Applebee's vs Chili's:Which is searched more in the United States?
In September 2026, Chili's had more branded searches than Applebee's among casual dining chains in the United States. Chili's had about 6.7 million branded searches, while Applebee's had 4.5 million. Chili's made up 17.6% of all casual dining chain searches we track, and Applebee's accounted for 11.8%.
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Is Applebee's or Chili's more popular in search?
Compare the sit-down restaurant chains people in the US eat at. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for Chili's, Applebee's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Texas Roadhouse | Chili's | Buffalo Wild Wings | Olive Garden | Applebee's | LongHorn Steakhouse | The Cheesecake Factory | Cracker Barrel | Red Lobster | TGI Fridays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 20.6% | 18.4% | 13.8% | 11.2% | 12.3% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 5% | 4.1% | 0.83% |
| Nov 2025 | 22.8% | 20.5% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 11.2% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 0.76% |
| Dec 2025 | 23.6% | 17.4% | 13% | 10.6% | 11.7% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 0.78% |
| Jan 2026 | 23.8% | 17.6% | 13.1% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 0.79% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.8% | 17.5% | 10.7% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 0.79% |
| Mar 2026 | 24.1% | 17.8% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 11.9% | 8.9% | 6% | 4% | 4.9% | 0.8% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.6% | 16.6% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 13.6% | 8.3% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 0.75% |
| May 2026 | 23.7% | 17.5% | 10.7% | 8.7% | 14.3% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 5.8% | 0.79% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.6% | 16.6% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 13.6% | 8.3% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 0.75% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.6% | 16.6% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 13.5% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.74% |
| Aug 2026 | 22.6% | 16.6% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 13.5% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.74% |
| Sep 2026 | 19.6% | 17.6% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 11.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 0.79% |
How has the Applebee's and Chili's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Chili's was ahead of Applebee's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Applebee's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States moved from 12.3% to 11.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.5M to 4.5M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chili's’ share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States moved from 18.4% to 17.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.2M to 6.7M.
How did search popularity change for United States casual dining chains in September 2026?
4 changes
In September 2026, Buffalo Wild Wings overtook Applebee's to rank 3rd among casual dining chains in the United States, with 13.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Olive Garden overtook Applebee's to rank 4th among casual dining chains in the United States, with 13.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Chili's gained share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States, from 16.6% to 17.6%.
In September 2026, Applebee's lost share of searches among casual dining chains in the United States, from 13.5% to 11.8%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Applebee's’ and Chili's’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Applebee's
2 branded search terms
- applebee's
- applebees
Chili's
2 branded search terms
- chili's
- chilis
Other head-to-heads among casual dining chains
Texas Roadhouse vs Chili's: compare search popularity- Texas Roadhouse vs Buffalo Wild Wings: compare search popularity
- Texas Roadhouse vs Olive Garden: compare search popularity
- Texas Roadhouse vs Applebee's: compare search popularity
- Chili's vs Buffalo Wild Wings: compare search popularity
- Chili's vs Olive Garden: compare search popularity
Put your own brand in this comparison
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