Applebee's

Reviews & Tips

• 0

  I like Applebees, I really do.  I like how it always reminds me of my college years and of my friends who have practically lived there, worked there, and celebrated there throughout the years.
  
  So, why the one star when we all know that Applebees is pretty A-okay?
  
  SLOW service.  EVERY dang time!!  Go for lunch and you'll never make it back in the allotted time.  NEVER.  All I want is a simple lunch combo and I wait forever.......forever for my drink.....forever for my food.....then, when I'm done......forever for my check.
  
  I've been stupid enough to do this 3 times and I'm just not going to do it again.
  
  Just. So. Not. Worth. It.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 04.05.13 Christa F.

  • Report
• 0

  I threw up.  In I don't know exactly what to say about this place other than it's disgusting. I'm not talking entirely about the food, but more so about the establishment itself.
  
  it's a bloody chain you fools. You get what you're going to get. Just drink what's on tap, surround yourself with good company and enjoy yourself!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.22.13 Salil M.

  • Report
• 0

  Decided to try it for dinner with a date.  They sat us in the bar area, without asking, even though the restaurant was half empty.  The waiter took a while to get to us, and stated that they were extremely short handed, although we hadn't commented on the wait.  The mixed drinks were nothing special.  You both have to order from a select limited menu to get the 2 for $20.  The Fiesta Lime chicken is really good.  The chicken fettucine carbonara was not that good.  Felt like average quality food.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 04.29.12 john a.

  • Report
• 0

  The service was great, but I ordered a steak rare and it came out well done. The server was very apologetic and handled it great, but whoever was cooking needs to go back to culinary school. The second time the steak was still over-cooked. I just gave up.
  I had gotten the steak rare at another applebee's about a week before, and it came out perfect, it could've been served at a nice steak house, so I know it's not the chain's fault. But I will not be going back to that one any time soon, and if I do, no steak.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 03.15.12 Nikki M.

  • Report
• 0

  It's an Applebee's.  Only reason we ate here is because we received a $50 for Xmas.
  
  We weren't seen by wait staff for 15 minutes to start.  No drink order, no nothing.  I understand that sometimes one goes out to enjoy the experience, but again, this is an App-le-bee's, not a restaurant I want to dwell in and "experience".
  
  After we actually ordered, another 20 minutes for our starter soup, which was just like what one can get at Safeway at lunchtime.  Clearly pre-made, out-of-the-box, soup.  I got one of those sizzling entrees which is a small portion of everything and sooooooo hot, like volcanic hot (temp, not spice), you cannot eat anything lest you drown it in ketchup to cool it all down.  I think that is the catch: you get something so hot, you can't eat it, therefore you feel as if the meal is larger and lasted longer.  My wife's steak was rubber and she asked for "as rare as possible", which in a poor chain like this means slightly less than well-done.  Her vegetables were so undercooked, it was like there took the mini-carrots from the crisper, microwaved for 30 secs and threw on her plate.  Tragic.
  
  Hate these stereotypical American chains.  This one was so bad, I literally let out a gut busting laugh when I saw people waiting to be seated.  Joke.  Why would you spend $50 on a meal here when you can go to Mike's American or hell, even Olive Garden (which is nearby).  Do yourself a favor and do some research and find a great mom-n-pop and skip this cookie cutter pit of despair.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.08.12 Zach J.

  • Report
• 0

  We had a $25 dollar gift card for Applebees and decided to go out for lunch.  My family of 4 chose the Applebees in Fairfax.   This was yesterday, Dec. 26, maybe not the best day to go out since everything is so busy the day after Christmas, but we did anyway.  I should have realized that the whole outing was not going to be so great when it took the waitress 15 minutes to get to our table and get our drink order.  By that time, we all knew what we were going to have so we ordered our food at the same time to safe time since we were all starving.  I ordered the "all you can eat" soup and salad.  Our food took longer than expected but our order finally came.  the bowl of soup was actually a cup but it tasted ok, so I ordered my second bowl and more salad (remember this is all you can eat), it seemed like forever and a day that I waited to get it.   Meanwhile, my family had all finished their meals.  They came and took their plates to clear the tables and I still was waiting for the 2nd bowl of soup.  the waitress said it was coming several times when I finally just asked her to bring us the check and to forget about the soup.   We also had to ask for drink refills that came after we had almost finished with our meals.  I don't expect super service at Applebees but on this occasion the service was horrible, the food wasn't very good either.  Just go to your frozen food section at the grocery store and buy TGIF finger foods/meals, it'll probably taste the same and you'll get more for your money.   Next time, I'll drive up the road to Wendy's and get a bowl of chili there where I know what I'm getting and for less.  I'm glad that at least the gift card covered most of the bill.  I will never go back.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.27.11 Elizabeth P.

