Parker John's BBQ & Pizza, Appleton — Restaurant in Appleton

We’ve been visiting the Parker John’s Menasha location since it opened. We were happy to hear they were opening an Appleton location because it’s closer to our home. We’ve been to the Appleton location several times and I have not as yet had a positive experience there. When it first opened our complaints were mostly about the staff, today it was that and more. It took our waiter 25 minutes to get us one tea, one water, one chocolate milk and a cup of juice. When he finally brought it to our table I said “you only have 1 other table in the entire restaurant, I didn’t expect to have to wait that long for drinks. Is this any indication of how long I can expect the food to get here?” He said he spilled the first milk he poured and had to clean it up. It still should not have taken that long! He must have been new to serving he even needed help from another sever to carry the food to our table, it was a salad bowl, chicken wings and a kids plate. I still remember wait staff carrying a lot more than that back in my day. Yes, you guessed it the food did take forever the waiter came back twice to tell us it was, “almost ready.” We finally got the food and my daughter’s salad had a piece of plastic in it. Yes, she pulled an actual piece of Black plastic from her mouth. That was enough for her to stop eating it, we were disgusted! I ate two of my wings and when I bit into the third wing it was very pink. Yes, I’ve heard that it doesn’t mean it’s not cooked all the way and that it’s internal temperature is what matters but, most people I know appreciate chicken that has no pink in it. It completely grossed me out. The Mac and Cheese was the only good thing we ordered I even wrapped the cornbread that came with my daughter’s salad to bring home. I’ve always liked it when I’ve had it in Menasha. Guess what, I unwrapped it and tried breaking off a piece and it wasn’t baked all the way, it was mushy. I spoke to the Manager at the Appleton location and they took 1/2 off the price of my daughter’s salad. I still paid 50.00 including the tip. I think it’s time we just accept that the Oarker John’s in Appleton will never do things right or be good. It’s a true shame because we like the one in Menasha so much and we always expected better of the one in town. I recommend anyone make the trip to Menasha for a good overall experience, Better staff and...

Parker John’s in Appleton is a great spot for a family meal or a casual night out! Right away, I appreciated how easy it was to find parking—no circling the lot or feeling cramped, which already started our evening on a good note.

The vibe inside is warm and inviting, with a family-friendly atmosphere that still feels lively without being too loud. I also noticed how accessible everything was, which made it really comfortable for everyone in our group. Even the bathrooms were impressively clean, which is always a plus and says a lot about how the place is run.

The menu? Fantastic! There’s a wide variety of options, so everyone can find something they’ll enjoy. We tried a few different dishes, and everything came out flavorful and well-prepared. It’s not over-the-top fancy food, but it’s hearty, tasty, and clearly made with care—exactly what you want in a spot like this.

The real standout of our visit was our waitress. She was genuinely one of the best servers I’ve had in a while—super friendly, quick to check in, and you could tell she really cared about making our experience great. It wasn’t just “good service,” it felt personal, which made our family’s night even more enjoyable.

Overall, Parker John’s has a great balance: good food, thoughtful service, a clean and comfortable environment, and plenty of menu choices. It’s not trying to be something it’s not—it’s just a solid, welcoming restaurant that knows how to treat its guests right. We’ll absolutely be...

I went tonight because this is one of my husband's favorite spots, and there are a few vegetarian options. I order the stuffed potato and made sure to let my waitress know that I am vegetarian and there should be no meat on it. When it came, it was overloaded with toppings and looked amazing. However, when I pulled it open, I realized that there was bacon on it in the middle. I called my waitress over and reminded her that I am vegetarian and said no meat. She did not apologize and simply said she would get me a new one. No big deal. However, my replacement was smaller, not cooked with the salt on the outside, and barely had any toppings. I felt like I was getting a sub-par replacement and not the quality I usually recieve. Meanwhile, the table next to us, with the same waitress, complained because her salad had blue cheese on it which she didn't like. They replaced it, brought her an extra side, the manager came over and apologized, and they got offered a bill credit. I was shocked at how different we were treated. Our waitress was otherwise great, but the lack of apology and sub-par replacement is why we will not return to...