Applebee's Grill + Bar

So me ‘n the boyfriend came here for a hot meal. Haven’t been to Applebees in awhile because the locations around our area seem to be lackluster, to say the least, and we decided to give the chain another chance. Maybe this time, the food would taste better than what my microwave at home can produce, and maybe the waitstaff would at least fake their enthusiasm to be there.

Place looked nice on the inside! I was impressed. The table had large booths which was fantastic because I like to sit directly next to my boyfriend. So far so good!

Our waitress seemed disinterested when she showed up to take our drink order. Fair enough, it was like 8:20 pm, I can understand being tired. She never told us her name, unfortunately. She came back with our drinks and joked with us a little which was fun, but disappeared after that and we didn’t see her again until we left. 3/5, not the worst not the best.

We ordered the pretzels with beer cheese sauce and buffalo boneless wings. Both were delicious! We were delighted compared to other experiences.

We then perused the menu for our entrées. We decided on the 2 for 35–a 6oz sirloin steak with mashed potatoes & steamed broccoli for me, and the 4 cheese Mac & cheese with chicken tenders on top for my boyfriend. He requested buffalo sauce be placed atop the chicken, which our waitress said was possible. So far so good! We were both pleased overall and happy to have a good Applebee’s experience.

Then, the meals got to the table. My steak was perfect, mashed potatoes and broccoli all in order. But the 4 cheese Mac & cheese is where things went awry. On the chicken tenders was not buffalo sauce, but the default honey pepper sauce, and a pitiful amount at that. Not to mention the onions and peppers in the dish that our waitress failed to mention after my boyfriend had asked specifically what all came on and in it. To make matters worse in an already dismal situation, the cheese sauce was watery and grotesque. I tasted it myself and it was, as the manager we called over put it, “a poorly made sauce”.

The manager was amicable and offered to make the mistake right in a method of our choosing; we chose to remove it from our bill.

Although his food wasn’t good, I will give credit where it is due: my food was fantastic. If his had been prepared correctly, it would’ve been at least a 4/5 experience. Unfortunately I’m not able to leave such a review in good faith. Had the waitstaff and manager not been so friendly, my review would be 2/5, but I don’t think it’s fair to make it that low.

Topped with another recent review claiming the place has a mold problem and roaches… will not be returning to this Applebees. Maybe next time at...

My husband and I were extremely dissatisfied with the lack of professionalism of the managers (front manager and kitchen manager) working the evening of Friday, May 25, 2024 at 9:57pm in resolving a matter. Our server was great! My husband had asked if he could get the Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp WITHOUT SHRIMP due to him being allergic to shrimp. Our server checked with the front manager and we were told yes at a discounted rate. So my husband ordered the Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp WITHOUT THE SHRIMP due to his food allergy. His meal comes with shrimp in a little cup on his plate. We told our server who told the front manager who comes and says " I heard there's a problem." When we told her about the shrimp on the plate she responded "I can assure you that the shrimp did not touch his food." Not sure how she can "assure" what touched his plate when we find out she is the front manager and not the kitchen manager. Furthermore, who is to say she was present when his plate was prepared. The front manager took the shrimp when she left our table. Then when our check comes, there was no discount due to him not getting the shrimp. We notified the server and she spoke with the manager. Our server comes back with the check with a $2.00 discount, which in essence is stating that the cost of the shrimp to the meal is $2.00. We asked to speak to the manager again and the front manager comes to the table and she said the $2.00 discount amount is what the kitchen manager told her to give. We asked to speak with the kitchen manager. He comes to the table and my husband asks him "if we were to get a side of shrimp what is the cost?" and the kitchen manager responded "$3.59." My husband and I do not understand why the check was not credited at least that amount!?! (We don't understand the discrepancy) When my husband stated how his food came out with shrimp in a cup when he requested no shrimp due to his food allergy, the kitchen manager, who declined to give his name, stated "mistakes happen" which gave us the impression that he takes food allergies lightly. Not once did neither of them apologize for the shrimp being on his plate and the manner in which they attempted to resolve the matter was not acceptable and demonstrates their lack of professionalism and customer service. Extremely dissatisfied and will not be returning to...

I sure wish there was a rating lower than 1 star. Visited the restaurant on Sunday September 22, 2024. I actually drove out of my way into VA to eat there because my children requested Applebee's. That was a huge mistake. Walked in and was seated at a booth at 8:03 pm. Finally my family got fed up and walked out at 8:30 pm after sitting at the booth for over 25 minutes and not a single server came over to us. Man, they must have been busy? Nope, there were 4 occupied tables, one person at a high top at the bar, and 3 guys at the bar. Funny enough the 1 of the 4 occupied tables had 3 waitresses and the hostess at it just sitting there talking, with only one waitress getting up to serve the table directly next to us multiple times without ever acknowledging my family's table. It still pisses me off that these sorry people made a family with 2 younger kids and a baby under one sit there for that long, especially being almost all other restaurants in the area close their dining rooms at 9, we were traveling 5 hours and just wanted to sit down and have a meal.

Then as we leave a group of about 20 people walk in, seated immediately and within minutes, literally the time it took us to walk out to our vehicle, one of the waitresses that was sitting at a booth was at the tables. I'm just glad my kids were there to keep me from acting a fool and causing a scene. I drove 30 minutes out of my way on a 5 hour trip to eat there and they couldn't even give a simple acknowledgement to our table in a 25 minute time frame in a restaurant that was damn near empty, no wonder Applebee's is doing so poorly these days. If you can't hire any better people than that just close the crappy place. At least the Bojangles just down the road had a few very good people working for them, and by the Bojangles employees comments they know the reputation of that Applebee's all too well. Honestly I wasn't going to leave the review but screw...