I literally can't STAND the food there, BUT...my mom is doing a project where we live with her college students in sending boxes to local soldiers in the sand boxes. Applebee's was generous to give them a day where when people brought in the fliers, 15% of their total would be donated to my mom's project. Awesome!
We went for lunch and it was OKAY.
We went for dinner and my steak was like rubber and the broccoli was BAD. It was bright green, but the taste was obviously BAD. My husband got one of the skillet meals, and when he was taking one of his last bites, he bit into a PENNY. Yep, a coin.
We called the manager over and he apologized but also made a lot of jokes. He told my husband he would comp both of our measl and I asked him to comp our whole tab. I thought it was insane to serve me bad (literally old) food and my husband coins...he charged us and then refunded it, so the project could still get the 15%.
But I NEVER have good service or food there. Doesn't matter where it is. Do any of you have different experiences there?
I know their food is horrible - that's why I got one of the WW meals...but had to send it bad - GROSS! Even their salads are horrible.
Our service was FABULOUS!! Especially for large parties. We had 10 at lunch and 10 at dinner.
NO NONONONONo.........nope
The food looks good on the menu but then it is bland rubbish when it gets to you. The service i get there is never good, but that could just be a location thing. Sometimes we go with my husbands grandparents who only go because it is close to their home. Nobody is ever happy with it.
I won't go there because the fat and caloric count of their food is some of the worst of the chains. I wouldn't even WANT a comped meal. Ick!
Dawn
Nope. We NEVER eat there because the food is garbage, the place is always a mess and the service is awful. I hate that place! I've eaten at several of them in all different locations, cities, states. YUCK!
My husband calls it 'Crapplebees" for a reason.
Giggle, my ex husband is Director of Food Safety for Applebee's, now owned by IHOP.
IF you like, I'd be happy to send you his email address to voice your concerns. But really, don't be too harsh, ok? I remind my kids, Applebees is why you have Iphones, Braces, a nice house, etc, tehehe.
:)
Applebee's is one of several places I refuse to eat at - disgusting!
Each one is different - it depends on the manager/cooks of that particular chain. Personally I don't really like any of the chain restaurants. I'm such a food snob! My son loves Applebees though so we have been known to go bc it makes him happy. The one in Santa Fe has been fine the couple times we have been there.
It's a chain restaurant. They all fall in the same category to me... I prefer eating at "Chili's" if I'm eating at that type of restaurant.. That's disgusting that your husband found a coin, GROSS!!!! Maybe that's good luck????
With that being said, at least the restaurant is kind enough to get involved in a school activity. They didn't have to do that either :0)
Wow, a penny! Yuck. I have to admit I've never had wonderful service there, but the food has always been decent to good, even better the last few times I've gone. I've never had a BAD experience with the food - just pretty typical for a chain restaurant.
ours is fine & dandy.....except....
We live in a small town next to a college town. We have found consistently that we have to avoid any & all restaurants at the beginning of the semester, mid-term, homecoming, all holidays, & final exam time! Service is absolutely whacko during these times....
Yeah, we never went there until about a 7 months ago. There was an ad on TV and it looked good. BOY WERE WE WRONG. It really was nasty. We will never go back. (and our waiter wasn't that good at ALL)
L.
You went there for a cause...did a good duty, and don't have to eat there again. Eh - if the food was crappy, at least you know when you can have your next meal unlike some soldiers! (I think I've been there once - like a worse version of TGI Friday's or Red Lobster?)
I have never been there and don't plan on it. You went for a good reason but I feel why go to a generic, corporate chain when you can eat at a locally owned, unique and higher quality restaurant?
Support indepentent, locally owned businesses!
The food was bad in St Louis and it's bad in Bryan, TX. Ugh! I avoid the place. My one memory that I haven't suppressed is: they put way too much horseradish in the tartar sauce. Blecch
My local Applebees is rather tasty and I've never had any problems. We don't eat there often, but when we do its been good.
I HATE chain restaurants. The only time I've ever used them is when we have so much snow on the ground, everything's closed except O'Charlies and we have no power, so my husband will take his 3 wheeler down there and order food, LOL!!
I'd rather go to Buffalo Wild Wings!!!
I'm not really a fan. It seems like it used to be just ok, but the last 2 times I've tried (giving the benefit of the doubt) the food was greasy and just gross. And yeah... I service isn't usually very good. I gave up on trying it anymore...
