Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Fayetteville

Being a black, professional female in the health field (retired army) residing out of state, I was appalled. Visiting Fayetteville from south Florida, my mission was to share quality time with 19-month old granddaughter.

First disappointment was requesting a both to dodge the flow of people. I was escorted to a booth with no protection from the public. The booth next to the flow of individuals picking up carryout. The table where individuals were picking up was the same height as my head as I sat. The table was right behind my head with no backing. If I leaned my head back far enough, my head could touch the carry out. I requestedto be moved and waitress obliged.

Moving every thing, the 19-month old became a little unsettled. Along with the lady in the both next to me walks out without paying. The waitress was chatting and told the other waitress she probably went to the restroom. That's when I realized she did not pay. When the waitress looked at me in disbelief, I told her she went the other direction.

Sitting there awaiting a kids chicken fingers and fries, along with my blackened salmon, mash potatoes and broccoli, the both where the lady walked out, occupied 2 Caucasian females. Those 2 females ate a complete meal and was walking out as my food was ariving. Looking at time of dropping my granddaughter off at home, I realized the time. I stopped another waitress and she said she wood check.

When the waitress returned she said the foid was on the way out. In the process, my granddaughter was starving. I requested some bread or crackers and asked if the television could be turned to Shrek because my granddaughter has been waiting over 1 hr and I was trying to keep her calm. The host said she would ask the manager. The food was coming out and the host returned saying the manager said the televisions will not be turned to cartoons. I asked her why the huge bar cartoon was playing Shrek. The black host of color only apologized. Not to mentioned the food was cold.

I ordered my daughter to go order with the thought of departing after being there 1.5 hours already. Within the 40 additional minutes of eating and awaiting my to go order, 3 different waitresses stopped and said something to me almost every time they passed my both. I let the lead waitress know with a little attitude I had the money to pay without them knowing my salary with retirement, current profession and V.A. compensation was well over $240K/yr. The waitress took turns camping out across from my both as I ate.

Granddaughter crying at this point because she was sleepy. I placed my wallet on the table. Debit card in full view with huge purse still in booth and stood up to hold and comfort my crying granddaughter. Still awaiting for them to bring the check. I am assuming me standing caused an issue because manager came out and asked was every thing ok. I broke down to him all my complaints and what I had experienced. He apologized requested my debit card. I let him know it has been sitting on the edge of the table for the past 30 mins. He suggested i use the kiosk to pay; I let him know I let the waitress know it was not working. The reason it was turned around. I asked if taking someone's debit card is the norm before bringing the check? He said no but he was trying to get me out of there quickly.

20 mins later one of the waitress came out and said I have your check and debit card. It course they had already processed the debit card. She asked was I ready. I let her know I was ready over 1 hr ago when she placed my to go order on the table, cleared the table and was aware the kiosk was not working. I left a $20 tip for a $35 meal. Signed the receipt my norm, Dr MB.... and added the PharmD, MSCR, BCOP. Written on the back of the receipt: my complaints were ignored, your corporate office will learn my complaints. I will copy and mail the same letter every day, until some one responds.

Sincerely...

There were only six tables of people eating in the entire restaurant, yet it took ten minutes just for our server to acknowledge we were sitting at our table. That should have been our sign, but we were extending the benefit of the doubt.

She moved at the speed of pond water and, though she was polite, she acted as though she'd rather be in the eighth ring of hell than standing there taking our order. It took forty minutes for us to get our food, even though, as I mentioned, the place was dead, excluding the one group of friends celebrating happy hour at the bar. The bar that didn't have any Bud Light, might I add, the most common domestic beer on the market.

When the food arrived there were a whopping FIVE tiny shrimp on our Bourbon Chicken and Shrimp platters. They were served with a side of cold mashed potatoes. How they served cold mashed potatoes on a skillet quite literally sizzling from the apparent hellfires our server was enduring, I haven't yet figured out. It must be the same sort of process they used to sear the bottom of cold, dehydrated broccoli too.

None of the five of us finished our meals. Everything was either bland, burnt, or cold. We waited the fifteen minutes it took to get our check and pay, then took our leave. The entire experience took an hour and fifteen minutes. We consumed food for approximately eight of those minutes before abandoning our plates and throwing in the towel, disgusted by the obvious lack of pride this place had in both their product and their service.

But wait! There's more! What is this that we see as we stroll through the dining room towards the door? FOUR servers, including ours, sitting in the tiny kitchen office, on their phones. All of them. The table of folks that had the pleasure of sitting within direct eyesight of this incredible team of staff, commented on how they had been in that office since they arrived, 25 minutes earlier. They had not yet recieved drinks.

And it was my husband's birthday. This was his birthday dinner.

We will never,...

The restaurant manager told us what time to arrive (4:55pm) on October 8th and they knew the number in our party (33). We were there on time, but they weren't ready for us; we waited in the front of the restaurant as there was nowhere else for us to wait. At one point, one of the wait staff asked that we go back to our cars and wait until they were ready for us. A few of us voiced that if we went back to our vehicles we would go elsewhere to eat. Finally after a total of 45-50 minutes, we were seated and had two waitresses assigned to our section. It's sad to say, but l don't remember their names, both were very nice and friendly, and one was very pregnant (she is having a boy, wishing her the best, she's a real hustler!) All of her patrons received their food in a timely manner. On the other hand, the other waitress in our section ...(and let me say, l am not sure it was her fault) her tables received their food late, after some of the party had eaten and were leaving; and one table received their food after everyone else had received and eaten their food and half of our party had left. Not sure who dropped the ball, really not sure if anyone did! The computers "went black" for a minute, but shortly came back up. We, including the wait staff thought everything was okay, but apparently not. It was just some of our party got the short end...