If you’ve been on FoodTok, you’ve probably heard of Applebee’s $1 margaritas, which are back after a more than three-year absence. In a now-viral video, an Applebee’s bartender revealed how the restaurant makes the iconic “Dollarita.”
The video featured TikTok user Laila (@lailasmaidi), who posts content about making alcoholic drinks at her job at Applebee’s. This time, she demonstrated how to make the infamous drink in a one-minute clip.
She had a bucket and two bottles of Triple Sec in the restaurant’s kitchen. Then, she opened the liquor bottles and dumped them into the bucket, swirling them. Next, the content creator took out a container of lime juice and poured it into the bucket. Afterward, Laila flooded the bucket with two bottles of tequila and added more lime. When her concoction was complete, she used a whisk to stir it. Finally, the video ended with one of her workers taking the bucket and leaving.
“$1 margaritas at applebees,” she captioned the video.
@lailasmaidi $1 margaritas at applebees 🍹#greenscreenvideo #bartenderlife #bartender #fyp #foryou #margarita #dollar ♬ superman (eminem, dina rae) – sped up version – sped up viral
The Daily Dot contacted Applebee’s via press email and Laila via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment for more information. The video accumulated nearly 44,000 views, where viewers shared their thoughts.
“Blackout speciallll,” one user wrote.
“What a steal,” a second commented.
“That’s why y’all be mad sick,” a third remarked.
However, others noted some issues with the video.
“You skipped the part where y’all add mad water in it,” one user said.
“No gloves!?!???” a second asked.
According to Applebee’s’ website, the Dollarita is back only for a limited time. The drink is available all day, every day for the month of October. The drink is made out of “tequila, triple sec, and lime.” Initially, the drink was discontinued “due to challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and reimagined as a ‘Mucho Sips’ promotion, bumping the price of drinks up to $5,” per Overproof.
Why did Applebee’s bring the drink back? According to The Daily Mail, the company “had noticed customers being more cautious with their spending as households battle rampant inflation and rising interest rates.” The outlet also reports that Applebee’s CEO John Peyton said, “Across the industry, we noticed our competition leaning heavily into promotions, which also contributed to the headwinds this quarter.”