Sounds like time to send an e-mail to corporate. They want all their restaurants to be of high-quality. If they find ongoing complaints of food quality or service at an individual location, you better beleive they're going to try to do something about it - send out corporate people to evaluate, replace management (ALWAYS an issue when things are good OR bad), etc.
Might be worth a shot.
I like Applebee's!!! I've never had a problem with their food, they sometimes are so full that service is a little slow, but never a problem with food. I love their ribblets... that is my favorite and usually get that all the time... Their spinach dip is great too, my kids love it...
I've been to a few of them; Moline, IL, San Antonio and Dallas, TX
Our local college town Applebee's has been lacking lately. It used to be awesome! Now, I only go for Mudslides (my favorite place, the bartender is great!) and chips/salsa.
I have before, but unless we are back at our childhood home (MO) for dinks and apps there are WAAAAY better choices where I live than Applebees PLUS I can't go in there and not quote some kind of Talledega Nights reference to my husband - "mangy ole grandpa" sorry, it slipped - LOL
The consistency from one location to another is all over the place. The one here in McKinney used to be very bad. I didn't go there for years. Then recently we went and it has been very good.
I went to one in Kansas last year that was really bad.
It's been a long time since I've eaten at one. But I do remember the last few times I did eat there, the food was horrible. Which is why I haven't been back. However, I do remember a time years ago where it was good. At least at the location that I used to go to. Sounds like they need to reevaluate their food and all if it's widespread as this.
Think it varies from place to place, While ours here is clean and well staffed with nice people, the one in my Dads city is HORRIBLE. Dirty, disgusting, rude staff, bad cook. I dont like most of the food they serve so I stay with one staple from there if I have to go, thats the Oriental Chicken Salad. I find it varies what they put in the salad and how fresh it is, from place to place. I cant stand there meat either YUCK. We just ran there yesterday in our city, cause we got done late at a family thing, and the kids were hungry so we stopped for chicken tenders, and my husband just wanted to DRINK his dinner. We had a good time, pleasant atmosphere, and a AWESOME hostess that we tipped well.
Not a 'huge' fan of Applebee's (you can practically smell the fat in the air!)....but when I go there I usually get a burger--it's Applebee's, after all!
Actually, the service at our Applebee's has always been very good when we've gone.
I've never really had anything that I like at Applebees. When my son was younger he would also ask to go but he called it Applebeans!
Never go there! Its expensive and here in Texas we have cheddars and it just like applebees but good! The margaritas are 3 dollars all the time too. Can't beat that!!!
We're not big on chain restaurants..most of them are pretty crappy! We have been to applebees before, and we weren't impressed.
My family likes Applebee's a lot...the asian chicken salad is really good and they have some kind of rice bowl orange chicken thing that I like.
What I really like about them is their support of community groups. We use them for their flapjack fundraisers, they will sponser plays, soccer, etc. They donate giftcards.
I've never had anything there that tasted good. We call it "Crapplebees" in our house :)
We have been there a few times just to try something different and each time the service is horrible. Even if there are only 5 other people in the restaurant it takes forever to get our food and drinks. We havent been in a while for that reason. I can't believe your husband found a penny in his food. That is crazy.
We do eat there occasionally. After the penny incident, I'd never eat at that particular Applebees location again. Do you always go to the same one? I would never get anything like a steak there. I think of them as bar/pub food, so appetizers and burgers/sandwiches are what I order when I eat there, which is occasionally like 1-2 times a year. Sorry for your experience.
Not worth the outrageous prices.
I have been there. It seems that if you stick to the basics and know what you're getting it's not bad. In the fast food industry, there seems to be a problem with, quality customer service. I think that it's the overhead. They're to laid back about, what are you here for. If you want to keep the buiness open and establish a good repore, with the community, you being a boss, should keep your eyes open about, what drives them away or what keeps them coming back. Maybe Mr.Applebee's it's time for a secret shopper. I'm up for it. I think it will be interesting. (wink-wink).
Have you been to multiple locations? I only ask b/c the food at locations around me is not that bad - not great for you and nothing to rave about as it is "chain restaurant" quality - but certainly not bad like you are describing! Most certainly, edible at a minimum!!!! That said, we never eat there but we pretty much don't eat at any chain restaurants due to the poor quality of food. So glad they are supporting your mom's cause though!
