Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Calexico

I don’t go to Applebee’s expecting a five-star experience, but I do expect the bare minimum: decent service, edible food, and some basic professionalism. This location couldn’t even manage that.

Our visit started off okay, but things quickly went downhill. We waited an hour and a half for our food after some of our appetizers were sporadically brought out. We stayed patient, but after that long wait, we asked to speak with the manager. Magically, the food appeared a few minutes later—but it was obvious it had been sitting under a heat lamp the entire time. The steaks were dry and undercooked, the cheese was stiff, the pasta was dried out, and the mashed potatoes were crusty. It was clear the server had forgotten about our food and left it sitting there for far too long.

The manager was incredibly rude. She offered a $20 discount on a $250+ bill—which is fine—but when I mentioned we never received three of our appetizers, she said, “Well, I already gave you a discount for the bad service,” and expected us to pay for food we never received. She continuously interrupted me, refused to listen, and eventually just walked away mid-conversation.

Our server returned shortly after and literally said, “I don’t care what happened, I’m not getting involved.” Wow.

Aside from the host, the entire staff looked like they couldn’t care less and wanted to be anywhere else. It’s no surprise this location already has a bad reputation—I now understand why.

Save yourself the time, money, and frustration. Go...

Food was adequate, but after sitting for twenty five minutes after ordering, I had to ask my server to bring my soup I had ordered as an appetizer, she brought it out on my request, but why did I have to ask? Then of course my meal was brought out as I started into my soup. Frustrating to let that sit and chill while I had the soup that was supposed to be brought out initially. I don't know if my server realized soup or salad should be brought out first. She asked me how I was doing a couple of times running by but she was already past me when I wanted to ask her something. The last time she slowed down and I told her that I was finished, which was very obvious, but she then ran off so I had no idea that I needed to wait twenty minutes to eventually ask someone else to find my server to bring my check. She appeared about five minutes later and said, I thought you didn't need anything. Wow. I asked for my check. She said okay but then went through the bar and stopped to visit with a man who put his arm around her waist and she hugged on him and kept touching him and began a new five minute love affair as I sat and watched and waited for her to eventually get my check. I gave her my credit card and she came back fairly quickly that time and dropped off the bill for me to sign while not even really stopping. She did thank me in running off. It wasn't that she was that busy. And it wasn't that she was rude, but she was oblivious to customer service and dense as a box of rocks on how to do her...

Walked in with my wife an daughter a few ugly looks but so what were hungry waitress comes over takes our order after trying to understand Our English she got our order about 20 minutes later out comes our food or should I say out comes these miniature chicken strips an the shrimp all bottomless with bottomless fries sad thing is our food was barley warm we ate it without a complaint 10 minutes later second round this time everything was hot perfect or maybe not got a watermelon lemonade refill an they ordered 1 more round my daughter was full so she didn't touch her last plate mind u the waitress thought she was doin us a favor I asked for a Togo box for my daughter but our waitress didn't speak enough English to say you can't have Togo boxes from the bottomless items cool I understand I asked for a refill on my drink the lady who had to explain it made my drink 10 minutes after that drink I was running to the toilet I never had to use the restroom like that in my life I almost 💩 my pants I honestly think someone put something in my drink because God as my witness that was all we ate.. I don't recommend this place to anyone not even...