Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar

Chicken wings have long been mysterious to me. At Applebee's, they're a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

First of all, "wings" have always included legs along with wings (insofar as I can tell). Then, there's the ever-present question of what happens to the rest of the chicken.

But strangest of all, there's the question of how they make them boneless. What a marvel of genetic engineering -- to make chickens with plump wings (and legs?) that don't have any bones! It's amazing really, but also somewhat disconcerting. I mean, do these chickens have any bones? Or are they just boneless in the wings and legs?

Oh, and the fact that they somehow make wings and legs with all white meat, even though these are the quintessential dark meat parts of the bird! Someone once told me that dark meat comes from the muscles that get a lot of active use; white meat muscles are largely sedentary. Well, I guess it makes sense that muscles in the boneless parts of the body wouldn't get a lot of use. Mystery solved.

Still, I prefer dark meat. And bones in my meat remind me that it's the real thing. And so wings that are legs, that are boneless and white ... well, they're called "wings", but there's really nothing winglike about them.

Why not call them "Mini-Chicken Tenders" and be done with it?
(But really, what would we do with miniature chickens anyway?!)

Oh, but this Applebee's has decent beer, at least for C-ville. They even had Flat 12 on tap! Not too shabby. Too bad the food is mediocre.

For a college town, albeit a small college, there are very few places to sit down and eat.  In Crawfordsville, this is one of them.  My second son wanted a non-fast food hamburger.  He is too young to go in and get a bar burger (or so I thought), so we ended up at Applebee's.  We walk in, they ask if he is 18 years old.  He is, so they seat us right away in the bar area.  Later another couple came in, and they had to be at least 21 to sit right next to us.  I have lived my whole life in Indiana, I still do not understand the alcohol "blue" laws.  Something tells me I never will.

Anyway, it is an Applebee's.  I thought the service was prompt.  They kept the iced tea glasses full and the table cleared.  The bathroom was clean.  They do have call ahead seating.

This place sucks, they are building a Cracker Barrel and should be done by August. It's located at I-74 and 231 N.  you'll thank me later!