher0410
This is not the first time an unlimited dining promotion has drawn criticism online over wait times and ordering rules. Similar complaints frequently surface when major chain restaurants run high-demand food events that overwhelm kitchen staff during busy hours.
After nearly an hour, Gambino felt the promotion wasn’t delivering the value he expected. For diners hoping to maximize the value of the promotion, that kind of pacing could mean spending far longer at the restaurant than expected or leaving before feeling satisfied.
Busy kitchens can slow down any restaurant, but waiting 15 to 20 minutes between every refill can make an all-you-can-eat promotion feel far less unlimited than advertised. Promotions designed to boost foot traffic can easily create customer friction when expectations fail to match the reality of service times.
For Gambino, the issue wasn’t the food itself; it was how long he had to wait for each refill. By the end of the meal, he’d spent nearly an hour at the restaurant and received just two plates.
