Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Grants Pass

We arrived at 7:00pm to an overcrowded podium with no list and over 15 people waiting to be seated. It took over 30 minutes to be seated. I asked for a booth since I'm disabled and use a cane but she seated us at a table and when I asked if we could wait and take one of the 2 booths that were being cleared off she said they were being held for a group (which never arrived and the booths went to 2 separate couples that walked in over an hour later) A large group that came in after us was seated ahead of us.(they didn't have a reservation either). Took another 20 minutes to get a glass of water and place our orders. I ordered the all you can eat rib tips and my mom had the blackened salmon. I'd ordered the Asian sauce on the ribs and told the waitress I was allergic to onions (after checking with the chef she assured me there were no onions) My mom's salmon barely had any spices on it and was not blackened at all. My 3 small rib portions were mushy like they were boiled too long before being grilled, very few fries and a small plastic sauce cup of coleslaw. As the waitress left the table I asked her to order more ribs and some extra napkins and more water. 20 minutes later she returned with a single rib on a plate. No fries, no coleslaw no water, no napkins. As long as it was taking I put in another order of ribs as well as more fries and coleslaw. Another waitress walked by with a pitcher of water and filled our glasses. This time it took 30 minutes and she brought another single burnt black on the bottom 3 bite riblet and 2 towelettes. By now I'm starting to itch all over and had to take a Benadryl ( turns out there was onion powder in the Asian sauce after all) She asked if we wanted to order dessert and when I said no thanks she left and was back in 2 minutes with the check. She didn't even bother to ask if I wanted anything else or if I'd like more ribs. So 2 hrs and 15 minutes for 5 mushy but burnt riblets a few fries and sauce cup of coleslaw, a small barely seasoned salmon filet some waterlogged broccoli and a spoonful of mashed potatoes. Oh and 2 glasses...

Applebee's was the place -- sight unseen -- where we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Considering that I would never win the 'Husband of the Year' award, I really needed these folks to come through and help me out.

And did they ever.

First, I made reservations here weeks in advance. Whatever system they use is clutch, because received a number of automated messages about my evening and also was afforded the opportunity to text back and let them know that wanted to impress the hell out of my bride. It all worked like a dream.

We showed a little early and sat in the corner booth, with its comfortable lounge-style seating and a gorgeous view of the mountains. They were staffed by an attentive server who made sure that the wine and beer flowed ... and anything else we wanted. Outstanding.

As previously stated, we were seated (as requested) in a corner with a view. Wow. My wife was enamored with the setting. Admittedly, was too. We've had tables with a view in a number of American cities, but this one took the cake. After all, it's the climate! And when you have such a view -and- a staff that is truly interested in helping you make memories ... there's nothing better.

Though the food here became secondary, it was fabulous. The Shrimp N' Parmesan Sirloin was succulent -- even my wife (a non-meat eater) tasted a sample and was won over. The beef was melty. The veggies were crisp tender. But forget about all of that.

Want to impress your date? The Perfect Margarita is available by the bottle here, and it works like a charm. But truly, it's the service and atmosphere that impresses.

Thank you, Applebee's, for making our 25th Wedding Anniversary so much more memorable (with plenty of brownie points to boot) than could have...

Applebee's used to be a GREAT place to have lunch! I hate to admit that i was in there almost too often. After the remodel things kind of shifted, and as time progressed the experiences got worse and worse. I went in there today to have lunch before work and one of the waiters commented on how the host should make the customers wait longer to be seated because "it's called a waiting zone for a reason"...this comment was made because other customers were getting angry at how long it took for someone to come to their table. The lunch crew is HORRIBLY under-staffed! Customers shouldn't have to wait 15-20 minutes just to place their drink order, and if you're lucky-you'll get water brought to your table when they do finally get around to you. I placed my drink order, and 15 minutes later the guy who took our order had disappeared altogether!

The quality of the food has also decreased, which sucks because I am a REALLY big fan of the Fiesta Lime Chicken but...can't order it anymore because the rice has been coming out overcooked and the chicken itself has been burnt almost to the point of being inedible...they attempt to hide it by smothering it in layers and layers of cheese and sauce (sorry, but as yummy as cheese and sauce is-you can't hide the nasty burnt taste!).

Applebee's used to be my favorite place to grab a beer with friends and enjoy lunch and the friendly atmosphere...sadly, that's gone and so is the great service that used to be provided. The manager doesn't seem to really care either, seems as thought she just likes to stay in her little office to avoid the crowds and...