  • Report
• 0

  Used to eat here all the time when they first opened back in my college years.  Stopped by for lunch with my daughter.  I guess my taste for food has changed since my college years.  I prefer more of a local restaurants than a national chains.  Their food is ok, but not great.  
  
  If you go here, just don't go with high expectation and you will be ok.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.05.11 David L.

  • Report
• 0

  Ask for Alex.  I visited this Applebee's twice on a buisiness trip with several of my co-workers. Both times Alex was our server and both times he made our night. We're a pretty rowdy bunch but rather than get annoyed like many servers would, Alex gave it right back to us and added to the fun. Very witty guy. Service like this is what set this location apart from all the other cookie-cutter bar and grills.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 09.27.11 Seth K.

  • Report
• 0

  Due to the fact that neither I nor my fiance wanted to cook we decided that we'd go out to eat.  I hadn't been to Applebee's in years--like over 7 years.  So we headed over there on a perfect day--that would be the first day of snow this year.  It wasn't a bad idea, as 's there were about a total of 30 people including us at Applebee's.  We were seated immediately and within minutes we ordered our appetizer and food.  Onion rings were hot and fresh.  We ordered a BBQ Chicken Sandwich and a Quesadilla Burger.  They were both good and we had no complaints.    Our drinks were always filled and we felt that it was great service. It was quick and efficient.  
  
  I'd recommend Applebee's for a cheap meal, or one of those nights where you can't decide on who wants to cook or what to eat.  Good stuff--I'll be back to try that Quesadilla Burger

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.16.10 Valencia G.

  • Report
• 0

  I don't know if they were having a bad day while I was there, but my overall dining experience at this particular Applebee's was horrific.
  
  The broccoli that came out with my sirloin was disgusting. It looked as if they either hadn't taken the time to wash away dirt, or it was just old.
  
  I had also asked for my sirloin to be medium rare. It came out medium well - well done. To be honest, I took it home and fed it to my dog.
  
  The waitress, maybe it was her first day, but she had completely forgotten my whole table's orders, was extremely lousy on refills, and was an overall mess.
  
  I know it's not fine dining, but I at least expect my food to be clean and served at least CLOSE to medium rare when I ask for it to be so.
  
  I'd rather eat at Friday's or Ruby Tuesdays. It's unfortunate that I've been traumatized out of eating at Applebee's ever again.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.04.10 Samantha G.

  • Report
• 0

  On a Saturday night we went there for dinner.  I've never been to Applebee's and thought that it was going to be common food.   It's my wife's favorite restaurant.  We ordered two of the two dinners and one appetizer for $20 each.   I ordered the sirloin steak and really liked it.  The onion rings and mozoralla sticks for the appetizers were really good.
  
  The atmosphere was good.  We sat near the windows.  The layout is good and offers some privacy.  It's not a totally open format where you can see everyone.  I'd go back again and recommend it.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 09.26.10 Joseph F.

  • Report
• 0

  Let me start by saying we only get take out service hear and order the same thing every time.
  
  Now that that's out of the way, I love this Applebee's.  I love how they wrap the chicken separately from the rest of the salad (a lot of other Applebee's don't do this), I love the portion sizes, and I love their curb side to go service.  I'm a little embarrassed to say we usually get food here at least 3 times a month.  Yummy!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 08.28.10 Michelle B.

  • Report
• 0

  It's been a while since we've been inside an Applebee's- we usually use the carside to go.  An annual gift certificate brought is on on a cold Sunday evening recently.  It's fair to say I think we'll stick with the carside to go until our gift certificate is gone.  Typical applebee's bar food, a little on the greasy side (as usual).  My husband got a reasonably priced steak that he thought tasted good (for the price) and was well cooked.  The mini burgers my son got were pretty gross as far as kid's burgers go.  We could have gotten a better deal at McDonald's.  The service was good but not great.  But, it was the smoky bar-like atmosphere that was really the downfall of this visit.  My son, who is old enough to go the bathroom by himself (like you needed to know that) was accosted by a drunk bar patron.  It was sort of funny in the moment, but not so much later. If it weren't for the smoky bar atmosphere and we were just rating on food, I'd probably give it 2.5 stars.  But, that's an Applebee's for you I suppose.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.29.09 Michelle C.

  • Report
• 0

  Serving the standard Applebee's fare- this place differs in their atmosphere and service... And not in a good way.
  
  We got there around 8:15 with the intention of eating at the restaurant. After ordering drinks one of the members of the party announced that they weren't feeling well so we called the waiter over and asked if we could order our meals to go. We did... And after 30 minutes of no food (and no waiter in sight) ordered two of their mini desserts to share to get something in our stomachs until our food arrived (hey... there's nothing wrong with having dessert first!) and didn't end up paying and leaving until after 9:00pm.
  
