# Overly Cheesy Restaurant Burgers Applebee's O-M-Cheese Burger Comes Served on a Skillet By Michael Hemsworth | Published 2026-01-07 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/omcheese-burger References: [restaurantmagazine](https://www.restaurantmagazine.com/applebees-new-o-m-cheese-burger-deal/) & [applebees](https://www.applebees.com/)  [Applebee's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whole-lotta-bacon-burger-1) O-M-Cheese [Burger](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-impossible-cheeseburger) has been added to the brand's menu for the new year to help diners start off the year in a decidedly cheesy way. The burger starts off with an all-beef patty that's topped with American cheese, applewood-smoked bacon and a spicy honey mustard before being cut in half. The burger is then served on a sizzling skillet on a [bed of queso and cheddar cheese](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skillet-queso) to encourage the diner to customize the amount of cheese they get in every bite. The burger comes served on the skillet with a side of fries. Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Chin commented on the Applebee's O-M-Cheese Burger saying, "It doesn’t get any cheesier than Applebee’s new O-M-Cheese Burger. Whether pulling, pushing, or dipping, you’ll be sure to get your cheese fix with our new ooey-gooey O-M-Cheese Burger!” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.7/10 - Popularity: 66% | Activity: 75% | Freshness: 60% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Customizable Dining Experiences:** Burgers like Applebee's O-M-Cheese Burger offer personalized cheese levels, highlighting a trend towards more customizable dining experiences. - **Sensory Dining Enhancements:** Serving dishes on sizzling skillets introduces an auditory and sensory dimension to dining that is increasingly popular among restaurants. - **Excessive Indulgence Foods:** The O-M-Cheese Burger taps into a growing trend for indulgent and excessive food options that provide a rich taste experience. ### Who This Affects Most - **Casual Dining Chains:** The introduction of sensory dining options such as the skillet-served burger points to innovation opportunities in the casual dining sector. - **Cheese Manufacturing:** Highlighting the versatility of cheese in customizable dishes opens new horizons for the cheese manufacturing industry to create unique cheese blends. - **Food Service Equipment:** Sizzling skillet presentations signal potential growth in the food service equipment industry for interactive and engaging meal presentation products. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Elevated Canadian-Beef Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/garlic-mushroom-bacon-cheeseburger.md) - [Hot Honey Chicken Skillets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hot-honey-chicken-and-bacon-skillet.md) - [Crispy Griddle-Style Smash Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/omaha-steaks-smash-burger.md) - [Sweet-and-Spicy Restaurant Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/big-bangin-burger.md) - [Steakhouse-Inspired QSR Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/steakhouse-bacon-whopper.md) - [Meaty Cheesesteak-Inspired Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/philly-cheesesteak-burger.md) - [Grilled Cheese Burger Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grilled-cheese-cheeseburger.md) - [Honeyed BBQ Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/honey-bbq-bacon-burger.md) - [Latin Cuisine-Inspired Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tostada-cheeseburger.md)