Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Heath

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Applebee’s Heath, Ohio: An Unhinged Love Letter

Let me just say… I don’t usually write reviews this long because my attention span is shorter than the line for free queso, but this Applebee’s experience grabbed me by the soul and refused to let go.

I pulled into the parking lot thinking I’d be in and out in 45 minutes. WRONG. That place swallowed me whole like a Hallmark movie marathon you didn’t plan to watch but suddenly it’s 2 AM and you’re emotionally invested.

The second I walked in, the air hit me — that Applebee’s smell. Not the smell of sadness and frozen fries you get at other locations, but that rich, buttery, sizzling “we’re cooking in here like your grandma, but with corporate-approved seasoning” smell. I was greeted by the host with the energy of someone who has seen some things but still believes in customer service.

They sat me in a booth so comfortable I started wondering if I could get my mail forwarded there.

Now let’s talk about the food — because OH. MY. SKILLET. I got the Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp, and it came out on a sizzling plate so aggressive it sounded like a tire blowout in a NASCAR race. People turned their heads. Babies stopped crying. The sizzling onions were basically performing interpretive dance in butter. The chicken? Juicy like it just signed a skincare sponsorship. The shrimp? Seasoned so well I almost asked for its birth certificate.

My server (let’s call her Sarah, because she radiated “Sarah” energy) didn’t just top off my Diet Coke — she manifested it onto my table before I even realized it was low. She brought napkins like she was my wingman in a BBQ sauce battle. And when she pitched me dessert, she whispered like she was passing state secrets: “Triple. Chocolate. Meltdown.”

Friends, when I tell you that cake came out looking like it was about to get a record deal… hot, steamy, and draped in chocolate sauce, with ice cream melting into the plate like it was trying to seduce me. I blacked out for a second. When I came to, the fork was in my hand and the plate was empty.

The vibe in the room? Absolute chaos in the best way. At the bar: guys arguing about fantasy football like it was a congressional hearing. In the corner: a toddler waving a mozzarella stick like it was a lightsaber. Two tables over: a couple definitely on their first date, the man trying way too hard to impress with half-priced apps. We were all in this unspoken community of “heck yeah, we’re at Applebee’s and we’re thriving.”

By the end of my meal, I was so full I considered ordering an Uber just to get to my car. But you know what? Worth it. Applebee’s Heath isn’t just a restaurant. It’s an experience. A fever dream. A lawless land where the skillet never stops sizzling, the staff are psychic beverage refillers, and the dessert could cause a small riot if it ever got discontinued.

Final thoughts: 12/10. Michelin stars? Don’t care. I’m giving them an...

Couple barflies there at 4:00. Otherwise empty. It took a while for a server to come to our table who seemed nervous or high? We noticed extremely bone-chilling cold temps. When we mentioned it to our server, she vaguely recalled a meeting about the heat but couldn't tell us if it was turned on. Weird, right. It was cold enough we kept our hats on and coats zipped. I removed gloves to eat my finger food appetizer. Our iceberg lettuce dinner salad came with a 1 inch piece of tomato and several croutons. We asked for and the server brought chopped tomatoes and onions. After adding those and using our forks to gently toss the salad, we realized only the top of the salad lettuce was fresh. The rest underneath was wilted, decayed and semi-frozen. Ugh. Ew. We ate around it as best we could. When the server came around, we showed the wilted, decayed, semi-frozen salad portions to server who responded that salads are made in the morning. I should have asked, which morning? She admitted to noticing the rotted lettuce as well and said she asked the cook for some fresh "hamburger lettuce" to put on top. Wait! So the Applebee's server noticed the dinner salad was too rotten to serve and decided to serve it anyway after putting a couple pieces of hamburger lettuce on top?!?!?! We could only assume by "hamburger lettuce", she meant lettuce sitting next to the Cook station as they assemble a hamburger. My Asian taco appetizers were tasty & seemed freshly made. My friend asked for decaf coffee and had to ask each time repeatedly for cream then sugar then a refill then cream and then sugar. Oh and he also had to ask for a spoon. We took turns holding on to his warm coffee cup cuz of bone-chilling in there. I know furnaces break. But it's an Applebee's manager's job to find a local HVAC company to repair or replace parts or close down until HVAC is restored. It reminded us when we were recently in a Bob Evans with bone-chilling temperatures, everyone wearing coats and hats while eating and our server there admitting no heat for a couple weeks. When we left, we told each other we will never go back to Applebee's. Afterwards we went to a nearby Aldi's, saw neighbors, told them about our Applebee's experience. They related an even worse Applebee's experience. Whereby all of us agreed we will never go to...

I stopped into Applebee’s expecting a decent dinner, and I walked out wondering if world peace might actually be achievable — one cheeseburger at a time.

The evening began with the quesadilla appetizer, which immediately set the tone. Perfectly golden on the outside, warm and cheesy on the inside, with tender pieces of chicken tucked into every bite. The pico de gallo was bright and refreshing, cutting through the richness like a tiny mariachi band of flavor. It wasn’t just an appetizer — it was a promise that the rest of the meal was going to be good.

Then came the cheeseburger — the kind of burger that makes you stop mid-bite just to reflect on your life choices and quietly thank yourself for ordering it. The patty was juicy and full of flavor, the cheese melted so perfectly it could have been painted on, and the bun had just the right amount of fluff and strength to hold the whole masterpiece together. The lettuce and tomato were crisp and fresh, proving that yes, even in a burger, vegetables can be exciting.

About halfway through, I had the irrational thought: “If everyone on Earth sat down and ate this burger together, we’d all get along.” That’s the kind of quiet power this meal carried.

The service was spot-on — friendly without hovering, fast without rushing. The atmosphere was relaxed, the music comfortably in the background, and the whole night just felt effortless in the best way possible.

I came for dinner. I left with hope, a full stomach, and a new personal belief that Applebee’s might be doing more for humanity than we give them credit for. I’ll be back — not just for the food, but for the reminder that sometimes, happiness really is...