  We left and opened our food at our destination about ten minutes away - food wasn't even semi-warm, despite being placed in sealed containers. Boo. Disgusting.
  
  Also, the service was very lacking- we walked in and there was no hostess. We had to stand around awkwardly until someone noticed that we were there. Our waiter was anything but attentive. We basically put an order in and never saw him again (admittedly, there are better servers there- we saw other tables get plenty of attention). As for the food coming out so late- we heard someone mention something about the kitchen being backed up. It wasn't crowded- it shouldn't have been as slow as it was. And if the kitchen was backed up and it was going to take over 30 minutes to get our food- you should probably let us know. Be courteous enough to say something and even recommend an appetizer- you probably would have made the sale.
  
  Applebees is never my first choice- but this location would be close to last.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.20.08 Judith L.

  • Report
• 0

  Gross, Gross, Gross!!!  If I could give this place NEGATIVE one hundred stars I would.  Last night coming back from the mall traffic was horrible so I decided to pull off and try to grab some dinner.  First of all it was "poker night" (Monday) there.  When I walked into the restaurant all I smelled with cigarette smoke!  It was horrible.  So I hoped it was only coming from the bar and not into the entire restaurant....well no that was not the case.  We were taken to the "non-smoking section and I felt with every breath I took I was licking an ashtray.  I couldn't take it . I had to leave.... I had my 8 month old baby with me and I just did not want to expose him to all of that.  So I recommend unless you want to breath second hand smoke...or maybe you are a smoker and need a place to smoke...then this would be the place for you!!  All smoker's welcome!!!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.16.08 Susan F.

  • Report
• 0

  I highly recommend Applebee's for people who are on the Weight Watcher's plan. They actually have a Weight Watchers menu that provides the point value of all of the items. Last night I had the Grilled Chili-Lime Chicken Salad (5 points) and it was delicious! It was such a huge portion and was so tasty you don't feel in the least bit deprived. I then enjoyed a slice of the chocolate raspberry cake and although it doesn't taste as good as their regular fatty desserts, I felt it tasted pretty yummy for just 3 points. We enjoyed great service last night, although in all fairness it was not as busy in the restaurant on a Monday night. By the way for people who aren't interested in eating off the Weight Watchers menu their regular menu is pretty extensive and so many of their dishes sound so good! Applebee's is a reasonably priced restaurant that is sure to please most anyone.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 11.04.08 Mercedes P.

  • Report
• 0

  Man-oh-man, do I love Applebees.  So, this review is biased because I'm a huge fan.  Cheap, easy, and quick.  And delicious.  I'm a huge fan of their boneless wings, mozzarella sticks, and especially the nachos.  The service is pretty average, some are better than others, but never terrible.
  
  Back on LI, Applebees has half-prices appetizers and 2-for drinks every night after 10pm - I wish this Applebees did that.  I think they do the half-prices appetizers but only certain days of the week.  Then again, the typical wait-time to get a seat at an Applebee's on LI is 45mins to an hour on a Saturday night, so maybe I'm thankful they don't have those specials here!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 07.29.08 Blaire R.

  • Report
• 0

  If you suffer from undiagnosed PTSD from 9/11, be warned of the trigger-filled entrance.  The first items that greet you are a virtual shrine to (local) firefighters and policemen. Mostly pictures but also a part of a hose are mounted on a wall.  It's odd at first, but I suppose Applebee's trying to set the tone for you in case you have any ideas about setting fire to the place or drinking too much. (One of the signs warns you to drink responsibly).
  
  The set up is pretty familiar to most folks who have been in a chain restaurant before.  I liked that it was pretty laidback, with no grinning waiters breathing down my neck. Now, if I was actually hungry and trying to get quick service, I would not have been happy. But in the late evening, I just wanted a place to chill.  And the staff were happy to leave me be.  
  
  Drinks are reasonably priced for the large amount they give you. Teevees are close-captioned and playing comedies or sports. Smoking is allowed at the bar.  Anyways, Fair Lakes is pretty pedestrian friendly, so you can also feel free to take a stroll outside if you need fresh air.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 07.06.08 heynow g.

  • Report
• 0

  OK so i could probably make just about everything on their menu at home, yet sometimes you just dont want to cook yourself!   Applebees food is nothing special, yet it is still tasty and relatively cheap.  Plus they have an association with Weight Watchers and therefore have a long list of point friendly dishes.
  
  One thing that i really like about Applebees is the fact that they have a lunch menu where you can get a combination of 2 of the following things (soup, salad or sandwich) for a relatively inexpensive price (i think its like 5.99).   Its a really good deal and the perfect amount of food!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 09.07.07 Michelle P.

  • Report