A TikTok creator says he visited the Applebee’s location in Times Square in New York City expecting to enjoy the chain’s half-price appetizers deal, but he apparently walked away convinced the place was a “tourist trap” after seeing his bill.
The complaint came from TikTok creator Michael Marino, who posts under the handle @mikeymarinoo. In a video that drew more than 44,000 views on TikTok, Marino described what he said was a disappointing experience and appeared to warn others about it.
According to Marino, he and a friend went to the restaurant because he believed the half-price appetizer deal was widely understood. The bill he says he later received left him frustrated enough to share the story online.
Marino’s account of the bill and the staff response
In the video, Marino said, “Applebee’s in Times Square is a tourist trap to get you to spend a ridiculous amount of money if you’re a tourist.” He claimed the half-price appetizer offer is something “everybody knows” Applebee’s runs after 10 p.m.
“That’s a known thing across the country,” Marino said. “Applebee’s has half apps.” He said he and his friend ordered boneless wings, pretzels, and a burger before the bill arrived. According to Marino, the total came to $90. “It’s $90,” he said in the video. “$90?” He said they asked the waiter why the amount was so high.
Marino claimed the waiter told them the half-price appetizer deal only applied at the bar. “Did anyone wanna tell us that?” he said. He added that when they asked about the difference between the food at the bar and where they were seated, the waiter allegedly said there was none, and that it was simply how that location ran the special.
Marino said they then told the server they would not pay nearly $100 for appetizers and a burger. “That’s ridiculous,” he said. He claimed a manager came over and told them they should have asked for the half-price apps. Other Applebee’s customers have shared very different experiences with staff, including one woman who learned a server’s actions saved her life.
“I’m sorry. Every single Applebee’s I’ve ever been to in my life, it’s automatically deducted if you get half-price apps,” Marino said. He added, “I didn’t think they were manually going in and cutting the price in half of an appetizer every single time.”
Marino said the part that bothered him most was that, in his telling, no one mentioned that customers had to sit in a specific area or ask for the deal. “Why is it the customer’s job to tell the employee, hey, I want my meal cut in half?” he said. He also claimed the manager told him, “Well, next time you guys are gonna have to read the signs.”
Deals like these are generally communicated to customers through the menu or by the server when an order is taken. Disputes over Applebee’s bills can take other forms too, such as one case where a woman walked out on a $120 tab.
Applebee’s website says the current national half-price apps page states the promotion is dine-in only, available for a limited time, and that price and participation may vary. The page also says late-night apps are “available every single night.”
Applebee’s locations can apparently follow different rules. The Times Square location, according to its listing, advertises “great happy hour specials at the bar,” which lines up with the possibility that some deals may be bar-specific.
On Reddit, one person in the r/Applebees community said their franchise offers half-price apps “from open till 4 at the bar,” then from 10 p.m. to close throughout the whole restaurant. “All depends on what the franchise where you’re going does,” they wrote, according to the post.
In the comments, some viewers said the rules can differ by location, with one writing, “Youre hook for this video is your answer. Restaurants have different rules and stuff depending on how ‘busy’ that store is.” Another said the city itself was a warning sign, writing, “NYC was the first red flag.”
Some New Yorkers said the deal often has to be requested where they live. “As a New Yorker every Apple bees I went to I had to ask for the half off apps we are not like other states 🤣 u have to ASK,” one person wrote. Another questioned whether Marino had reviewed the prices ahead of time, asking, “You didn’t look at a menu first?” Other viewers said the total seemed high regardless of the deal. “Even when it’s full price it shouldn’t be 90 foh,” one commenter wrote.
It’s worth noting that, as this is a TikTok video, it is the poster’s own account of events and should not be treated as verified fact.
Published: Jun 29, 2026 12:33 pm