Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Conroe

After recently moving to this part of town, I was excited to see an Applebees as it was one of my favorite places to go for an affordable family dinner, especially if you have small children. Over the years, many of the locations have closed which made it a challenge to go back so when I saw one nearby we stopped.

Our experience was not what we remembered from years past. I'll start with the very positive. Our server was very friendly, but it seemed she was overwhelmed with tables so our dirty plates never got picked up. This is an issue not unique to Applebee's. It's happening everywhere now. My challenge is the manager didn't seem to want to help her with anything. I noted him standing around. I also noted a trend from these quick casual dining restaurants where they put a machine on the table and expect you to order and pay from the machine. We move the machine to another table so it's out of sight because our son wants to play the video games on it and it becomes the focus of our discussion when we tell him no. We'd rather spend the time talking about his day, etc. Again, not unique to Applebee's as this is now the trend as restaurants can't find people to work or in some instances don't want to hire people to work.

I prefer a traditional dining experience and we ensure to tip for one accordingly. When you don't get a traditional experience it begs the question on if you should tip at a higher percent.

All this aside, the largest issue I had with this location is it smelled dirty. The moment we walked in, it smelled musty. As if the carpet was wet. Moments later a trip to the bathroom revealed a significant water leak which was continually being monitored by the staff there.

So fast forward a month or two and we gave them another try. Went in on a Sunday around noon. As we were being sat down, we asked for a booth and that was met with a frustrating response from the hostess even though they had several open. We sat for a while, finally someone came over to take our drink order. 15 minutes went by. No drinks, we had not placed our order, my little boy said, Dad, we haven't even gotten our drinks yet, lets just go somewhere else, and that's exactly what we did.

As much as I like(d) Applebees, I don't think we will go back...

I would give them less than 1 star if I could. I am pretty sure that I got food poisoning from the chicken. It tasted a little off but it was hard to be sure with the overwhelming smoke flavor that the BBQ sauce had. I only ate 3 small bites since it was also very dry... A few hours later I was sick as a dog. I ordered an appetizer platter & the only edible thing on it was the quesadilla. Considering that I had skipped lunch & it was very late because we had to take my husband to the ER - it says a lot that it was the only thing I ate. I left hungry since I shared that with my son. Another item on the platter was spinach artichoke dip. Seemed like most of the cheese was congealed on the top. Too hard to eat. The base tasted more like cream of spinach soup. Which is about the consistency that it had. It would just run off your chip. By far the WORST dip of any kind that I have ever had. After I was sick all night & 1/2 of my birthday (we ate there the night before) my husband called & spoke to a manager to try & get a refund on my food. (I had tried to talk to the waiter when I told him that night that it was not edible. I should add that waiter was hard to find, forgot things & had to be repeatedly reminded, & had zero personality.) The manager told him "I'll take care of you when you come back in." I think I'd rather take my chances with a dead snake on the side of the road, thank you. I'd suggest that you just mosey on over to Buffalo Wild Wings if it's late & you are desperate for a place to eat. By the time I was able to eat more than toast my birthday had passed. Ruined the plans that my son & husband had for me. I feel like under the circumstances my money should have been refunded. I have since had multiple friends tell me that they don't know how this place stays in business. Followed by their horror stories. My advice is to go hungry, eat fast food, whatever it takes to...

Pleasant Surprise at Applebee's

As avid food enthusiasts who typically steer clear of chain restaurants, we recently decided to break the mold and give Applebee's a shot for lunch. What unfolded was a pleasantly surprising dining experience that compelled us to reconsider our stance on chain establishments.

Walking into Applebee's, we were immediately struck by the welcoming and warm ambiance, which was a perfect respite on a cold and wet afternoon. The decor included charming pictures showcasing the local community of Conroe, Texas, a thoughtful touch that added a unique and entertaining aspect to our dining experience.

When it came to the menu, my wife opted for a salad and soup combination, while I went for the classic choice of a hamburger and fries. To say the portions were generous would be an understatement – our plates were brimming with more food than we could handle. However, the true standout was the undeniable quality of the dishes.

My wife's salad was fresh and crisp, complemented by a flavorful soup that warmed her up on the chilly day. My hamburger and fries were, in a word, phenomenal. The patty was juicy and cooked to perfection, while the fries were golden and crispy – a true testament to the kitchen's dedication to delivering delicious, well-executed classics.

What truly impressed us was the realization that, despite our initial reservations about chain restaurants, Applebee's had exceeded our expectations in both ambiance and culinary offerings. The overall dining experience was a delightful surprise, and we left with contented smiles, feeling grateful for having given Applebee's a chance.

Should hunger strike again, especially when the appetite is insatiable, we won't hesitate to return to Applebee's. Our lunch at this particular branch has certainly reshaped our perception of chain restaurants, and we look forward to more enjoyable meals...