Applebee's Grill + Bar — Restaurant in Jefferson Township

Title: Rediscovering Delight at Applebee's in Oak Park

Rating: ★★★★★

So, let me start by saying the decision to ditch my downtown Chicago office and trek all the way to Applebee's in Oak Park might sound a bit ridiculous, but sometimes you gotta follow those nostalgic cravings, right? I haven't had Applebee's since high school—over 15 years ago—and let me tell you, the quesadilla burger has been haunting my taste buds ever since.

Once we walked into the Oak Park joint, the vibe was absolutely VIBIN'! No waiting around; we were seated immediately, and our server was an absolute pleasure. We rolled in a tad late for happy hour, but here's where the magic happened—the server still hooked us up with those Happy Hour drink prices. I wish I remembered her name, but the fact that she went out of her way to honor the prices for two drinks was downright amazing. It's those little things that make a difference and show they really care about the customers.

Now, despite Yelp reviews trying to trash talk this place and call it "ghetto," they couldn't be more wrong. The music was bumping with old school R&B vibes, and the whole place had this laid-back, welcoming atmosphere. So, let's talk about the food—it was not only one of the best basic meals I've had in ages, but it was also surprisingly easy on the wallet.

We went for the classics—Caesar salad, quesadilla burger, baby back ribs, and a blur of three large alcoholic drinks. And guess what? The entire feast came out to under $70.00. I couldn't believe it! The quesadilla burger, after 15 years, was still on the menu, and it tasted exactly how I remembered it. Applebee's has stood the test of time as a chain restaurant, delivering on the promise of familiar, delicious eats.

To anyone skeptical after reading bad reviews, don't let 'em fool you. You create your own reality, and in my reality, this Applebee's deserves a solid 5 stars. I'll definitely be making a return trip to this Oak Park gem. Cheers to good vibes, great food, and proving the...

I took my mom here for her birthday. Which was yesterday. Besides the fact that it took like 30-45 minutes to be seated, we were seated at a booth near a window that didn’t seem to be properly sealed as it was REALLY cold in the booth that we were seated in. During the wait I mentioned to our waitress that it was my mom’s birthday which I imagine she was supposed to be sang to for her birthday, but unfortunately she was NOT sang to as was 2 other families that were dining there as well. My mom instantly thought it was some kind of racism, or economical stereotyping going on because we were the only African American family who had someone celebrating a birthday and she was not sang to. We ignored that thinking it would happen after the food. We then ordered, I asked our waitress can I order my dessert while ordering dinner she told me I can do it later into the meal, BTW I was never approached about the dessert at no time during my visit. The deal that was going on 2 for something seemed to good to pass up my mom, my cousin and myself ALL ordered the bourbon street chicken and shrimp. The chicken was EXTREMELY dry and the shrimp was so salty you would get a slight headache from eating just one. We were not going to say anything, but this was her birthday and she did not have a good time the waitress claimed she took 10.00 off and then came back and said she took 20.00 more off but when looking at the bill only 20.00 was comped. I felt bad not leaving a tip for the waitress but this visit to this location was really terrible. WE WILL...

I get it, it’s Applebee’s. We’re not expecting much. But what we didn’t expect was to be treated like we didn’t even exist.

My partner and I went to this Grand Ave Applebee’s for the All You Can Eat deal. We got our first plate, placed a small second order (some tenders and ribs), and then… absolutely nothing. We sat there for almost 30 minutes. No food. No drink refills. No one even checked on us. Nothing. We watched two big tables right next to us, who got seated AFTER we ordered our refill, got their drinks, apps, and full meals while we were still sitting there with empty cups and plates. Not one person came by to explain or even acknowledge us.

The only time anyone came to our table during that 30 mins? To bring us the wrong order - and take it away immediately to the table next to us. We flagged down the manager, Candy, to ask what was going on, and instead of helping, she was just… cold. No apology. No “let me check.” Just said, “It’s busy” and equivalents. That was it. Honestly felt like we were bothering her by even asking. We left hungry on an AYCE deal. Not because we couldn’t wait longer - but because we felt completely disrespected and overlooked. The food was cheap, sure, but basic respect should still be part of the experience. If that’s too much to ask, then something is seriously wrong at this location, especially with the manager’s way of handling things.

I hope corporate sees this. That manager’s (Candy) attitude alone is enough to drive...